In Taiwan

The United States will be monitoring upcoming joint military drills by China and Russia in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk. Despite observing the situation, a senior White House official indicated there is "no dramatic, imminent concern." National security spokesman John Kirby emphasized that the US will monitor these exercises as it would any other drills.

The United States and Japan issued scathing verbal attacks on both China and Russia on Sunday after high-level discussions aimed at enhancing already close defence collaboration between Tokyo and Washington in an increasingly unstable region.

The U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs held rare direct talks in Singapore on Friday, offering hopes for more military dialogue that could help prevent disputes over Taiwan and other flashpoint issues from spinning out of control.

Top U.S. military officer General Charles "CQ" Brown spoke with China's General Liu Zhenli on Thursday, a spokesman said, after a more than year-long halt to high-level defense talks between the two countries.

The death toll from landslides and flooding in the Philippines triggered by tropical storm Megi hit 115 on Thursday, official figures showed, as more bodies were found in mud-caked villages.

The death toll rose to 41 people. Phanfone, which hit the islands on Thursday, caused severe flooding and destroyed hundreds of houses in several provinces.

The typhoon caused severe flooding and destroyed hundreds of houses.

28 people died in a devastating typhoon in the Philippines. The Phanfone, which hit the islands on Thursday, caused severe flooding and destroyed hundreds of houses in several provinces.

Search teams have found four bodies and are searching for two more missing fishing vessels that were at the scene at the time of yesterday's collapse of a bridge in Taiwan, the Associated Press reported.

Today, the National Fire Service identified two of the victims as Indonesians and one as Filipino. The identity of the fourth victim is still unknown.