The world is talking of this Summit as a historic moment with hopes that it will bring peace to Korean Peninsula. Reading between the lines, beyond the niceties and magnificent optics displayed, some realities do emerge, which will indicate that it is beginning of a great gamble by both sides. This issue had crossed the limit of being a bilateral one and it impacts other stakeholders as well, hence this may not be the last call on peace of Korean Peninsula. In real terms North Korea continues to be saddled with continued economic sanctions and US continues to be suspicious of implementation of the complete, irreversible, verifiable denuclearisation, hence will lift sanctions only 'when nukes are no longer an issue'. Both leaders can pat their back as the US has made Kim sign the document on denuclearisation in a manner it suits them, and Kim has been able to get the offensive military exercises/war games off his mind at least for some time, having bought time for the next step.

A happy ending Summit: Was there any other option?

The US and North Korea have called the Summit a historic success, but it was also a compulsion in light of lack of alternatives. It was the only practical option because a failed summit was not suiting either side. At the face value all world leaders have expressed happiness over the Summit and have hoped for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, but it needs to be analysed whether their concerns have been met or otherwise.

-US will continue to be apprehensive till it is verified that N Korea is no more capable to nuke its mainland. The US may have taken off the continuation of military exercises, but it is yet to be clarified if it is going to take off THAAD, which was a concern of China and Russia also.

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<h5>Kim can claim accolade over making President Trump talk to him through nuclear blackmail</h5>
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-North Korea having signed the document, will be forced to think that with economic sanctions being in place, was it a big gamble to give away its only strategic leverage? As an analyst, it looks too good to be true. It, however, remains to be seen that will China allow Kim to be stripped of all nukes. Kim can claim accolade over making President Trump talk to him through nuclear blackmail. This will enhance his credibility in his country as well as in the global arena.

-China highlighting its influence did talk of its efforts in getting both leaders together, but in a subtle message has indirectly shown concern about reasonable security and safety of North Korea. Kim had consulted President

Xi Jinping twice before the Summit, but it is not sure that the document signed is as per the narrative of President Xi or a variation of the same. China will also be concerned about THAAD and continued sanctions, leaving an ambiguity to send their trade items and essentialities to North Korea or otherwise.

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<h5>South Korea will be happy as its efforts to get the two leaders across the table have finally borne fruits, and there is a move forward</h5>
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-Japan will continue to be skeptical of North Korea, because even if North Korea does denuclearize, the missile threat will continue to loom over its territory, notwithstanding a remark by President Trump that Kim has agreed to destroy a missile site.

-South Korea will be happy as its efforts to get the two leaders across the table have finally borne fruits, and there is a move forward. They would genuinely look for peace, as Seoul is within reach of conventional weapons of North Korea.

-Russian may have to wait for clarifications on THAAD deployment, a concern they have been airing earlier.

-India will welcome a peaceful Korean Peninsula but would be keen on some control on North Korea on an alleged proliferation of missile technology to Pakistan.

It remains to be seen as to what the future has for Korean Peninsula, but it was interesting to see the diplomatic negotiations at its best in the run-up for the Summit. It was a commendable diplomatic breakthrough after decades of hostility, but there is still no guarantee that North Korea would follow it up. Equally interesting were the two unpredictable leaders conducting themselves with grace and maturity in a well-choreographed event. It will also be interesting to see that in case of leakages in sanctions by any third country, how will the US respond after display of such niceties? The final test will be the response of North Korea to the international inspectors of nukes.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

It remains to be seen as to what the future has for Korean Peninsula, but it was interesting to see the diplomatic negotiations at its best in the run-up for the Summit

The world is talking of this Summit as a historic moment with hopes that it will bring peace to Korean Peninsula. Reading between the lines, beyond the niceties and magnificent optics displayed, some realities do emerge, which will indicate that it is beginning of a great gamble by both sides. This issue had crossed the limit of being a bilateral one and it impacts other stakeholders as well, hence this may not be the last call on peace of Korean Peninsula. In real terms North Korea continues to be saddled with continued economic sanctions and US continues to be suspicious of implementation of the complete, irreversible, verifiable denuclearisation, hence will lift sanctions only 'when nukes are no longer an issue'. Both leaders can pat their back as the US has made Kim sign the document on denuclearisation in a manner it suits them, and Kim has been able to get the offensive military exercises/war games off his mind at least for some time, having bought time for the next step. A happy ending Summit: Was there any other option? The US and North Korea have called the Summit a historic success, but it was also a compulsion in light of lack of alternatives. It was the only practical option because a failed summit was not suiting either side. At the face value all world leaders have expressed happiness over the Summit and have hoped for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, but it needs to be analysed whether their concerns have been met or otherwise. -US will continue to be apprehensive till it is verified that N Korea is no more capable to nuke its mainland. The US may have taken off the continuation of military exercises, but it is yet to be clarified if it is going to take off THAAD, which was a concern of China and Russia also. Kim can claim accolade over making President Trump talk to him through nuclear blackmail × -North Korea having signed the document, will be forced to think that with economic sanctions being in place, was it a big gamble to give away its only strategic leverage? As an analyst, it looks too good to be true. It, however, remains to be seen that will China allow Kim to be stripped of all nukes. Kim can claim accolade over making President Trump talk to him through nuclear blackmail. This will enhance his credibility in his country as well as in the global arena. -China highlighting its influence did talk of its efforts in getting both leaders together, but in a subtle message has indirectly shown concern about reasonable security and safety of North Korea. Kim had consulted President Xi Jinping twice before the Summit, but it is not sure that the document signed is as per the narrative of President Xi or a variation of the same. China will also be concerned about THAAD and continued sanctions, leaving an ambiguity to send their trade items and essentialities to North Korea or otherwise. South Korea will be happy as its efforts to get the two leaders across the table have finally borne fruits, and there is a move forward × -Japan will continue to be skeptical of North Korea, because even if North Korea does denuclearize, the missile threat will continue to loom over its territory, notwithstanding a remark by President Trump that Kim has agreed to destroy a missile site. -South Korea will be happy as its efforts to get the two leaders across the table have finally borne fruits, and there is a move forward. They would genuinely look for peace, as Seoul is within reach of conventional weapons of North Korea. -Russian may have to wait for clarifications on THAAD deployment, a concern they have been airing earlier. -India will welcome a peaceful Korean Peninsula but would be keen on some control on North Korea on an alleged proliferation of missile technology to Pakistan. It remains to be seen as to what the future has for Korean Peninsula, but it was interesting to see the diplomatic negotiations at its best in the run-up for the Summit. It was a commendable diplomatic breakthrough after decades of hostility, but there is still no guarantee that North Korea would follow it up. Equally interesting were the two unpredictable leaders conducting themselves with grace and maturity in a well-choreographed event. It will also be interesting to see that in case of leakages in sanctions by any third country, how will the US respond after display of such niceties? The final test will be the response of North Korea to the international inspectors of nukes. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Trump-Kim Summit was a gamble beyond optics

A jubilant-sounding President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that his "deal" with Kim Jong Un has ended the North Korean nuclear threat, as his top diplomat said he hoped to see "major disarmament" of the country by 2020.

Despite the lack of detail, or binding terms in the joint statement agreed with Kim -- which has alarmed a majority of observers of the nuclear standoff -- Trump struck a resolutely bullish tone.

"There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea," he tweeted in one of a series of early morning pronouncements.

Trump added that everybody "can now feel much safer than the day I took office" and people could "sleep well tonight!"

Critics said the unprecedented encounter between Kim and Trump was more style than substance, producing a document short on specifics about the key issue of Pyongyang's atomic weapons.

But the US president trumpeted the outcome as a "deal" with North Korea and vowed there would be "no more rocket launches, nuclear testing or research!"

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking to reporters in Seoul, said the United States hoped for "major disarmament" of North Korea by the end of 2020.

In the summit statement, Kim pledged to "work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" -- a stock phrase favored by Pyongyang that stopped short of longstanding US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal in a "verifiable" and "irreversible" way.

When questioned on the wording, Pompeo said Trump's intention was to allow the US the opportunity to pursue further productive conversations on the issue with Pyongyang.

"Let me assure you that 'complete' encompasses verifiable in the minds of everyone concerned," Pompeo said.

"One can't completely denuclearize without validating, authenticating."

Pompeo said he expects the US would next speak to North Korean officials "fairly quickly after we return to our home countries," adding he was "very confident" that some form of engagement would occur in the next week.

Meeting of the century

In North Korea, state media praised Kim for "opening a new chapter" in relations with the United States, and said Trump had accepted an invitation to visit the North.

Just months ago, Kim and Trump were trading threats and personal insults as the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

Adam Schiff, a top US Democrat and staunch Trump critic, warned the standoff was far from resolved.

"North Korea still has all its nuclear missiles, and we only got a vague promise of future denuclearization from a regime that can't be trusted. North Korea is a real and present threat.&nbsp

"So is a dangerously naive president," Schiff said.

But Victor Cha, a former US pointman on North Korea, gave Trump more credit, writing in The New York Times: "Despite its many flaws, the Singapore summit represents the start of a diplomatic process that takes us away from the brink of war."

Pyongyang has reason to feel confident after the meeting, where Kim stood as an equal with Trump in front of their nations' flags.

In North Korea, the official KCNA news agency described the summit as an "epoch-making meeting" that would help foster "a radical switchover in the most hostile (North Korea)-US relations."

KCNA also asserted Trump had "expressed his intention" to lift sanctions against the North -- something the US president had said would happen "when we are sure that the nukes are no longer a factor."&nbsp

With the headline: "Meeting of the century opens new history in DPRK-US relations," the North's ruling Workers Party official daily Rodong Sinmun splashed no fewer than 33 pictures across four of its usual six pages.

In Pyongyang, commuters crowded round the spread of images.

U Sung Tak, 79, said the future was looking "bright" because Kim was "leading the world's political trend on the Korean peninsula, steering the wheel of history."

Ordinary North Koreans consistently voice unequivocal support for the leadership when speaking to foreign media.

War games

The Singapore summit was a major coup for an isolated and heavily sanctioned regime that has long craved international legitimacy, and whose autocratic leader stands accused of murdering opponents and members of his own family.

"Kim Jong Un got what he wanted at the Singapore Summit: the international prestige and respect of a one-on-one meeting with the American president, the legitimacy of North Korean flags hanging next to American flags in the background," said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center.

In his post-summit press conference, Trump made the surprise announcement that the US would halt joint military exercises with its security ally Seoul -- something long sought by Pyongyang, which claims the drills are a rehearsal for invasion.

He defended that decision Wednesday, tweeting: "We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith - which both sides are!"

The Pentagon could not immediately provide an estimate of how much the drills cost.

Both Seoul and US military officials have said they had no idea the announcement was coming, while Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera warned the drills played a "vital role in East Asia's security."

Still, Japan joined fellow world powers from China to the European Union and Russia in welcoming the summit -- while cautioning it was only a first step towards resolving the stand-off with Pyongyang.

Echoing that stance, Akira Kawasaki of the ICAN anti-nuclear group said the summit was "a great photo-op," but that "the substance needs to be followed up."

Despite the lack of detail, or binding terms in the joint statement agreed with Kim -- which has alarmed a majority of observers of the nuclear standoff -- Trump struck a resolutely bullish tone

A jubilant-sounding President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that his "deal" with Kim Jong Un has ended the North Korean nuclear threat, as his top diplomat said he hoped to see "major disarmament" of the country by 2020. Despite the lack of detail, or binding terms in the joint statement agreed with Kim -- which has alarmed a majority of observers of the nuclear standoff -- Trump struck a resolutely bullish tone. "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea," he tweeted in one of a series of early morning pronouncements. Trump added that everybody "can now feel much safer than the day I took office" and people could "sleep well tonight!" Critics said the unprecedented encounter between Kim and Trump was more style than substance, producing a document short on specifics about the key issue of Pyongyang's atomic weapons. But the US president trumpeted the outcome as a "deal" with North Korea and vowed there would be "no more rocket launches, nuclear testing or research!" Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking to reporters in Seoul, said the United States hoped for "major disarmament" of North Korea by the end of 2020. In the summit statement, Kim pledged to "work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" -- a stock phrase favored by Pyongyang that stopped short of longstanding US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal in a "verifiable" and "irreversible" way. When questioned on the wording, Pompeo said Trump's intention was to allow the US the opportunity to pursue further productive conversations on the issue with Pyongyang. "Let me assure you that 'complete' encompasses verifiable in the minds of everyone concerned," Pompeo said. "One can't completely denuclearize without validating, authenticating." Pompeo said he expects the US would next speak to North Korean officials "fairly quickly after we return to our home countries," adding he was "very confident" that some form of engagement would occur in the next week. Meeting of the century In North Korea, state media praised Kim for "opening a new chapter" in relations with the United States, and said Trump had accepted an invitation to visit the North. Just months ago, Kim and Trump were trading threats and personal insults as the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. Adam Schiff, a top US Democrat and staunch Trump critic, warned the standoff was far from resolved. "North Korea still has all its nuclear missiles, and we only got a vague promise of future denuclearization from a regime that can't be trusted. North Korea is a real and present threat. "So is a dangerously naive president," Schiff said. But Victor Cha, a former US pointman on North Korea, gave Trump more credit, writing in The New York Times: "Despite its many flaws, the Singapore summit represents the start of a diplomatic process that takes us away from the brink of war." Pyongyang has reason to feel confident after the meeting, where Kim stood as an equal with Trump in front of their nations' flags. In North Korea, the official KCNA news agency described the summit as an "epoch-making meeting" that would help foster "a radical switchover in the most hostile (North Korea)-US relations." KCNA also asserted Trump had "expressed his intention" to lift sanctions against the North -- something the US president had said would happen "when we are sure that the nukes are no longer a factor." With the headline: "Meeting of the century opens new history in DPRK-US relations," the North's ruling Workers Party official daily Rodong Sinmun splashed no fewer than 33 pictures across four of its usual six pages. In Pyongyang, commuters crowded round the spread of images. U Sung Tak, 79, said the future was looking "bright" because Kim was "leading the world's political trend on the Korean peninsula, steering the wheel of history." Ordinary North Koreans consistently voice unequivocal support for the leadership when speaking to foreign media. War games The Singapore summit was a major coup for an isolated and heavily sanctioned regime that has long craved international legitimacy, and whose autocratic leader stands accused of murdering opponents and members of his own family. "Kim Jong Un got what he wanted at the Singapore Summit: the international prestige and respect of a one-on-one meeting with the American president, the legitimacy of North Korean flags hanging next to American flags in the background," said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center. In his post-summit press conference, Trump made the surprise announcement that the US would halt joint military exercises with its security ally Seoul -- something long sought by Pyongyang, which claims the drills are a rehearsal for invasion. He defended that decision Wednesday, tweeting: "We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith - which both sides are!" The Pentagon could not immediately provide an estimate of how much the drills cost. Both Seoul and US military officials have said they had no idea the announcement was coming, while Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera warned the drills played a "vital role in East Asia's security." Still, Japan joined fellow world powers from China to the European Union and Russia in welcoming the summit -- while cautioning it was only a first step towards resolving the stand-off with Pyongyang. Echoing that stance, Akira Kawasaki of the ICAN anti-nuclear group said the summit was "a great photo-op," but that "the substance needs to be followed up."

World can 'sleep well' after North Korea summit, Trump says

Japan is working on arranging a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with one possibility including the premier's visit to Pyongyang around August, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday.

Citing multiple government sources, the paper said officials from the two countries had been in contact several times in recent months to negotiate a possible meeting between the two leaders.

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump this week agreed to halt joint US-South Korean military exercises after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, drills Japan's defence minister said were "vital" for East Asian security.

North Korea fired at least two missiles over Japan last year as it sought to develop a weapon capable of reaching the US&nbspmainland with a nuclear warhead.

Japan is expected to contribute towards the costs of North Korea's denuclearisation but only after the International Atomic Energy Agency restarts inspections, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

Abe has made the resolution of the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea a political pledge and has said Japan would hold back economic assistance until those issues, along with denuclearisation, are resolved.

If Abe's visit to Pyongyang proves difficult, Japan is eyeing another scenario for Abe to meet Kim on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum to be held in September in Vladivostok, if the North Korean leader attends, the paper said.

A government source familiar with the matter said that Japanese officials planned to discuss the summit meeting with North Korean officials at an international conference on Northeast Asian security to be held on Thursday and Friday in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The person added that it was still unclear whether Abe would attend the conference in Vladivostok in September when his ruling Liberal Democratic Party is due to hold a leadership race.

Citing multiple government sources, the paper said officials from the two countries had been in contact several times in recent months to negotiate a possible meeting between the two leaders

Japan is working on arranging a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with one possibility including the premier's visit to Pyongyang around August, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday. Citing multiple government sources, the paper said officials from the two countries had been in contact several times in recent months to negotiate a possible meeting between the two leaders. US&nbspPresident Donald Trump this week agreed to halt joint US-South Korean military exercises after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, drills Japan's defence minister said were "vital" for East Asian security. North Korea fired at least two missiles over Japan last year as it sought to develop a weapon capable of reaching the US&nbspmainland with a nuclear warhead. Japan is expected to contribute towards the costs of North Korea's denuclearisation but only after the International Atomic Energy Agency restarts inspections, a spokesman said on Wednesday. Abe has made the resolution of the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea a political pledge and has said Japan would hold back economic assistance until those issues, along with denuclearisation, are resolved. If Abe's visit to Pyongyang proves difficult, Japan is eyeing another scenario for Abe to meet Kim on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum to be held in September in Vladivostok, if the North Korean leader attends, the paper said. A government source familiar with the matter said that Japanese officials planned to discuss the summit meeting with North Korean officials at an international conference on Northeast Asian security to be held on Thursday and Friday in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The person added that it was still unclear whether Abe would attend the conference in Vladivostok in September when his ruling Liberal Democratic Party is due to hold a leadership race.

Japan eying Abe-Kim summit with possible Pyongyang visit: Report

After the historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, President Vladimir Putin has invited North Korea leader to visit Russia.

He conveyed the invitation to Kim Jong Un through a senior North Korean official.

His invitation was followed after he praised the results of his summit with Donald Trump.

While hosting North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam,&nbspPutin said the historic summit with the US president was "without doubt just the first step towards a full-blown settlement".

He further said, "Thanks to this meeting a possible negative scenario has been cast aside. Certainly it creates conditions for further forward movement and decreases general tensions around the Korean peninsula".

The historic summit between Kim and Trump was held on Tuesday in Singapore.

The&nbspunprecedented encounter saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with the third-generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship.&nbsp

Putin said he would be happy to welcome Kim to Russia, suggesting they meet during an economic forum in the far eastern port city of Vladivostok this September.

The youthful North Korean leader has never visited Russia. His father, however,&nbspKim Jong-Il, travelled to the country in his armoured train in 2011 for talks with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president at the time.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is the first ever Russian official to meet Kim when he travelled to Pyongyang in late May.

The two countries share a short land border and have a history of long-standing ties.

&nbsp

(With inputs from AFP)

While hosting North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam, Putin said the historic summit with the US president was 'without doubt just the first step towards a full-blown settlement'

After the historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, President Vladimir Putin has invited North Korea leader to visit Russia. He conveyed the invitation to Kim Jong Un through a senior North Korean official. His invitation was followed after he praised the results of his summit with Donald Trump. While hosting North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam,&nbspPutin said the historic summit with the US president was "without doubt just the first step towards a full-blown settlement". He further said, "Thanks to this meeting a possible negative scenario has been cast aside. Certainly it creates conditions for further forward movement and decreases general tensions around the Korean peninsula". The historic summit between Kim and Trump was held on Tuesday in Singapore. The&nbspunprecedented encounter saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with the third-generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship. Putin said he would be happy to welcome Kim to Russia, suggesting they meet during an economic forum in the far eastern port city of Vladivostok this September. The youthful North Korean leader has never visited Russia. His father, however,&nbspKim Jong-Il, travelled to the country in his armoured train in 2011 for talks with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president at the time. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is the first ever Russian official to meet Kim when he travelled to Pyongyang in late May. The two countries share a short land border and have a history of long-standing ties. (With inputs from AFP)

Putin invites Kim to Russia, praises Trump summit

North Korea's Kim Jong Un understands that denuclearisation must happen "quickly", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, warning there will be no sanctions relief for Pyongyang until the process is complete.

Pompeo said Washington remained committed to the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearisation of North Korea, after the joint statement from the US-North Korea summit in Singapore drew criticism for lack of detail on the key issue.

"We believe that Kim Jong Un understands the urgency... that we must do this quickly," he said of the effort to have North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons.

Washington's top diplomat is in Seoul to brief his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on Tuesday's historic talks -- the first between sitting leaders of the two countries -- after which a triumphant President Donald Trump said the world can "sleep well".

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-got-along-from-the-beginning-trump-says-of-kim-commentators-say-us-prez-got-outfoxed-144089">'We got along from the beginning,' Trump says of Kim. Commentators say Trump got outfoxed</a>

Following the summit, Trump said the US would halt its "provocative" joint military drills with South Korea as long as negotiations are ongoing with the North, an announcement that caught Seoul by surprise.

But the US-South Korea alliance remains "as robust as ever", Seoul's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said at a press conference with Pompeo and Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono.

Pompeo is scheduled to fly to Beijing to meet his Chinese counterpart after the meetings in Seoul.

The comment was made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who added that there would be no sanctions relief for Pyongyang until the process is complete

North Korea's Kim Jong Un understands that denuclearisation must happen "quickly", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, warning there will be no sanctions relief for Pyongyang until the process is complete. Pompeo said Washington remained committed to the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearisation of North Korea, after the joint statement from the US-North Korea summit in Singapore drew criticism for lack of detail on the key issue. "We believe that Kim Jong Un understands the urgency... that we must do this quickly," he said of the effort to have North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons. Washington's top diplomat is in Seoul to brief his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on Tuesday's historic talks -- the first between sitting leaders of the two countries -- after which a triumphant President Donald Trump said the world can "sleep well". Also read: 'We got along from the beginning,' Trump says of Kim. Commentators say Trump got outfoxed Following the summit, Trump said the US would halt its "provocative" joint military drills with South Korea as long as negotiations are ongoing with the North, an announcement that caught Seoul by surprise. But the US-South Korea alliance remains "as robust as ever", Seoul's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha said at a press conference with Pompeo and Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono. Pompeo is scheduled to fly to Beijing to meet his Chinese counterpart after the meetings in Seoul.

Kim Jong-Un knows denuclearisation must be 'quick': US

The US&nbspSupreme Court sided with the Trump administration and against China on Thursday on a disputed aspect of their fraught trade relationship, throwing out a lower court ruling that had allowed two Chinese vitamin C makers to escape $148 million in damages for violating American antitrust law.

In a case that brought the trade conflict between the world's two largest economies before the top US&nbspcourt, the justices ruled 9-0 that the lower court gave too much deference to Chinese government filings in the case explaining China's regulatory policy.

The justices sent the case back for reconsideration by the New York-based 2nd US&nbspCircuit Court of Appeals, which in 2016 threw out the damages won by two American vitamin C buyers.

Writing for the court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote that while US&nbspcourts should give "respectful consideration" to a foreign government's interpretation of its own law, they are not "bound to accord conclusive effect to the foreign government's statements."

Lawyers for the US&nbspand Chinese governments faced off in April before the justices. The Supreme Court took the unusual step of letting China present arguments even though it is not an official party in the case, a privilege typically reserved for the US&nbspJustice Department.

The price-fixing case dates back to 2005 when Texas-based Animal Science Products Inc and New Jersey-based The Ranis Co Inc accused Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical and North China Pharmaceutical Group and other Chinese vitamin C makers of antitrust violations.

China intervened in the case, asking the trial court to dismiss the allegations in part because its laws had forced Chinese companies to comply with government-mandated pricing regimes.

A US&nbspfederal judge questioned the credibility of the Chinese submissions and, after a 2013 jury trial, awarded the two American companies $147.8 million in damages.

The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the judgment in 2016, saying that when a foreign government directly participates in a case American courts are obligated to defer to that country's characterization of its own laws.

The Supreme Court itself did not weigh in on the correct interpretation of Chinese law, but Ginsburg said questions remained over "whether Chinese law required the Chinese sellers' conduct."

China and the United States are locked in a simmering trade dispute. President Donald Trump has accused China of unfair trade practices and threatened to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods over allegations of intellectual property theft. China has warned of retaliation.

In a case that brought the trade conflict between the world's two largest economies before the top US court, the justices ruled 9-0 that the lower court gave too much deference to Chinese government filings in the case explaining China's regulatory policy.

The US&nbspSupreme Court sided with the Trump administration and against China on Thursday on a disputed aspect of their fraught trade relationship, throwing out a lower court ruling that had allowed two Chinese vitamin C makers to escape $148 million in damages for violating American antitrust law. In a case that brought the trade conflict between the world's two largest economies before the top US&nbspcourt, the justices ruled 9-0 that the lower court gave too much deference to Chinese government filings in the case explaining China's regulatory policy. The justices sent the case back for reconsideration by the New York-based 2nd US&nbspCircuit Court of Appeals, which in 2016 threw out the damages won by two American vitamin C buyers. Writing for the court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote that while US&nbspcourts should give "respectful consideration" to a foreign government's interpretation of its own law, they are not "bound to accord conclusive effect to the foreign government's statements." Lawyers for the US&nbspand Chinese governments faced off in April before the justices. The Supreme Court took the unusual step of letting China present arguments even though it is not an official party in the case, a privilege typically reserved for the US&nbspJustice Department. The price-fixing case dates back to 2005 when Texas-based Animal Science Products Inc and New Jersey-based The Ranis Co Inc accused Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical and North China Pharmaceutical Group and other Chinese vitamin C makers of antitrust violations. China intervened in the case, asking the trial court to dismiss the allegations in part because its laws had forced Chinese companies to comply with government-mandated pricing regimes. A US&nbspfederal judge questioned the credibility of the Chinese submissions and, after a 2013 jury trial, awarded the two American companies $147.8 million in damages. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the judgment in 2016, saying that when a foreign government directly participates in a case American courts are obligated to defer to that country's characterization of its own laws. The Supreme Court itself did not weigh in on the correct interpretation of Chinese law, but Ginsburg said questions remained over "whether Chinese law required the Chinese sellers' conduct." China and the United States are locked in a simmering trade dispute. President Donald Trump has accused China of unfair trade practices and threatened to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods over allegations of intellectual property theft. China has warned of retaliation.

US Supreme Court hands Trump win in China antitrust case

Tough sanctions will remain on North Korea until its complete denuclearisation, the US Secretary of State&nbsp;Mike&nbsp;Pompeo said on Thursday, apparently contradicting the North's view that the process agreed at this week's summit would be phased and reciprocal.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a joint statement after their Singapore meeting that reaffirmed the North's commitment to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", while Trump "committed to provide security guarantees".

Trump later told a news conference he would end joint US-South Korean military exercises.

"President Trump has been incredibly clear about the sequencing of denuclearisation and relief from the sanctions," Secretary of State Pompeo&nbsp;told reporters after meeting South Korea's president and Japan's foreign minister in Seoul.

"We are going to get complete denuclearisation only then will there be relief from the sanctions," he said.

North Korean state media reported on Wednesday Kim and Trump had recognised the principle of "step-by-step and simultaneous action" to achieve peace and denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula.

The summit statement provided no details on when North Korea would give up its nuclear weapons programme or how the dismantling might be verified.

Sceptics of how much the meeting achieved pointed to the North Korean leadership's long-held view that nuclear weapons are a bulwark against what it fears are US&nbsp;plans to overthrow it and unite the Korean peninsula.

However, South Korean President Moon Jae-In said the world, through the summit, had escaped the threat of war, echoing Trump's upbeat assessment of his meeting with Kim.

"What's most important was that the people of the world, including those in the United States, Japan and Koreans, have all been able to escape the threat of war, nuclear weapons and missiles," Moon told&nbsp;Pompeo.

Pompeo&nbsp;insisted North Korea was committed to giving up its nuclear arsenal but said it would "be a process, not an easy one".

Kim understood getting rid of his nuclear arsenal needed to be done quickly and there would only be relief from stringent UN&nbsp;sanctions on North Korea after its "complete denuclearisation",Pompeo&nbsp;said.

Moon later said South Korea would be flexible when it comes to military pressure on North Korea if it is sincere about denuclearisation.

Also on Thursday, North and South Korea held their first military talks in more than a decade. The talks followed on from an inter-Korean summit in April at which Moon and Kim agreed to defuse tension and cease "hostile acts".

Speaking later in the day in Beijing,&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;thanked China for its efforts to ensure the Trump-Kim summit happened, but also struck a note of caution.

"I wanted to thank you for the kind words you had for President Trump and work he did to put us in this place where we now believe we have a path forward which can truly, for the first time in so many years, create peace on the peninsula,"&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;told the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi.

"And there is still a lot of work to do. There are still risks that we won't achieve that."

Wang said the meeting brought the Korean peninsula nuclear issue back to the correct track of resolving it peacefully.

"It accords with the all parties' joint interests, including those of the United States and North Korea," he said.

&nbsp;

'EVERYBODY MUCH SAFER'

The United States has long insisted on complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation by North Korea.

But the summit statement reference to North Korea committing to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula has used been by North Korea in the past to include a US&nbsp;nuclear umbrella in the region, and echoes promises it has failed to keep.

Trump returned to the United States on Wednesday and took to Twitter to hail the meeting, the first between a sitting US&nbsp;president and a North Korean leader, as a major win for American security.

"Everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office," Trump tweeted. "There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea."

Democratic critics in the United States said the agreement was short on detail and the Republican president had made too many concessions to Kim, whose country is under U.N. sanctions for its nuclear and weapons programmes and is widely condemned for human rights abuses.

Pompeo&nbsp;said Trump's comments about the reduced threat from North Korea were made "with eyes wide open".

"It could be the case that our effort won’t ... work but we are determined to set the conditions so that we can right this failure of decades and reset the conditions for North Korea's participation in the community of nations,"&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;said after a trilateral meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

MAINTAIN READINESS

Japan has reacted to Trump's plan to cancel military exercises with South Korea with concern, saying the drills are vital for East Asian security.

Two North Korean missiles flew over Japan last year as North Korea made rapid advances in developing a missile capable of striking the US&nbsp;mainland with a nuclear warhead.

Tokyo is working on arranging a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kim, with one possibility being an Abe visit to Pyongyang around August, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

A Japanese government source familiar with the matter told Reuters officials aimed to discuss a summit with North Korean officials at a regional security conference in Mongolia on Thursday and Friday.

Kang said South Korea and the United States shared the same goals and approach to achieving denuclearisation.

"The issue of South Korea-US&nbsp;joint exercises is one that should be discussed," Kang said. "But the issues of the alliance should be dealt with under the premise we maintain a joint ironclad defence posture."

The U.S. intelligence assessment of the nuclear and other military threat posed by North Korea to US and allied forces remained unchanged despite Trump's and Moon's assertions about the North Korean nuclear threat being over, a senior US&nbsp;official responsible for studying the North Korean military said.

US&nbsp;officials said it was unclear what types of training involving US&nbsp;and South Korean troops might cross into Trump's now forbidden zone of "war games". But big, joint US-South Korean exercises appeared off-limits under the new guidance.

"Make no mistake, we are going to maintain the readiness of our forces in South Korea," said one US&nbsp;official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official acknowledged, however, it was still not certain how that was going to happen.

The United States maintains about 28,500 soldiers in South Korea, which remains in a technical state of war with the North after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

Trump later told a news conference he would end joint US-South Korean military exercises

Tough sanctions will remain on North Korea until its complete denuclearisation, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday, apparently contradicting the North's view that the process agreed at this week's summit would be phased and reciprocal. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a joint statement after their Singapore meeting that reaffirmed the North's commitment to "work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", while Trump "committed to provide security guarantees". Trump later told a news conference he would end joint US-South Korean military exercises. "President Trump has been incredibly clear about the sequencing of denuclearisation and relief from the sanctions," Secretary of State Pompeo told reporters after meeting South Korea's president and Japan's foreign minister in Seoul. "We are going to get complete denuclearisation only then will there be relief from the sanctions," he said. North Korean state media reported on Wednesday Kim and Trump had recognised the principle of "step-by-step and simultaneous action" to achieve peace and denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula. The summit statement provided no details on when North Korea would give up its nuclear weapons programme or how the dismantling might be verified. Sceptics of how much the meeting achieved pointed to the North Korean leadership's long-held view that nuclear weapons are a bulwark against what it fears are US plans to overthrow it and unite the Korean peninsula. However, South Korean President Moon Jae-In said the world, through the summit, had escaped the threat of war, echoing Trump's upbeat assessment of his meeting with Kim. "What's most important was that the people of the world, including those in the United States, Japan and Koreans, have all been able to escape the threat of war, nuclear weapons and missiles," Moon told Pompeo. Pompeo insisted North Korea was committed to giving up its nuclear arsenal but said it would "be a process, not an easy one". Kim understood getting rid of his nuclear arsenal needed to be done quickly and there would only be relief from stringent UN sanctions on North Korea after its "complete denuclearisation",Pompeo said. Moon later said South Korea would be flexible when it comes to military pressure on North Korea if it is sincere about denuclearisation. Also on Thursday, North and South Korea held their first military talks in more than a decade. The talks followed on from an inter-Korean summit in April at which Moon and Kim agreed to defuse tension and cease "hostile acts". Speaking later in the day in Beijing, Pompeo thanked China for its efforts to ensure the Trump-Kim summit happened, but also struck a note of caution. "I wanted to thank you for the kind words you had for President Trump and work he did to put us in this place where we now believe we have a path forward which can truly, for the first time in so many years, create peace on the peninsula," Pompeo told the Chinese government's top diplomat, State Councillor Wang Yi. "And there is still a lot of work to do. There are still risks that we won't achieve that." Wang said the meeting brought the Korean peninsula nuclear issue back to the correct track of resolving it peacefully. "It accords with the all parties' joint interests, including those of the United States and North Korea," he said. 'EVERYBODY MUCH SAFER' The United States has long insisted on complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation by North Korea. But the summit statement reference to North Korea committing to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula has used been by North Korea in the past to include a US nuclear umbrella in the region, and echoes promises it has failed to keep. Trump returned to the United States on Wednesday and took to Twitter to hail the meeting, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, as a major win for American security. "Everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office," Trump tweeted. "There is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea." Democratic critics in the United States said the agreement was short on detail and the Republican president had made too many concessions to Kim, whose country is under U.N. sanctions for its nuclear and weapons programmes and is widely condemned for human rights abuses. Pompeo said Trump's comments about the reduced threat from North Korea were made "with eyes wide open". "It could be the case that our effort won’t ... work but we are determined to set the conditions so that we can right this failure of decades and reset the conditions for North Korea's participation in the community of nations," Pompeo said after a trilateral meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. MAINTAIN READINESS Japan has reacted to Trump's plan to cancel military exercises with South Korea with concern, saying the drills are vital for East Asian security. Two North Korean missiles flew over Japan last year as North Korea made rapid advances in developing a missile capable of striking the US mainland with a nuclear warhead. Tokyo is working on arranging a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kim, with one possibility being an Abe visit to Pyongyang around August, the Yomiuri newspaper reported. A Japanese government source familiar with the matter told Reuters officials aimed to discuss a summit with North Korean officials at a regional security conference in Mongolia on Thursday and Friday. Kang said South Korea and the United States shared the same goals and approach to achieving denuclearisation. "The issue of South Korea-US joint exercises is one that should be discussed," Kang said. "But the issues of the alliance should be dealt with under the premise we maintain a joint ironclad defence posture." The U.S. intelligence assessment of the nuclear and other military threat posed by North Korea to US and allied forces remained unchanged despite Trump's and Moon's assertions about the North Korean nuclear threat being over, a senior US official responsible for studying the North Korean military said. US officials said it was unclear what types of training involving US and South Korean troops might cross into Trump's now forbidden zone of "war games". But big, joint US-South Korean exercises appeared off-limits under the new guidance. "Make no mistake, we are going to maintain the readiness of our forces in South Korea," said one US official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official acknowledged, however, it was still not certain how that was going to happen. The United States maintains about 28,500 soldiers in South Korea, which remains in a technical state of war with the North after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

Mike Pompeo says North Korea sanctions to remain until complete denuclearisation

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland met with US senators Wednesday aiming to cool down a fiery trade row over "absurd" American tariffs that has sent ties between the longtime allies plunging.

Freeland huddled behind closed doors with Senate Foreign Relations chairman Bob Corker and other senators on the committee eager to repair the fraying relationship after President Donald Trump cited national security interests for slapping punitive tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Invoking national security -- under Section 232 of a US trade law -- as a reason for the tariffs "is frankly absurd," Freeland told reporters after the hour-long meeting.

"I think Americans understand it's simply not the case," she said, stressing the deep friendship between two nations that share the world's longest peaceful border.

Freeland has visited Washington often in recent weeks as Canada, the US and Mexico engage in negotiations over modernizing NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement.

But Trump's announced tariffs, and bald faced attacks against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the G7 summit, have stunned Canada.&nbsp;

The neighbor to the north is now on track to impose what Freeland described as "measured, dollar-for-dollar retaliation" tariffs on US goods beginning July 1.

Freeland would not say what steps Ottawa wants the US Congress to take, but she was clear about Canada's demand on the Trump administration.

"The US has to remove these unfair illegal tariffs from Canada, and from its allies," she said.

"We really are confident that at the end of the day, common sense will prevail."

She stopped short of saying whether any US lawmakers apologized for Trump's trade actions, adding that Canadians "really value our relationship with the United States."

The Republican Corker has criticized Trump for attacking a vital ally, and lashed out at leaders in his own party for refusing to schedule a vote on his measure to let Congress approve or reject any tariffs imposed by the US president.

A frustrated Corker said after the meeting it was clear "we've damaged relations" with Canada.

"I don't know of any senator that I know of on the Republican side that has not expressed concerns to the president both about using 232 but also just the random nature of how this has all been carried out."

Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said he hoped Freeland would return home and share with Canadians "that the view of the president is not the view of all the American people" or a majority of senators.&nbsp;

Freeland said she will speak on Thursday with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, with whom she met on the sidelines of last weekend's G7 summit.

Invoking national security -- under Section 232 of a US trade law -- as a reason for the tariffs 'is frankly absurd,' Chrystia Freeland told reporters after the hour-long meeting

Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland met with US senators Wednesday aiming to cool down a fiery trade row over "absurd" American tariffs that has sent ties between the longtime allies plunging. Freeland huddled behind closed doors with Senate Foreign Relations chairman Bob Corker and other senators on the committee eager to repair the fraying relationship after President Donald Trump cited national security interests for slapping punitive tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. Invoking national security -- under Section 232 of a US trade law -- as a reason for the tariffs "is frankly absurd," Freeland told reporters after the hour-long meeting. "I think Americans understand it's simply not the case," she said, stressing the deep friendship between two nations that share the world's longest peaceful border. Freeland has visited Washington often in recent weeks as Canada, the US and Mexico engage in negotiations over modernizing NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement. But Trump's announced tariffs, and bald faced attacks against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after the G7 summit, have stunned Canada. The neighbor to the north is now on track to impose what Freeland described as "measured, dollar-for-dollar retaliation" tariffs on US goods beginning July 1. Freeland would not say what steps Ottawa wants the US Congress to take, but she was clear about Canada's demand on the Trump administration. "The US has to remove these unfair illegal tariffs from Canada, and from its allies," she said. "We really are confident that at the end of the day, common sense will prevail." She stopped short of saying whether any US lawmakers apologized for Trump's trade actions, adding that Canadians "really value our relationship with the United States." The Republican Corker has criticized Trump for attacking a vital ally, and lashed out at leaders in his own party for refusing to schedule a vote on his measure to let Congress approve or reject any tariffs imposed by the US president. A frustrated Corker said after the meeting it was clear "we've damaged relations" with Canada. "I don't know of any senator that I know of on the Republican side that has not expressed concerns to the president both about using 232 but also just the random nature of how this has all been carried out." Democratic Senator Bob Menendez said he hoped Freeland would return home and share with Canadians "that the view of the president is not the view of all the American people" or a majority of senators. Freeland said she will speak on Thursday with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, with whom she met on the sidelines of last weekend's G7 summit.

Canadian finance minister visits US Senate amid trade brawl

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted by a strong majority of 120 countries an Arab-backed resolution condemning Israel for Palestinian deaths in Gaza and rejected a US bid to blame Hamas for the violence.

The resolution deplores Israel's use of "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" against Palestinian civilians and calls for protection measures for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

At least 129 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during protests near the border with Gaza that began at the end of March. No Israelis have died.

Presented by Algeria and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries, the measure won a decisive 120 votes in the 193-member assembly, with 8 votes against and 45 abstentions.&nbsp

US Ambassador Nikki Haley dismissed the resolution as "one-sided" and accused Arab countries of trying to score political points at home by seeking to condemn Israel at the United Nations.

"For some, attacking Israel is their favorite political sport. &nbspThat's why we are here today," Haley told the assembly.

An amendment presented by the United States that condemned Hamas for "inciting violence" along the border with Gaza failed to garner the two-thirds majority needed for adoption.&nbsp

Arab countries backing the measure turned to the General Assembly after the United States used its veto in the Security Council to block the resolution on June 1.

Unlike the Security Council, resolutions adopted by the assembly are non-binding and there is no veto.

UN chief to propose protection

The resolution tasks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with the drafting of proposals for an "international protection mechanism" for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

These could range from setting up an observer mission to a full-blown peacekeeping force, but action on any option would require backing from the Security Council, where the United States has veto power.&nbsp

"We are asking for a simple thing," Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the assembly. "We want our civilian population to be protected."

Turkey's Ambassador Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu defended the resolution, saying it was "about taking sides with international law" and showing the Palestinians that the world "does care about their suffering."

Taking the podium, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon assailed the measure as an "attempt to take away our basic right to self-defense." He warned ambassadors that by supporting the resolution "you are empowering Hamas."

France was among 12 EU countries that backed the resolution, but Britain abstained along with Italy, Poland and 13 other EU member-states. Russia and China voted in favor.

Australia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, the Solomon Islands and Togo joined the United States and Israel in voting against the resolution.

The US amendment condemning Hamas received 62 votes in favor, with 58 against and 42 abstentions. The United States sought to challenge the ruling requiring a two-thirds majority for approval but that was defeated in a separate vote.

"We had more countries on the right side than the wrong side," Haley said in a statement,

The General Assembly last held a similarly contentious vote on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in December, when it rejected President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the US embassy there.&nbsp

Haley had warned at the time that Washington was "taking names" of countries that supported the resolution. That vote was 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions.

Backed by Arab countries, the Palestinians had lobbied to win as many votes on the Gaza resolution as those cast in support of the measure condemning the US decision on Jerusalem.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in Gaza and the United Nations has warned that a fourth conflict could be easily ignited.&nbsp

At least 129 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during protests near the border with Gaza that began at the end of March. No Israelis have died

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted by a strong majority of 120 countries an Arab-backed resolution condemning Israel for Palestinian deaths in Gaza and rejected a US bid to blame Hamas for the violence. The resolution deplores Israel's use of "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" against Palestinian civilians and calls for protection measures for Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. At least 129 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire during protests near the border with Gaza that began at the end of March. No Israelis have died. Presented by Algeria and Turkey on behalf of Arab and Muslim countries, the measure won a decisive 120 votes in the 193-member assembly, with 8 votes against and 45 abstentions. US Ambassador Nikki Haley dismissed the resolution as "one-sided" and accused Arab countries of trying to score political points at home by seeking to condemn Israel at the United Nations. "For some, attacking Israel is their favorite political sport. &nbspThat's why we are here today," Haley told the assembly. An amendment presented by the United States that condemned Hamas for "inciting violence" along the border with Gaza failed to garner the two-thirds majority needed for adoption. Arab countries backing the measure turned to the General Assembly after the United States used its veto in the Security Council to block the resolution on June 1. Unlike the Security Council, resolutions adopted by the assembly are non-binding and there is no veto. UN chief to propose protection The resolution tasks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with the drafting of proposals for an "international protection mechanism" for the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. These could range from setting up an observer mission to a full-blown peacekeeping force, but action on any option would require backing from the Security Council, where the United States has veto power. "We are asking for a simple thing," Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the assembly. "We want our civilian population to be protected." Turkey's Ambassador Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu defended the resolution, saying it was "about taking sides with international law" and showing the Palestinians that the world "does care about their suffering." Taking the podium, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon assailed the measure as an "attempt to take away our basic right to self-defense." He warned ambassadors that by supporting the resolution "you are empowering Hamas." France was among 12 EU countries that backed the resolution, but Britain abstained along with Italy, Poland and 13 other EU member-states. Russia and China voted in favor. Australia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, the Solomon Islands and Togo joined the United States and Israel in voting against the resolution. The US amendment condemning Hamas received 62 votes in favor, with 58 against and 42 abstentions. The United States sought to challenge the ruling requiring a two-thirds majority for approval but that was defeated in a separate vote. "We had more countries on the right side than the wrong side," Haley said in a statement, The General Assembly last held a similarly contentious vote on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in December, when it rejected President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the US embassy there. Haley had warned at the time that Washington was "taking names" of countries that supported the resolution. That vote was 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions. Backed by Arab countries, the Palestinians had lobbied to win as many votes on the Gaza resolution as those cast in support of the measure condemning the US decision on Jerusalem. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in Gaza and the United Nations has warned that a fourth conflict could be easily ignited.

120 countries at United Nations condemn Israel over Gaza violence

The UN Security Council should consider steps toward lifting sanctions on North Korea following its agreement with the United States to scrap its nuclear program, Russia's UN ambassador said Wednesday.

The council last year adopted three rounds of tough economic sanctions on North Korea, banning most of its exports of raw commodities and severely restricting oil supplies.&nbsp

Asked about lifting sanctions, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters: "I think that it is only natural that we should be thinking about steps in that direction."

"There is progress on the track that should be reciprocal. There should be a two-way street," he said. "Of course the other side should see encouragement to go forward."

At the first-ever meeting between sitting leaders of the US and North Korea on Tuesday in Singapore, President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un pledged in a joint statement to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

The United States along with Japan and European countries maintain that the raft of tough sanctions must remain in place until North Korea has fully dismantled its weapons programs.

Russia and China argue that there should be a gradual approach, offering some sanctions relief in exchange for concrete action from Pyongyang along the path toward denuclearization.&nbsp

The council is expected to meet to discuss the results of the Singapore summit, but Nebenzia, who holds the council presidency this month, said nothing had been scheduled yet.

"It would be interesting to hear from those who were directly involved their assessment of the results," said the Russian ambassador.

Many diplomats credit the UN move to ramp up sanctions as a decisive factor in pressuring Kim to agree to negotiate an end to North Korea's military program.&nbsp

Kim came to understand that "having a nuclear bomb is not compatible with having an economy," said a Security Council diplomat.&nbsp

Dutch Ambassador Karel van Oosterom, who heads the council's sanctions committee on North Korea said the punitive measures were still being applied in full force.

"We will continue to keep up the pressure with the full implementation of the sanctions," he said.

The council last year adopted three rounds of tough economic sanctions on North Korea, banning most of its exports of raw commodities and severely restricting oil supplies

The UN Security Council should consider steps toward lifting sanctions on North Korea following its agreement with the United States to scrap its nuclear program, Russia's UN ambassador said Wednesday. The council last year adopted three rounds of tough economic sanctions on North Korea, banning most of its exports of raw commodities and severely restricting oil supplies. Asked about lifting sanctions, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters: "I think that it is only natural that we should be thinking about steps in that direction." "There is progress on the track that should be reciprocal. There should be a two-way street," he said. "Of course the other side should see encouragement to go forward." At the first-ever meeting between sitting leaders of the US and North Korea on Tuesday in Singapore, President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un pledged in a joint statement to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." The United States along with Japan and European countries maintain that the raft of tough sanctions must remain in place until North Korea has fully dismantled its weapons programs. Russia and China argue that there should be a gradual approach, offering some sanctions relief in exchange for concrete action from Pyongyang along the path toward denuclearization. The council is expected to meet to discuss the results of the Singapore summit, but Nebenzia, who holds the council presidency this month, said nothing had been scheduled yet. "It would be interesting to hear from those who were directly involved their assessment of the results," said the Russian ambassador. Many diplomats credit the UN move to ramp up sanctions as a decisive factor in pressuring Kim to agree to negotiate an end to North Korea's military program. Kim came to understand that "having a nuclear bomb is not compatible with having an economy," said a Security Council diplomat. Dutch Ambassador Karel van Oosterom, who heads the council's sanctions committee on North Korea said the punitive measures were still being applied in full force. "We will continue to keep up the pressure with the full implementation of the sanctions," he said.

Russia says UN should consider sanctions relief for North Korea

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/cbi-requests-interpol-for-red-corner-notice-against-nirav-modis-brother-nishal--company-executive-suresh-shankar-144177">CBI requests Interpol for Red Corner Notice against Nirav Modi's brother Nishal</a>

India's premier investigating agency the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has requested the Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice(RCN) against Nirav Modi's brother Nishal Modi and his company executive Suresh Shankar.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/mumbai-massive-fire-atop-prabhadevi-high-rise-no-loss-of-life-reported-144112">Mumbai: Fire at Prabhadevi high rise contained, no loss of life reported</a>

According to reports, fire at Mumbai's BeauMonde Towers has been contained. A major fire broke out on the top floor of a high rise building in Mumbai's Prabhadevi area on Wednesday. Level - II fire broke out in BeauMonde Towers at Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Prabhadevi locality, Worli, ANI reported.

<a href="http://wionews.com/sports/fernando-hierro-named-new-coach-after-spain-sacks-julen-lopetegui--144176">Fernando Hierro named new coach after Spain sacks Julen Lopetegui</a>

Former Spanish footballer Fernando Hierro on Wednesday was announced as the new coach of Spain football team, hours after association sacked Julen Lopetegui.&nbsp

<a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/maldives-former-president-maumoon-abdul-gayoom-sentenced-to-jail-144155">Maldives: Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom sentenced to jail&nbsp</a>

According to reports, former President of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has been sentenced to jail. Maumoon will serve a total of 1 year 7 months and 6 days in jail.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/north-korea-no-longer-a-nuclear-threat-says-trump-144139">'North Korea no longer a nuclear threat,' says Trump</a>

President Trump said today that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat as he arrived at US Air Force base in Maryland after successfully concluded his meeting with Kim Jong-un on Tuesday.

&nbsp

CBI requests Interpol for Red Corner Notice against Nirav Modi's brother Nishal India's premier investigating agency the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has requested the Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice(RCN) against Nirav Modi's brother Nishal Modi and his company executive Suresh Shankar. Mumbai: Fire at Prabhadevi high rise contained, no loss of life reported According to reports, fire at Mumbai's BeauMonde Towers has been contained. A major fire broke out on the top floor of a high rise building in Mumbai's Prabhadevi area on Wednesday. Level - II fire broke out in BeauMonde Towers at Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Prabhadevi locality, Worli, ANI reported. Fernando Hierro named new coach after Spain sacks Julen Lopetegui Former Spanish footballer Fernando Hierro on Wednesday was announced as the new coach of Spain football team, hours after association sacked Julen Lopetegui. Maldives: Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom sentenced to jail According to reports, former President of the Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has been sentenced to jail. Maumoon will serve a total of 1 year 7 months and 6 days in jail. 'North Korea no longer a nuclear threat,' says Trump President Trump said today that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat as he arrived at US Air Force base in Maryland after successfully concluded his meeting with Kim Jong-un on Tuesday.

News brief: Read big stories of the day

China urges all parties concerned to the Korean Peninsula issue to build perseverance, maintain patience and make unremitting efforts to find a political settlement of the Peninsula issue, said Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang.

Geng, the spokesman, made the remarks at a regular briefing in Beijing&nbsp;on Wednesday.

The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump met in Singapore&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;for a landmark summit. The two leaders signed a "comprehensive" joint statement after their summit. The United States would be committed to providing security guarantees to the DPRK in exchange for Pyongyang's commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Geng said that a good beginning is half done.

"We think that after a long time of hostility and confrontation between the DPRK and the US, it was of great and positive historic significance for the top leaders of the two countries to sit together and have dialogue on an equal footing. The achievements reached by the two leaders are an important step toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, ending hostility and confrontation, and pursuing lasting peace and prosperity of the peninsula. The Korean Peninsula issue has its complexity and particularity, which cannot be resolved overnight. It requires all parties to build perseverance, maintain patience and make unremitting efforts over the Korean Peninsula issue," said Geng.

Geng said China hopes and supports the two sides to implement the consensus reached by the two leaders, promote follow-up consultations, further consolidate and expand the achievements, and make the political settlement of the Peninsula issue a sustainable and irreversible process.

"As a close neighbor of the peninsula and an important party to the issue, China stands ready to work with other relevant parties toward denuclearization and the establishment of a mechanism for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and make positive efforts and contribution to early realization of long-term peace and stability of the peninsula," said Geng.

Geng also reiterated China's stance over the sanctions that United Nations (UN) has imposed on DPRK when answering a reporter's question.

"China always believes that sanctions are not the goals. All parties should support and cooperate with the efforts of diplomatic dialogues and denuclearization, and push forward the process of political settlement of the Peninsula issue," said Geng.

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The two leaders signed a "comprehensive" joint statement after their summit

China urges all parties concerned to the Korean Peninsula issue to build perseverance, maintain patience and make unremitting efforts to find a political settlement of the Peninsula issue, said Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang. Geng, the spokesman, made the remarks at a regular briefing in Beijing on Wednesday. The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump met in Singapore on Tuesday for a landmark summit. The two leaders signed a "comprehensive" joint statement after their summit. The United States would be committed to providing security guarantees to the DPRK in exchange for Pyongyang's commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Geng said that a good beginning is half done. "We think that after a long time of hostility and confrontation between the DPRK and the US, it was of great and positive historic significance for the top leaders of the two countries to sit together and have dialogue on an equal footing. The achievements reached by the two leaders are an important step toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, ending hostility and confrontation, and pursuing lasting peace and prosperity of the peninsula. The Korean Peninsula issue has its complexity and particularity, which cannot be resolved overnight. It requires all parties to build perseverance, maintain patience and make unremitting efforts over the Korean Peninsula issue," said Geng. Geng said China hopes and supports the two sides to implement the consensus reached by the two leaders, promote follow-up consultations, further consolidate and expand the achievements, and make the political settlement of the Peninsula issue a sustainable and irreversible process. "As a close neighbor of the peninsula and an important party to the issue, China stands ready to work with other relevant parties toward denuclearization and the establishment of a mechanism for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and make positive efforts and contribution to early realization of long-term peace and stability of the peninsula," said Geng. Geng also reiterated China's stance over the sanctions that United Nations (UN) has imposed on DPRK when answering a reporter's question. "China always believes that sanctions are not the goals. All parties should support and cooperate with the efforts of diplomatic dialogues and denuclearization, and push forward the process of political settlement of the Peninsula issue," said Geng.

China urges perseverance, patience from all parties over Korean Peninsula

North&nbsp;Korean state media lauded on Wednesday the&nbsp;summit&nbsp;between Kim Jong Un and Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;as a resounding success, highlighting&nbsp;concessions&nbsp;by the US&nbsp;president and the prospect of a new era of peace and prosperity on the&nbsp;Korean peninsula.

The&nbsp;Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;expressed his intention to halt US-South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;military exercises, offer security guarantees to the&nbsp;North&nbsp;and lift sanctions against it as relations improve.

The US president told a news conference on Tuesday,&nbsp;after&nbsp;his&nbsp;summit&nbsp;with&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea's leader in Singapore, he would like to lift sanctions against it but it would not happen immediately.

Kim and&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;invited each other to their respective countries and both leaders "gladly accepted", KCNA reported.

The&nbsp;summit&nbsp;was the first between a sitting US&nbsp;president and a&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean leader and followed a flurry of&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean nuclear and missile tests and angry exchanges of insults and threats between&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and Kim last year that fuelled fears of&nbsp;war.

"Kim Jong Un and&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;had the shared recognition to the effect that it is important to abide by the principle of step-by-step and simultaneous action in achieving peace, stability and denuclearisation of the&nbsp;Korean Peninsula," KCNA said.

Trump&nbsp;confirmed the United States would stop military exercises with South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;while&nbsp;NorthKorea&nbsp;negotiated on denuclearisation.

"We're not going to be doing the&nbsp;war&nbsp;games&nbsp;as long as we're negotiating in good faith,"&nbsp;Trump told Fox News Channel in an interview in Singapore&nbsp;after&nbsp;the&nbsp;summit.

"So that's good for a number of reasons, in addition to which we save a tremendous amount of money,"&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;said.&nbsp;"You know, those things, they cost.&nbsp;I hate to appear a businessman, but I kept saying, what's it costing?"

US&nbsp;Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said&nbsp;Trump's reasoning for halting the exercises was "ridiculous".

"It's not a burden onto the American taxpayer to have a forward deployed force in South&nbsp;Korea," Graham told CNN.

"It brings stability. It's a&nbsp;warning to China that you can't just take over the whole region. So I reject that analysis that it costs too much, but I do accept the proposition, let's stand down (on military exercises) and see if we can find a better way here."

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he hoped all parties could "grasp the moment of positive changes" on the peninsula to take constructive steps towards a political resolution and promoting denuclearisation.

"At this time, everyone had seen that&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has halted missile and nuclear tests, and the United States and South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;have to an extent restricted their military actions. This has de facto realised China's dual suspension proposal," he told a daily news briefing.

"When it comes to&nbsp;Trump's statement yesterday that he would halt South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and the United States' military drills, I can only say that China's proposal is indeed practical and reasonable, is in line with all sides interests and can resolve all sides concerns."

China,&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea's main ally, last year proposed what it calls a "dual suspension", whereby North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;suspend nuclear and missile tests, and South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and the United States suspend military drills.

Surprise

There was some confusion over precisely what military cooperation with South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;had promised to halt.

The US-South&nbsp;Korean exercise calendar hits a high point every year with the Foal Eagle and Max Thunder drills, which both wrapped up last month. Another major exercise is due in August.

The United States maintains about 28,500 soldiers in South&nbsp;Korea, which remains in a technical state of&nbsp;war&nbsp;with the&nbsp;North&nbsp;after&nbsp;the 1950-53&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;War&nbsp;ended in a truce not a peace treaty.

Trump's announcement on the exercises was a surprise even to South&nbsp;Korea's President Moon Jae-in, who has worked in recent months to help bring about the&nbsp;Trump-Kim&nbsp;summit.

Asked about&nbsp;Trump's comments, South&nbsp;Korean presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters there was a need to seek measures that would help improve engagement with&nbsp;North Korea&nbsp;but it was also necessary to confirm exactly what&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;had meant.

Moon will be chairing a national security meeting on Thursday to discuss the&nbsp;summit.

Trump's administration had previously ruled out any&nbsp;concessions&nbsp;or lifting of sanctions without North&nbsp;Korea's commitment to complete, verifiable and irreversible steps to scrap a nuclear arsenal that is advanced enough to threaten the United States.

But a joint statement issued&nbsp;after&nbsp;the&nbsp;summit&nbsp;said only&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;"commits to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the&nbsp;Korean peninsula".

Critics in the United States said&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;had given away too much at a meeting that gave Kim long-sought international standing.

The&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean leader had been isolated, his country accused of widespread human rights abuses and under UN&nbsp;sanctions for its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

"For&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, they got exactly what they wanted," said Moon Seong-mook, a former SouthKorean military official current head of the Unification Strategy Centre in Seoul.

"They had a&nbsp;summit&nbsp;as a nuclear state with Kim on equal turf with&nbsp;Trump, got the United States to halt joint military exercises with South&nbsp;Korea. It's a win for Kim Jong Un."

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was due in Seoul on Wednesday. He is scheduled to meet Moon on Thursday and then hold a trilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

Hope

Japan's Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera said that, while&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;had pledged denuclearisation, no concrete steps had been taken and Japan would not let down its guard.

"We see US-South&nbsp;Korean joint exercises and the US&nbsp;military presence in South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;as vital to security in East Asia," Onodera told reporters. "It is up to the US&nbsp;and South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;to decide about their joint exercises. We have no intention of changing our joint drills with the US."

Japan would only start shouldering the costs of&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea's denuclearisation&nbsp;after&nbsp;the International Atomic Energy Agency restarts inspections, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

The Singapore&nbsp;summit&nbsp;did not get top billing in the main state news outlets in China.

The ruling Communist Party's main newspaper, the People's Daily, published a brief report on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's reaction to the talks.

The English-language China Daily said in an editorial that, while it remained to be seen if the summit&nbsp;would be a defining moment, the fact it went smoothly was positive.

"It has ignited hopes that they will be finally able to put an end to their hostility and that the long-standing peninsula issues can finally be resolved. These hopes should not be extinguished," it said.

Kim and Trump invited each other to their respective countries and both leaders 'gladly accepted', KCNA reported

North Korean state media lauded on Wednesday the summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as a resounding success, highlighting concessions by the US president and the prospect of a new era of peace and prosperity on the Korean peninsula. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Trump expressed his intention to halt US-South Korea military exercises, offer security guarantees to the North and lift sanctions against it as relations improve. The US president told a news conference on Tuesday, after his summit with North Korea's leader in Singapore, he would like to lift sanctions against it but it would not happen immediately. Kim and Trump invited each other to their respective countries and both leaders "gladly accepted", KCNA reported. The summit was the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader and followed a flurry of North Korean nuclear and missile tests and angry exchanges of insults and threats between Trump and Kim last year that fuelled fears of war. "Kim Jong Un and Trump had the shared recognition to the effect that it is important to abide by the principle of step-by-step and simultaneous action in achieving peace, stability and denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," KCNA said. Trump confirmed the United States would stop military exercises with South Korea while NorthKorea negotiated on denuclearisation. "We're not going to be doing the war games as long as we're negotiating in good faith," Trump told Fox News Channel in an interview in Singapore after the summit. "So that's good for a number of reasons, in addition to which we save a tremendous amount of money," Trump said. "You know, those things, they cost. I hate to appear a businessman, but I kept saying, what's it costing?" US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump's reasoning for halting the exercises was "ridiculous". "It's not a burden onto the American taxpayer to have a forward deployed force in South Korea," Graham told CNN. "It brings stability. It's a warning to China that you can't just take over the whole region. So I reject that analysis that it costs too much, but I do accept the proposition, let's stand down (on military exercises) and see if we can find a better way here." Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he hoped all parties could "grasp the moment of positive changes" on the peninsula to take constructive steps towards a political resolution and promoting denuclearisation. "At this time, everyone had seen that North Korea has halted missile and nuclear tests, and the United States and South Korea have to an extent restricted their military actions. This has de facto realised China's dual suspension proposal," he told a daily news briefing. "When it comes to Trump's statement yesterday that he would halt South Korea and the United States' military drills, I can only say that China's proposal is indeed practical and reasonable, is in line with all sides interests and can resolve all sides concerns." China, North Korea's main ally, last year proposed what it calls a "dual suspension", whereby North Korea suspend nuclear and missile tests, and South Korea and the United States suspend military drills. Surprise There was some confusion over precisely what military cooperation with South Korea Trump had promised to halt. The US-South Korean exercise calendar hits a high point every year with the Foal Eagle and Max Thunder drills, which both wrapped up last month. Another major exercise is due in August. The United States maintains about 28,500 soldiers in South Korea, which remains in a technical state of war with the North after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce not a peace treaty. Trump's announcement on the exercises was a surprise even to South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, who has worked in recent months to help bring about the Trump-Kim summit. Asked about Trump's comments, South Korean presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters there was a need to seek measures that would help improve engagement with North Korea but it was also necessary to confirm exactly what Trump had meant. Moon will be chairing a national security meeting on Thursday to discuss the summit. Trump's administration had previously ruled out any concessions or lifting of sanctions without North Korea's commitment to complete, verifiable and irreversible steps to scrap a nuclear arsenal that is advanced enough to threaten the United States. But a joint statement issued after the summit said only North Korea "commits to work towards the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". Critics in the United States said Trump had given away too much at a meeting that gave Kim long-sought international standing. The North Korean leader had been isolated, his country accused of widespread human rights abuses and under UN sanctions for its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. "For North Korea, they got exactly what they wanted," said Moon Seong-mook, a former SouthKorean military official current head of the Unification Strategy Centre in Seoul. "They had a summit as a nuclear state with Kim on equal turf with Trump, got the United States to halt joint military exercises with South Korea. It's a win for Kim Jong Un." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was due in Seoul on Wednesday. He is scheduled to meet Moon on Thursday and then hold a trilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono. Hope Japan's Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera said that, while North Korea had pledged denuclearisation, no concrete steps had been taken and Japan would not let down its guard. "We see US-South Korean joint exercises and the US military presence in South Korea as vital to security in East Asia," Onodera told reporters. "It is up to the US and South Korea to decide about their joint exercises. We have no intention of changing our joint drills with the US." Japan would only start shouldering the costs of North Korea's denuclearisation after the International Atomic Energy Agency restarts inspections, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters. The Singapore summit did not get top billing in the main state news outlets in China. The ruling Communist Party's main newspaper, the People's Daily, published a brief report on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's reaction to the talks. The English-language China Daily said in an editorial that, while it remained to be seen if the summit would be a defining moment, the fact it went smoothly was positive. "It has ignited hopes that they will be finally able to put an end to their hostility and that the long-standing peninsula issues can finally be resolved. These hopes should not be extinguished," it said.

North Korea highlights Trump concessions on war games after summit

China said&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;that US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's announcement that the United States would halt military exercises on the Korean peninsula shows China's "dual suspension" proposal is practical and tenable.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments at a daily news briefing in Beijing, who also cautioned that the Korean peninsula issue is complicated and not likely to be resolved with a single measure.

China has proposed what it calls a dual suspension, whereby North Korea would suspend nuclear and missile tests, and South Korea and the United States suspend military exercises so they can sit down for talks.

China is by far North Korea's biggest trade partner and has been the isolated country's traditional political ally. Pyongyang has long sought an end to the joint war games conducted by US&nbsp;and South Korea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments at a daily news briefing in Beijing

China said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's announcement that the United States would halt military exercises on the Korean peninsula shows China's "dual suspension" proposal is practical and tenable. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments at a daily news briefing in Beijing, who also cautioned that the Korean peninsula issue is complicated and not likely to be resolved with a single measure. China has proposed what it calls a dual suspension, whereby North Korea would suspend nuclear and missile tests, and South Korea and the United States suspend military exercises so they can sit down for talks. China is by far North Korea's biggest trade partner and has been the isolated country's traditional political ally. Pyongyang has long sought an end to the joint war games conducted by US and South Korea.

China says its proposal practical after Trump says to halt Korean drills

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian criticised Donald Trump's "destabilising" foreign policy today after the US leader fell out with historic US allies then "practically hugged" North Korea's dictator in a matter of days.

Le Drian said yesterday's historic summit between Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un was "an undoubted step forward", but he expressed concern about the US president's diplomatic manoeuvres.

"In the space of just a day you see President Trump attacking Mr Trudeau who is a historic ally, and you see President Trump breaking with his collective allies after the G7 meeting in Quebec, and the next day practically hugged a dictator born into a Communist dictatorship which just a few days ago he said he was completely opposed to," he said.

"We are in a destabilising situation," Le Drian told CNews television.

"President Trump has decided to progressively dismantle the tools of multilateralism created after the last war. It is a period of uncertainty and risk... America is shutting itself away in its fortress of power."

Trump's critics have seized on his warm embrace of Kim, days after a spectacular bust-up with G7 allies at a summit in Canada, as the latest sign of his rapport with autocrats.

Trump clashed badly with leaders of the G7's Western democracies over tariffs and accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being "dishonest and weak" at a summit that ended in farce last weekend.

Like many officials, Le Drian raised questions over how Kim's promise to help rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons could be achieved.

"There have already been in the past gestures towards denuclearisation by the father of Kim Jong Un that came to nothing," Le Drian said.

"So today it's good news, let's take it as such, but let's make sure this principle of denuclearisation which was flaunted at this summit is really irreversible and verifiable."

Le Drian said yesterday's historic summit between Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un was 'an undoubted step forward'

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian criticised Donald Trump's "destabilising" foreign policy today after the US leader fell out with historic US allies then "practically hugged" North Korea's dictator in a matter of days. Le Drian said yesterday's historic summit between Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un was "an undoubted step forward", but he expressed concern about the US president's diplomatic manoeuvres. "In the space of just a day you see President Trump attacking Mr Trudeau who is a historic ally, and you see President Trump breaking with his collective allies after the G7 meeting in Quebec, and the next day practically hugged a dictator born into a Communist dictatorship which just a few days ago he said he was completely opposed to," he said. "We are in a destabilising situation," Le Drian told CNews television. "President Trump has decided to progressively dismantle the tools of multilateralism created after the last war. It is a period of uncertainty and risk... America is shutting itself away in its fortress of power." Trump's critics have seized on his warm embrace of Kim, days after a spectacular bust-up with G7 allies at a summit in Canada, as the latest sign of his rapport with autocrats. Trump clashed badly with leaders of the G7's Western democracies over tariffs and accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being "dishonest and weak" at a summit that ended in farce last weekend. Like many officials, Le Drian raised questions over how Kim's promise to help rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons could be achieved. "There have already been in the past gestures towards denuclearisation by the father of Kim Jong Un that came to nothing," Le Drian said. "So today it's good news, let's take it as such, but let's make sure this principle of denuclearisation which was flaunted at this summit is really irreversible and verifiable."

France alarmed after Trump 'practically hugged' Kim: Minister

China&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;praised the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as historic and called for "full denuclearisation" to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The fact that the two leaders "can sit together and have equal talks has important and positive meaning, and is creating a new history," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters.

"The crux of the peninsula nuclear issue is a security issue. The most important, difficult part of this security issue is for the United States and North Korea to sit down to find a way to resolution via equal talks," Wang said.

"Resolving the nuclear issue, on the one hand, of course, is denuclearisation, full denuclearisation. At the same time, there needs to be a peace mechanism for the peninsula, to resolve North Korea's reasonable security concerns."

Beijing is Pyongyang's sole major ally and main trading partner, but it has backed a slew of United Nations sanctions to punish the North over its nuclear and missile tests.

Despite tensions, the Cold War-era allies have sought to mend ties recently, and Kim borrowed an Air China plane to travel to the landmark summit in Singapore.

The fact that the two leaders "can sit together and have equal talks has important and positive meaning, and is creating a new history," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters

China on Tuesday praised the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as historic and called for "full denuclearisation" to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula. The fact that the two leaders "can sit together and have equal talks has important and positive meaning, and is creating a new history," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters. "The crux of the peninsula nuclear issue is a security issue. The most important, difficult part of this security issue is for the United States and North Korea to sit down to find a way to resolution via equal talks," Wang said. "Resolving the nuclear issue, on the one hand, of course, is denuclearisation, full denuclearisation. At the same time, there needs to be a peace mechanism for the peninsula, to resolve North Korea's reasonable security concerns." Beijing is Pyongyang's sole major ally and main trading partner, but it has backed a slew of United Nations sanctions to punish the North over its nuclear and missile tests. Despite tensions, the Cold War-era allies have sought to mend ties recently, and Kim borrowed an Air China plane to travel to the landmark summit in Singapore.

China urges 'full denuclearisation' as Kim-Trump meet

Just hours after Kim Jong Unwrapped up a surprise evening sightseeing tour of Singapore&nbsp;on Monday, the North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun crammed its front page with photographs snapped of the reclusive leader.

The official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea featured 14 photographs, covering more than half of the front page of its&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;issue, showing Kim jovially walking with officials from the city-state at a tropical garden as well as beside an infinity pool.

The speed of the coverage in Rodong Sinmun and other state media is unusual in a country where events are often reported a full day, if not longer after they happen.

The sense of fun in the reporting is also a contrast with the more sober way in which the North Korean media would usually handle an official trip.

It appears to reflect a new confidence among officials in North Korea that the isolated country has really been accepted onto the world stage. This is the furthest Kim is known to have travelled since he came to power in 2011 and there has never previously been a meeting between a US&nbsp;president and a North Korean leader.

Despite all pomp and circumstance, ordinary North Koreans are not confident that improvement in relations between the North and the United States will last long and give them a better economy, defectors say.

"They weren't too excited about the summit. North Korea had rice and medicine aid from the United States and other countries before, but that did not trickle down to ordinary people," said Park Hyun-sook, a defector who spoke to two relatives inside the North by phone&nbsp;on Saturday.

"Under sanctions, we have figured out the way to live on our own. Even under any better relationship with the US, it would be the same," Park told Reuters. Park used to smuggle North Korean goods into China to make a living near the border.

Many North Koreans are still filled with deep-rooted distrust towards Trump, which state media previously called a "lunatic old man", said Daily NK, a news website run by North Korean defectors who retain contacts with sources inside.

North Korea's official media brought a large number of reporters and camera operators to Singapore for the Kim trip, and they had access to various locations that was denied to media from elsewhere in the world.

For previous trips by Kim to China, state media had mostly reported the visits after Kim had returned to Pyongyang. In the case of the inter-Korea summit - which began on the morning of&nbsp;April 27&nbsp;- the coverage was largely delayed until early the next day.

In addition to the pictures of Kim on the tour&nbsp;on Tuesday, separate landscape shots of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, and a bird's-eye view of Singapore from the hotel's observation deck were also shown.

KCNA reported Kim as saying of the sightseeing tour that "Singapore is clean and beautiful and every building is stylish as he heard of in the past, adding he is going to learn a lot from the good knowledge and experience of Singapore in various fields in the future."

On Monday, Rodong Sinmun had shown Kim just before departing Pyongyang for Singapore, shaking hands with his officials and waving his hand inside the entrance of an Air China airplane ahead of takeoff.

State television aired the same photographs of Kim's departure as well as his arrival in Singapore and the North Korean leader's meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Presidential Palace.

The North Korean media still faces some barriers, though. It doesn't go live for such sensitive events.

In the capital of Pyongyang, North Koreans watched a big TV screen playing still photographs of Kim's visit to Singapore and read a newspaper about the trip at a subway station, media photographs showed.

But,&nbsp;on Tuesday, while all other international networks went live with Kim and Trump's first handshake and opening remarks at their meeting, the official Korean Central Television remained blank, choosing not to break with its usual broadcast schedule that usually begins&nbsp;five hours later.

The speed of the coverage in Rodong Sinmun and other state media is unusual in a country where events are often reported a full day, if not longer after they happen

Just hours after Kim Jong Unwrapped up a surprise evening sightseeing tour of Singapore on Monday, the North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun crammed its front page with photographs snapped of the reclusive leader. The official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea featured 14 photographs, covering more than half of the front page of its Tuesday issue, showing Kim jovially walking with officials from the city-state at a tropical garden as well as beside an infinity pool. The speed of the coverage in Rodong Sinmun and other state media is unusual in a country where events are often reported a full day, if not longer after they happen. The sense of fun in the reporting is also a contrast with the more sober way in which the North Korean media would usually handle an official trip. It appears to reflect a new confidence among officials in North Korea that the isolated country has really been accepted onto the world stage. This is the furthest Kim is known to have travelled since he came to power in 2011 and there has never previously been a meeting between a US president and a North Korean leader. Despite all pomp and circumstance, ordinary North Koreans are not confident that improvement in relations between the North and the United States will last long and give them a better economy, defectors say. "They weren't too excited about the summit. North Korea had rice and medicine aid from the United States and other countries before, but that did not trickle down to ordinary people," said Park Hyun-sook, a defector who spoke to two relatives inside the North by phone on Saturday. "Under sanctions, we have figured out the way to live on our own. Even under any better relationship with the US, it would be the same," Park told Reuters. Park used to smuggle North Korean goods into China to make a living near the border. Many North Koreans are still filled with deep-rooted distrust towards Trump, which state media previously called a "lunatic old man", said Daily NK, a news website run by North Korean defectors who retain contacts with sources inside. North Korea's official media brought a large number of reporters and camera operators to Singapore for the Kim trip, and they had access to various locations that was denied to media from elsewhere in the world. For previous trips by Kim to China, state media had mostly reported the visits after Kim had returned to Pyongyang. In the case of the inter-Korea summit - which began on the morning of April 27 - the coverage was largely delayed until early the next day. In addition to the pictures of Kim on the tour on Tuesday, separate landscape shots of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, and a bird's-eye view of Singapore from the hotel's observation deck were also shown. KCNA reported Kim as saying of the sightseeing tour that "Singapore is clean and beautiful and every building is stylish as he heard of in the past, adding he is going to learn a lot from the good knowledge and experience of Singapore in various fields in the future." On Monday, Rodong Sinmun had shown Kim just before departing Pyongyang for Singapore, shaking hands with his officials and waving his hand inside the entrance of an Air China airplane ahead of takeoff. State television aired the same photographs of Kim's departure as well as his arrival in Singapore and the North Korean leader's meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Presidential Palace. The North Korean media still faces some barriers, though. It doesn't go live for such sensitive events. In the capital of Pyongyang, North Koreans watched a big TV screen playing still photographs of Kim's visit to Singapore and read a newspaper about the trip at a subway station, media photographs showed. But, on Tuesday, while all other international networks went live with Kim and Trump's first handshake and opening remarks at their meeting, the official Korean Central Television remained blank, choosing not to break with its usual broadcast schedule that usually begins five hours later.

North Korea state media plasters front pages with leader's Singapore trip

Trump and Kim concluded their first historic meeting — it really is, a sitting US President and a North Korean leader have never met before, not even spoken on the phone — today.&nbsp;

The one-on-one, along with translators, lasted about 48 minutes.&nbsp;

Reuters quoted a body language expert as saying Trump and Kim both sought to project a sense of command as they began their summit,&nbsp;

The body language expert said their handshake, which lasted over 10 seconds, showed both leaders seeking to take charge of their encounter. Trump spoke to Kim during the handshake, while the North Korean leader listened affirmatively.&nbsp;

"Their handshake seems to be between peers," Karen Leong, Managing Director of Singapore-headquartered Influence Solutions, said. "Trump seemed to be very aware of this, that he needed to up the stakes and be seen that he is the leader."&nbsp;

Trump arrived to the summit looking serious, and showed off the power-grab gestures most recently seen during the G7 summit this week. He patted the North Korean leader on the arm twice and also initiated a handshake while talking to the media about the "successful relationship".&nbsp;

Trump did most of the talking and Kim appeared to listen attentively, turning to him three times during their walk towards the library they were meeting in. But he also patted the US President's arm, in an attempt to show control over the encounter.

Trump, who is more than twice as old Kim who is reportedly 34, appeared to lead the way to the library, placing his hand on the North Korean leader's back.&nbsp;

But Leong said the two leaders found it tough to disguise their nervousness once they sat down to their meeting with Trump displaying a slanted smile and fidgeting with his hands, and Kim leaning and staring at the ground.

Ahead of the meeting, Trump had said he would be able to work out within the first minute whether his North Korean counterpart was serious about making peace.

"I think that very quickly I'll know that something good is going to happen," Trump said in Canada during the G7 meeting. "I also think I'll know if it's going to happen fast – it may not, but I'll know pretty quickly whether or not, in my opinion, something positive will happen."

The two leaders had, before their sudden thaw, been trading insults for months with economic sanctions on North Korea ramped up in response to its nuclear weapons programme.

A body language expert said the two leaders found it tough to disguise their nervousness once they sat down to their meeting with Trump displaying a slanted smile and fidgeting with his hands, and Kim leaning and staring at the ground

Trump and Kim concluded their first historic meeting — it really is, a sitting US President and a North Korean leader have never met before, not even spoken on the phone — today. The one-on-one, along with translators, lasted about 48 minutes. Reuters quoted a body language expert as saying Trump and Kim both sought to project a sense of command as they began their summit, The body language expert said their handshake, which lasted over 10 seconds, showed both leaders seeking to take charge of their encounter. Trump spoke to Kim during the handshake, while the North Korean leader listened affirmatively. "Their handshake seems to be between peers," Karen Leong, Managing Director of Singapore-headquartered Influence Solutions, said. "Trump seemed to be very aware of this, that he needed to up the stakes and be seen that he is the leader." Trump arrived to the summit looking serious, and showed off the power-grab gestures most recently seen during the G7 summit this week. He patted the North Korean leader on the arm twice and also initiated a handshake while talking to the media about the "successful relationship". Trump did most of the talking and Kim appeared to listen attentively, turning to him three times during their walk towards the library they were meeting in. But he also patted the US President's arm, in an attempt to show control over the encounter. Trump, who is more than twice as old Kim who is reportedly 34, appeared to lead the way to the library, placing his hand on the North Korean leader's back. But Leong said the two leaders found it tough to disguise their nervousness once they sat down to their meeting with Trump displaying a slanted smile and fidgeting with his hands, and Kim leaning and staring at the ground. Ahead of the meeting, Trump had said he would be able to work out within the first minute whether his North Korean counterpart was serious about making peace. "I think that very quickly I'll know that something good is going to happen," Trump said in Canada during the G7 meeting. "I also think I'll know if it's going to happen fast – it may not, but I'll know pretty quickly whether or not, in my opinion, something positive will happen." The two leaders had, before their sudden thaw, been trading insults for months with economic sanctions on North Korea ramped up in response to its nuclear weapons programme.

Trump and Kim's body language said both tried to show they were in control

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump said a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday had gone "better than anybody could have expected", and they would sign a document following talks on ways to end a nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula.

Kim stood silently alongside Trump as he spoke to media during a post-lunch stroll through the gardens of the Singapore hotel where the summit was held, but the North Korean leader had earlier described their meeting as a "a good prelude to peace".

Both men walked to Trump's limousine and looked in at the rear seat, with Trump apparently showing Kim something inside. They then resumed their walk.

"A lot of progress - really very positive. I think better than anybody could have expected. Top of the line, very good. We’re going now for a signing," Trump told journalists, without giving details on what would be signed.

Should they succeed in making a diplomatic breakthrough, it could bring lasting change to the security landscape of Northeast Asia, like the visit of former U.S. President Richard Nixon to China in 1972 led to the transformation of China.

Both men had looked serious as they got out of their limousines for the summit at the Capella hotel on Singapore's Sentosa, a resort island with luxury hotels, a casino, manmade beaches and a Universal Studios theme park.

But, with cameras of the world's press trained on them, they displayed an initial atmosphere of bonhomie as they met on the verandah of the Capella, a refurbished 19th century British regimental officers' mess.

After a handshake, they were soon smiling and holding each other by the arm, before Trump guided Kim to the library where they held a meeting with only their interpreters. Trump had said on Saturday he would know within a minute of meeting Kim whether he would reach a deal.

Inside, they sat alongside each other against a backdrop of North Korean and U.S. flags, with Kim beaming broadly as the U.S. president gave him a thumbs up.

The combatants of the 1950-53 Korean War are technically still at war, as the conflict, in which millions of people died, was concluded only with a truce.

After initial exchanges lasting around 40 minutes, Trump and Kim emerged, walking side-by-side through the colonnaded hotel before entering a meeting room, where they were joined by their most senior officials.

Kim was heard telling Trump through a translator: "I think the entire world is watching this moment. Many people in the world will think of this as a scene from a fantasy...science fiction movie."

Asked by a reporter how the meeting was going, Trump said: "Very good. Very, very good. Good relationship."

Kim also sounded positive about the prospects.

"We overcame all kinds of scepticism and speculations about this summit and I believe that this is good for the peace," he said. "I believe this is a good prelude for peace."

Trump was joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and John Kelly, White House Chief of Staff, for the expanded talks, while Kim's team included former military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol, foreign minister Ri Yong Ho and Ri Su Yong, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party.

MARKETS CALM

As the two leaders met, Singapore navy vessels, and air force Apache helicopters patrolled, while fighter jets and an Gulfstream 550 early warning aircraft circled.

Financial markets were largely steady in Asia and did not show any noticeable reaction to the start of the summit. The dollar was at a three-week high and the MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares was largely unchanged from Monday.

While Trump and Kim search each other’s eyes and words for signs of trust or deceit, the rest of the world will be watching, hoping that somehow these two unpredictable leaders can find a way to defuse one of the planet's most dangerous flashpoints.

Body language expert said both men tried to project command as they met, but also displayed signs of nerves.

After the meetings, the two teams and other senior officials met for a working lunch, where beef short ribs, sweet and sour pork and "Daegu Jormin", or Korean braised cod, were served for the main course, according to the menu. That was to be followed by dark chocolate tarts, pastries and vanilla ice cream for dessert. The North Korean leader's sister and close confidante Kim Yo Jong was among the lunch party.

As the cameras captured the moment, Trump quipped: "Very nice. Getting a good picture everyone, so we all look nice and handsome and thin...perfect".

In the hours before the summit began, Trump expressed optimism about prospects for the first-ever meeting of sitting U.S. and North Korean leaders, while Pompeo injected a note of caution whether Kim would prove to be sincere about his willingness to denuclearise.

Pompeo said the summit should set the framework for "the hard work that will follow", insisting that North Korea had to move toward complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation.

North Korea, however, has shown little appetite for surrendering nuclear weapons it considers vital to the survival of Kim's dynastic rule.

Sanctions on North Korea would remain in place until that happened, Pompeo said on Monday. "If diplomacy does not move in the right direction ... those measures will increase."

The White House said later that discussions with North Korea had moved "more quickly than expected" and Trump would leave Singapore on Tuesday night after the summit, rather than Wednesday, as scheduled earlier.

Kim is due to leave on Tuesday afternoon, a source involved in the planning of his visit has said.

One of the world's most reclusive leaders, Kim visited Singapore's waterfront on Monday, smiling and waving to onlookers, adding to a more affable image that has emerged since his April summit with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in.

Trump spoke to Moon and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, both key allies of Washington in the region, to discuss developments ahead of the summit.

"I too, got little sleep last night," Moon told his cabinet in Seoul as the summit began in Singapore.

"I truly hope it will be a successful summit that will open a new age for the two Koreas and the United States and bring us complete denuclearisation and peace."

Trump added that he and Kim would sign a document following talks on ways to end a nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump said a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday had gone "better than anybody could have expected", and they would sign a document following talks on ways to end a nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula. Kim stood silently alongside Trump as he spoke to media during a post-lunch stroll through the gardens of the Singapore hotel where the summit was held, but the North Korean leader had earlier described their meeting as a "a good prelude to peace". Both men walked to Trump's limousine and looked in at the rear seat, with Trump apparently showing Kim something inside. They then resumed their walk. "A lot of progress - really very positive. I think better than anybody could have expected. Top of the line, very good. We’re going now for a signing," Trump told journalists, without giving details on what would be signed. Should they succeed in making a diplomatic breakthrough, it could bring lasting change to the security landscape of Northeast Asia, like the visit of former U.S. President Richard Nixon to China in 1972 led to the transformation of China. Both men had looked serious as they got out of their limousines for the summit at the Capella hotel on Singapore's Sentosa, a resort island with luxury hotels, a casino, manmade beaches and a Universal Studios theme park. But, with cameras of the world's press trained on them, they displayed an initial atmosphere of bonhomie as they met on the verandah of the Capella, a refurbished 19th century British regimental officers' mess. After a handshake, they were soon smiling and holding each other by the arm, before Trump guided Kim to the library where they held a meeting with only their interpreters. Trump had said on Saturday he would know within a minute of meeting Kim whether he would reach a deal. Inside, they sat alongside each other against a backdrop of North Korean and U.S. flags, with Kim beaming broadly as the U.S. president gave him a thumbs up. The combatants of the 1950-53 Korean War are technically still at war, as the conflict, in which millions of people died, was concluded only with a truce. After initial exchanges lasting around 40 minutes, Trump and Kim emerged, walking side-by-side through the colonnaded hotel before entering a meeting room, where they were joined by their most senior officials. Kim was heard telling Trump through a translator: "I think the entire world is watching this moment. Many people in the world will think of this as a scene from a fantasy...science fiction movie." Asked by a reporter how the meeting was going, Trump said: "Very good. Very, very good. Good relationship." Kim also sounded positive about the prospects. "We overcame all kinds of scepticism and speculations about this summit and I believe that this is good for the peace," he said. "I believe this is a good prelude for peace." Trump was joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and John Kelly, White House Chief of Staff, for the expanded talks, while Kim's team included former military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol, foreign minister Ri Yong Ho and Ri Su Yong, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party. MARKETS CALM As the two leaders met, Singapore navy vessels, and air force Apache helicopters patrolled, while fighter jets and an Gulfstream 550 early warning aircraft circled. Financial markets were largely steady in Asia and did not show any noticeable reaction to the start of the summit. The dollar was at a three-week high and the MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares was largely unchanged from Monday. While Trump and Kim search each other’s eyes and words for signs of trust or deceit, the rest of the world will be watching, hoping that somehow these two unpredictable leaders can find a way to defuse one of the planet's most dangerous flashpoints. Body language expert said both men tried to project command as they met, but also displayed signs of nerves. After the meetings, the two teams and other senior officials met for a working lunch, where beef short ribs, sweet and sour pork and "Daegu Jormin", or Korean braised cod, were served for the main course, according to the menu. That was to be followed by dark chocolate tarts, pastries and vanilla ice cream for dessert. The North Korean leader's sister and close confidante Kim Yo Jong was among the lunch party. As the cameras captured the moment, Trump quipped: "Very nice. Getting a good picture everyone, so we all look nice and handsome and thin...perfect". In the hours before the summit began, Trump expressed optimism about prospects for the first-ever meeting of sitting U.S. and North Korean leaders, while Pompeo injected a note of caution whether Kim would prove to be sincere about his willingness to denuclearise. Pompeo said the summit should set the framework for "the hard work that will follow", insisting that North Korea had to move toward complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation. North Korea, however, has shown little appetite for surrendering nuclear weapons it considers vital to the survival of Kim's dynastic rule. Sanctions on North Korea would remain in place until that happened, Pompeo said on Monday. "If diplomacy does not move in the right direction ... those measures will increase." The White House said later that discussions with North Korea had moved "more quickly than expected" and Trump would leave Singapore on Tuesday night after the summit, rather than Wednesday, as scheduled earlier. Kim is due to leave on Tuesday afternoon, a source involved in the planning of his visit has said. One of the world's most reclusive leaders, Kim visited Singapore's waterfront on Monday, smiling and waving to onlookers, adding to a more affable image that has emerged since his April summit with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in. Trump spoke to Moon and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, both key allies of Washington in the region, to discuss developments ahead of the summit. "I too, got little sleep last night," Moon told his cabinet in Seoul as the summit began in Singapore. "I truly hope it will be a successful summit that will open a new age for the two Koreas and the United States and bring us complete denuclearisation and peace."

Trump says summit with North Korea's Kim 'better than anybody expected'

As US President <a href="http://wionews.com/world/great-epoch-making-significance-says-north-koreas-ally-china-on-trump-kim-talks-143846">Trump successfully concluded </a>his summit with North Korean leader Kim on Tuesday, Ivanka Trump's tweet a day earlier baffled Internet users in China.

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“Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.” -Chinese Proverb
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/1006160823360872448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Ivanka in a tweet said: “Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.” -Chinese Proverb. However, Chinese Internet users could not figure out what it meant as it circulated on Weibo. Even though Twitter is banned in China but the screenshot of the post went viral on the Chinese Internet.

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as a Chinese i gotta tell you that, Ivanka, there is no such proverb,here,in china. people on Weibo are talking about this tweet, For the love of President Trump, i'll let you know that the closest proverb to what you tweet is 'u can u up no can no bb'. you're welcome
— ニジョウ (@greednut) <a href="https://twitter.com/greednut/status/1006570435423551488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Several users said it is not a Chinese proverb, some were confused if Chinese philosopher Confucius said those words even as several users disagreed. Some thought Ivanka just made it up, others doubted the origin of the tweet as they scratched around to make sense of it.

&nbsp;

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Ivanka totally confuses the Chinese population.<a href="https://t.co/EchN2jItpE">https://t.co/EchN2jItpE</a>
— Beverly Hall (@bevhallmezzo) <a href="https://twitter.com/bevhallmezzo/status/1006561963277783040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Ivanka's too intellectually lazy to properly identify/Google a real Chinese proverb to Tweet out of context for self-aggrandizing reasons i guess she can't be expected to be effective on any front, but still.
— Elizabeth Spiers (@espiers) <a href="https://twitter.com/espiers/status/1006491950269259776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Users on China's Weibo are going nuts trying to reverse translate Ivanka's Chinese proverb tweet <a href="https://t.co/5skhZOtwW9">https://t.co/5skhZOtwW9</a>
— Megha Rajagopalan (@meghara) <a href="https://twitter.com/meghara/status/1006326770084208640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Some thought Ivanka just made it up, others doubted the origin of the tweet

As US President Trump successfully concluded his summit with North Korean leader Kim on Tuesday, Ivanka Trump's tweet a day earlier baffled Internet users in China. “Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.” -Chinese Proverb — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 11, 2018 × Ivanka in a tweet said: “Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it.” -Chinese Proverb. However, Chinese Internet users could not figure out what it meant as it circulated on Weibo. Even though Twitter is banned in China but the screenshot of the post went viral on the Chinese Internet. as a Chinese i gotta tell you that, Ivanka, there is no such proverb,here,in china. people on Weibo are talking about this tweet, For the love of President Trump, i'll let you know that the closest proverb to what you tweet is 'u can u up no can no bb'. you're welcome — ニジョウ (@greednut) June 12, 2018 × Several users said it is not a Chinese proverb, some were confused if Chinese philosopher Confucius said those words even as several users disagreed. Some thought Ivanka just made it up, others doubted the origin of the tweet as they scratched around to make sense of it. Ivanka totally confuses the Chinese population.https://t.co/EchN2jItpE — Beverly Hall (@bevhallmezzo) June 12, 2018 × Ivanka's too intellectually lazy to properly identify/Google a real Chinese proverb to Tweet out of context for self-aggrandizing reasons i guess she can't be expected to be effective on any front, but still. — Elizabeth Spiers (@espiers) June 12, 2018 × Users on China's Weibo are going nuts trying to reverse translate Ivanka's Chinese proverb tweet https://t.co/5skhZOtwW9 — Megha Rajagopalan (@meghara) June 12, 2018 ×

Chinese proverb? Ivanka's tweet baffles China

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the international community to offer support on carrying out the agreement on steps toward denuclearization between the United States and North Korea.

"Implementing today's and previous agreements reached, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, will require patience and support from the global community,” UN&nbsp;spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.&nbsp;

Guterres had earlier complained after North Korea dismantled its nuclear sites without the presence of UN experts with just foreign journalists invited. The UN chief this time, however, welcomed the talks in Singapore between Trump and Kim.

President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their first face-to-face meeting after months of uncertainty over the summit. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere with both leaders comfortable with each other with Trump repeatedly praising the North Korean leader.

President Trump said the deal with Kim was a "great thing for China".

China had earlier praised the Trump-Kim meeting calling it an "epoch-making event" and promised to play a "constructive role".

Russia has a positive assessment of the deal between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but "the devil is in the detail", TASS news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Tuesday.

"Now we can only welcome the fact that an important step forward has been made. Of course, the devil is in the detail, and we have yet to delve into specifics. But the impulse, as far as we understand, has been given," Ryabkov said.

Iran, on the other hand, warned North Korea against accepting any nuclear deal with US President Donald Trump. Nobakht was quoted by a news agency describing US President Donald Trump as a man "who revokes his signature while abroad," Reuters reported.&nbsp;

India called summit a "positive development" and welcomed the event. "This is a positive development. India has always supported all efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy. We hope that the outcomes of the US-DPRK Summit will be implemented, thus paving the way for lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) read.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their first face-to-face meeting after months of uncertainty over the summit

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the international community to offer support on carrying out the agreement on steps toward denuclearization between the United States and North Korea. "Implementing today's and previous agreements reached, in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, will require patience and support from the global community,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Guterres had earlier complained after North Korea dismantled its nuclear sites without the presence of UN experts with just foreign journalists invited. The UN chief this time, however, welcomed the talks in Singapore between Trump and Kim. President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their first face-to-face meeting after months of uncertainty over the summit. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere with both leaders comfortable with each other with Trump repeatedly praising the North Korean leader. President Trump said the deal with Kim was a "great thing for China". China had earlier praised the Trump-Kim meeting calling it an "epoch-making event" and promised to play a "constructive role". Russia has a positive assessment of the deal between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but "the devil is in the detail", TASS news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Tuesday. "Now we can only welcome the fact that an important step forward has been made. Of course, the devil is in the detail, and we have yet to delve into specifics. But the impulse, as far as we understand, has been given," Ryabkov said. Iran, on the other hand, warned North Korea against accepting any nuclear deal with US President Donald Trump. Nobakht was quoted by a news agency describing US President Donald Trump as a man "who revokes his signature while abroad," Reuters reported. India called summit a "positive development" and welcomed the event. "This is a positive development. India has always supported all efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy. We hope that the outcomes of the US-DPRK Summit will be implemented, thus paving the way for lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) read. (With inputs from agencies)

UN chief urges support for US-North Korea agreement

India on Tuesday welcomed the historic summit that took place between United States President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore. "This is a positive development. India has always supported all efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy. We hope that the outcomes of the US-DPRK Summit will be implemented, thus paving the way for lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) read.

The MEA statement added, "We also hope that the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue will take into account and address our concerns about proliferation linkages extending to India`s neighbourhood."

The meeting came after months of deliberations between two countries over the time and venue of the summit. Both the leaders signed a joint agreement, according to which Kim committed to&nbsp;'complete denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula', as per media reports.

Prior to the signing of the comprehensive document, both the leaders had a working lunch and walked around Capella, where they held a bilateral meeting in the morning. Despite Kim threatening to call off the summit talks following the 'Max military drills'&nbsp;and Trump announcing to call off the event, citing "tremendous anger and open hostility" from North Korea as the reason, the historic summit finally culminated successfully.

Trump has departed for the US from Singapore's Paya Lebar Airbase aboard Air Force One, after holding talks with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un. He's headed back to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, with brief stops in Guam and Hawaii first, CNN reported. Trump's departure followed the press conference that the US president addressed after the summit.

The meeting came after months of deliberations between two countries over the time and venue of the summit

India on Tuesday welcomed the historic summit that took place between United States President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore. "This is a positive development. India has always supported all efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy. We hope that the outcomes of the US-DPRK Summit will be implemented, thus paving the way for lasting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) read. The MEA statement added, "We also hope that the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue will take into account and address our concerns about proliferation linkages extending to India`s neighbourhood." The meeting came after months of deliberations between two countries over the time and venue of the summit. Both the leaders signed a joint agreement, according to which Kim committed to 'complete denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula', as per media reports. Prior to the signing of the comprehensive document, both the leaders had a working lunch and walked around Capella, where they held a bilateral meeting in the morning. Despite Kim threatening to call off the summit talks following the 'Max military drills' and Trump announcing to call off the event, citing "tremendous anger and open hostility" from North Korea as the reason, the historic summit finally culminated successfully. Trump has departed for the US from Singapore's Paya Lebar Airbase aboard Air Force One, after holding talks with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un. He's headed back to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, with brief stops in Guam and Hawaii first, CNN reported. Trump's departure followed the press conference that the US president addressed after the summit.

This is positive development: India welcomes Trump-Kim Summit

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/us-has-dropped-war-games-in-korean-peninsula-ready-to-change-the-world-says-trump-after-meeting-kim-143832">'</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/us-has-dropped-war-games-in-korean-peninsula-ready-to-change-the-world-says-trump-after-meeting-kim-143832">US</a><a href="http://wionews.com/world/us-has-dropped-war-games-in-korean-peninsula-ready-to-change-the-world-says-trump-after-meeting-kim-143832"> has dropped war games in Korean Peninsula, ready to change the world,' says Trump after meeting Kim</a>

US President Trump praised North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling him "very talented" and a "special person" as he addressed a press conference after an exhilarating day of high-level diplomacy on Tuesday.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/spiritual-leader-bhaiyyuji-maharaj-shoots-himself-dead-143835">Spiritual leader turned minister Bhaiyyuji Maharaj shoots self</a>

According to reports, self-styled guru and Hindu spiritual leader Bhaiyyuji Maharaj allegedly shot himself today. He was rushed to Indore's Bombay Hospital where he was declared dead.&nbsp

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/facebook-launches-user-review-potential-bans-for-advertisers-143891">Facebook launches user review, potential bans for advertisers</a>

Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it would allow users to review businesses that advertise on the social network and possibly ban those that receive the most negative feedback.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/delhi-minister-begins-hunger-strike-as-cm-others-wait-to-meet-143853">'Dharna without reason' says L-G's office as Kejriwal continues sit-in</a>

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues, who spent the night at the lieutenant governor's office, today dug in their heels with Health Minister Satyendar Jain beginning an indefinite hunger strike to press for their demands.

<a href="http://wionews.com/south-asia/pakistani-supreme-court-rejects-7-year-old-zainab-killers-appeal-143883">Pakistani Supreme court rejects 7-year-old Zainab killer's appeal</a>

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday rejected an appeal against the death sentence of a man convicted of raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl in the eastern city of Kasur, a crime which shocked the country at the beginning of the year and triggered protests in several cities nationwide.

&nbsp

'US has dropped war games in Korean Peninsula, ready to change the world,' says Trump after meeting Kim US President Trump praised North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling him "very talented" and a "special person" as he addressed a press conference after an exhilarating day of high-level diplomacy on Tuesday. Spiritual leader turned minister Bhaiyyuji Maharaj shoots self According to reports, self-styled guru and Hindu spiritual leader Bhaiyyuji Maharaj allegedly shot himself today. He was rushed to Indore's Bombay Hospital where he was declared dead. Facebook launches user review, potential bans for advertisers Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it would allow users to review businesses that advertise on the social network and possibly ban those that receive the most negative feedback. 'Dharna without reason' says L-G's office as Kejriwal continues sit-in Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues, who spent the night at the lieutenant governor's office, today dug in their heels with Health Minister Satyendar Jain beginning an indefinite hunger strike to press for their demands. Pakistani Supreme court rejects 7-year-old Zainab killer's appeal The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday rejected an appeal against the death sentence of a man convicted of raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl in the eastern city of Kasur, a crime which shocked the country at the beginning of the year and triggered protests in several cities nationwide.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Oscar-winning actor Robert de Niro issued an expletive-laden denunciation of U.S. President Donald Trump during the live television broadcast of the Tony Awards ceremony on Sunday. 
 
De Niro appeared on stage at New York`s Radio City Music Hall to introduce rocker and Tony Awards performer Bruce Springsteen. 
 
"I`m gonna say one thing. Fuck Trump," De Niro said, without any preamble. 
 
With the audience of theatre actors, directors and producers shrieking and rising to their feet in applause, De Niro said: "It`s no longer down with Trump. It`s fuck Trump." 
 
He did not elaborate on his comment and switched immediately to a prepared introduction of Springsteen. 
 
"Bruce, you can rock the house like nobody else," De Niro said. "And even more important in these perilous times, you rock the vote, always fighting for, in your own words, Truth, transparency, and integrity in government. Boy, do we need that now."&nbsp; 
 
The expletive, known as the F-bomb, was bleeped by the CBS network for millions of television watchers at home. Though in Australia, the footage ran without the bleep.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Here's video of DeNiro swearing at Trump on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TonyAwards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TonyAwards</a> 
Australian feed didnt censor it. <a href="https://t.co/KZNrT8UIyH">pic.twitter.com/KZNrT8UIyH</a>
— Rhett Bartlett (@dialmformovies) <a href="https://twitter.com/dialmformovies/status/1006005583160360960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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However, it was heard by those in the audience and journalists covering the awards show, which honors the best of Broadway theatre, and it quickly became the top trending item on Twitter. 
 
De Niro is one of the most respected actors in the United States with two Oscar wins for "Raging Bull" and "The Godfather: Part II." 
 
"Mr. De Niro`s comments were unscripted and unexpected," CBS said in a statement. "The offensive language was deleted from the broadcast." 
 
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.&nbsp; 
 
De Niro, a noted liberal, has been increasingly critical of Trump, a Republican, at smaller showbusiness events, but none have the high profile and audience of the Tony Awards. 
 
The Tony Awards show was seen by some six million Americans last year.

De Niro appeared on stage at New York`s Radio City Music Hall to introduce rocker and Tony Awards performer Bruce Springsteen.

Oscar-winning actor Robert de Niro issued an expletive-laden denunciation of U.S. President Donald Trump during the live television broadcast of the Tony Awards ceremony on Sunday. De Niro appeared on stage at New York`s Radio City Music Hall to introduce rocker and Tony Awards performer Bruce Springsteen. "I`m gonna say one thing. Fuck Trump," De Niro said, without any preamble. With the audience of theatre actors, directors and producers shrieking and rising to their feet in applause, De Niro said: "It`s no longer down with Trump. It`s fuck Trump." He did not elaborate on his comment and switched immediately to a prepared introduction of Springsteen. "Bruce, you can rock the house like nobody else," De Niro said. "And even more important in these perilous times, you rock the vote, always fighting for, in your own words, Truth, transparency, and integrity in government. Boy, do we need that now." The expletive, known as the F-bomb, was bleeped by the CBS network for millions of television watchers at home. Though in Australia, the footage ran without the bleep. Here's video of DeNiro swearing at Trump on #TonyAwards Australian feed didnt censor it. pic.twitter.com/KZNrT8UIyH — Rhett Bartlett (@dialmformovies) June 11, 2018 × However, it was heard by those in the audience and journalists covering the awards show, which honors the best of Broadway theatre, and it quickly became the top trending item on Twitter. De Niro is one of the most respected actors in the United States with two Oscar wins for "Raging Bull" and "The Godfather: Part II." "Mr. De Niro`s comments were unscripted and unexpected," CBS said in a statement. "The offensive language was deleted from the broadcast." The White House did not immediately return a request for comment. De Niro, a noted liberal, has been increasingly critical of Trump, a Republican, at smaller showbusiness events, but none have the high profile and audience of the Tony Awards. The Tony Awards show was seen by some six million Americans last year.

Robert De Niro uses F-bomb while talking about Donald Trump on live TV

By:&nbspLynn T. White III*

At President Donald Trump's summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Kim may promise complete denuclearisation, but Trump should know this goal won't be achieved without progress toward Korean unification and increased contact between South and North Korea.

As a scholar of comparative politics and East Asian studies, I believe that two recent developments – not just one – demand new U.S. policy. So far, the world's attention has been on the first development: the fact that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Less attention has been paid to the second one: recent displays of pan-Korean patriotism.

Let me explain why this second development deserves more scrutiny.

Moving toward one Korea

Most South Koreans, remembering past Northern violence, welcomed April 27, 2018, "Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity, and Unification of the Korean Peninsula." Signing it with Kim, President Moon Jae-in articulated the South’s interests – and raised his domestic popularity – while restraining the U.S. from an attack on the North.

Moon did this once before. On August 17, 2017, he announced a U.S. agreement not to take military action against the North without the South’s prior consent. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that policy on the same day.

This lessens the chance of conflict. But it also creates a danger for the U.S. If war erupts, Kim might now prefer to hit Americans at bases in Japan, rather than fellow Koreans.

Conventional weapons still a hazard

While these early moves toward stronger relations between the Koreas are a positive sign, the threat of the North's conventional artillery against Seoul remains. Protecting Seoul is a key requirement for South Korea's alliance with the United States.

Seoul has importance even for the North because it is the traditional capital of the whole peninsula. The Joseon dynasty ruled there for half a millennium. Until 1972, the North Korean constitution held that Seoul rather than Pyongyang was legally the capital of all Korea.

So the South has "Korea’s Berlin." Additionally, two-thirds of all Koreans live here and the South’s economy is 35 times larger than the North’s. Its air force and navy are stronger. From K-pop to electronics, the South has remarkable "soft power" too, while the North is addicted to the hard stuff. Pyongyang has multiple weapons of mass destruction.

And while the threat of combat exists, any action is unlikely. The costs of war, as distinct from rhetoric, are prohibitive. The South would suffer, as would the North if the U.S. attacked Kim’s nuclear facilities. He might retaliate by using his artillery against Seoul. National security adviser John Bolton and others in Washington neglect our Korean ally's interests when they focus solely on eliminating North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic capacity.

President Moon, like leaders in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, would prefer that Pyongyang implement "complete, verifiable, irreversible" denuclearisation.

But Kim believes that Korea's history of division by foreign powers gives him a right not to follow the usual rules.&nbspThis is more important to him than keeping promises. The fact is that Pyongyang has sporadically in past years committed to denuclearisation. It formally withdrew from the Nonproliferation Treaty only in 2003. The Kim dynasty, in other words, did not follow through on its commitment to shed nuclear weapons.

Total, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation is likely “a bridge too far” in the current context – Kim will not agree to it. In any case, complete verification depends on seeking violations, which is difficult in a dictatorial police state.

Complete denuclearisation will be a matter for the future. Demanding it now will not lead to peace on the peninsula or internationally. It is Korean politics, not just Washington politics, that will affect what happens in both the short and long term. Few guess that Kim will fully surrender his only serious power, no matter what he says.

First, more South-North contacts

Kim cannot restrict the appeal to the North of the South’s lifestyle and prosperity forever. South-North contacts will slowly weaken Kim. His unreliability, the factor that makes him dangerous to the U.S., will be tempered as these contacts with South Korea strengthen. He, together with Moon, has let the genie of patriotism out of the bottle, and I don’t think he’ll be able to put it back.

Others have argued that a united Korea is a bigger threat to the U.S., but as I see it, progress toward Korean reunification would reduce the threat to America. A unified Korea would be safer for the U.S. than Pyongyang now is as an isolated nuclear power.

Northern elites cannot maintain their patriotic pretenses without talking about reunification, even though some there, as in the South, do not want it any time soon. Regime change will eventually come to the North. South Koreans know that more contacts with the North can raise their taxes, even as peace raises their security and reunites divided families.

Trump might willingly be persuaded to accept Kim’s claims about denuclearisation, for the sake of advertising the best "deal" he can get. This would likely only slow Pyongyang's program – not end it anytime soon. Negotiations would take multiple meetings, not just one "summit." A period of South-North links should follow, according to protocols the Panmunjom Declaration has established.

Trump may sooner or later turn down a "denuclearisation-without-sure-verification" deal, but in my opinion it is the best available for the U.S. and our allies.

If a future unified Korea emerges, it will still be surrounded by larger and more powerful China, Japan and Russia. And it could want good relations with the strong-but-more-distant U.S.

Rather than dividing the Koreans’ country, America should encourage them to re-create it.

(Lynn T. White III is Professor Emeritus and current Senior Research Scholar in the Woodrow Wilson School, Politics Department, and East Asian Studies Program of Princeton University.)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

At President Donald Trump's summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Kim may promise complete denuclearisation, but Trump should know this goal won't be achieved without progress toward Korean unification and increased contact between South and North Korea

By: Lynn T. White III* At President Donald Trump's summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Kim may promise complete denuclearisation, but Trump should know this goal won't be achieved without progress toward Korean unification and increased contact between South and North Korea. As a scholar of comparative politics and East Asian studies, I believe that two recent developments – not just one – demand new U.S. policy. So far, the world's attention has been on the first development: the fact that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Less attention has been paid to the second one: recent displays of pan-Korean patriotism. Let me explain why this second development deserves more scrutiny. Moving toward one Korea Most South Koreans, remembering past Northern violence, welcomed April 27, 2018, "Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity, and Unification of the Korean Peninsula." Signing it with Kim, President Moon Jae-in articulated the South’s interests – and raised his domestic popularity – while restraining the U.S. from an attack on the North. Moon did this once before. On August 17, 2017, he announced a U.S. agreement not to take military action against the North without the South’s prior consent. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that policy on the same day. This lessens the chance of conflict. But it also creates a danger for the U.S. If war erupts, Kim might now prefer to hit Americans at bases in Japan, rather than fellow Koreans. Conventional weapons still a hazard While these early moves toward stronger relations between the Koreas are a positive sign, the threat of the North's conventional artillery against Seoul remains. Protecting Seoul is a key requirement for South Korea's alliance with the United States. Seoul has importance even for the North because it is the traditional capital of the whole peninsula. The Joseon dynasty ruled there for half a millennium. Until 1972, the North Korean constitution held that Seoul rather than Pyongyang was legally the capital of all Korea. So the South has "Korea’s Berlin." Additionally, two-thirds of all Koreans live here and the South’s economy is 35 times larger than the North’s. Its air force and navy are stronger. From K-pop to electronics, the South has remarkable "soft power" too, while the North is addicted to the hard stuff. Pyongyang has multiple weapons of mass destruction. And while the threat of combat exists, any action is unlikely. The costs of war, as distinct from rhetoric, are prohibitive. The South would suffer, as would the North if the U.S. attacked Kim’s nuclear facilities. He might retaliate by using his artillery against Seoul. National security adviser John Bolton and others in Washington neglect our Korean ally's interests when they focus solely on eliminating North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic capacity. President Moon, like leaders in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, would prefer that Pyongyang implement "complete, verifiable, irreversible" denuclearisation. But Kim believes that Korea's history of division by foreign powers gives him a right not to follow the usual rules.&nbspThis is more important to him than keeping promises. The fact is that Pyongyang has sporadically in past years committed to denuclearisation. It formally withdrew from the Nonproliferation Treaty only in 2003. The Kim dynasty, in other words, did not follow through on its commitment to shed nuclear weapons. Total, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation is likely “a bridge too far” in the current context – Kim will not agree to it. In any case, complete verification depends on seeking violations, which is difficult in a dictatorial police state. Complete denuclearisation will be a matter for the future. Demanding it now will not lead to peace on the peninsula or internationally. It is Korean politics, not just Washington politics, that will affect what happens in both the short and long term. Few guess that Kim will fully surrender his only serious power, no matter what he says. First, more South-North contacts Kim cannot restrict the appeal to the North of the South’s lifestyle and prosperity forever. South-North contacts will slowly weaken Kim. His unreliability, the factor that makes him dangerous to the U.S., will be tempered as these contacts with South Korea strengthen. He, together with Moon, has let the genie of patriotism out of the bottle, and I don’t think he’ll be able to put it back. Others have argued that a united Korea is a bigger threat to the U.S., but as I see it, progress toward Korean reunification would reduce the threat to America. A unified Korea would be safer for the U.S. than Pyongyang now is as an isolated nuclear power. Northern elites cannot maintain their patriotic pretenses without talking about reunification, even though some there, as in the South, do not want it any time soon. Regime change will eventually come to the North. South Koreans know that more contacts with the North can raise their taxes, even as peace raises their security and reunites divided families. Trump might willingly be persuaded to accept Kim’s claims about denuclearisation, for the sake of advertising the best "deal" he can get. This would likely only slow Pyongyang's program – not end it anytime soon. Negotiations would take multiple meetings, not just one "summit." A period of South-North links should follow, according to protocols the Panmunjom Declaration has established. Trump may sooner or later turn down a "denuclearisation-without-sure-verification" deal, but in my opinion it is the best available for the U.S. and our allies. If a future unified Korea emerges, it will still be surrounded by larger and more powerful China, Japan and Russia. And it could want good relations with the strong-but-more-distant U.S. Rather than dividing the Koreans’ country, America should encourage them to re-create it. (Lynn T. White III is Professor Emeritus and current Senior Research Scholar in the Woodrow Wilson School, Politics Department, and East Asian Studies Program of Princeton University.) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Memo to President Trump on meeting with Kim Jong-un

The UN&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;watchdog&nbsp;welcomed the joint statement of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong&nbsp;Un&nbsp;on Tuesday and said it was prepared to undertake verification activities.

Trump and Kim pledged to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and Washington committed to provide security guarantees.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency stands&nbsp;ready&nbsp;to&nbsp;undertake any verification activities in the DPRK (North Korea) that it may be requested to conduct by the countries concerned, subject to authorization by the IAEA’s Board of Governors," Director General Yukiya Amano said in a statement.

Trump and Kim pledged to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and Washington committed to provide security guarantees.

The UN nuclear watchdog welcomed the joint statement of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday and said it was prepared to undertake verification activities. Trump and Kim pledged to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and Washington committed to provide security guarantees. "The International Atomic Energy Agency stands ready to undertake any verification activities in the DPRK (North Korea) that it may be requested to conduct by the countries concerned, subject to authorization by the IAEA’s Board of Governors," Director General Yukiya Amano said in a statement.

UN nuclear watchdog says ready to help North Korea denuclearisation

Indian shares rose&nbsp;on Tuesday, in line with broader Asian peers, as sentiment turned upbeat after U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.59 per cent at 35,692.52, while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.52 per cent higher at 10,842.85 ahead of retail inflation data that will be released later in the day.

Both indexes posted their highest closing level since&nbsp;Feb. 1.

Lupin Ltd led gains on the NSE index, ending 6.4 per cent higher. The Nifty Pharma index rose 2.58 per cent to close at its highest in over one month.

The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.59 per cent at 35,692.52

Indian shares rose on Tuesday, in line with broader Asian peers, as sentiment turned upbeat after U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.59 per cent at 35,692.52, while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.52 per cent higher at 10,842.85 ahead of retail inflation data that will be released later in the day. Both indexes posted their highest closing level since Feb. 1. Lupin Ltd led gains on the NSE index, ending 6.4 per cent higher. The Nifty Pharma index rose 2.58 per cent to close at its highest in over one month.

Sensex hits four-month high over Kim-Trump talks

Russia has a positive assessment of the deal between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but "the devil is in the detail", TASS news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Tuesday.

"Now we can only welcome the fact that an important step forward has been made. Of course, the devil is in the detail, and we have yet to delve into specifics. But the impulse, as far as we understand, has been given," Ryabkov said.

Russia is ready to assist in implementing the deal - to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula - and hopes to settle the nuclear crisis will unblock normal economic cooperation, RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying.

He also said Moscow hoped that six-party talks - a negotiation format involving the two Koreas, the United States, Russia, Japan and China - will at some point become relevant again, according to TASS.

Russia is ready to assist in implementing the deal - to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula

Russia has a positive assessment of the deal between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but "the devil is in the detail", TASS news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Tuesday. "Now we can only welcome the fact that an important step forward has been made. Of course, the devil is in the detail, and we have yet to delve into specifics. But the impulse, as far as we understand, has been given," Ryabkov said. Russia is ready to assist in implementing the deal - to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula - and hopes to settle the nuclear crisis will unblock normal economic cooperation, RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying. He also said Moscow hoped that six-party talks - a negotiation format involving the two Koreas, the United States, Russia, Japan and China - will at some point become relevant again, according to TASS.

Russia ready to help implement North Korea deal

"It is a great day and one of the greatest moments in the history of the world," Trump said at&nbspa press conference in Singapore after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.&nbsp

Trump and Kim had a historic meeting — a sitting US President and a North Korean leader have never met before — at the Capella Hotel on Singapore's Sentosa Island on Tuesday

"Kim Jong-Un has the chance to seize a better future for his country. Anyone can make war but only the most courageous can make peace," Trump said at the press conference.&nbsp

"We are prepared for the new history. We are ready to write new chapters. The past does not to have to define the future," he added.&nbsp

Watch Trump's press conference&nbsplive below:&nbsp

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" id="frmwion" scrolling="no" src="http://wionews.dittotv.com/?header=no" width="100%"></iframe>

'Anyone can make war but only the most courageous can make peace,' Trump said. 'The past does not to have to define the future,' he added

"It is a great day and one of the greatest moments in the history of the world," Trump said at&nbspa press conference in Singapore after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Trump and Kim had a historic meeting — a sitting US President and a North Korean leader have never met before — at the Capella Hotel on Singapore's Sentosa Island on Tuesday "Kim Jong-Un has the chance to seize a better future for his country. Anyone can make war but only the most courageous can make peace," Trump said at the press conference. "We are prepared for the new history. We are ready to write new chapters. The past does not to have to define the future," he added. Watch Trump's press conference&nbsplive below:

Watch live: Trump says only 'most courageous can make peace' after meeting Kim

Malaysia&nbsp;will reopen its embassy in Pyongyang, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said, suggesting an end to the diplomatic row over the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother in Kuala Lumpur last year.

"Yes, we will reopen the embassy," Mahathir said in an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review published on Monday during his trip to Japan.

Malaysia's once-close ties with North Korea were severely downgraded after Kim Jong Nam was killed at a Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017 when two women smeared his face with VX nerve agent, which the United Nations lists as a weapon of mass destruction.

During their trial which is ongoing, the women said they were tricked into believing they were part of a reality show and did not know they were handling poison.

The United States and South Korea have said the murder was orchestrated by Pyongyang.

After Kim Jong Nam's death, North Korea's ambassador to&nbsp;Malaysia&nbsp;questioned the credibility of the police probe and insisted he was an ordinary citizen who died of a heart attack.

Malaysia&nbsp;then recalled its ambassador to North Korea, banned its citizens from travelling to the North and cancelled visa-free entry for North Koreans.

North Korea retaliated with a travel ban on all&nbsp;Malaysians in Pyongyang, trapping three diplomats and six family members.

They were able to fly out only after&nbsp;Malaysia&nbsp;agreed to hand over Kim Jong Nam's corpse and send three North Koreans wanted for questioning back to North Korea.

Malaysia's embassy in Pyongyang has not been staffed since April last year, and the government was considering permanently closing it and moving services to its Beijing mission.

In the interview published a day before the Singapore summit between Kim Jong Un and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, Mahathir said he hoped both sides were ready to give ground.

"North Korea has a right to have some of its own interests (upheld), as much as the US&nbsp;has its own interests to take care of in any negotiation," Mahathir said.

"We shouldn't be skeptical. When you (are suspicious), then you cannot work with people," he added.

The United States and South Korea have said the murder was orchestrated by Pyongyang

Malaysia will reopen its embassy in Pyongyang, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said, suggesting an end to the diplomatic row over the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother in Kuala Lumpur last year. "Yes, we will reopen the embassy," Mahathir said in an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review published on Monday during his trip to Japan. Malaysia's once-close ties with North Korea were severely downgraded after Kim Jong Nam was killed at a Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017 when two women smeared his face with VX nerve agent, which the United Nations lists as a weapon of mass destruction. During their trial which is ongoing, the women said they were tricked into believing they were part of a reality show and did not know they were handling poison. The United States and South Korea have said the murder was orchestrated by Pyongyang. After Kim Jong Nam's death, North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia questioned the credibility of the police probe and insisted he was an ordinary citizen who died of a heart attack. Malaysia then recalled its ambassador to North Korea, banned its citizens from travelling to the North and cancelled visa-free entry for North Koreans. North Korea retaliated with a travel ban on all Malaysians in Pyongyang, trapping three diplomats and six family members. They were able to fly out only after Malaysia agreed to hand over Kim Jong Nam's corpse and send three North Koreans wanted for questioning back to North Korea. Malaysia's embassy in Pyongyang has not been staffed since April last year, and the government was considering permanently closing it and moving services to its Beijing mission. In the interview published a day before the Singapore summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, Mahathir said he hoped both sides were ready to give ground. "North Korea has a right to have some of its own interests (upheld), as much as the US has its own interests to take care of in any negotiation," Mahathir said. "We shouldn't be skeptical. When you (are suspicious), then you cannot work with people," he added.

Malaysia to reopen embassy in North Korea: Mahathir Mohamad

By:&nbspCharles Hankla*

The latest G-7 summit, held June 8 to 9 in Quebec, was one of the most contentious in years.

That's because Donald Trump and his counterparts from six other industrialised countries have been at loggerheads over the president's aggressive but unstable trade policy. Trump's renunciation of the Iran nuclear deal, his efforts to renegotiate NAFTA and his intransigent stance on climate change are not helping matters. Nor is his proposal to readmit Russia to the G-7 gathering.

But the ink on the G-7 communique wasn't dry before Trump darted to Singapore to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for nuclear talks, another example of his unpredictable decision-making style. One moment he’s threatening war with the dictator, and the next he’s buttering him up for a summit.

One way to understand Trump's foreign policy decisions is to focus on their inconsistency rather than their content. Let's take trade policy as an example.

I have written a number of times about the economic dangers of the Trump administration's tilt toward protectionism. And I have pointed to the risk that Trump's use of trade policy as a unilateral weapon could undermine the rule-based international order.

I remain worried about these issues, but what has struck me much more deeply in recent days is the seeming inconsistency, indeed instability, of Trump's behavior on trade. It is worth considering its causes and consequences – which extend far beyond trade to his nuclear game of chess with North Korea and Iran.

Trouble in Trump trade land

First, let's review just a few of Trump's recent trade decisions.

At the G7, Trump's belligerent and unpredictable trade policy was the main reason the other leaders – which also include Germany's Angela Merkel, the U.K.'s Theresa May and France's Emmanuel Macron – are so perturbed. Some commentators are even beginning to term the meeting a "G6 plus one" to signify Trump's estrangement from his allies.

Recent events have inflamed tensions significantly. The White House said on May 31 that it would impose steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico. The three had previously received exemptions from the new tariffs, first imposed in March and justified with a little-used national security provision.

All are now planning retaliatory tariffs against the United States, along with legal action at the World Trade Organisation. Friends indeed.

It's the same story with China, which Trump has not only made subject to the same metals tariffs but has also threatened with US$50 billion of other sanctions if it doesn't meet a series of demands.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recently traveled to Beijing hoping to negotiate increased Chinese purchases of American goods and a reduction of its trade deficit with the U.S. He was forced to return empty-handed after the Chinese government declared itself unwilling to act without an American promise to drop its tariff threats. An earlier leak that China would purchase an additional $200 million of U.S. exports turned out to be wildly optimistic.

The United States now finds itself isolated, not only from China but from its strongest allies as well. Is this a temporary step in negotiations, or is it the new normal?

Shifting trade winds

Of course, Trump's proclivity for changing his mind is well-known, but all the same there is an understandable tendency among commentators to focus on the content of his policy choices.

This is especially true on trade, where Trump's protectionist rhetoric has been exuberant, to say the least.

And it is true that Trump's actions have been more anti-trade than those of his predecessors, beginning with his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership during the first week of his presidency.

Nevertheless, over the last few months, Trump's trade policy has seemed increasingly erratic. He publicly discussed reentering the Pacific trade deal and just as quickly dismissed the idea. He imposed metal tariffs, immediately granted exemptions to most of America’s major exporters and then withdrew those exemptions three months later. He threatened China with new tariffs on $150 billion worth of exports, then suspended them and risked political capital to save the Chinese corporation ZTE. And after pushing for extraordinary trade concessions from China, he had to take a U-turn after it denied that it had agreed to the most important of those demands.

Two schools of thought

There are two schools of thought about what is driving this policy instability.

Supporters of the president tend to see it as a negotiating tactic, the "Art of the Deal" on a grander scale. Trump, they believe, is trying to throw world leaders off-balance so that he can extract more trade concessions from them.

Trump’s detractors, by contrast, see the president as hopelessly adrift, swayed this way and that by the varying opinions of his advisers. When globalists such as Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross, secretaries of the treasury and commerce, respectively, have his ear, the president softens his stance on trade. But when U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and White House adviser Peter Navarro, economic nationalists both, are in the room, Trump doubles down on protection.

Master negotiator?

If U.S. observers accept that Trump's shifting policy is part of a broader negotiating strategy, Americans can perhaps hope for a better outcome than what they see now.

Indeed, there is some basis in game theory for "irrational" behavior as a negotiating technique. Nobel laureate Thomas Schelling, in his 1960 classic "The Strategy of Conflict," pointed out that negotiators with a reputation for overreacting when their demands aren't met can be in a stronger position to extract concessions.

If a country can convince its opponent of its willingness to follow through on threats even when they are self-destructive, the country can more effectively compel changes in behavior. Moreover, if an opponent doubts the ability of a country's leaders to understand or carefully consider the consequences of the opponent's threats, the country is, ironically, in a stronger negotiating position. This "irrationality" approach was famously termed the "madman strategy" by Richard Nixon and played a role in motivating his escalation of the Vietnam War during the Paris negotiations.

Perhaps, then, Americans are witnessing the early stages of a negotiating strategy that will ultimately bear fruit.

Or malleable amateur?

Even in this optimistic scenario, however, the president's approach seems too myopic.

After all, international trade negotiations do not play by the same rules as military diplomacy, where much of this theory was developed. Such techniques might have a greater chance of working with Iran and North Korea, but of course, the risks of escalation here are even more severe.

Trade is different because it is mutually beneficial and also because it requires cooperation that is sustained over time. A country's reputation for stable compliance with its agreements is thus put at a premium otherwise, the country risks being shunned by potential partners. To wrest trade concessions from America's partners may be satisfying, but if it is accomplished at the cost of weakening the world trading system, it is hardly worth the price.

The costs of instability

If, on the other hand, Trump's unstable policy is a symptom of indecision in the face of the competing agendas of his aides, the world economy may be in for a bumpy ride. Irrational behavior can be used selectively as a negotiating technique but has a high cost if not applied carefully and strategically. If a country's negotiating partners doubt its willingness or ability to follow through on its promises, cooperation becomes impossible.

In the final analysis, a stable and rule-based trading system is in the United States' long-term interest. Inconsistent and aggressive trade policies, whether produced by a master negotiator or a malleable amateur, risk poisoning the mutual trust necessary to make such a system function.

Some are now saying that President Trump is in the early stages of reconsidering America's membership in the WTO. Hopefully, the president will come to understand what is at stake soon, before it is too late.

(Charles Hankla is an Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University.)

(This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com/global">The Conversation</a>. Read the original <a href="https://theconversation.com/trump-could-be-using-advanced-game-theory-negotiating-techniques-or-hes-hopelessly-adrift-97836">article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Trump’s renunciation of the Iran nuclear deal, his efforts to renegotiate NAFTA and his intransigent stance on climate change are not helping matters. Nor is his proposal to readmit Russia to the G-7 gathering

By: Charles Hankla* The latest G-7 summit, held June 8 to 9 in Quebec, was one of the most contentious in years. That's because Donald Trump and his counterparts from six other industrialised countries have been at loggerheads over the president's aggressive but unstable trade policy. Trump's renunciation of the Iran nuclear deal, his efforts to renegotiate NAFTA and his intransigent stance on climate change are not helping matters. Nor is his proposal to readmit Russia to the G-7 gathering. But the ink on the G-7 communique wasn't dry before Trump darted to Singapore to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for nuclear talks, another example of his unpredictable decision-making style. One moment he’s threatening war with the dictator, and the next he’s buttering him up for a summit. One way to understand Trump's foreign policy decisions is to focus on their inconsistency rather than their content. Let's take trade policy as an example. I have written a number of times about the economic dangers of the Trump administration's tilt toward protectionism. And I have pointed to the risk that Trump's use of trade policy as a unilateral weapon could undermine the rule-based international order. I remain worried about these issues, but what has struck me much more deeply in recent days is the seeming inconsistency, indeed instability, of Trump's behavior on trade. It is worth considering its causes and consequences – which extend far beyond trade to his nuclear game of chess with North Korea and Iran. Trouble in Trump trade land First, let's review just a few of Trump's recent trade decisions. At the G7, Trump's belligerent and unpredictable trade policy was the main reason the other leaders – which also include Germany's Angela Merkel, the U.K.'s Theresa May and France's Emmanuel Macron – are so perturbed. Some commentators are even beginning to term the meeting a "G6 plus one" to signify Trump's estrangement from his allies. Recent events have inflamed tensions significantly. The White House said on May 31 that it would impose steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico. The three had previously received exemptions from the new tariffs, first imposed in March and justified with a little-used national security provision. All are now planning retaliatory tariffs against the United States, along with legal action at the World Trade Organisation. Friends indeed. It's the same story with China, which Trump has not only made subject to the same metals tariffs but has also threatened with US$50 billion of other sanctions if it doesn't meet a series of demands. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recently traveled to Beijing hoping to negotiate increased Chinese purchases of American goods and a reduction of its trade deficit with the U.S. He was forced to return empty-handed after the Chinese government declared itself unwilling to act without an American promise to drop its tariff threats. An earlier leak that China would purchase an additional $200 million of U.S. exports turned out to be wildly optimistic. The United States now finds itself isolated, not only from China but from its strongest allies as well. Is this a temporary step in negotiations, or is it the new normal? Shifting trade winds Of course, Trump's proclivity for changing his mind is well-known, but all the same there is an understandable tendency among commentators to focus on the content of his policy choices. This is especially true on trade, where Trump's protectionist rhetoric has been exuberant, to say the least. And it is true that Trump's actions have been more anti-trade than those of his predecessors, beginning with his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership during the first week of his presidency. Nevertheless, over the last few months, Trump's trade policy has seemed increasingly erratic. He publicly discussed reentering the Pacific trade deal and just as quickly dismissed the idea. He imposed metal tariffs, immediately granted exemptions to most of America’s major exporters and then withdrew those exemptions three months later. He threatened China with new tariffs on $150 billion worth of exports, then suspended them and risked political capital to save the Chinese corporation ZTE. And after pushing for extraordinary trade concessions from China, he had to take a U-turn after it denied that it had agreed to the most important of those demands. Two schools of thought There are two schools of thought about what is driving this policy instability. Supporters of the president tend to see it as a negotiating tactic, the "Art of the Deal" on a grander scale. Trump, they believe, is trying to throw world leaders off-balance so that he can extract more trade concessions from them. Trump’s detractors, by contrast, see the president as hopelessly adrift, swayed this way and that by the varying opinions of his advisers. When globalists such as Steve Mnuchin and Wilbur Ross, secretaries of the treasury and commerce, respectively, have his ear, the president softens his stance on trade. But when U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and White House adviser Peter Navarro, economic nationalists both, are in the room, Trump doubles down on protection. Master negotiator? If U.S. observers accept that Trump's shifting policy is part of a broader negotiating strategy, Americans can perhaps hope for a better outcome than what they see now. Indeed, there is some basis in game theory for "irrational" behavior as a negotiating technique. Nobel laureate Thomas Schelling, in his 1960 classic "The Strategy of Conflict," pointed out that negotiators with a reputation for overreacting when their demands aren't met can be in a stronger position to extract concessions. If a country can convince its opponent of its willingness to follow through on threats even when they are self-destructive, the country can more effectively compel changes in behavior. Moreover, if an opponent doubts the ability of a country's leaders to understand or carefully consider the consequences of the opponent's threats, the country is, ironically, in a stronger negotiating position. This "irrationality" approach was famously termed the "madman strategy" by Richard Nixon and played a role in motivating his escalation of the Vietnam War during the Paris negotiations. Perhaps, then, Americans are witnessing the early stages of a negotiating strategy that will ultimately bear fruit. Or malleable amateur? Even in this optimistic scenario, however, the president's approach seems too myopic. After all, international trade negotiations do not play by the same rules as military diplomacy, where much of this theory was developed. Such techniques might have a greater chance of working with Iran and North Korea, but of course, the risks of escalation here are even more severe. Trade is different because it is mutually beneficial and also because it requires cooperation that is sustained over time. A country's reputation for stable compliance with its agreements is thus put at a premium otherwise, the country risks being shunned by potential partners. To wrest trade concessions from America's partners may be satisfying, but if it is accomplished at the cost of weakening the world trading system, it is hardly worth the price. The costs of instability If, on the other hand, Trump's unstable policy is a symptom of indecision in the face of the competing agendas of his aides, the world economy may be in for a bumpy ride. Irrational behavior can be used selectively as a negotiating technique but has a high cost if not applied carefully and strategically. If a country's negotiating partners doubt its willingness or ability to follow through on its promises, cooperation becomes impossible. In the final analysis, a stable and rule-based trading system is in the United States' long-term interest. Inconsistent and aggressive trade policies, whether produced by a master negotiator or a malleable amateur, risk poisoning the mutual trust necessary to make such a system function. Some are now saying that President Trump is in the early stages of reconsidering America's membership in the WTO. Hopefully, the president will come to understand what is at stake soon, before it is too late. (Charles Hankla is an Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University.) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Understanding Trump's negotiating techniques ahead of meeting with Kim

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