Singapore Airlines Ltd is poised for a major boost to its US&nbsp;footprint from Thursday evening as it resumes, after five years, the world's longest commercial flight - a near-19 hour non-stop from Singapore to New York.

The route, combined with the airline's plans to restart non-stop services to Los Angeles and add more non-stop flights to San Francisco next month, will give the premium Asian carrier its biggest-ever US&nbsp;presence.

The airline has already ordered seven new ultra-long range twin-engine Airbus SE A350-900ULRs fitted with just 161 business class and premium economy seats - and no economy class seats - for the US&nbsp;capacity increase.

Singapore Airlines had abandoned the marathon Newark and Los Angeles routes in 2013 when high fuel prices made the use of four-engine Airbus A340-500 jets uneconomic.

It has since flown to New York's JFK Airport via Frankfurt and to Los Angeles via Tokyo and Seoul.

The airline's revenue contribution from the Americas region is currently at 14 percent, down from 20 percent in 2013 due to the loss of the non-stop flights, Corrine Png, CEO of transport research firm Crucial Perspective, said.

"Operating trans-Pacific connecting flights opened Singapore Airlines to a lot more competition from other carriers and resulted in the loss of high-yielding business traffic," she said. "We expect Singapore Airlines to regain market share, especially in the premium travel market."

She said capacity would need to be managed carefully given high fuel prices, but there should be sufficient demand as long as the United States and global economies remained robust.

Non-stop ultra-long haul flights can typically command an airfare premium of around 20 percent versus those involving one or more stops, according to travel industry data, given their popularity with time-sensitive business travellers.

However, Singapore Airlines has been offering low initial fares on its US&nbsp;non-stop routes, including as little as S$1,438 ($1,040) return for premium economy on Singapore-Newark, CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said.

"While it's early days, there will be questions whether the latest attempt at US&nbsp;nonstops will be profitable for Singapore Airlines given the very intense competition in the Singapore-US&nbsp;market, rising fuel prices and the large number of premium seats Singapore Airlines has to fill on the seven newly delivered A350-900ULRs," he said.

Brent crude prices are currently trading near $85 per barrel, significantly below a 2013 peak of about $119 but still up about 27 percent so far this year. The benchmark is on track for its third straight year of gains.

United Airlines offers non-stop flights from Singapore to San Francisco, while other carriers like Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Taiwan's EVA Airways Corp compete with one-stop Singapore-US&nbsp;offerings.

The Singapore-Newark route will top Qatar Airways' Doha-Auckland route as the world's longest, but Australia's Qantas Airways is considering the introduction of an even longer 20-hour Sydney-London flight from 2022.

Singapore Airlines Ltd is poised for a major boost to its US footprint from Thursday evening as it resumes, after five years, the world's longest commercial flight - a near-19 hour non-stop from Singapore to New York.

Singapore Airlines Ltd is poised for a major boost to its US footprint from Thursday evening as it resumes, after five years, the world's longest commercial flight - a near-19 hour non-stop from Singapore to New York. The route, combined with the airline's plans to restart non-stop services to Los Angeles and add more non-stop flights to San Francisco next month, will give the premium Asian carrier its biggest-ever US presence. The airline has already ordered seven new ultra-long range twin-engine Airbus SE A350-900ULRs fitted with just 161 business class and premium economy seats - and no economy class seats - for the US capacity increase. Singapore Airlines had abandoned the marathon Newark and Los Angeles routes in 2013 when high fuel prices made the use of four-engine Airbus A340-500 jets uneconomic. It has since flown to New York's JFK Airport via Frankfurt and to Los Angeles via Tokyo and Seoul. The airline's revenue contribution from the Americas region is currently at 14 percent, down from 20 percent in 2013 due to the loss of the non-stop flights, Corrine Png, CEO of transport research firm Crucial Perspective, said. "Operating trans-Pacific connecting flights opened Singapore Airlines to a lot more competition from other carriers and resulted in the loss of high-yielding business traffic," she said. "We expect Singapore Airlines to regain market share, especially in the premium travel market." She said capacity would need to be managed carefully given high fuel prices, but there should be sufficient demand as long as the United States and global economies remained robust. Non-stop ultra-long haul flights can typically command an airfare premium of around 20 percent versus those involving one or more stops, according to travel industry data, given their popularity with time-sensitive business travellers. However, Singapore Airlines has been offering low initial fares on its US non-stop routes, including as little as S$1,438 ($1,040) return for premium economy on Singapore-Newark, CAPA Centre for Aviation Chief Analyst Brendan Sobie said. "While it's early days, there will be questions whether the latest attempt at US nonstops will be profitable for Singapore Airlines given the very intense competition in the Singapore-US market, rising fuel prices and the large number of premium seats Singapore Airlines has to fill on the seven newly delivered A350-900ULRs," he said. Brent crude prices are currently trading near $85 per barrel, significantly below a 2013 peak of about $119 but still up about 27 percent so far this year. The benchmark is on track for its third straight year of gains. United Airlines offers non-stop flights from Singapore to San Francisco, while other carriers like Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and Taiwan's EVA Airways Corp compete with one-stop Singapore-US offerings. The Singapore-Newark route will top Qatar Airways' Doha-Auckland route as the world's longest, but Australia's Qantas Airways is considering the introduction of an even longer 20-hour Sydney-London flight from 2022.

Lift off: Singapore Airlines to boost US presence with world's longest flight

This is a tough time for men and women, at least those whose message is one of peace, tolerance, mutual respect, equality and inter-faith dialogue.

Underlying the rise of populism, nationalism, protectionism, fear of the other, anti-migrant and anti-foreigner sentiment, and hate speech is an erosion of the norms of debate. Articulation of hate speech has become permissible, if not fashionable. Often blunt and crude language employed by leaders, politicians and some people of the cloth help shape an environment in which civility has been lost.

Intolerant, racist and supremacist have risen in significance even in democratic societies that project themselves as open, tolerant guarantors of equal rights irrespective of nationality, ethnicity, religion, colour or sexuality. Suppressing those voices through laws and bans drives hate speech and racism underground, it doesn’t erase or eradicate it. Countering it with a message of tolerance and mutual respect won’t erase it either but can help shape an environment in which those principles become dominant again.

Let’s face it, prejudice is a fact of life. Its inbred in whatever culture each of us adheres to and whatever education at home and in schools that we have enjoyed, irrespective of how conservative or liberal our family and societal backgrounds are. We all were raised on implicit or more explicit notions that our culture is best or by implication other cultures are not as good.

In other words, prejudice is not the issue, its how we deal with it, how we manage it. The problem arises when we lose our sense of relativity when we adopt an absolutist approach, the high way or no way. It arises when pluralism is thrown out the window and we abandon the notion that our world is populated by a multitude of equally valid faiths, worldviews and belief systems.

To quote Mahatma Gandhi, a deeply religious Hindu, who said in 1942: “I believe with my soul that the God of the Qur’an is also the God of Gita and that we are all, no matter by what name designated, children of the same God. My whole soul rebels against the idea that Hinduism and Islam represent two antagonistic cultures… To ascent to such a doctrine is for me a denial of God.”

In the battles in the late 1940s and 1950s over a proposed national ban in India on the slaughter of cows, Gandhi declared himself a worshipper of cows whom he regarded with the same veneration as he viewed his mother. Yet, Gandhi, went on to say that “The Hindu religion prohibits cow slaughter for the Hindus, not for the world. The religious prohibition comes from within. Any imposition from without means compulsion. Such compulsion is repugnant to religion.”

On a visit in 1942 to a German camp populated by Indian prisoners of war captured from the British during fighting in North Africa, Subhas Chandra Bose, a deeply religious leader of the Indian independence movement, reportedly warned inmates that “If you use religion to unite yourself today, you leave the door open for someone to divide you later using the same sentiments.”

Recent history validates Bose’s warning, not only in India and Pakistan, but across the globe expressed in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Shiism, just to name a few, as well as in conflicts, wars and brutal repression in places like Syria, Yemen and the north-western Chinese province of Xinjiang.

Many of you represent faiths with multiple sects, legal schools and interpretations – proof that your belief system in the narrow context of that system is open to multiple interpretations. Some of those interpretations may be intolerant, anti-pluralistic, supremacist. They too are a fact of life, like it or not. Countering them depends on the social environment one creates a sphere within which men and women of the cloth have an important role to play as well. It is also a function of the social and economic policies implemented by governments.

Indeed, the key is not suppression, what is suppressed doesn’t go away, at best it goes into hibernation, only to re-emerge at some point in the future. The key is containment, communities and societies that make discriminatory, racist, supremacist expressions socially taboo. That key is not enforced by force of law but by social custom and an environment in which those expressions are continuously challenged in public debate, social settings and individual encounters. I am not talking about political correctness that stifles debate.

Leaving aside those whose beliefs are absolute and intolerant of any other view, a majority of people gravitate towards the middle. It’s what some call moral shock or what former trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb dubbed black swans coupled with economic, social and societal uncertainty and political manipulation that drives people towards more literal, absolutist, intolerant beliefs.

It is those circumstances in which normally tolerant communities and societies become more amenable to those beliefs. It’s what allows men like Slobodan Milosevic or Bashar al-Assad to turn societies where inter-communal relations and inter-marriage were the norms into wastelands in which one community tries to exterminate the other.

Think of Bosnia Herzegovina in the 1990s that seemingly transformed overnight from a beacon of harmony into a hell or the tensions in multiple countries ranging from Bahrain to Nigeria or the tenth parallel that journalist Elizabeth Rush aptly described as the fault line cutting across Africa and Asia between more strident forms of Islam and Christianity.

The last two decades have witnessed a renewed hardening of fault lines, not just ones between strands of Islam and Christianity, but across the board. This latest round started in 2001 with the moral shock of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington and subsequent attacks across Europe as well as in Asia and Africa that continue until today. 9/11 was the death knell of multi-culturalism and the cradle of the latest wave of Islamophobia and rising anti-Semitism.

The economic financial crisis of 2008/2009 with its decimating effect on the lower and middle classes, the flourishing of jihadism, the impact of heinous attacks close to home and the fear, a human being’s most irrational emotion, that generated the breeding ground for populism, nationalism, protectionism and the return to primordial, absolutist beliefs propagated by multiple sources, including men and women of the cloth.

To be sure, the groundwork for this pre-date 9/11, fuelled by some strands of Christianity, massive Saudi funding across the globe of ultra-conservative strains of Islam, and the use of religious intolerance by leaders and governments because it served a political purpose.

Pakistan illustrates what this can produce. The tolerant and live-let-live types live in a bubble, primarily in Pakistan’s three foremost cities, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The gravity of society has shifted toward intolerance, anti-pluralism and supremacism. Ultra-conservatism has been woven into the texture of segments of society and the culture of some institutions of the state. It is a world in which absolute truth rules supreme, discrimination based on an absolute truth is anchored into law, competence is determined not exclusively on the basis of merit but on what faith one adheres to, democratic freedoms are curtailed. Mob lynching becomes acceptable, violence against minorities the norm, and anti-blasphemy the tool.

It’s a trend that is not unique to Pakistan and not unique to the Muslim world. It is a trend that is nurtured by the rise of populism, nationalism, authoritarianism and autocracy visible across Western societies, the Muslim world and Israel, in other words, irrespective of cultural-religious roots.

In most, if not all of these countries, significant segments of the population have no real stake in society. Intolerance, anti-pluralism, racism and supremacism fuel the perception of disenfranchisement and marginalization that often produces a sense of not having anything to lose. It is some combination of religious ultra-conservatism, exclusivist ethnic and nationalist sentiment, and lack of a stake that creates breeding grounds for militancy and extremism.

While Singapore regulates hate speech or expressions it believes would undermine harmony, it has been successful in ensuring that all segments of the population have a stake in society – perhaps the most important factor in combatting discrimination, racism and supremacism as well as militancy and extremism.

Singapore demonstrates messages of tolerance and inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony can and will be heard in a political and social environment that fosters mutual respect and dialogue.

There is, however, one caveat. Peace and harmony in society require peace and harmony at home. The divisions and animosity between different religions and ethnicities at large are reflected in divisions and animosity within faith groups.

Tolerance, mutual respect and dialogue start in one’s own community and its message is as credible as one practices it without exception. That probably requires a redefinition of the concept of absolute truth. That’s a tough order, but no one claims that ensuring that a peaceful and harmonious existence and future would be easy. It also is a litmus test of one’s sincerity. 
 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

This is a tough time for men and women, at least those whose message is one of peace, tolerance, mutual respect, equality and inter-faith dialogue. Underlying the rise of populism, nationalism, protectionism, fear of the other, anti-migrant and anti-foreigner sentiment, and hate speech is an erosion of the norms of debate.

This is a tough time for men and women, at least those whose message is one of peace, tolerance, mutual respect, equality and inter-faith dialogue. Underlying the rise of populism, nationalism, protectionism, fear of the other, anti-migrant and anti-foreigner sentiment, and hate speech is an erosion of the norms of debate. Articulation of hate speech has become permissible, if not fashionable. Often blunt and crude language employed by leaders, politicians and some people of the cloth help shape an environment in which civility has been lost. Intolerant, racist and supremacist have risen in significance even in democratic societies that project themselves as open, tolerant guarantors of equal rights irrespective of nationality, ethnicity, religion, colour or sexuality. Suppressing those voices through laws and bans drives hate speech and racism underground, it doesn’t erase or eradicate it. Countering it with a message of tolerance and mutual respect won’t erase it either but can help shape an environment in which those principles become dominant again. Let’s face it, prejudice is a fact of life. Its inbred in whatever culture each of us adheres to and whatever education at home and in schools that we have enjoyed, irrespective of how conservative or liberal our family and societal backgrounds are. We all were raised on implicit or more explicit notions that our culture is best or by implication other cultures are not as good. In other words, prejudice is not the issue, its how we deal with it, how we manage it. The problem arises when we lose our sense of relativity when we adopt an absolutist approach, the high way or no way. It arises when pluralism is thrown out the window and we abandon the notion that our world is populated by a multitude of equally valid faiths, worldviews and belief systems. To quote Mahatma Gandhi, a deeply religious Hindu, who said in 1942: “I believe with my soul that the God of the Qur’an is also the God of Gita and that we are all, no matter by what name designated, children of the same God. My whole soul rebels against the idea that Hinduism and Islam represent two antagonistic cultures… To ascent to such a doctrine is for me a denial of God.” In the battles in the late 1940s and 1950s over a proposed national ban in India on the slaughter of cows, Gandhi declared himself a worshipper of cows whom he regarded with the same veneration as he viewed his mother. Yet, Gandhi, went on to say that “The Hindu religion prohibits cow slaughter for the Hindus, not for the world. The religious prohibition comes from within. Any imposition from without means compulsion. Such compulsion is repugnant to religion.” On a visit in 1942 to a German camp populated by Indian prisoners of war captured from the British during fighting in North Africa, Subhas Chandra Bose, a deeply religious leader of the Indian independence movement, reportedly warned inmates that “If you use religion to unite yourself today, you leave the door open for someone to divide you later using the same sentiments.” Recent history validates Bose’s warning, not only in India and Pakistan, but across the globe expressed in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Shiism, just to name a few, as well as in conflicts, wars and brutal repression in places like Syria, Yemen and the north-western Chinese province of Xinjiang. Many of you represent faiths with multiple sects, legal schools and interpretations – proof that your belief system in the narrow context of that system is open to multiple interpretations. Some of those interpretations may be intolerant, anti-pluralistic, supremacist. They too are a fact of life, like it or not. Countering them depends on the social environment one creates a sphere within which men and women of the cloth have an important role to play as well. It is also a function of the social and economic policies implemented by governments. Indeed, the key is not suppression, what is suppressed doesn’t go away, at best it goes into hibernation, only to re-emerge at some point in the future. The key is containment, communities and societies that make discriminatory, racist, supremacist expressions socially taboo. That key is not enforced by force of law but by social custom and an environment in which those expressions are continuously challenged in public debate, social settings and individual encounters. I am not talking about political correctness that stifles debate. Leaving aside those whose beliefs are absolute and intolerant of any other view, a majority of people gravitate towards the middle. It’s what some call moral shock or what former trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb dubbed black swans coupled with economic, social and societal uncertainty and political manipulation that drives people towards more literal, absolutist, intolerant beliefs. It is those circumstances in which normally tolerant communities and societies become more amenable to those beliefs. It’s what allows men like Slobodan Milosevic or Bashar al-Assad to turn societies where inter-communal relations and inter-marriage were the norms into wastelands in which one community tries to exterminate the other. Think of Bosnia Herzegovina in the 1990s that seemingly transformed overnight from a beacon of harmony into a hell or the tensions in multiple countries ranging from Bahrain to Nigeria or the tenth parallel that journalist Elizabeth Rush aptly described as the fault line cutting across Africa and Asia between more strident forms of Islam and Christianity. The last two decades have witnessed a renewed hardening of fault lines, not just ones between strands of Islam and Christianity, but across the board. This latest round started in 2001 with the moral shock of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington and subsequent attacks across Europe as well as in Asia and Africa that continue until today. 9/11 was the death knell of multi-culturalism and the cradle of the latest wave of Islamophobia and rising anti-Semitism. The economic financial crisis of 2008/2009 with its decimating effect on the lower and middle classes, the flourishing of jihadism, the impact of heinous attacks close to home and the fear, a human being’s most irrational emotion, that generated the breeding ground for populism, nationalism, protectionism and the return to primordial, absolutist beliefs propagated by multiple sources, including men and women of the cloth. To be sure, the groundwork for this pre-date 9/11, fuelled by some strands of Christianity, massive Saudi funding across the globe of ultra-conservative strains of Islam, and the use of religious intolerance by leaders and governments because it served a political purpose. Pakistan illustrates what this can produce. The tolerant and live-let-live types live in a bubble, primarily in Pakistan’s three foremost cities, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The gravity of society has shifted toward intolerance, anti-pluralism and supremacism. Ultra-conservatism has been woven into the texture of segments of society and the culture of some institutions of the state. It is a world in which absolute truth rules supreme, discrimination based on an absolute truth is anchored into law, competence is determined not exclusively on the basis of merit but on what faith one adheres to, democratic freedoms are curtailed. Mob lynching becomes acceptable, violence against minorities the norm, and anti-blasphemy the tool. It’s a trend that is not unique to Pakistan and not unique to the Muslim world. It is a trend that is nurtured by the rise of populism, nationalism, authoritarianism and autocracy visible across Western societies, the Muslim world and Israel, in other words, irrespective of cultural-religious roots. In most, if not all of these countries, significant segments of the population have no real stake in society. Intolerance, anti-pluralism, racism and supremacism fuel the perception of disenfranchisement and marginalization that often produces a sense of not having anything to lose. It is some combination of religious ultra-conservatism, exclusivist ethnic and nationalist sentiment, and lack of a stake that creates breeding grounds for militancy and extremism. While Singapore regulates hate speech or expressions it believes would undermine harmony, it has been successful in ensuring that all segments of the population have a stake in society – perhaps the most important factor in combatting discrimination, racism and supremacism as well as militancy and extremism. Singapore demonstrates messages of tolerance and inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony can and will be heard in a political and social environment that fosters mutual respect and dialogue. There is, however, one caveat. Peace and harmony in society require peace and harmony at home. The divisions and animosity between different religions and ethnicities at large are reflected in divisions and animosity within faith groups. Tolerance, mutual respect and dialogue start in one’s own community and its message is as credible as one practices it without exception. That probably requires a redefinition of the concept of absolute truth. That’s a tough order, but no one claims that ensuring that a peaceful and harmonious existence and future would be easy. It also is a litmus test of one’s sincerity. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Achieving religious harmony in a world of fear and populism

A 35-year-old Indian national, who tried to extort half-a-million Singapore dollars from Standard Chartered Bank here, was charged in court here.

Nagarajan Balajee faces a jail term of between two and five years and caning under a charge of “attempting to commit extortion,” The Straits Times reported Wednesday.

According to court documents, Balajee had allegedly threatened to publish a defamatory libel concerning Aalishaan Zaidi, 47, the global head of digital banking at Standard Chartered Bank, unless he paid SGD 500,000.

Zaidi was one of a few bank employees who received the threatening e-mails sent anonymously. He made the police report on the bank’s behalf.

Balajee was arrested on September 30 along Kovan Road in suburban Singapore. Several laptops and mobile phones were seized from him in connection with the case, the police said.

The bank had made a police report last Thursday about how it had been threatened with a leakage of confidential information.

Balajee is believed to have used multiple fictitious e-mail accounts to deliver the threats to the bank anonymously, according to The Straits Times.

Preliminary investigations by the police also found that he might have used overseas registered mobile lines and virtual private network (VPN) services to mask his identity, to evade detection. VPNs allow unauthorised content from overseas to be accessed by users.

Balajee is currently out on SGD 20,000 bail and will be back in court on October 30.

A 35-year-old Indian national, who tried to extort half-a-million Singapore dollars from Standard Chartered Bank here, was charged in court here. Nagarajan Balajee faces a jail term of between two and five years and caning under a charge of “attempting to commit extortion,” The Straits Times reported Wednesday.

A 35-year-old Indian national, who tried to extort half-a-million Singapore dollars from Standard Chartered Bank here, was charged in court here. Nagarajan Balajee faces a jail term of between two and five years and caning under a charge of “attempting to commit extortion,” The Straits Times reported Wednesday. According to court documents, Balajee had allegedly threatened to publish a defamatory libel concerning Aalishaan Zaidi, 47, the global head of digital banking at Standard Chartered Bank, unless he paid SGD 500,000. Zaidi was one of a few bank employees who received the threatening e-mails sent anonymously. He made the police report on the bank’s behalf. Balajee was arrested on September 30 along Kovan Road in suburban Singapore. Several laptops and mobile phones were seized from him in connection with the case, the police said. The bank had made a police report last Thursday about how it had been threatened with a leakage of confidential information. Balajee is believed to have used multiple fictitious e-mail accounts to deliver the threats to the bank anonymously, according to The Straits Times. Preliminary investigations by the police also found that he might have used overseas registered mobile lines and virtual private network (VPN) services to mask his identity, to evade detection. VPNs allow unauthorised content from overseas to be accessed by users. Balajee is currently out on SGD 20,000 bail and will be back in court on October 30.

Indian national faces jail, canning for extortion in Singapore

More than 300 hawksbill turtles have hatched on beaches in Singapore this month and been released into the sea, authorities said Friday, in a boost for the critically endangered creatures.

They hatched on three beaches across the tropical Southeast Asian country, according to the National Parks Board, which oversees parks and nature reserves.&nbsp;

Over 100 turtles hatched on Sentosa Island, a popular tourist destination, according to the organisation that manages the island. After their nest was discovered in July, a barrier was erected around the site to protect it from monitor lizards and crabs

It was the fourth time since 1996 that eggs of the critically endangered turtles have hatched on Sentosa.

The other turtle nests were discovered at a beach on the east coast and on Satumu island south of the Singapore mainland, the parks board said. A total of 321 turtles hatched over a 10-day period from September 15.

Hawksbills get their names from their narrow pointed beaks and are found throughout the world's tropical oceans, mainly around coral reefs.

They are threatened by damage to their natural habitats from pollution and coastal developments, and are also targeted by poachers.

Their body parts are used to make turtle soup and their shells are crushed into powder for use in jelly dessert. The Hawksbill shell is also used to make products like combs and ornamental hairpins.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the turtles as critically endangered.

More than 300 hawksbill turtles have hatched on beaches in Singapore this month and been released into the sea, authorities said Friday, in a boost for the critically endangered creatures.

More than 300 hawksbill turtles have hatched on beaches in Singapore this month and been released into the sea, authorities said Friday, in a boost for the critically endangered creatures. They hatched on three beaches across the tropical Southeast Asian country, according to the National Parks Board, which oversees parks and nature reserves. Over 100 turtles hatched on Sentosa Island, a popular tourist destination, according to the organisation that manages the island. After their nest was discovered in July, a barrier was erected around the site to protect it from monitor lizards and crabs It was the fourth time since 1996 that eggs of the critically endangered turtles have hatched on Sentosa. The other turtle nests were discovered at a beach on the east coast and on Satumu island south of the Singapore mainland, the parks board said. A total of 321 turtles hatched over a 10-day period from September 15. Hawksbills get their names from their narrow pointed beaks and are found throughout the world's tropical oceans, mainly around coral reefs. They are threatened by damage to their natural habitats from pollution and coastal developments, and are also targeted by poachers. Their body parts are used to make turtle soup and their shells are crushed into powder for use in jelly dessert. The Hawksbill shell is also used to make products like combs and ornamental hairpins. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the turtles as critically endangered.

Over 300 endangered turtles hatch in Singapore

Tracking a firming trend overseas, silver prices shot up by 0.82 per cent to Rs 41,101 per kg in futures trade today as speculators raised their bets.

In futures trading at the Multi Commodity Exchange, silver for delivery in July jumped by Rs 335, or 0.82 per cent to Rs 41,101 per kg in a business turnover of 2,888 lots. 
 
On similar lines, the white metal for delivery in far-month September was trading higher by Rs 315, or 0.76 per cent to Rs 41,766 per kg in 167 lots. 
 
Market analysts said speculative position created by participants, driven by firm global trend, mainly pushed up silver prices at futures trade here. 
 
Meanwhile, silver rose 0.03 per cent to USD 17.01 an ounce in Singapore.

On similar lines, the white metal for delivery in far-month September was trading higher by Rs 315, or 0.76 per cent to Rs 41,766 per kg in 167 lots

Tracking a firming trend overseas, silver prices shot up by 0.82 per cent to Rs 41,101 per kg in futures trade today as speculators raised their bets. In futures trading at the Multi Commodity Exchange, silver for delivery in July jumped by Rs 335, or 0.82 per cent to Rs 41,101 per kg in a business turnover of 2,888 lots. On similar lines, the white metal for delivery in far-month September was trading higher by Rs 315, or 0.76 per cent to Rs 41,766 per kg in 167 lots. Market analysts said speculative position created by participants, driven by firm global trend, mainly pushed up silver prices at futures trade here. Meanwhile, silver rose 0.03 per cent to USD 17.01 an ounce in Singapore.

Positive global cues lift silver futures

Absconding diamantaire and PNB fraud accused Nirav Modi is reported to have fled London for Brussels.&nbsp;

The media had flashed the news that Nirav Modi had allegedly fled to the UK, where he is reportedly claiming political asylum, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing Indian and British officials.

However, now it is reported that he may have left London either on Tuesday or Wednesday for Brussels.

The diamond merchant, wanted in India's biggest-ever banking scam, is said to be travelling in and out of the UK freely, possibly on a Singapore passport, not an Indian one.&nbsp;

A non-bailable warrant was issued against Nirav Modi and 10 other accused, including his family members, in the case related to the fraud, after taking cognisance of a charge sheet filed against them by the ED last month.

The Ministry of External Affairs told the FT that the Indian government was waiting for that country’s law enforcement agencies to approach them before pushing for an extradition, which had thus far not happened. The Enforcement Directorate has also issued summons to diamantaire Nirav Modi and his family members to join the investigations.

Nirav Modi is reported to have left London either on Tuesday or Wednesday. He was reportedly claiming political asylum in England

Absconding diamantaire and PNB fraud accused Nirav Modi is reported to have fled London for Brussels. The media had flashed the news that Nirav Modi had allegedly fled to the UK, where he is reportedly claiming political asylum, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing Indian and British officials. However, now it is reported that he may have left London either on Tuesday or Wednesday for Brussels. The diamond merchant, wanted in India's biggest-ever banking scam, is said to be travelling in and out of the UK freely, possibly on a Singapore passport, not an Indian one. A non-bailable warrant was issued against Nirav Modi and 10 other accused, including his family members, in the case related to the fraud, after taking cognisance of a charge sheet filed against them by the ED last month. The Ministry of External Affairs told the FT that the Indian government was waiting for that country’s law enforcement agencies to approach them before pushing for an extradition, which had thus far not happened. The Enforcement Directorate has also issued summons to diamantaire Nirav Modi and his family members to join the investigations.

PNB scam: Nirav Modi reportedly flees London for Brussels

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif's brother and PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif has asked India to resume peace talks with Islamabad, saying the Singapore summit between the US and North Korea should set a good precedent for both the bickering neighbours to follow.

Marking an epoch in the history of the decades-long tense relationship between the US and North Korea, leaders of the two countries yesterday met in Singapore for a summit where the North's Kim Jong-un pledged to work toward the "complete denuclearisation" in return for security guarantees from Washington.&nbsp;

"Ever since the start of Korean War, the two nations have been at odds with one another - both threatening to use military force with their nuclear arsenals facing each other.

"If the United States and North Korea can return from the brink of a nuclear flashpoint, there is no reason why Pakistan and India cannot do the same ... Beginning with a dialogue on Kashmir whose heroic people have resisted and rejected Indian occupation," Shahbaz Sharif said in a series of tweets.

He further said: "It is time for comprehensive peace talks in our region. International community must focus on the peace process in Afghanistan. Dialogue between Pakistan and India over Kashmir should also resume so that the long-festering Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions."

This is a rare statement from Shahbaz Sharif on India, contrary to his elder brother (Nawaz Sharif) whose one of the major reasons behind his ouster, as many political pundits here say, was his efforts to normalise ties with New Delhi.

Shahbaz, who is a prime ministerial candidate from his party, also asked India to leave behind the past tensions between the arch-rivals and starts afresh.

"The US and North Korea talks should be a role model for Pakistan and Indian. If they can return from their previous hostile positions of attacking each other, Pakistan and India can also resume composite dialogue," he said.

The leader said a dialogue between Pakistan and India over Kashmir was needed to resolve the long-festering dispute in accordance with the United Nations resolutions.

The PML-N chief said if his party returns to power in&nbsp;July 25&nbsp;elections, it will promote peace in the region with a focus on Afghanistan, as peace in Afghanistan is "inextricably intertwined" with peace and security in Pakistan.

He welcomed the initiatives mooted by the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban for ceasefire in Afghanistan during Eid-ul-Fitr.

Terming it as a positive first step towards promoting an Afghan-led Afghan-owned peace process, Shahbaz said the PML-N government had played a pivotal role in initiating steps for peace in Afghanistan, including hosting the first-ever direct, face-to-face talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban in Murree in July 2015.

Ever since the start of Korean War, the two nations have been at odds with one another - both threatening to use military force with their nuclear arsenals facing each other

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif's brother and PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif has asked India to resume peace talks with Islamabad, saying the Singapore summit between the US and North Korea should set a good precedent for both the bickering neighbours to follow. Marking an epoch in the history of the decades-long tense relationship between the US and North Korea, leaders of the two countries yesterday met in Singapore for a summit where the North's Kim Jong-un pledged to work toward the "complete denuclearisation" in return for security guarantees from Washington. "Ever since the start of Korean War, the two nations have been at odds with one another - both threatening to use military force with their nuclear arsenals facing each other. "If the United States and North Korea can return from the brink of a nuclear flashpoint, there is no reason why Pakistan and India cannot do the same ... Beginning with a dialogue on Kashmir whose heroic people have resisted and rejected Indian occupation," Shahbaz Sharif said in a series of tweets. He further said: "It is time for comprehensive peace talks in our region. International community must focus on the peace process in Afghanistan. Dialogue between Pakistan and India over Kashmir should also resume so that the long-festering Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions." This is a rare statement from Shahbaz Sharif on India, contrary to his elder brother (Nawaz Sharif) whose one of the major reasons behind his ouster, as many political pundits here say, was his efforts to normalise ties with New Delhi. Shahbaz, who is a prime ministerial candidate from his party, also asked India to leave behind the past tensions between the arch-rivals and starts afresh. "The US and North Korea talks should be a role model for Pakistan and Indian. If they can return from their previous hostile positions of attacking each other, Pakistan and India can also resume composite dialogue," he said. The leader said a dialogue between Pakistan and India over Kashmir was needed to resolve the long-festering dispute in accordance with the United Nations resolutions. The PML-N chief said if his party returns to power in July 25 elections, it will promote peace in the region with a focus on Afghanistan, as peace in Afghanistan is "inextricably intertwined" with peace and security in Pakistan. He welcomed the initiatives mooted by the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban for ceasefire in Afghanistan during Eid-ul-Fitr. Terming it as a positive first step towards promoting an Afghan-led Afghan-owned peace process, Shahbaz said the PML-N government had played a pivotal role in initiating steps for peace in Afghanistan, including hosting the first-ever direct, face-to-face talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban in Murree in July 2015.

After US-North Korea summit, PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif asks India to follow suit

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.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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

The Kremlin said&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;that a summit between US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un showed Russian President Vladimir Putin had been right to advocate direct dialogue as the only way of reducing tensions with North Korea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that the summit, held in Singapore&nbsp;on Tuesday, had helped reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

But he said it would have been wrong to have expected that all of the issues surrounding North Korea's missile and nuclear programme could have been solved in an hour.

"We still need to analyse the results of the meeting," said Peskov. "But the fact that it took place can only be welcomed. Such meetings help ease tensions and move us away from the critical point reached several months ago."

Russia and China have long been pushing a joint de-escalation plan that suggests Pyongyang suspend its ballistic missile programme in return for the United States and South Korea ceasing large-scale missile exercises.

Peskov said the summit showed that Putin - who he said would meet Kim Yong Nam, a top official from North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly in Moscow&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;- had been right all along.

"In such complicated conditions, it would have been wrong to hope that the problems could be solved in an hour," said Peskov, referring to the meeting.

"But the very fact (that the summit took place) underlines that Putin was right. The only possible path is one of direct dialogue."

Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow with his Greek counterpart that Moscow advocated a return to six-party talks to work through some of the issues and that it was important that the entire Korean Peninsula, not just North Korea, was free of nuclear arms.

Lavrov said it was unlikely that Washington and Pyongyang would be able to fully solve all the problems on the Korean Peninsula, saying a new security system was needed for all of north-east Asia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that the summit, held in Singapore on Tuesday, had helped reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un showed Russian President Vladimir Putin had been right to advocate direct dialogue as the only way of reducing tensions with North Korea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that the summit, held in Singapore on Tuesday, had helped reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. But he said it would have been wrong to have expected that all of the issues surrounding North Korea's missile and nuclear programme could have been solved in an hour. "We still need to analyse the results of the meeting," said Peskov. "But the fact that it took place can only be welcomed. Such meetings help ease tensions and move us away from the critical point reached several months ago." Russia and China have long been pushing a joint de-escalation plan that suggests Pyongyang suspend its ballistic missile programme in return for the United States and South Korea ceasing large-scale missile exercises. Peskov said the summit showed that Putin - who he said would meet Kim Yong Nam, a top official from North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly in Moscow on Thursday - had been right all along. "In such complicated conditions, it would have been wrong to hope that the problems could be solved in an hour," said Peskov, referring to the meeting. "But the very fact (that the summit took place) underlines that Putin was right. The only possible path is one of direct dialogue." Separately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow with his Greek counterpart that Moscow advocated a return to six-party talks to work through some of the issues and that it was important that the entire Korean Peninsula, not just North Korea, was free of nuclear arms. Lavrov said it was unlikely that Washington and Pyongyang would be able to fully solve all the problems on the Korean Peninsula, saying a new security system was needed for all of north-east Asia.

Kremlin says Trump-Kim summit proves Putin was right about North Korea

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

President Donald Trump said it himself to Congress and the American people: “No regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea.”

But when it comes to human rights, don’t expect Trump to hold Kim Jong Un’s feet to the fire at the Singapore summit. The focus is on nuclear weapons, and the young autocrat’s international standing is likely to be boosted regardless of the outcome.

In the run-up to Tuesday’s historic face-to-face with Kim, Trump has appeared unconcerned about the implications of feting an authoritarian leader suspected of ordering the public assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent, executing his uncle by firing squad and presiding over a notorious gulag estimated to hold 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners.

While Trump highlighted Pyongyang’s problematic human rights record in January during his State of the Union address — where he also said the “depraved character of the North Korean regime” demonstrated the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose — the president has skirted those concerns since agreeing in March to Kim’s suggestion of a summit.

When Trump met former North Korean military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol at the White House two weeks ago, the president said they didn’t discuss human rights, underscoring that it was not a primary concern. At a pre-summit briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, the issue didn’t get a mention.

Robert King, who served as U.S. envoy on North Korean human-rights issues under the Obama administration, said Trump has used human rights as an instrument to get Kim Jong Un to negotiate on nuclear weapons, but not as a policy priority in its own right.

“The other problem is that he’s anxious to see some progress at the summit, and human rights is not an easy issue to raise with Kim Jong Un,” King said.

U.S. presidents have always faced a predicament in balancing national security and geopolitical priorities with democratic values. But Trump has notably avoided calling out authoritarian leaders on human rights when he wants closer ties with them, whether it’s adversaries like China and Russia or allies like Saudi Arabia and the Philippines.

At the same time, he’s taken a confrontational path toward Western allies on issues like trade, climate and the Iran nuclear deal. He bounced to the Singapore summit after a tempestuous G-7 summit where the U.S. was isolated from its key European partners as never before and Trump even derided his Canadian host, a paragon of liberal democracy, as “dishonest” and “weak.”

Kim, meanwhile, will be granted a measure of validation from Washington that eluded his father and grandfather. They only ever met with former U.S. presidents, a symptom of six decades of hostility between the U.S. and North Korea, which remains a pariah in the eyes of the West not just for its nuclear and missile threats but for flouting international norms of diplomatic behavior.

Human-rights advocates who lauded Trump when he hosted eight North Korean defectors at the White House days after his State of the Union speech are now uneasy about his engagement with Kim, whom the president recently praised as “very honorable.”

Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the U.S.-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, and Rabbi Abraham Cooper at the Simon Wiesenthal Center urged Trump to seek “the complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement” of North Korean political prison camps — mimicking the formulation used by the U.S. in its demand for that nation’s denuclearization.

“Kim Jong Un wants security guarantees,” they wrote Monday, “but history has taught time and again liberal democracies shouldn’t try to guarantee the survival of a regime that runs political prison camps and commits crimes against humanity.”

During a quarter-century of on-off negotiations, human rights have played second fiddle for U.S. administrations seeking to ameliorate the threat posed by the North’s nukes, and there’s a reason. Raising human rights risks playing into North Korean suspicions that the U.S is intent on toppling its hereditary, totalitarian regime by seeking to open its political system, which only reinforces Pyongyang’s notion that it needs a nuclear deterrent to ensure its survival.

Joseph Yun, former U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, alluded to that when he told a Senate hearing last week that there’s a risk of “overloading the agenda” for the summit. He said if the U.S. is going to offer North Korea the security guarantees it seeks in return for denuclearization, it “also means you’re not going to interfere in domestic happenings, domestic politics” — like human rights.

But John Sifton, Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch in Washington, contends that rights issues can’t be separated from the goal of reaching a nuclear deal with North Korea. International inspections and verification of such a deal would require more openness from the North, typically allergic to outside scrutiny. And under a 2016 U.S. law, relief from U.S. sanctions that target the North Korean government would require progress on human rights, he said.

While human rights will get a low billing in Singapore, Trump hasn’t totally ignored the issue.

After he met Kim’s close aide Kim Yong Chol on June 1, Trump said human rights “probably” would be discussed at the summit, and he has committed several times to raise the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s — a longstanding request of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he reiterated to the president in person last week.

In the run-up to Tuesday’s historic face-to-face with Kim, Trump has appeared unconcerned about the implications of feting an authoritarian leader suspected of ordering the public assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent, executing his uncle by firing squad and presiding over a notorious gulag estimated to hold 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners

President Donald Trump said it himself to Congress and the American people: “No regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea.” But when it comes to human rights, don’t expect Trump to hold Kim Jong Un’s feet to the fire at the Singapore summit. The focus is on nuclear weapons, and the young autocrat’s international standing is likely to be boosted regardless of the outcome. In the run-up to Tuesday’s historic face-to-face with Kim, Trump has appeared unconcerned about the implications of feting an authoritarian leader suspected of ordering the public assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent, executing his uncle by firing squad and presiding over a notorious gulag estimated to hold 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners. While Trump highlighted Pyongyang’s problematic human rights record in January during his State of the Union address — where he also said the “depraved character of the North Korean regime” demonstrated the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose — the president has skirted those concerns since agreeing in March to Kim’s suggestion of a summit. When Trump met former North Korean military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol at the White House two weeks ago, the president said they didn’t discuss human rights, underscoring that it was not a primary concern. At a pre-summit briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, the issue didn’t get a mention. Robert King, who served as U.S. envoy on North Korean human-rights issues under the Obama administration, said Trump has used human rights as an instrument to get Kim Jong Un to negotiate on nuclear weapons, but not as a policy priority in its own right. “The other problem is that he’s anxious to see some progress at the summit, and human rights is not an easy issue to raise with Kim Jong Un,” King said. U.S. presidents have always faced a predicament in balancing national security and geopolitical priorities with democratic values. But Trump has notably avoided calling out authoritarian leaders on human rights when he wants closer ties with them, whether it’s adversaries like China and Russia or allies like Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. At the same time, he’s taken a confrontational path toward Western allies on issues like trade, climate and the Iran nuclear deal. He bounced to the Singapore summit after a tempestuous G-7 summit where the U.S. was isolated from its key European partners as never before and Trump even derided his Canadian host, a paragon of liberal democracy, as “dishonest” and “weak.” Kim, meanwhile, will be granted a measure of validation from Washington that eluded his father and grandfather. They only ever met with former U.S. presidents, a symptom of six decades of hostility between the U.S. and North Korea, which remains a pariah in the eyes of the West not just for its nuclear and missile threats but for flouting international norms of diplomatic behavior. Human-rights advocates who lauded Trump when he hosted eight North Korean defectors at the White House days after his State of the Union speech are now uneasy about his engagement with Kim, whom the president recently praised as “very honorable.” Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the U.S.-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, and Rabbi Abraham Cooper at the Simon Wiesenthal Center urged Trump to seek “the complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement” of North Korean political prison camps — mimicking the formulation used by the U.S. in its demand for that nation’s denuclearization. “Kim Jong Un wants security guarantees,” they wrote Monday, “but history has taught time and again liberal democracies shouldn’t try to guarantee the survival of a regime that runs political prison camps and commits crimes against humanity.” During a quarter-century of on-off negotiations, human rights have played second fiddle for U.S. administrations seeking to ameliorate the threat posed by the North’s nukes, and there’s a reason. Raising human rights risks playing into North Korean suspicions that the U.S is intent on toppling its hereditary, totalitarian regime by seeking to open its political system, which only reinforces Pyongyang’s notion that it needs a nuclear deterrent to ensure its survival. Joseph Yun, former U.S. envoy for North Korea policy, alluded to that when he told a Senate hearing last week that there’s a risk of “overloading the agenda” for the summit. He said if the U.S. is going to offer North Korea the security guarantees it seeks in return for denuclearization, it “also means you’re not going to interfere in domestic happenings, domestic politics” — like human rights. But John Sifton, Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch in Washington, contends that rights issues can’t be separated from the goal of reaching a nuclear deal with North Korea. International inspections and verification of such a deal would require more openness from the North, typically allergic to outside scrutiny. And under a 2016 U.S. law, relief from U.S. sanctions that target the North Korean government would require progress on human rights, he said. While human rights will get a low billing in Singapore, Trump hasn’t totally ignored the issue. After he met Kim’s close aide Kim Yong Chol on June 1, Trump said human rights “probably” would be discussed at the summit, and he has committed several times to raise the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s — a longstanding request of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he reiterated to the president in person last week.

At Trump-Kim summit, human rights is a back-burner issue

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

Much attention has been&nbspon Kim Jong Un at his historic summit Tuesday with President Donald Trump. The young leader was also accompanied by a group of trusted and loyal lieutenants to Singapore with at least four high-powered women including his sister.&nbsp

Kim's entourage includes Kim Jong Chol, 72, who is the North Korean leaders most trusted policy advisor and his "right-hand man" since the beginning of a peace offensive with the US and South Korea in January.&nbsp

He accompanied the young leader at all four of his recent summits, twice with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and twice with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Recently, Kim Jong Un sent him to the United States to hand-deliver a letter to Trump, making him North Korea’s most senior official to visit its wartime foe in 18 years.

Kim's younger sister Kim Yo Jung also accompanied the leader. She is the Workers’ Party official responsible for propaganda affairs. Many outside experts believe she has already become the No. 2 official in a country that has been ruled by the Kim family for seven decades. She acts as her older brother’s assistant at times, having hand-delivered a letter from him to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

She reportedly traveled to Singapore separately from her brother amid media speculation that the North’s top two officials intentionally take different planes in case of an accident.

Kim's vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui, who was also present at the meeting, is the highest-level female diplomat in North Korea. She previously worked as an English-language interpreter for a North Korean delegation attending now-stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks.

She has reportedly acted as a lead negotiator in advance meetings with the American team ahead of the summit, possibly because of her experience as a nuclear negotiator in the past.

Last month, her threat to scuttle the summit and description of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as a “political dummy” prompted Trump to pull out of his meeting with Kim, although he quickly reversed his decision.&nbsp

Also present at the historic summit was Ri Su Yong, 78, is the top Workers’ Party official for international affairs. The former foreign minister was North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland when Kim Jong Un studied there as a teenager.

Kim also had Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, 61, by his side. He is a career diplomat who served as the chief North Korean delegate to the six-party nuclear talks.

Hyon Song Wol also accompanied the leader at the Singapore summit. He is head of North Korea’s hugely popular Moranbong girl band, whose members were hand-picked by Kim Jong Un. She also led a large North Korean art troupe sent to South Korea during the February Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Her earlier trip to South Korea in January triggered a media frenzy.

Also present today was Kim Sung Hae who is a departmental director at North Korea’s United Front Department, the Workers’ Party organization that handles inter-Korean relations. She also attended Monday’s meeting at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

No Kwang Chol, who accompanied the leader, is North Korea’s minister of the People’s Armed Forces. His appointment to one of the top military jobs was officially confirmed by a state media dispatch on Monday that included him in a list of officials traveling with Kim. 
&nbsp

The young leader was also accompanied by a group of trusted and loyal lieutenants to Singapore with at least four high-powered women including his sister

Much attention has been&nbspon Kim Jong Un at his historic summit Tuesday with President Donald Trump. The young leader was also accompanied by a group of trusted and loyal lieutenants to Singapore with at least four high-powered women including his sister. Kim's entourage includes Kim Jong Chol, 72, who is the North Korean leaders most trusted policy advisor and his "right-hand man" since the beginning of a peace offensive with the US and South Korea in January. He accompanied the young leader at all four of his recent summits, twice with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and twice with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Recently, Kim Jong Un sent him to the United States to hand-deliver a letter to Trump, making him North Korea’s most senior official to visit its wartime foe in 18 years. Kim's younger sister Kim Yo Jung also accompanied the leader. She is the Workers’ Party official responsible for propaganda affairs. Many outside experts believe she has already become the No. 2 official in a country that has been ruled by the Kim family for seven decades. She acts as her older brother’s assistant at times, having hand-delivered a letter from him to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. She reportedly traveled to Singapore separately from her brother amid media speculation that the North’s top two officials intentionally take different planes in case of an accident. Kim's vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui, who was also present at the meeting, is the highest-level female diplomat in North Korea. She previously worked as an English-language interpreter for a North Korean delegation attending now-stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. She has reportedly acted as a lead negotiator in advance meetings with the American team ahead of the summit, possibly because of her experience as a nuclear negotiator in the past. Last month, her threat to scuttle the summit and description of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as a “political dummy” prompted Trump to pull out of his meeting with Kim, although he quickly reversed his decision. Also present at the historic summit was Ri Su Yong, 78, is the top Workers’ Party official for international affairs. The former foreign minister was North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland when Kim Jong Un studied there as a teenager. Kim also had Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, 61, by his side. He is a career diplomat who served as the chief North Korean delegate to the six-party nuclear talks. Hyon Song Wol also accompanied the leader at the Singapore summit. He is head of North Korea’s hugely popular Moranbong girl band, whose members were hand-picked by Kim Jong Un. She also led a large North Korean art troupe sent to South Korea during the February Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Her earlier trip to South Korea in January triggered a media frenzy. Also present today was Kim Sung Hae who is a departmental director at North Korea’s United Front Department, the Workers’ Party organization that handles inter-Korean relations. She also attended Monday’s meeting at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. No Kwang Chol, who accompanied the leader, is North Korea’s minister of the People’s Armed Forces. His appointment to one of the top military jobs was officially confirmed by a state media dispatch on Monday that included him in a list of officials traveling with Kim.

Kim Jong-Un was accompanied by trusted lieutenants to Singapore

Two Indian-origin ministers in Singapore, Vivian Balakrishnan and K Shanmugam, are playing a key role in facilitating a hassle-free summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday.

Balakrishnan, Singapore’s foreign minister, made important visits to Washington, Pyongyang and Beijing in recent days to ensure that there would be no last-minute spoilers for the historic meeting hosted by the city-state.

Balakrishnan, 57, is from the ruling People’s Action Party. He studied medicine and later pursued postgraduate education in ophthalmology.

Shanmugam is Singapore’s Minister for Law and Home Affairs and he has the responsibility to make sure that the summit, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean top leader, goes without a hitch from the security point of view.

A lawyer by profession, 59-year-old Shanmugam also belongs to the ruling People’s Action Party.

Singapore is one of the few countries that have diplomatic relations with both the US and North Korea.

Balakrishnan, who received Kim, the Chairman of North Korea’s State Affairs Commission, on Sunday at Changi Airport, said the summit comes after 70 years of suspicion, war and diplomatic failures.

“This is not the way conventional diplomacy would have been conducted, but perhaps you need two very unconventional leaders to have brought us to this stage,” he told the BBC.

“They may be able to pull rabbits out of a hat that the rest of us conventional diplomats would not have been able to do,” he said.

Still, he noted that decades of tension cannot be resolved in one meeting, although, based on his interactions with their staff and meeting them personally, “both are supremely confident, both are hopeful”.

Balakrishnan also said that the Singapore government was footing the hotel bill for Kim and his delegation who are staying at the plush St Regis hotel here.

He added that the expenditure forms part of the 20 million Singapore dollars (USD 15 million) that Singapore is spending on the summit in all.

Of this, half is on security, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Law and Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam is confident that security is in place for the Trump-Kim summit.

“The fact that we prepared this in two weeks, this adds to logistics demands by officers who worked around the clock,” Shanmugam said at a security briefing yesterday.

“We are confident that we have put security in place. We have 5,000 Home Team officers such as police and emergency response teams like civil defence,” he was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia.

Shanmugam said that four people have been turned away at Singapore’s immigration checkpoints in the lead-up to the summit.

Singapore is one of the few countries that have diplomatic relations with both the US and North Korea.

Two Indian-origin ministers in Singapore, Vivian Balakrishnan and K Shanmugam, are playing a key role in facilitating a hassle-free summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday. Balakrishnan, Singapore’s foreign minister, made important visits to Washington, Pyongyang and Beijing in recent days to ensure that there would be no last-minute spoilers for the historic meeting hosted by the city-state. Balakrishnan, 57, is from the ruling People’s Action Party. He studied medicine and later pursued postgraduate education in ophthalmology. Shanmugam is Singapore’s Minister for Law and Home Affairs and he has the responsibility to make sure that the summit, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean top leader, goes without a hitch from the security point of view. A lawyer by profession, 59-year-old Shanmugam also belongs to the ruling People’s Action Party. Singapore is one of the few countries that have diplomatic relations with both the US and North Korea. Balakrishnan, who received Kim, the Chairman of North Korea’s State Affairs Commission, on Sunday at Changi Airport, said the summit comes after 70 years of suspicion, war and diplomatic failures. “This is not the way conventional diplomacy would have been conducted, but perhaps you need two very unconventional leaders to have brought us to this stage,” he told the BBC. “They may be able to pull rabbits out of a hat that the rest of us conventional diplomats would not have been able to do,” he said. Still, he noted that decades of tension cannot be resolved in one meeting, although, based on his interactions with their staff and meeting them personally, “both are supremely confident, both are hopeful”. Balakrishnan also said that the Singapore government was footing the hotel bill for Kim and his delegation who are staying at the plush St Regis hotel here. He added that the expenditure forms part of the 20 million Singapore dollars (USD 15 million) that Singapore is spending on the summit in all. Of this, half is on security, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday. Meanwhile, Law and Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam is confident that security is in place for the Trump-Kim summit. “The fact that we prepared this in two weeks, this adds to logistics demands by officers who worked around the clock,” Shanmugam said at a security briefing yesterday. “We are confident that we have put security in place. We have 5,000 Home Team officers such as police and emergency response teams like civil defence,” he was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia. Shanmugam said that four people have been turned away at Singapore’s immigration checkpoints in the lead-up to the summit.

Two Indian-origin ministers in Singapore played key role in Trump-Kim summit

France is increasing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, sending warships through the South China Sea and planning air exercises to help counter China's military build-up in disputed waters.

In late May, the French assault ship Dixmude and a frigate sailed through the disputed Spratly Islands and around a group of reefs that China has turned into islets to push back against Beijing's claim to own most of the resource-rich South China Sea.

"Our patrol involved passing close to these islets to obtain intelligence with all the sensors it is possible to use in international waters," the Dixmude's commanding officer, Jean Porcher, told reporters in a video interview.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, a researcher from the Hudson Institute think-tank who was onboard, said that "several Chinese frigates and corvettes" tailed the French vessels.

Porcher said the ship maintained "cordial" radio contact with Chinese military vessels, "which were present in the area until we left".

So far the United States has taken the lead in confronting China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea, which are contested by several neighbours, particularly Vietnam.

But France, which along with Britain is the only European nation to regularly send its navy into the region, has also waded into the dispute, sending its ships into the South China Sea three to five times a year.

In August, the airforce will stage its biggest-ever exercises in southeast Asia as part of a strategy to mark France's presence in a region that is home to 1.5 million French citizens in the country's overseas territories.

Three Rafale fighter jets, one A400M troop transporter and a C135 refuelling tanker will fly from Australia to India, with several stop-offs along the way.

The sea and air operations follow a visit by President Emmanuel Macron last month to Australia, where he spoke of the need to protect the Indo-Pacific region from "hegemony" -- a veiled reference to Beijing's growing might.

He stressed that France, which will be the last country in the EU after Britain leaves the bloc to have territories in the Pacific, did not want to antagonise China.

But a "strong Indo-Pacific axis" was needed to ensure respect for freedom of navigation and aviation in the region, he told Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Macron appears to be "realistically assessing the growing Chinese challenge", said Jonas Parello-Plesner, a researcher from the US-based Hudson Institute who was an observer on the recent French navy voyage.

"This is a welcome change from his predecessors, who were enthralled by the business and investment opportunities in China," he wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

But France had already began to push back against China's expansionism before Macron took power.

Since 2014, the navy has sailed regularly through the South China Sea as part of its stated bid to uphold a rules-based maritime order.

In 2016, then French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (now the foreign minister) called on other European navies to develop a regular and visible presence in the South China Sea.

Besides protecting navigation, France has cited the need to defend the interests of its citizens scattered across five French territories in the Pacific, including New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

"This region is also our home," current Defence Minister Florence Parly said during a visit to Singapore in early June.

Valerie Niquet, an expert on the Asia-Pacific region at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris, said France's growing assertiveness showed the US was no longer the only Western power "getting involved in the area".

"Faced with China the US obviously plays the main deterrent role, but it's not pointless or trivial for a power like France, a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council, to take a firm, principled position and carry out concrete actions," she said, predicting that it would "marginalise China's position a little bit more".

Analysts point to another factor underpinning France's growing activism in the Indo-Pacific region: the need to show buyers of French arms that Paris has their back.

In 2016, India agreed buy 36 Rafale fighter jets and Australia signed a deal worth 50 billion Australian dollars ($37 billion, 31 billion euros) for 12 next-generation French submarines.

"That is also doubtlessly pushing France to be a lot firmer on subjects that, up until recently, were broached with great care," Niquet said.

Porcher said the ship maintained 'cordial' radio contact with Chinese military vessels, 'which were present in the area until we left'

France is increasing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, sending warships through the South China Sea and planning air exercises to help counter China's military build-up in disputed waters. In late May, the French assault ship Dixmude and a frigate sailed through the disputed Spratly Islands and around a group of reefs that China has turned into islets to push back against Beijing's claim to own most of the resource-rich South China Sea. "Our patrol involved passing close to these islets to obtain intelligence with all the sensors it is possible to use in international waters," the Dixmude's commanding officer, Jean Porcher, told reporters in a video interview. Writing in The Wall Street Journal, a researcher from the Hudson Institute think-tank who was onboard, said that "several Chinese frigates and corvettes" tailed the French vessels. Porcher said the ship maintained "cordial" radio contact with Chinese military vessels, "which were present in the area until we left". So far the United States has taken the lead in confronting China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea, which are contested by several neighbours, particularly Vietnam. But France, which along with Britain is the only European nation to regularly send its navy into the region, has also waded into the dispute, sending its ships into the South China Sea three to five times a year. In August, the airforce will stage its biggest-ever exercises in southeast Asia as part of a strategy to mark France's presence in a region that is home to 1.5 million French citizens in the country's overseas territories. Three Rafale fighter jets, one A400M troop transporter and a C135 refuelling tanker will fly from Australia to India, with several stop-offs along the way. The sea and air operations follow a visit by President Emmanuel Macron last month to Australia, where he spoke of the need to protect the Indo-Pacific region from "hegemony" -- a veiled reference to Beijing's growing might. He stressed that France, which will be the last country in the EU after Britain leaves the bloc to have territories in the Pacific, did not want to antagonise China. But a "strong Indo-Pacific axis" was needed to ensure respect for freedom of navigation and aviation in the region, he told Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Macron appears to be "realistically assessing the growing Chinese challenge", said Jonas Parello-Plesner, a researcher from the US-based Hudson Institute who was an observer on the recent French navy voyage. "This is a welcome change from his predecessors, who were enthralled by the business and investment opportunities in China," he wrote in The Wall Street Journal. But France had already began to push back against China's expansionism before Macron took power. Since 2014, the navy has sailed regularly through the South China Sea as part of its stated bid to uphold a rules-based maritime order. In 2016, then French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (now the foreign minister) called on other European navies to develop a regular and visible presence in the South China Sea. Besides protecting navigation, France has cited the need to defend the interests of its citizens scattered across five French territories in the Pacific, including New Caledonia and French Polynesia. "This region is also our home," current Defence Minister Florence Parly said during a visit to Singapore in early June. Valerie Niquet, an expert on the Asia-Pacific region at the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris, said France's growing assertiveness showed the US was no longer the only Western power "getting involved in the area". "Faced with China the US obviously plays the main deterrent role, but it's not pointless or trivial for a power like France, a permanent member of the (UN) Security Council, to take a firm, principled position and carry out concrete actions," she said, predicting that it would "marginalise China's position a little bit more". Analysts point to another factor underpinning France's growing activism in the Indo-Pacific region: the need to show buyers of French arms that Paris has their back. In 2016, India agreed buy 36 Rafale fighter jets and Australia signed a deal worth 50 billion Australian dollars ($37 billion, 31 billion euros) for 12 next-generation French submarines. "That is also doubtlessly pushing France to be a lot firmer on subjects that, up until recently, were broached with great care," Niquet said.

France challenges Beijing in South China Sea

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'

"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

US President Donald Trump said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un will meet again.&nbsp;

"We'll meet again," Trump said after signing a "comprehensive document" with Kim. "We will meet many times," Trump added.&nbsp;

Trump and Kim met at the Capella Hotel on Singapore's Sentosa Island on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Their meeting was unprecedented. A sitting US President and a North Korean leader have never met — they have never even spoken on the phone.&nbsp;

Trump said after his meeting with Kim — they first had a one on one that lasted a little less than 50 minutes, followed by another meeting attended by aides — that it had gonen off "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-summit-with-north-koreas-kim-better-than-anybody-expected-143755">better than anybody could have expected</a>".&nbsp;

'We will meet many times,' Trump added after signing a comprehensive document' with Kim

US President Donald Trump said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un will meet again. "We'll meet again," Trump said after signing a "comprehensive document" with Kim. "We will meet many times," Trump added. Trump and Kim met at the Capella Hotel on Singapore's Sentosa Island on Tuesday. Their meeting was unprecedented. A sitting US President and a North Korean leader have never met — they have never even spoken on the phone. Trump said after his meeting with Kim — they first had a one on one that lasted a little less than 50 minutes, followed by another meeting attended by aides — that it had gonen off "better than anybody could have expected".

'We'll meet again,' Trump says of Kim

The president of the United States said Monday there was excitement in the air in Singapore ahead of the historic summit on Tuesday when he will meet with the North Korean leader.

"Great to be in Singapore, excitement in the air!" Donald Trump wrote on his Twitter account.

The US president arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and on Monday morning he was scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at The Istana, the presidential office and residence.

Trump was also due to have a working lunch with Lee and representatives of both governments before meeting in the afternoon with staff of the US embassy in Singapore.

The agenda of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who arrived in Singapore on Sunday afternoon and also met with Lee, remains unknown.

Meanwhile, the delegations from the US and North Korea began a meeting on Monday at the Ritz-Carlton hotel at 10 am local time to finalize the agenda of the summit. Sung Kim - a Washington delegate who has led talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program over the past decade - was heading the US team, according to the White House.

The summit between Trump and Kim is scheduled to start at 9 am on Tuesday at the Capella Singapore. It will mark the first encounter between North Korean and US leaders after nearly 70 years of confrontation and 25 years of failed negotiations as well as tensions as a result of Pyongyang's nuclear programs.

Despite the summit looming, it appeared Trump could not free his mind from the trade row he had with his allies during the G7 summit in La Malbaie, Canada, on Saturday.

"Why should I, as President of the United States, allow countries to continue to make Massive Trade Surpluses, as they have for decades. Not fair to the PEOPLE of America!" Trump wrote in a series of tweets on the subject on Monday.

After the weekend's G7 summit, the US president rejected a joint communique over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking out against Washington's new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trudeau has wowed "retaliatory tariffs."

The US president arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and on Monday morning he was scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at The Istana, the presidential office and residence

The president of the United States said Monday there was excitement in the air in Singapore ahead of the historic summit on Tuesday when he will meet with the North Korean leader. "Great to be in Singapore, excitement in the air!" Donald Trump wrote on his Twitter account. The US president arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and on Monday morning he was scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at The Istana, the presidential office and residence. Trump was also due to have a working lunch with Lee and representatives of both governments before meeting in the afternoon with staff of the US embassy in Singapore. The agenda of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who arrived in Singapore on Sunday afternoon and also met with Lee, remains unknown. Meanwhile, the delegations from the US and North Korea began a meeting on Monday at the Ritz-Carlton hotel at 10 am local time to finalize the agenda of the summit. Sung Kim - a Washington delegate who has led talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program over the past decade - was heading the US team, according to the White House. The summit between Trump and Kim is scheduled to start at 9 am on Tuesday at the Capella Singapore. It will mark the first encounter between North Korean and US leaders after nearly 70 years of confrontation and 25 years of failed negotiations as well as tensions as a result of Pyongyang's nuclear programs. Despite the summit looming, it appeared Trump could not free his mind from the trade row he had with his allies during the G7 summit in La Malbaie, Canada, on Saturday. "Why should I, as President of the United States, allow countries to continue to make Massive Trade Surpluses, as they have for decades. Not fair to the PEOPLE of America!" Trump wrote in a series of tweets on the subject on Monday. After the weekend's G7 summit, the US president rejected a joint communique over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking out against Washington's new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trudeau has wowed "retaliatory tariffs."

Excitement in the air, Trump says ahead of Singapore summit

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will sit down on Tuesday, June 12, for an unprecedented summit that has raised hopes of progress on the troubled Korean peninsula.

From Kim's nuclear arsenal to normalising ties between the two-decades-old foes, these are the issues facing the two leaders at what Trump has called a "one-time shot" at peace.

Denuclearisation

This is the absolute crux of the summit and there remains a chasm between the two sides that diplomats were scrambling to close on the eve of the meeting.

Washington is demanding the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea. In Trump's words: "They have to de-nuke. If they don't denuclearise, that will not be acceptable."

North Korea has repeatedly expressed a commitment to the "denuclearization of the Korean peninsula" – notably in a report by state agency KCNA on the eve of the summit – but the term is open to interpretation on both sides and it remains unclear what concessions Kim is prepared to offer.

South Korea estimates the North has 50 kilograms of plutonium, reportedly enough for around 10 bombs, and a "considerable" ability to produce uranium weapons.

Previous agreements with the North have subsequently collapsed and experts warn Kim is highly unlikely to give up the "treasured sword" of his nuclear deterrent.

Dismantling a secret nuclear arsenal built up over decades would take several years and be extremely difficult to check, they say.

Siegfried Hecker, a noted US nuclear expert, said the immediate CVID of the North was "unimaginable" and "tantamount to a North Korean surrender scenario".

End to Korean war?

North and South Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice that Seoul's then leader refused to sign and divided the peninsula along the Demilitarized Zone.

At their summit in April Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to seek a peace treaty and Trump mused earlier this month: "Can you believe we're talking about the ending of the Korean War?"

Seoul announced last week it was in 3-way talks with Pyongyang and Washington for an "early" declaration that the war is over.

That could precede a full treaty which would raise complex issues needing extensive negotiation and would need to involve China, which backed the North during the conflict and is a signatory to the armistice.

But Trump said: "We could absolutely sign an agreement and we're looking at it," adding: "Sounds a little bit strange, but that's probably the easy part."

Normalization

Ahead of the meeting, Trump has dangled the carrot of a normalisation of diplomatic ties between the former foes and even a White House visit for Kim, which would confirm his arrival on the world stage.

"Maybe we'll start with the White House, what do you think?" he said when asked if Kim would be invited to Washington or his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The other carrot for Kim is a possible loosening of punishing UN Security Council sanctions but here too there is discord, with Washington saying sanctions can end only when denuclearisation is complete and Pyongyang wanting "phased" relief as they make progress towards that goal.

Human rights?

Another question is whether Trump will take up the issue of human rights – with North Korea accused of a host of state-sanctioned rights abuse including extrajudicial killing, torture and kidnapping.

North Korea is estimated to have up to 120,000 political prisoners in its sprawling gulag system.

Close US ally Japan has urged Trump to bring up the decades-old issue of its citizens abducted in 1970s and 1980s to train Pyongyang's spies in Japanese language and customs.

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said it was imperative that Trump bring up rights issues with Kim.

"North Korea's increased dialogue with other countries is a positive step, but before the world gets too excited they should remember that Kim Jong Un still presides over perhaps the most repressive system in the world," he said.

Security

Kim's main concern is the survival of his own regime – South Korean President Moon Jae-in told reporters that the Pyongyang leader had "concerns on whether he could trust that the US would end its hostile policy and guarantee the security of his regime when the North denuclearizes itself".

So the summit was nearly derailed by talk from Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton of a "Libya model" of disarmament.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a Western-backed rebellion after abandoning his nuclear programme.

The Trump administration has promised not to seek to bring about regime change and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has even floated the possibility of issuing security guarantees to the North.

But some question why Kim should trust any guarantees given Trump's history of pulling out of accords -- most recently the painstakingly negotiated Iran nuclear deal.

"Why would Kim... believe any commitments President Trump makes when he arbitrarily tears up an agreement with which the other party is complying?" said Antony Blinken, who was deputy secretary of state under Barack Obama.

From Kim's nuclear arsenal to normalising ties between the two-decades-old foes, these are the issues facing the two leaders at what Trump has called a "one-time shot" at peace

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will sit down on Tuesday, June 12, for an unprecedented summit that has raised hopes of progress on the troubled Korean peninsula. From Kim's nuclear arsenal to normalising ties between the two-decades-old foes, these are the issues facing the two leaders at what Trump has called a "one-time shot" at peace. Denuclearisation This is the absolute crux of the summit and there remains a chasm between the two sides that diplomats were scrambling to close on the eve of the meeting. Washington is demanding the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea. In Trump's words: "They have to de-nuke. If they don't denuclearise, that will not be acceptable." North Korea has repeatedly expressed a commitment to the "denuclearization of the Korean peninsula" – notably in a report by state agency KCNA on the eve of the summit – but the term is open to interpretation on both sides and it remains unclear what concessions Kim is prepared to offer. South Korea estimates the North has 50 kilograms of plutonium, reportedly enough for around 10 bombs, and a "considerable" ability to produce uranium weapons. Previous agreements with the North have subsequently collapsed and experts warn Kim is highly unlikely to give up the "treasured sword" of his nuclear deterrent. Dismantling a secret nuclear arsenal built up over decades would take several years and be extremely difficult to check, they say. Siegfried Hecker, a noted US nuclear expert, said the immediate CVID of the North was "unimaginable" and "tantamount to a North Korean surrender scenario". End to Korean war? North and South Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice that Seoul's then leader refused to sign and divided the peninsula along the Demilitarized Zone. At their summit in April Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to seek a peace treaty and Trump mused earlier this month: "Can you believe we're talking about the ending of the Korean War?" Seoul announced last week it was in 3-way talks with Pyongyang and Washington for an "early" declaration that the war is over. That could precede a full treaty which would raise complex issues needing extensive negotiation and would need to involve China, which backed the North during the conflict and is a signatory to the armistice. But Trump said: "We could absolutely sign an agreement and we're looking at it," adding: "Sounds a little bit strange, but that's probably the easy part." Normalization Ahead of the meeting, Trump has dangled the carrot of a normalisation of diplomatic ties between the former foes and even a White House visit for Kim, which would confirm his arrival on the world stage. "Maybe we'll start with the White House, what do you think?" he said when asked if Kim would be invited to Washington or his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The other carrot for Kim is a possible loosening of punishing UN Security Council sanctions but here too there is discord, with Washington saying sanctions can end only when denuclearisation is complete and Pyongyang wanting "phased" relief as they make progress towards that goal. Human rights? Another question is whether Trump will take up the issue of human rights – with North Korea accused of a host of state-sanctioned rights abuse including extrajudicial killing, torture and kidnapping. North Korea is estimated to have up to 120,000 political prisoners in its sprawling gulag system. Close US ally Japan has urged Trump to bring up the decades-old issue of its citizens abducted in 1970s and 1980s to train Pyongyang's spies in Japanese language and customs. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said it was imperative that Trump bring up rights issues with Kim. "North Korea's increased dialogue with other countries is a positive step, but before the world gets too excited they should remember that Kim Jong Un still presides over perhaps the most repressive system in the world," he said. Security Kim's main concern is the survival of his own regime – South Korean President Moon Jae-in told reporters that the Pyongyang leader had "concerns on whether he could trust that the US would end its hostile policy and guarantee the security of his regime when the North denuclearizes itself". So the summit was nearly derailed by talk from Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton of a "Libya model" of disarmament. Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a Western-backed rebellion after abandoning his nuclear programme. The Trump administration has promised not to seek to bring about regime change and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has even floated the possibility of issuing security guarantees to the North. But some question why Kim should trust any guarantees given Trump's history of pulling out of accords -- most recently the painstakingly negotiated Iran nuclear deal. "Why would Kim... believe any commitments President Trump makes when he arbitrarily tears up an agreement with which the other party is complying?" said Antony Blinken, who was deputy secretary of state under Barack Obama.

Nukes and normalisation: What's on the table in Singapore

Embarking on a self-described "mission of peace," President&nbspDonald Trump's seat-of-the-pants foreign policy is facing its toughest test yet as he attempts this week to personally broker an end to North Korea's nuclear program with&nbspKim Jong Un. 
 
The impulsive American president, who just days earlier called into doubt a pillar of the Western alliance, is set to face his match on the global stage as he prepares to meet Kim in Singapore. In the historic first meeting between the leaders of the technically-still-warring nations, Trump is prioritizing instinct over planning. Unlike traditional summits between heads of state, where most of the work is completed in advance of a photo-op, US officials say the only thing certain ahead of these talks will be their unpredictability. 
 
Ever since Trump shocked allies, White House officials, and, by some accounts, the North Koreans themselves when he accepted Kim's March invitation for a meeting, the two leaders have lurched toward an uncertain encounter that may well determine the fate of millions. 
 
"It's unknown territory in the truest sense, but I really feel confident," Trump told reporters Saturday. "I feel that Kim Jong Un wants to do something great for his people and he has that opportunity and he won't have that opportunity again." 
 
Trump's engagement with Kim fulfills the North Korean ruling family's long-unrequited yearning for international legitimacy, itself a substantial concession that could weaken more than a generation of US efforts to isolate the country on the global stage. 
 
"It's never been done before," Trump said Saturday. "And obviously, what has been done before hasn't worked." 
 
A triumvirate of forces is bringing the meeting to fruition, said Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on US-Korea Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, describing the summit as "Produced by Kim, directed by (South Korean President&nbspMoon Jae-in), and inspired by Trump." 
 
The hard-hitting sanctions and desire for legitimacy brought the youthful Kim to the table. The South Korean leader's efforts to avert a potentially catastrophic US first strike pushed both leaders to take a risk. And Trump is the first US president willing to sit-down with the autocratic ruler with so few concessions, believing his self-professed negotiating prowess will guide him though uncharted diplomatic waters. 
 
Raising expectations in advance of the meeting, Trump said the outcome will rely heavily on his own instincts. The US president, who prides himself on his deal-making prowess, said he will know "within the first minute" of meeting Kim whether the North Korean leader is serious about the nuclear negotiations. 
 
"I think I'll know pretty quickly whether or not, in my opinion, something positive will happen. And if I think it won't happen, I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to waste his time," Trump said. 
 
"This is a leader who really is an unknown personality," Trump added of Kim. "People don't know much about him. I think that he's going to surprise on the upside, very much on the upside." 
 
White House aides described Trump in the days after receiving the initial Kim invitation as being obsessed by visions of winning the Nobel Peace Prize and using `The Art of the Deal' to put his mark on the global order. In recent weeks Trump's enthusiasm has been tempered somewhat by the challenge of deal-making with such an unpredictable opponent. And there are worries from the White House to East Asian allies that Trump's desire for an agreement will lead him to accept any deal — even if it's a bad one. 
 
Trump is set to dangle before Kim visions of protection, economic investment, and even a White House visit, in return for a commitment to abandon his nuclear weapons program. Kim, US officials say, has agreed to put his stockpile of a half-hundred or more weapons on the table for negotiation, but the two countries have offered differing visions of what that would entail. Despite Kim's apparent eagerness for a summit with Trump, there are doubts that he would fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his guarantor of his survival. 
 
US defense and intelligence officials have assessed the North to be on the threshold of having the capability to strike anywhere in the continental US with a nuclear-tipped missile _ a capacity that Trump and other US officials have said they would not tolerate. 
 
Trump reiterated his promise Saturday that the US "will watch over and we'll protect" Kim and his government in return for him giving up the nuclear program. 
 
Traveling to Singapore, Trump is looking to temporarily escape his flaring personal conflicts with key US allies over trade as well as domestic pressure like the swirling Russia probe. Acutely aware of his coverage in the media, Trump has enjoyed how North Korea has overshadowed some of the more negative coverage of his tumultuous White House. 
 
Still, Trump's team has not always been on the same page, with Secretary of State&nbspMike Pompeo&nbsp— who has been leading the administration's efforts — more supportive, while the hawkish National Security Adviser John Bolton has been more skeptical. Bolton has been far less visible in the planning process, after a comment he made about favoring the "Libya model" for denuclearization enraged the North Koreans.

The impulsive American president, who just days earlier called into doubt a pillar of the Western alliance, is set to face his match on the global stage as he prepares to meet Kim in Singapore

Embarking on a self-described "mission of peace," President&nbspDonald Trump's seat-of-the-pants foreign policy is facing its toughest test yet as he attempts this week to personally broker an end to North Korea's nuclear program with&nbspKim Jong Un. The impulsive American president, who just days earlier called into doubt a pillar of the Western alliance, is set to face his match on the global stage as he prepares to meet Kim in Singapore. In the historic first meeting between the leaders of the technically-still-warring nations, Trump is prioritizing instinct over planning. Unlike traditional summits between heads of state, where most of the work is completed in advance of a photo-op, US officials say the only thing certain ahead of these talks will be their unpredictability. Ever since Trump shocked allies, White House officials, and, by some accounts, the North Koreans themselves when he accepted Kim's March invitation for a meeting, the two leaders have lurched toward an uncertain encounter that may well determine the fate of millions. "It's unknown territory in the truest sense, but I really feel confident," Trump told reporters Saturday. "I feel that Kim Jong Un wants to do something great for his people and he has that opportunity and he won't have that opportunity again." Trump's engagement with Kim fulfills the North Korean ruling family's long-unrequited yearning for international legitimacy, itself a substantial concession that could weaken more than a generation of US efforts to isolate the country on the global stage. "It's never been done before," Trump said Saturday. "And obviously, what has been done before hasn't worked." A triumvirate of forces is bringing the meeting to fruition, said Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on US-Korea Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, describing the summit as "Produced by Kim, directed by (South Korean President&nbspMoon Jae-in), and inspired by Trump." The hard-hitting sanctions and desire for legitimacy brought the youthful Kim to the table. The South Korean leader's efforts to avert a potentially catastrophic US first strike pushed both leaders to take a risk. And Trump is the first US president willing to sit-down with the autocratic ruler with so few concessions, believing his self-professed negotiating prowess will guide him though uncharted diplomatic waters. Raising expectations in advance of the meeting, Trump said the outcome will rely heavily on his own instincts. The US president, who prides himself on his deal-making prowess, said he will know "within the first minute" of meeting Kim whether the North Korean leader is serious about the nuclear negotiations. "I think I'll know pretty quickly whether or not, in my opinion, something positive will happen. And if I think it won't happen, I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to waste his time," Trump said. "This is a leader who really is an unknown personality," Trump added of Kim. "People don't know much about him. I think that he's going to surprise on the upside, very much on the upside." White House aides described Trump in the days after receiving the initial Kim invitation as being obsessed by visions of winning the Nobel Peace Prize and using `The Art of the Deal' to put his mark on the global order. In recent weeks Trump's enthusiasm has been tempered somewhat by the challenge of deal-making with such an unpredictable opponent. And there are worries from the White House to East Asian allies that Trump's desire for an agreement will lead him to accept any deal — even if it's a bad one. Trump is set to dangle before Kim visions of protection, economic investment, and even a White House visit, in return for a commitment to abandon his nuclear weapons program. Kim, US officials say, has agreed to put his stockpile of a half-hundred or more weapons on the table for negotiation, but the two countries have offered differing visions of what that would entail. Despite Kim's apparent eagerness for a summit with Trump, there are doubts that he would fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his guarantor of his survival. US defense and intelligence officials have assessed the North to be on the threshold of having the capability to strike anywhere in the continental US with a nuclear-tipped missile _ a capacity that Trump and other US officials have said they would not tolerate. Trump reiterated his promise Saturday that the US "will watch over and we'll protect" Kim and his government in return for him giving up the nuclear program. Traveling to Singapore, Trump is looking to temporarily escape his flaring personal conflicts with key US allies over trade as well as domestic pressure like the swirling Russia probe. Acutely aware of his coverage in the media, Trump has enjoyed how North Korea has overshadowed some of the more negative coverage of his tumultuous White House. Still, Trump's team has not always been on the same page, with Secretary of State&nbspMike Pompeo — who has been leading the administration's efforts — more supportive, while the hawkish National Security Adviser John Bolton has been more skeptical. Bolton has been far less visible in the planning process, after a comment he made about favoring the "Libya model" for denuclearization enraged the North Koreans.

Trump faces toughest test yet in North Korea summit

Denuclearization of North Korea is the headline topic at Tuesday's summit between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, but for North Korean officials travelling to Singapore, their top priority is much narrower: protecting their leader.

Security for Kim Jong Un at his first meeting with Trump is expected to be ultra-tight, with measures likely surpassing those seen at the April 27 inter-Korean summit, experts and analysts say.

In late April, 12 lanky male bodyguards made international headlines after they surrounded Kim Jong Un's Mercedes-Benz vehicle and jogged alongside it whenever the North Korean leader moved across the border.

April's display may have been more a show for live television. Now North Korean officials will almost certainly emphasise preventing any sudden mishaps in Kim Jong Un's first visit to a foreign country other than China or South Korea since taking power, said Kim Doo-hyun, professor of protection politics at Korea National Sport University.

"As the venue and time of the summit have already been announced, security for Kim Jong Un will be tighter than for any other VIPs," said the professor, who was the first academic to establish a university major in South Korea on guarding and protection. "I think we can presume that North Korea made more demands to Singapore than the United States did in terms of security."

He added in addition to using bulletproof vehicles, North Korea's security detail would likely deploy layers of protection surrounding the summit venue and try to divert attention from Kim Jong Un's car whenever he moves.

"We'll most likely see an unprecedented scale of protection on land, sea and air as this summit is the biggest issue in the world right now," said Chae Kyou-chir, chief executive of Top Guard, a prominent South Korean security and protection firm.

"Kim Jong Un is revered as a god-like being in his country, while outside the North, he's been subject to hostility because of the way his regime is run, and that's enough to always cause safety concerns for his officials," said Chae.

The North Korean leader is also likely to be served food prepared by a travelling chef from the North, Chae added.

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace."

"I have a clear objective, but I have to say - it's going to be something that will always be spur of the moment," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec. "You don't know. This has not been done before at this level."

Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a "relationship" between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties.

Security for Kim Jong Un at his first meeting with Trump is expected to be ultra-tight, with measures likely surpassing those seen at the April 27 inter-Korean summit, experts and analysts say

Denuclearization of North Korea is the headline topic at Tuesday's summit between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, but for North Korean officials travelling to Singapore, their top priority is much narrower: protecting their leader. Security for Kim Jong Un at his first meeting with Trump is expected to be ultra-tight, with measures likely surpassing those seen at the April 27 inter-Korean summit, experts and analysts say. In late April, 12 lanky male bodyguards made international headlines after they surrounded Kim Jong Un's Mercedes-Benz vehicle and jogged alongside it whenever the North Korean leader moved across the border. April's display may have been more a show for live television. Now North Korean officials will almost certainly emphasise preventing any sudden mishaps in Kim Jong Un's first visit to a foreign country other than China or South Korea since taking power, said Kim Doo-hyun, professor of protection politics at Korea National Sport University. "As the venue and time of the summit have already been announced, security for Kim Jong Un will be tighter than for any other VIPs," said the professor, who was the first academic to establish a university major in South Korea on guarding and protection. "I think we can presume that North Korea made more demands to Singapore than the United States did in terms of security." He added in addition to using bulletproof vehicles, North Korea's security detail would likely deploy layers of protection surrounding the summit venue and try to divert attention from Kim Jong Un's car whenever he moves. "We'll most likely see an unprecedented scale of protection on land, sea and air as this summit is the biggest issue in the world right now," said Chae Kyou-chir, chief executive of Top Guard, a prominent South Korean security and protection firm. "Kim Jong Un is revered as a god-like being in his country, while outside the North, he's been subject to hostility because of the way his regime is run, and that's enough to always cause safety concerns for his officials," said Chae. The North Korean leader is also likely to be served food prepared by a travelling chef from the North, Chae added. US&nbspPresident Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace." "I have a clear objective, but I have to say - it's going to be something that will always be spur of the moment," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec. "You don't know. This has not been done before at this level." Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a "relationship" between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties.

Unprecedented security measures likely to surround Kim at summit

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace."

"I have a clear objective, but I have to say - it's going to be something that will always be spur of the moment," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec. "You don't know. This has not been done before at this level."

The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore, which he departed for before the end of the G7 meeting, is the U.S. demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States.

Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a "relationship" between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties.

At a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, Trump said he might extend an invitation to Kim to visit Washington. Pyongyang has rejected giving up its arsenal unilaterally and defends its nuclear and missile programs as a deterrent against what it sees as US&nbsp;aggression.

Trump on Saturday said he would know within a minute whether something good would come out of the summit.

"I think within the first minute I'll know. Just my touch, my feel. That's what I do," Trump said. "And if I think it won't happen - I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to waste his time."

Trump said his summit with North Korea represented "a one-time" chance to forge peace and that he would know within a minute if his counterpart Kim Jong Un was a serious partner.

Speaking shortly before beginning his long journey to Singapore, Trump told reporters that contacts between the US and North Korean negotiators had been positive in the build-up to Tuesday's historic meeting and talked up its prospects of success.

"It's unknown territory in the truest sense but I really feel confident," Trump said as he prepared to leave the ongoing G7 summit in Canada early and head to Asia.

Trump frequently has boasted of his negotiating prowess as a real estate developer, and his ability to read people, even though his businesses have declared multiple bankruptcies.

The US&nbsp;leader was overall optimistic about the summit with Kim.

A rare direct flight from Pyongyang landed in Singapore on Saturday ahead of the expected arrival of Kim. The Air China Airbus 330 flight at Changi airport raised speculation that a delegation of North Korean officials joined an advance team headed by Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who was in Singapore to prepare for the talks.

Kim is expected to arrive at Changi airport on Sunday, a source involved in the planning of the trip told Reuters on Friday.

Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a 'relationship' between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace." "I have a clear objective, but I have to say - it's going to be something that will always be spur of the moment," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec. "You don't know. This has not been done before at this level." The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore, which he departed for before the end of the G7 meeting, is the U.S. demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States. Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a "relationship" between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties. At a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, Trump said he might extend an invitation to Kim to visit Washington. Pyongyang has rejected giving up its arsenal unilaterally and defends its nuclear and missile programs as a deterrent against what it sees as US aggression. Trump on Saturday said he would know within a minute whether something good would come out of the summit. "I think within the first minute I'll know. Just my touch, my feel. That's what I do," Trump said. "And if I think it won't happen - I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to waste his time." Trump said his summit with North Korea represented "a one-time" chance to forge peace and that he would know within a minute if his counterpart Kim Jong Un was a serious partner. Speaking shortly before beginning his long journey to Singapore, Trump told reporters that contacts between the US and North Korean negotiators had been positive in the build-up to Tuesday's historic meeting and talked up its prospects of success. "It's unknown territory in the truest sense but I really feel confident," Trump said as he prepared to leave the ongoing G7 summit in Canada early and head to Asia. Trump frequently has boasted of his negotiating prowess as a real estate developer, and his ability to read people, even though his businesses have declared multiple bankruptcies. The US leader was overall optimistic about the summit with Kim. A rare direct flight from Pyongyang landed in Singapore on Saturday ahead of the expected arrival of Kim. The Air China Airbus 330 flight at Changi airport raised speculation that a delegation of North Korean officials joined an advance team headed by Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who was in Singapore to prepare for the talks. Kim is expected to arrive at Changi airport on Sunday, a source involved in the planning of the trip told Reuters on Friday.

Any agreement with North Korea will be 'spur of the moment': Donald Trump

&nbspUS President Donald Trump said on Saturday (June 9) that he has asked US representatives not to endorse the joint communique put out by the Group of Seven leaders after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "false statements" at a news conference.

After departing from the Quebec summit for Singapore, Trump tweeted that Trudeau's remarks at a news conference, where he said Canada would not be pushed around, "were very dishonest and weak".

"PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, 'US Tariffs were kind of insulting' and he 'will not be pushed around.' Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!" the US president tweeted.

&nbsp

After departing from the Quebec summit for Singapore, Trump tweeted that Trudeau's remarks at a news conference, where he said Canada would not be pushed around, 'were very dishonest and weak'

&nbspUS President Donald Trump said on Saturday (June 9) that he has asked US representatives not to endorse the joint communique put out by the Group of Seven leaders after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "false statements" at a news conference. After departing from the Quebec summit for Singapore, Trump tweeted that Trudeau's remarks at a news conference, where he said Canada would not be pushed around, "were very dishonest and weak". "PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, 'US Tariffs were kind of insulting' and he 'will not be pushed around.' Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!" the US president tweeted.

Trump says he does not endorse G7 communique, after 'weak' Trudeau comments

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un arrived in Singapore on Sunday ahead of the crucial and historic summit with US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

A long convoy of the North Korean leader was seen going out of Changi Airport's VIP area. He is set to have a bilateral meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong later on Sunday.

The highly anticipated summit between the two leaders on June 12 will centre on Pyongyang's nuclear programme and economic assistance from Washington.

Kim will be meeting Singapore Prime Minister&nbsp;Lee Hsien Loong in the city-state later today.&nbsp;

Security around the St Regis and Shangri-La Hotel near the shopping area of Orchard Road were tightened with road blocks set to kick in from June 10 onwards. The two luxury hotels are said to be where Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will be staying during their four-day visit. Neither of the hotels have confirmed.

In the meeting on June 12, US President Donald Trump will deploy a mix of charm and pressure to coax North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into a deal to give up nuclear weapons, trusting his gut instinct over briefing books in his ability to strike an accord, aides and former administration officials said.

The Singapore summit will be the first face-to-face meeting between Trump, the former reality TV star who likes to keep people guessing up to a cliffhanger finish, and Kim, the heir to a reclusive dynasty with a history of reneging on promises to curb its nuclear ambitions. More than 3,000 journalists are due in town, along with delegations and security entourages.

The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore is the US demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States.

North Korea has rejected giving up its arsenal unilaterally and defends its nuclear and missile programs as a deterrent against what it sees as US aggression. The United States stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un arrives in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Singapore?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Singapore</a> ahead of meeting with US President Donald Trump on June 12. <a href="https://t.co/In1mwQfNMz">pic.twitter.com/In1mwQfNMz</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1005718348087214080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore is the US demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un arrived in Singapore on Sunday ahead of the crucial and historic summit with US President Donald Trump. A long convoy of the North Korean leader was seen going out of Changi Airport's VIP area. He is set to have a bilateral meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong later on Sunday. The highly anticipated summit between the two leaders on June 12 will centre on Pyongyang's nuclear programme and economic assistance from Washington. Kim will be meeting Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the city-state later today. Security around the St Regis and Shangri-La Hotel near the shopping area of Orchard Road were tightened with road blocks set to kick in from June 10 onwards. The two luxury hotels are said to be where Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will be staying during their four-day visit. Neither of the hotels have confirmed. In the meeting on June 12, US President Donald Trump will deploy a mix of charm and pressure to coax North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into a deal to give up nuclear weapons, trusting his gut instinct over briefing books in his ability to strike an accord, aides and former administration officials said. The Singapore summit will be the first face-to-face meeting between Trump, the former reality TV star who likes to keep people guessing up to a cliffhanger finish, and Kim, the heir to a reclusive dynasty with a history of reneging on promises to curb its nuclear ambitions. More than 3,000 journalists are due in town, along with delegations and security entourages. The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore is the US demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States. North Korea has rejected giving up its arsenal unilaterally and defends its nuclear and missile programs as a deterrent against what it sees as US aggression. The United States stations 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the Korean War. North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un arrives in #Singapore ahead of meeting with US President Donald Trump on June 12. pic.twitter.com/In1mwQfNMz — ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2018 ×

North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un arrives in Singapore ahead of historic summit

An Australian comedian known for impersonating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was detained by Singapore's authorities on Friday and questioned about his political views, before being allowed into the country.

The incident came just days before the city-state hosts high stakes talks between US and North Korea's leaders.

Howard X, who declined to give his real name, said he was detained for two hours and questioned for around 30 minutes when he arrived in the early morning hours at Singapore's Changi Airport.

"(They) asked me what my political views were and if I have been involved with protests in other countries," he said, adding that he was told to stay away from Sentosa Island and the Shangri-La, two areas that are designated 'special event areas' for the summit.

"They said, 'It's the Trump-Kim summit, you've come at a very sensitive time."

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) said Lee Howard Ho Wun arrived at Changi Airport at about 3.30 a.m on June 8 and was interviewed about 45 minutes later. After completing the interview he was allowed entry into Singapore.

"As part of the immigration clearance process, travellers to Singapore may be subject to additional interviews and/or screening," the ICA said in a statement late on Friday.

Howard X was in Singapore late last month, posing as Kim Jong Un against a backdrop of the city's bay which features sites such as the Merlion and the iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

He said he is planning similar stunts for the purpose of political satire in the coming days, this time in tow with Donald Trump impersonator Dennis Alan. He said he is not planning any protests.

Rights groups have criticised Singapore's laws that they say limit critical speech and peaceful assembly.

For example, protests have to be pre-approved and are allowed only at a designated downtown area called the Speakers' Corner.

Singapore has held the position that its laws and regulations are needed to maintain social order and harmony.

Howard X, who declined to give his real name, said he was detained for two hours and questioned for around 30 minutes when he arrived in the early morning hours at Singapore's Changi Airport

An Australian comedian known for impersonating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was detained by Singapore's authorities on Friday and questioned about his political views, before being allowed into the country. The incident came just days before the city-state hosts high stakes talks between US and North Korea's leaders. Howard X, who declined to give his real name, said he was detained for two hours and questioned for around 30 minutes when he arrived in the early morning hours at Singapore's Changi Airport. "(They) asked me what my political views were and if I have been involved with protests in other countries," he said, adding that he was told to stay away from Sentosa Island and the Shangri-La, two areas that are designated 'special event areas' for the summit. "They said, 'It's the Trump-Kim summit, you've come at a very sensitive time." The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) said Lee Howard Ho Wun arrived at Changi Airport at about 3.30 a.m on June 8 and was interviewed about 45 minutes later. After completing the interview he was allowed entry into Singapore. "As part of the immigration clearance process, travellers to Singapore may be subject to additional interviews and/or screening," the ICA said in a statement late on Friday. Howard X was in Singapore late last month, posing as Kim Jong Un against a backdrop of the city's bay which features sites such as the Merlion and the iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel. He said he is planning similar stunts for the purpose of political satire in the coming days, this time in tow with Donald Trump impersonator Dennis Alan. He said he is not planning any protests. Rights groups have criticised Singapore's laws that they say limit critical speech and peaceful assembly. For example, protests have to be pre-approved and are allowed only at a designated downtown area called the Speakers' Corner. Singapore has held the position that its laws and regulations are needed to maintain social order and harmony.

Kim Jong Un impersonator says detained at Singapore airport

Former National Basketball Association star Dennis Rodman said on Friday that he will be attending the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Singapore on June 12.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The basketball star took to Twitter and announced: "I will be flying to Singapore for the historical Summit. I'll give whatever support is needed to my friends, @realDonaldTrump and Marshall Kim Jong Un," Rodman said.

However, soon after, Trump rubbished the news in a Tweet posted on Friday in which he confirmed that it was not true, saying that Rodman was probably "drunk or on drugs."

He wrote: "Dennis Rodman was either drunk or on drugs (delusional) when he said I wanted to go to North Korea with him. Glad I fired him on Apprentice!"

Kim Jong-Un and Rodman have famously built a bizarre friendship, and the former basketball player brought the dictator a copy of 'The Art of the Deal' for his birthday last year.

Dennis Rodman, 56, made his first trip to North Korea in 2013 with Vice Media correspondent Ryan Duffy, to host basketball exhibitions.

He met Kim Jong-un there and later declared him "a friend for life." The statement came after three visits to Pyongyang that year after which he suggested President Barack Obama call the leader due to their shared love of basketball.

Since then he has made a few visits to the country - with the most recent being June 2017, taking the tally up to around five trips.

After that five-day visit in June 2017, Rodman told reporters: "I’m just trying to open the door."

This trip, like the last one, is sponsored by potcoin.com, the crypto-currency provider for the legal marijuana industry.

Rodman has faced ridicule and criticism for his trips to North Korea, which some US politicians and activists view as serving only as fodder for North Korean propaganda.

<img alt="2018-06-09T041627Z_1_LWD001442Y7GN_RTRWNEV_E_6043-NORTHKOREA-USA-RODMAN-FILE.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="432" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/2018-06-09T041627Z_1_LWD001442Y7GN_RTRWNEV_E_6043-NORTHKOREA-USA-RODMAN-FILE.JPG" width="768" />

His earlier visits to North Korea included a basketball game that he organized, an event chronicled in the documentary film "Big Bang in Pyongyang," which featured Rodman singing "Happy Birthday" to Kim, as well as scenes of inebriated and erratic behavior by the basketball Hall of Famer.

Before Trump became president,&nbsp;Rodman&nbsp;appeared twice on his "Celebrity Apprentice" show and praised the billionaire real estate developer on Twitter during the 2016 presidential campaign.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
To all Americans and the rest of the world I’m honored to call <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> a friend. He’s one of the best negotiators of all time and I’m looking forward to him adding to his historic success at the Singapore Summit. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Peace?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Peace</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Love?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Love</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakeAmericaGreatAgain?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakeAmericaGreatAgain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MakeTheWorldGreatAgain?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MakeTheWorldGreatAgain</a> <a href="https://t.co/3t3VBMSGaL">pic.twitter.com/3t3VBMSGaL</a>
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) <a href="https://twitter.com/dennisrodman/status/1005118727229198338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Dennis Rodman was either drunk or on drugs (delusional) when he said I wanted to go to North Korea with him. Glad I fired him on Apprentice!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/464217937516040193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Kim and Rodman have famously built a bizarre friendship, and the former basketball player brought the dictator a copy of 'The Art of the Deal' for his birthday last year

Former National Basketball Association star Dennis Rodman said on Friday that he will be attending the historic summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Singapore on June 12. The basketball star took to Twitter and announced: "I will be flying to Singapore for the historical Summit. I'll give whatever support is needed to my friends, @realDonaldTrump and Marshall Kim Jong Un," Rodman said. However, soon after, Trump rubbished the news in a Tweet posted on Friday in which he confirmed that it was not true, saying that Rodman was probably "drunk or on drugs." He wrote: "Dennis Rodman was either drunk or on drugs (delusional) when he said I wanted to go to North Korea with him. Glad I fired him on Apprentice!" Kim Jong-Un and Rodman have famously built a bizarre friendship, and the former basketball player brought the dictator a copy of 'The Art of the Deal' for his birthday last year. Dennis Rodman, 56, made his first trip to North Korea in 2013 with Vice Media correspondent Ryan Duffy, to host basketball exhibitions. He met Kim Jong-un there and later declared him "a friend for life." The statement came after three visits to Pyongyang that year after which he suggested President Barack Obama call the leader due to their shared love of basketball. Since then he has made a few visits to the country - with the most recent being June 2017, taking the tally up to around five trips. After that five-day visit in June 2017, Rodman told reporters: "I’m just trying to open the door." This trip, like the last one, is sponsored by potcoin.com, the crypto-currency provider for the legal marijuana industry. Rodman has faced ridicule and criticism for his trips to North Korea, which some US politicians and activists view as serving only as fodder for North Korean propaganda. His earlier visits to North Korea included a basketball game that he organized, an event chronicled in the documentary film "Big Bang in Pyongyang," which featured Rodman singing "Happy Birthday" to Kim, as well as scenes of inebriated and erratic behavior by the basketball Hall of Famer. Before Trump became president, Rodman appeared twice on his "Celebrity Apprentice" show and praised the billionaire real estate developer on Twitter during the 2016 presidential campaign. To all Americans and the rest of the world I’m honored to call @POTUS a friend. He’s one of the best negotiators of all time and I’m looking forward to him adding to his historic success at the Singapore Summit. #Peace #Love #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #MakeTheWorldGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/3t3VBMSGaL — Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) June 8, 2018 × Dennis Rodman was either drunk or on drugs (delusional) when he said I wanted to go to North Korea with him. Glad I fired him on Apprentice! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2014 ×

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman to attend Singapore summit as Trump calls him 'delusional'

A rare direct flight from Pyongyang landed in Singapore on Saturday ahead of the expected arrival of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss ending the North's isolation and its nuclear programme.

The arrival of the Air China Airbus 330 flight at Changi airport raised speculation that a delegation of North Korean officials joined an advance team headed by Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who was in Singapore to prepare for the talks.

North Korean leader Kim is expected to arrive at Changi airport on Sunday, a source involved in the planning of the trip told Reuters on Friday.

There was heightened security at the St. Regis hotel in central Singapore, one of the hotels where the leaders were expected to stay.

Plainclothes police and the Singapore Army's Explosives and Ordnance Disposal unit were seen working to prepare for a high-security event.

The leaders meet on Tuesday on the resort island of Sentosa and talks are expected to centre on ending the North's nuclear weapons and missiles programmes in return for diplomatic and economic incentives.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan wrapped up a visit to Washington and Pyongyang on Saturday and told reporters in Beijing both sides expressed thanks for Singapore's work to prepare for the summit on a short notice.

"I'm glad to say that as of now, it's all systems go. Both the American as well as the North Koreans are pleased with the arrangements, we're all set to go and things will start happening within the next 24 hours," he said.

The diplomatic initiatives leading to the summit started in late April when Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the rival states pledged to end hostility and establish peace on the Korean peninsula.

On May 10, Trump announced he would hold a summit with Kim in Singapore and has since indicated he would try to reach an agreement to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.

The arrival of the Air China Airbus 330 flight at Changi airport raised speculation that a delegation of North Korean officials joined an advance team headed by Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who was in Singapore to prepare for the talks.

A rare direct flight from Pyongyang landed in Singapore on Saturday ahead of the expected arrival of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss ending the North's isolation and its nuclear programme. The arrival of the Air China Airbus 330 flight at Changi airport raised speculation that a delegation of North Korean officials joined an advance team headed by Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who was in Singapore to prepare for the talks. North Korean leader Kim is expected to arrive at Changi airport on Sunday, a source involved in the planning of the trip told Reuters on Friday. There was heightened security at the St. Regis hotel in central Singapore, one of the hotels where the leaders were expected to stay. Plainclothes police and the Singapore Army's Explosives and Ordnance Disposal unit were seen working to prepare for a high-security event. The leaders meet on Tuesday on the resort island of Sentosa and talks are expected to centre on ending the North's nuclear weapons and missiles programmes in return for diplomatic and economic incentives. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan wrapped up a visit to Washington and Pyongyang on Saturday and told reporters in Beijing both sides expressed thanks for Singapore's work to prepare for the summit on a short notice. "I'm glad to say that as of now, it's all systems go. Both the American as well as the North Koreans are pleased with the arrangements, we're all set to go and things will start happening within the next 24 hours," he said. The diplomatic initiatives leading to the summit started in late April when Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the rival states pledged to end hostility and establish peace on the Korean peninsula. On May 10, Trump announced he would hold a summit with Kim in Singapore and has since indicated he would try to reach an agreement to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War.

Flight from Pyongyang lands in Singapore ahead of North Korean leader's arrival

Despite the fact that the confirmation of the meeting between leaders of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) came on a short notice, experts believe Singapore is well prepared for the historic event given the city-state's rich experience in security measures.

The White House has announced that U.S. President Donald Trump and top leader of the DPRK Kim Jong Un will meet at the Capella Hotel in Sentosa, a resort island off Singapore's southern coast, on June 12.

With Singapore's good track record in hosting major events, observers are confident that the country is able to put up good security measures for this historic meeting, even within a short period of time.

"We already have existing security infrastructure, which is good to go, meaning that whatever preparation that we are experiencing right now is going to be very little, I would say, because all the security resources, security personnel, the basic blueprints for all the different locations across Singapore are already there. All we have to do is just activate those resources," said Graham Ong-Webb, a research fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University.

In addition to the infrastructure, security experts believe Singapore is also keeping close tabs on the latest security developments.

"Not to mention the close relationship that Singapore security agencies have with security agencies in the region - we work closely with the U.S. we also work closely with all the security agencies from around the country, around the region, and we are aware of all the latest intelligence required where security is concerned," said Lim How Kiat, general manager of Singapore office of the Ademco Security Group.

In preparation for the summit, Singapore police have tightened security measures to various areas where summit activities would be held. These include having enhanced powers to search people and vehicles.

Singapore airspace will also be restricted from June 10 to 14. During this period, flight delays might be expected.

Although preparation is the key to success, it’s only the beginning of the process.

"Regardless of your maximum amount of resources you put into doing good security, there will also be some residue risks, we don't know what these are. Nevertheless, I am sure that the security panels have put a whole range of contingencies in place for whatever may happen, whether it's about undesirable weather, heavy rainstorm that affects visibility that affects the movement of people, you know, wet weather can change all sorts of things. We can't foresee these things, but what we can do is to preempt the possibilities by putting all the resources in the area so that they are good to go and can be deployed in a short moment notice if they need to be," he said.

With all these security measures in place, Singapore is doing its best to make sure that its guests have a peace of mind, to focus on making the world a more secure place.

The White House has announced that US President Donald Trump and top leader of the DPRK Kim Jong Un will meet at the Capella Hotel in Sentosa

Despite the fact that the confirmation of the meeting between leaders of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) came on a short notice, experts believe Singapore is well prepared for the historic event given the city-state's rich experience in security measures. The White House has announced that U.S. President Donald Trump and top leader of the DPRK Kim Jong Un will meet at the Capella Hotel in Sentosa, a resort island off Singapore's southern coast, on June 12. With Singapore's good track record in hosting major events, observers are confident that the country is able to put up good security measures for this historic meeting, even within a short period of time. "We already have existing security infrastructure, which is good to go, meaning that whatever preparation that we are experiencing right now is going to be very little, I would say, because all the security resources, security personnel, the basic blueprints for all the different locations across Singapore are already there. All we have to do is just activate those resources," said Graham Ong-Webb, a research fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University. In addition to the infrastructure, security experts believe Singapore is also keeping close tabs on the latest security developments. "Not to mention the close relationship that Singapore security agencies have with security agencies in the region - we work closely with the U.S. we also work closely with all the security agencies from around the country, around the region, and we are aware of all the latest intelligence required where security is concerned," said Lim How Kiat, general manager of Singapore office of the Ademco Security Group. In preparation for the summit, Singapore police have tightened security measures to various areas where summit activities would be held. These include having enhanced powers to search people and vehicles. Singapore airspace will also be restricted from June 10 to 14. During this period, flight delays might be expected. Although preparation is the key to success, it’s only the beginning of the process. "Regardless of your maximum amount of resources you put into doing good security, there will also be some residue risks, we don't know what these are. Nevertheless, I am sure that the security panels have put a whole range of contingencies in place for whatever may happen, whether it's about undesirable weather, heavy rainstorm that affects visibility that affects the movement of people, you know, wet weather can change all sorts of things. We can't foresee these things, but what we can do is to preempt the possibilities by putting all the resources in the area so that they are good to go and can be deployed in a short moment notice if they need to be," he said. With all these security measures in place, Singapore is doing its best to make sure that its guests have a peace of mind, to focus on making the world a more secure place.

Singapore well prepared for Trump-Kim Summit with tight security measures

singapore

Singapore, News on Singapore, stories on Singapore, articles on Singapore, Singapore stories at Wion, Singapore news, Singapore latest news