North Korea 'taking measures' to dismantle nuclear site: KCNA

Yahoo – AFP, May 12, 2018

A North Korean soldier stands before the military demarcation line separating the
two Koreas, with 'Peace House' - where the summit will take place - in the
background on the right (AFP Photo/Ed JONES)

Seoul (AFP) - North Korea is "taking technical measures" to dismantle its nuclear test site, state media said Saturday in the latest dramatic step ahead of a historic summit between leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump next month.

"A ceremony for dismantling the nuclear test ground is now scheduled between May 23 and 25, depending on weather condition," the official KCNA news agency said, citing a foreign ministry press release.

The test tunnels would be blown up, blocking their entries, the statement said.

All observation facilities and research institutes would be removed along with guards and researchers, it said, detailing the process of closing the site.

Reporters from China, Russia, the United States, Britain and South Korea would be allowed to "conduct on-the-spot coverage in order to show in a transparent manner the dismantlement of the northern nuclear test ground," the foreign ministry statement said.

The limit on foreign journalists was due to the "small space of the test ground" which it said was "located in the uninhabited deep mountain area".

In a dramatic turnaround after Kim and Trump had traded threats of war and personal insults, the young North Korean leader vowed to pursue denuclearisation at a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in last month.

He is now set for the first ever face-to-face meeting between a sitting American president and a North Korean leader, scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Friday promised the US would work to rebuild North Korea's sanctions-crippled economy if it agreed to surrender its nuclear arsenal.

"The DPRK will, also in the future, promote close contacts and dialogue with the neighbouring countries and the international society so as to safeguard peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and over the globe," the North Korean foreign ministry statement carried by KCNA said Saturday.

VIDEO US Secretary of State Pompeo says there is "complete agreement about what the ultimate objectives are" in terms of the much-anticipated summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/eftumE7qik

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 12, 2018

Kuwait, Philippines sign deal to regulate domestic labour

Yahoo – AFP, May 11, 2018

Filipino workers arrive to Manila International Airport from Kuwait on February 18,
2018, after the murder of a Philippine maid sent hundreds of women streaming
back home (AFP Photo/NOEL CELIS)

Kuwait City (AFP) - Kuwait and the Philippines signed a deal on Friday to regulate domestic workers, after a dispute between the two countries led to a ban on Filipino workers in the Gulf state.

"A short time ago we signed an agreement between the two countries on the employment of domestic workers," Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Sabah told a joint press conference with his Filipino counterpart Alan Peter Cayetano.

In February Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte imposed a partial ban on workers travelling to Kuwait after a Filipina maid was murdered and her body found in a freezer.

The crisis deepened after Kuwaiti authorities in April expelled Manila's ambassador over video footage of Philippine embassy staff helping workers escape employers accused of mistreatment.

Cayetano said a new ambassador to Kuwait would soon be appointed and that he would advise Duterte to "immediately" lift the ban.

"I think the crisis is over. We will move on with the bilateral relations and we will resume normal ties with Kuwait," said an official with Cayetano's delegation.

He added that the agreement "gives a number of rights to Philippine workers".

A copy of the agreement seen by AFP says that workers will be allowed to keep their passports and cellphones -- often confiscated by employers.

It stipulates that contract renewals should be approved by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, instead of being automatically renewed.

Employers must provide domestic workers with food, housing, clothing and health insurance, according to the document.

About 262,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, 60 percent of them in domestic labour, according to Manila.

More than two million Filipinos are employed across the Gulf.

Rights groups have repeatedly urged Gulf states to reform their labour laws to cover domestic workers and provide them with "equal protections" available to other workers.

Malaysia king to pardon Anwar, paving way for return to politics

Yahoo – AFP, Martin Abbugao, M. Jegathesan,  May 11, 2018

Anwar Ibrahim is newly installed Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's former
nemesis turned ally (AFP Photo/Manan VATSYAYANA)

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysia's king has agreed to pardon Anwar Ibrahim immediately, the country's newly installed prime minister said Friday, paving the way for the jailed leader to return to politics and potentially become premier.

It was the latest dramatic development after Mahathir Mohamad's alliance inflicted a shock defeat on the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, ending the corruption-riddled regime's six-decade stranglehold on power.

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Mahathir -- who had retired in 2003 as premier but made a comeback in a bid to oust the coalition he once headed -- was sworn in Thursday, becoming the world's oldest elected leader at 92.

Mahathir, who had ruled with an iron fist for over two decades, cut ties with BN due to allegations that the coalition's leader and his ex-protege Najib Razak oversaw the pillaging of sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

The elderly politician joined forces with parties that opposed him while in power and agreed that if elected, he would hand over the premiership to Anwar, his former nemesis and leading member of the People's Justice Party.

The party is in the alliance that won power at the hard-fought poll.

Mahathir previously said he would likely remain prime minister for two to three years, before transferring power to Anwar.

One of Malaysia's most charismatic politicians, Anwar was heir-apparent to the premiership until Mahathir sacked him in 1998 and he was subsequently jailed for sodomy and abuse of power.

Anwar and Mahathir's stormy relationship has loomed large over Malaysia's political landscape for two decades.

But in a remarkable turnaround, the pair reconciled and joined forces as allegations mounted over 1MDB and Najib became increasingly authoritarian, jailing opponents and introducing laws to stifle dissent.

Anwar, now 70, was jailed again in 2015 during Najib's rule -- after making historic gains as the head of the opposition at the 2013 elections -- and had been due to be released next month.

'Victory for the people'

But Mahathir told a press conference that King Sultan Muhammad V, in a meeting with opposition leaders, had agreed to grant Anwar a royal pardon.

"The (king) has indicated he is willing to pardon Datuk Sri Anwar immediately," Mahathir told a press conference, using a Malay honorific to refer to Anwar.

The royal pardon would mean he could return to politics straight away. Without it, he would be banned from political life for five years.

"He should be released immediately when he is pardoned," Mahathir added.

It was not clear when Anwar, who is currently in hospital for treatment to his shoulder, would be freed.

In a statement, Anwar thanked "the people of Malaysia for their courage in making a change which is a victory for the people."

"The new government vows to uphold democracy, justice and human rights for all," said the statement, delivered by vice-president of his party, Tian Chua, who was visiting the leader in hospital.

Mahathir Mohamad said he believed the new government could get back most of the
money stolen from 1MDB (AFP Photo/Manan VATSYAYANA, Manan VATSYAYANA)

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, president of Anwar's party and his wife, told AFP the process to have him freed was already under way.

Meanwhile, speculation was mounting about Najib's future with a senior member of his party, former sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, calling for "big changes" to be made without delay.

Najib's premiership has been battered by a massive financial scandal, in which he was accused of overseeing the plunder of billions of dollars from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. He and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Target the corrupt

Asked about 1MDB Friday, Mahathir accused Attorney-General Mohamed Ali Apandi -- who cleared Najib over the scandal -- of having "undermined his own credibility".

"He in fact has hidden evidence of wrongdoing and that is wrong in law," he said, adding his new government would target those linked to the old regime suspected of corruption.

In 2016, Apandi said the Saudi royal family was the source of $681 million that mysteriously appeared in Najib's bank accounts, and closed the 1MDB probe.

Apandi came to office after Najib sacked the previous attorney general, who was believed to be aggressively investigating the matter.

Mahathir also said there was widespread fraud during the election campaign and it would be investigated.

His comments might raise eyebrows, however.

Critics say there was much electoral fraud during Mahathir's time in power, while corruption and cronyism flourished, and his government was accused of pushing policies that favoured the Muslim Malay majority and exacerbated racial tensions.

Still, analysts say the attempted cheating at Wednesday's poll was worse than anything seen before.

BN was accused of serious gerrymandering while activists said the coalition hurled cash and gifts at voters and there was a litany of problems with the electoral roll, including dead people appearing on the list.

But voters turned out in droves, determined to push out the government, with the opposition boosted by the presence of standard-bearer Mahathir, who has a huge following among the Malays.

#UPDATE Malaysia's former leader Najib Razak is hit with a travel ban as speculation mounted he was about to flee the country following his shock election loss https://t.co/dqFV2Ec7U8 pic.twitter.com/Cpxi6b9rj8

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 12, 2018

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Inside Malaysia's Shadow State

"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…5 - Integrity That May Surprise…

The Unthinkable… Politics, A Review

Humans will begin to search for integrity and fairness and it's going to happen in the places you never expect. I said this last week, so this is a review. There'll come a time when you will demand this of your politics - fairness and integrity. So when the candidates start calling each other names, you will turn your back on them and they won't get any votes. They're going to get the point real fast, don't you think? How about that?

Let me give you another potential. This country that I sit in right now [USA] will set the mold for that particular attribute. I have no clock. Watch for the youngsters to set this in motion, and they will, for they are the voters of tomorrow and they do not want the energy of today. To some of them, it's so abominable they won't even register to vote in this energy. You're going to see this soon. That was number five.. ..."

"The Field Part Two" - Aug 7, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - ("The Field" - Text version)

"... Interaction with Others

There's another attribute as well. This is difficult to talk about because it has to do with Human nature, personality, old bad habits and fears. It's personal, but necessary to bring forward. Let me ask you: For anyone listening or reading right now, how do you talk to others? What's the natural, neutral point? I'm asking the audience who is listening and reading now. Perhaps you would say, "Well, I have to be a little forceful to get what I need because I live in a difficult place. So I approach things perhaps with a little more aggressiveness than most people do." I would ask you this question, "Does that mean you are unkind to them?" The response: "Well, I don't mean to be, but sometimes they say I am. But this is the only way I can get what I need." And I say, "Really?"

Something is going to happen soon, and I want to tell you what it is because of The Field. Dear ones, for many years I have said that within this new energy there can be no more fence-sitting. What I mean by this is that you cannot claim to be one thing and then go out and be another. This has many names, but the fence-sitter is the best. For example, you like my message, but you don't want to necessarily commit to these esoteric things when the channel is over.

How do you treat the server who comes to your table when you have dinner? Is this person a servant or family? How do you treat those on the road who cut you off? What do you say about others when they're not present? Now, you might say, "Well, that's good advice. Thank you Kryon. I'll be more kind." That's not what I'm telling you. I would like to tell you that there is something going on. You see, The Field wants harmony. It tries to put things together and it's starting to increase its effect. "What?" you might ask. "How can physics 'want' anything?" Water runs downhill. Does physics want that? Not on a conscious level. It creates it due to the law of gravity. What if there are also additional laws of harmony? What if harshness creates unwanted results? Stay with me.

The Field is all around you. You listen to Kryon perhaps, and you've been to esoteric meetings perhaps. You've heard everything that I have had to say about the beauty of compassion and how you're moving into the age of compassion. You've even heard what compassionate action means. You listen and you listen, nodding your head, then you go out and do whatever you want to.

When somebody is not pleasing to you, you're unkind to them. The reason? Habit. It's the only way you've lived before. Perhaps insulting people and being harsh gets you results, and that works for you? For you, it's just the way of it. Then you'll come back to our meeting, listen to Kryon, and feel very good. You're very spiritual until you leave the meeting. Then the habit continues. This isn't going to work anymore, at all. Let me tell you why.

Dear ones, The Field wants to create harmony and put things together. If The Field cannot put things together, things become more unbalanced than ever. If water can't flow downhill in a groove, it spills over into places and it creates floods and destruction. How would you like to age faster and die quicker? If that's what you want, then continue, fence-sitter, because you're very cellular structure will be pushed by The Field towards harmony, which you reject due to your habits. That rejection creates unbalance in your chemistry. That will result in unbalance in your personality. There is still another attribute for this unbalance, and some of you will feel it and wonder why you're so tired all the time. Are you somehow fence-sitting?

This is so profound, yet many of you don't even know it's happening. I will tell you that the ones who have learned compassion will live a lot longer. Right now, things are happening that we told you might happen if you passed the marker. When I got here 26 years ago, I told you to expect some of these things and now they're happening. One of them is this: You cannot sit on the fence. You either are connected in some way to Spirit with intent or you're not. You can't pretend, because your body knows.

Dear ones, this is not a punishment, but rather a balance within a physical system. It's a system of beauty. It wants to harmonize that which you do, and it's a very benevolent system. There are those who say, "Well Kryon, I hear you. I'd like to do this; I'd like to harmonize more but I've had a whole life of this habit. It's just the way I work. What can I do?" Here's what I want to tell you: With this new energy comes a much higher reaction to a certain given consciousness. Your intent and affirmations to change into a more compassionate person can work miracles. Let your body hear it and The Field will hear it. Your intent is energy. The Field is energy. This is physics, and The Field will help this process for you. It's going to be the wind behind your back and you're going to find yourself thinking about things differently, looking at others differently, using different words, and changing your habit.

Many are even reporting that they have more energy due to this refreshing change. You're going to feel your cellular structure healing when it never did before. Sores on your body will heal up faster, did you know that? This is real. Hair will grow faster, nails will grow faster. The reason? Because there is a harmony here that hasn't been here for a very long time. You are creating a groove for the water that was never there before. How would you like to take everything that I've said through the years and finally apply it to your persona so that you become a more compassionate person and slower to anger? All of this is possible because The Field is on your side. Think of it as a magnificent angelic presence that is ready to help you with everything that you're asking to become - more compassionate, more master-like.

I already told you the results, and it's not just that you're going to live longer. People will notice your shift, people directly around you. If you're young enough, your children will notice. May I say, even your animals will notice! They'll come to you when they didn't before, because now you emanate peace on the patterning of your Merkabah, a multidimensional patterning that is totally different than the pattern it was before. Animals can sense this. No anger, very little drama, a peaceful countenance - you actually invite compassion!

Dear ones, I would not give you this information if it were not so. I want you to get ready for more of this. It's starting to happen everywhere on the planet, but especially I speak to old souls who are fence-sitters and wish to change. Come and enjoy the energy! You will find that the results of new compassion on others is far grander than the results of what your old habit was able to do.

It's time to come to alignment with the creative source, which is an energy of awakening all through your body. It is here for you and always has been. The easiest thing you can do is to relax and find the compassion that has always been there. These are the things that I wished to tell you today. These are the things that need to be said. This is what is happening within the shift. You're going to see it in so many ways, and you can watch it as well, for even those on the planet who are not invested in spirituality will have some similar results by applying compassion.

Listen, dear ones, old energy and dark ways will be with you for a long time, trying to re-establish themselves. Some will even tell you that you should NOT be a kind person. They will tell you that kindness is weakness, and ask you, "Do you want to be weak?" It's an old ploy to trick you into going backwards into the ways of the past, and many will buy into it. What are the results?

Those who are unkind will bring unkindness; they will bring unbalance; they will manifest their own demise. Those who are gracious and compassionate will attract that which is beautiful, and it works. Watch for it. Also, watch for the tricksters, for there is still a battle. It used to be that how you acted was neutral on this planet. Not now. There are those who would ask, "How could that person exist and be so ugly to other people? How can they sleep at night?" You've heard that before. Well, I'm going to tell you something. Those days are over and they won't sleep at night. They will create their own eventual demise. There are situations coming up that will show you this very thing.

Here's the payoff: There's more light on this planet than ever before. It creates several things, and we have said it before. Watch for the darkness to fight you like never before, and watch for The Field of harmony to invade everything. It's almost like the beauty of Mother Nature is starting to affect humanity as well. The Field will try to create symbiotic systems that work together with compassion and beauty. It's going to change Human nature and we've said that before as well. Hang in there, old soul, and expect good things no matter what you see or expected in the past.

I am Kryon, in love with humanity, congratulating you on your part of the shift.

And so it is. 

KRYON 

Why Singapore for the Trump-Kim summit?

Yahoo – AFP, May 10, 2018

An ultramodern city-state, Singapore has robust security infrastructure and is
widely considered one of the safest cities in Asia (AFP Photo/Roslan RAHMAN)

Singapore (AFP) - It has one foot in the East and one in the West, is ultra-modern, secure and sometimes mocked as being a little dull -- Singapore was the safe pick for a historic first meeting between the unpredictable leaders of the US and North Korea.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed that the summit -- a first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader -- would take place in Singapore on June 12.

"We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!" he tweeted.

Singapore also confirmed it would host the meeting, but did not give further details.

"We hope this meeting will advance prospects for peace in the Korean Peninsula," the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Thursday.

It followed a second visit to Pyongyang by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday to make arrangements for the summit.

The Southeast Asian financial hub was likely chosen for its neutrality, security advantages and track record of hosting international summits, observers say.

The ultramodern city-state has a robust security infrastructure and is widely considered one of the safest cities in Asia.

It has tight restrictions over media and public gatherings, which will allow for a controlled environment likely to be preferred by the North Koreans.

Singapore is also in the rare position of having friendly diplomatic ties with both Washington and Pyongyang.

It considers the US a close partner, while North Korea maintains a fully functioning embassy in the city-state.

Singapore and the North have a long history of cooperation -- the first law firm and fast food restaurant in Pyongyang were both set up by Singaporeans -- even if relations hit a snag last year when Singapore enforced new UN sanctions on trade.

Singapore will also be acceptable to China, North Korea's only major ally, which wields a strong influence despite its physical absence from next month's proceedings.

"As a neutral, and objective country with much-admired consistent foreign policy principles and a small state with no desire or capacity to harm other states and their interests, Singapore fits that bill well," said Lim Tai Wei, adjunct research fellow at the National University of Singapore's East Asia Institute.

Since Kim took over as leader, he has rarely left his isolated nation and has only 

officially ventured away from home this year, with two visits to China (AFP Photo/CCTV)

'No baggage'

By apparently agreeing to meet Trump 5,000 kilometres (3,100 miles) away from Pyongyang, Kim has to travel a significant distance out of his comfort zone, said Graham Ong-Webb, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).

Since Kim took over as leader, he has rarely left his isolated nation and has only officially ventured away from home this year, with two visits to China, most recently travelling to the northeastern port city of Dalian where he met Xi Jinping.

He also stepped across the border into South Korea during a historic meeting with President Moon Jae-in in April, making him the first Northern leader to set foot in the South since the Korean War ceasefire in 1953.

Remarkable images of the two leaders greeting each other warmly over the Military Demarcation Line that splits their countries, rich with symbolism and high political theatre, were broadcast around the world.

Trump had previously suggested that the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas could be a venue for his meeting with Kim, before ruling it out on Wednesday.

Nearby Mongolia was also ruled out as a possible neutral third-country venue, reportedly for security reasons.

But for Trump and Kim, Singapore is a convenient venue precisely because it "doesn't have the historical or political baggage," said Sarah Teo, an associate research fellow at RSIS's regional security architecture programme.

Singapore also has a track record for hosting international summits.

In 2015, the city-state played host to a historic meeting between China's president Xi and then Taiwanese president Ma Ying Jeou.

It hosts the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, a defence forum regularly attended by heads of state, defence ministers and high level military officials.

Now that the venue and date have been chosen, it only remains to be seen if Singapore will play host to a meeting that truly builds on hopes for the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula and a formal peace treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War.

#UPDATE US President Donald Trump has announced his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will take place in Singapore on June 12 https://t.co/iS1X9RtzU4

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 10, 2018

Malaysia's Mahathir wins shock election victory, toppling 61-yr-old regime

Yahoo – AFP, Martin Abbugao, May 9, 2018

As it became clear that Mahathir had won, supporters took to the streets
waving flags of the opposition alliance (AFP Photo/Mohd RASFAN)

Malaysia's veteran ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad, 92, won a shock election victory Thursday, in a political earthquake that toppled the country's scandal-plagued premier and ousted a regime that has ruled for over six decades.

It was a stunning triumph that almost no one had predicted and ended the long hold on power of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which has ruled Malaysia since its birth as an independent country.

The victory capped a dramatic political comeback for Mahathir, who previously ruled the country with an iron fist for 22 years, and came out of retirement to taken on Prime Minister Najib Razak after the leader became embroiled in a massive corruption scandal.

When he takes power, Mahathir will be the oldest prime minister in the world.

His victory spells big trouble for Najib -- Mahathir has vowed to bring him to justice over allegations that billions of dollars were looted from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, which the scandal-plagued leader set up and oversaw.

But at a press conference, Mahathir vowed: "We are not seeking revenge. We want to restore the rule of law."

Mahathir's return to the political frontlines saw him throw in his lot with an opposition alliance filled with parties that he crushed while in power, and which includes jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim -- his former nemesis.

When he takes power, Mahathir Mohamad, 92, will be the oldest prime minister

in the world (AFP Photo/Manan VATSYAYANA)

As well as seizing control of the national government, several state legislatures across the country fell into opposition hands for the first time, including the highly symbolic bastion of Johor, the birthplace of Najib's party that was the lynchpin of the ruling coalition.

Official results from the Election Commission showed that Mahathir's opposition grouping Pakatan Harapan, along with an ally in the Borneo state of Sabah, had secured 115 parliamentary seats. 112 are needed to form a government. BN were on 79 seats with just a few left to count.

As it became clear that Mahathir had won, supporters took to the streets waving flags of the opposition alliance.

After polls closed earlier in the day, journalists had flocked to the headquarters of Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the lynchpin in the ruling coalition -- but he failed to turn up to give a victory speech and the media were told to leave.

Huge numbers of voters earlier flocked to the polls across the country, despite Najib having called the election on a weekday in what critics said was a bid to keep turnout down.

The BN wipeout is a disaster for Najib, who had been under pressure to score an emphatic win after the government lost the popular vote for the first time at the last elections in 2013.

The controversy surrounding 1MDB has dogged Najib since the story exploded in 2015. Billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from the fund, which was set up and overseen by Najib. The leader and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing.

But in rural areas, the rising cost of living, which has hit poor Malays hard, was the main concern at the election particularly after the introduction of an unpopular sales tax in 2015.

#UPDATE Malaysia's Mahathir wins shock election victory, toppling 61-yr-old regime https://t.co/vijr5oPJud pic.twitter.com/XTDogeLUl7

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 9, 2018

VIDEO: 92-year-old former leader Mahathir is challenging the current scandal-hit Malaysian PM Najib - and it’s turning out to be one of the country’s closest-ever elections https://t.co/7qnKdpyjAP pic.twitter.com/X5NN4QFD9N

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 9, 2018

Xi urges Trump to consider N. Korea's 'reasonable security concerns': state media

Yahoo – AFP, May 8, 2018

China's President Xi Jinping (L) told US President Donald Trump that he supports
 the planned meeting between the US and North Korean leaders, according to
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV (AFP Photo/FABRICE COFFRINI, MANDEL NGAN)

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged US counterpart Donald Trump to take Pyongyang's "reasonable security concerns" into consideration, in a phone call Tuesday hours after Xi met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Xi told Trump that he supports the planned meeting between the US and North Korean leaders, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

The Chinese president "hopes the US and North Korea can work together, build mutual trust" and "consider North Korea's reasonable security concerns," the report said.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea.

Trump said last week that he was not envisaging a drawdown of troops in South Korea for now, but he admitted it was a possibility in the longer term.

The US said the two leaders agreed to keep economic pressure on North Korea. Beijing -- Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and economic ally -- has backed UN sanctions over North Korea's nuclear programme.

"President Trump and President Xi agreed on the importance of continued implementation of sanctions on North Korea until it permanently dismantles its nuclear and missile programmes," the White House said in a statement.

Xi and Kim met on Monday and Tuesday in the northeastern Chinese port city of Dalian, the North Korean leader's second trip to China in six weeks as the two countries seek to bolster frayed ties.

The meeting came as Kim is expected to meet with Trump in June, possibly in Singapore.

"China is willing to continue playing a positive role for the realisation of denuclearisation of the Peninsula and long term peace and security of the region," Xi told Trump.

Xi and Trump also discussed trade frictions.

"The economy and trade has always been the ballast and propellor of the China-US relationship," Xi said.

US and Chinese official held talks in Beijing last week, but no breakthroughs were announced.

Xi described the discussions as "frank, efficient and constructive".

"Both sides can maintain communication and strive to find a way to appropriately resolve the existing issues and obtain mutually beneficial win-win results," he was quoted as saying.

US scolds China over 'Orwellian' airline demands

Yahoo – AFP, May 5, 2018

As of May 5, the website of American Airlines listed Taiwan, Hong Kong and
Macau as entities separate from China (AFP Photo/Daniel SLIM)

Washington (AFP) - The United States on Saturday scolded China for attempting to impose "political correctness" on American carriers by asking them to classify Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as Chinese territories.

A sternly worded White House statement excoriated Beijing for the demands, which it termed "Orwellian nonsense."

"President Donald J. Trump ran against political correctness in the United States," it said. "He will stand up for Americans resisting efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to impose Chinese political correctness on American companies and citizens."

The statement added that the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration sent a notice to 36 foreign air carriers, including a number of American carriers, on April 25, asking them to comply with Beijing's standards.

As of Saturday, the website of American Airlines listed Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as entities separate from China. Rivals United Airlines and Delta listed Taiwan separately but not Hong Kong or Macau.

Taiwan has been self-ruled since splitting from the mainland after a 1949 civil war, maintaining its own government, military and independent foreign policy.

But Beijing has refused to recognize the island, viewing it as part of its territory awaiting reunification with the mainland -- by force, if necessary.

The US has maintained a delicate diplomatic balance since 1979, recognizing Beijing's sovereignty as part of its "One China" policy, while remaining Taiwan's most powerful unofficial ally and main supplier of arms.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong, a British colony until 1997, and Macau, a Portuguese colony until 1999, are now "special administrative regions" of China.

The move came after the US and China held high-stakes trade talks in Beijing aimed at forestalling a looming conflict between the world's two largest economies.

In January, Australia's Qantas Airways changed its website classification of Taiwan and Hong Kong from separate countries to Chinese territories, blaming its earlier approach on an "oversight."

Myanmar judge says policeman's 'entrapment' testimony stands

Yahoo – AFP, May 2, 2018

Detained Myanmar journalist Kyaw Soe Oo (C) is escorted by police to court
(AFP Photo/Myo Kyaw SOE)

Yangon (AFP) - A Myanmar court ruled Wednesday that crucial testimony from a whistleblowing policeman in the case against two Reuters journalists is credible, a decision seen as a "ray of light" by the defence.

Reporters Wa Lone, 32 and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, have been in custody since December.

They are accused of violating the country's Official Secrets Act for possessing material linked to security operations in conflict-hit Rakhine state.

The charge carries up to 14 years in prison.

Over months of pre-trial hearings, their defence team has insisted they were set up -- lured to dinner by a police source who handed them documents for which they were subsequently arrested.

Court testimony last month by Deputy Police Major Moe Yan Naing backed up that version of events, even though he had been called as a prosecution witness.

He said a superior ordered his men to set up the sting which resulted in sensitive documents being passed to the reporters.

In response prosecutors asked the court to declare Moe Yan Naing a hostile witness.

But the court found no problems with the police officer's account.

"The court rejects the proposal claiming the law officer to be a hostile witness," Judge Ye Lwin told the hearing Wednesday.

A lawyer for the journalists welcomed the decision.

"I am elated. The court has proved itself as a court of justice," Khin Maung Zaw said. "We have seen a ray of light. It strengthens our case."

The two journalists were also buoyed by the court ruling.

"We are happy about today’s decision. This shows that the truth will come out and proves that we have been treated unfairly," Wa Lone told reporters before they were taken back to prison.

On April 30 the police officer was jailed for breaching a police disciplinary act, a charge he had faced since December for previous communications with Wa Lone.

Police sources said he was sentenced before he gave his shock testimony to court -- an extremely rare instance of a security official openly challenging superiors in the formerly junta-run country.

In addition, the family of Moe Yan Naing was evicted from their police housing a day after he gave evidence. Police denied the two events were connected.

At the time of their arrest, the reporters were investigating the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya men in the village of Inn Din in the north of Rakhine state.

The military has denied allegations of widespread atrocities against the Muslim minority.

But it did concede that security officers took part in the killings at Inn Din which were later reported by Reuters.

Some 700,000 Rohingya have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh since the army-led campaign was launched last August, ostensibly to combat Rohingya insurgents.

The stateless group has faced decades of systematic discrimination and persecution in mainly Buddhist Myanmar.