Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he would back the Japanese prime minister’s efforts to open communications with Iran, citing Japan’s good relations with the U.S. nemesis in the Middle East.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering a visit to Iran next month amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington over Iran’s nuclear program and destabilizing activities in the region.

TOKYO (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan (all times local):

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11:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he and Japanese Prime Minister have talked about Iran amid rising tension between Tehran and Washington.

With Abe at his side, Trump told reporters at Akasaka Palace on Monday that “nobody wants to see terrible things happen, especially me.” The U.S. president also said that “I do believe Iran would like to talk and if they’d like to talk, we’ll talk also,” adding that Abe has a “very good relationship with Iran.”

TOKYO (AP) — U.S. national security adviser John Bolton on Saturday called a series of short-range missile tests by North Korea earlier this month a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and said sanctions must be kept in place.

Washington’s position on the North’s denuclearization is consistent and a repeated pattern of failures to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons should be stopped, Bolton said, defending the recent U.S. seizure of a North Korean cargo ship. The U.S., however, is willing to resume talks with North Korea at any time, Bolton said.

TOKYO (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s trip to Japan (all times local):

9:20 p.m.

Japanese sumo fans say they’re happy President Donald Trump took the opportunity during his visit to Tokyo to watch the national sport in person — even if his attendance caused some changes to the usual arrangement for fans.

Trump presented a special trophy to the winner of a tournament after Sunday’s match.

Shinichiro Idehara, a 54-year-old government employee, bought a ticket after learning Trump would be going.

HONG KONG (AP) — More than 2,000 people marched in Hong Kong on Sunday to mark 30 years since a pro-democracy protest in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square ended in bloodshed.

Demonstrators took to the streets holding yellow umbrellas that read “Support Freedom, Oppose Evil Laws.” Some people carried a black coffin, while others wheeled white crosses and the numbers 6 and 4 — a nod to the day on June 4, 1989, when leaders of China’s ruling Communist Party ordered the military to re-take Tiananmen Square from student-led protesters.

TOKYO (AP) — Seemingly contradicting his national security adviser, President Donald Trump on Sunday played down North Korea’s recent missile tests and said they were not a concern for him. The comments tweeted during his trip to Japan were sure to unnerve leaders of the U.S. ally that, unlike America, is threatened by short-range weapons from its Asian neighbor.

Trump also said North Korea’s Kim Jong Un’s criticism of Joe Biden, the former vice president who is among the Democrats running for the White House in 2020, made him smile.

26 May 2019; AFP: A rare all-white panda has been caught on camera at a nature reserve in southwest China, showing albinism exists among wild pandas in the region, state media reported.

The spotless, red-eyed animal was photographed while trekking through the forest mid-April in southwestern Sichuan province, said official news agency Xinhua on Saturday.

Beijing, May 25 (AFP/PTI) The US ambassador to China has called on Beijing to open a "substantive dialogue" with the Dalai Lama in remarks made this week during a rare visit to Tibet, his embassy said Saturday.

Terry Branstad visited northwest China's Qinghai province -- home to many Tibetans -- as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region, where access is restricted for diplomats and journalists.

Beijing : The US ambassador to China is making the first trip toTibet by an American envoy in four years after obtaining rare access to the restricted region, his embassy said Monday.

The visit by Ambassador Terry Branstad comes two months after the US State Department said Beijing had "systematically" impeded access to Tibetan areas for US diplomats, journalists and tourists.

Branstad was scheduled to visit Qinghai province and the neighbouring Tibet Autonomous Region from Sunday until this Saturday, an embassy spokespersonsaid in an email to AFP.

HO CHI MINH CITY, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese relevant forces have detected nearly 5.3 tons of smuggled pangolin scales in southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province which were sent from Nigeria, local media reported on Friday.

The scales were found in 151 bags in two containers, which were registered as carrying cashew nuts and arrived at Cai Mep International Terminal on Wednesday, online newspaper Tai Nguyen & Moi Truong (Resources & Environment) reported.