組圖今田美After a trial running over two years, the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions began reading the verdict at 11 am local time and continued for nearly four hours

櫻登China has put forward the "double suspension" proposal, which requires the DPRK to suspend its missile and nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale US-ROK military drills封麵夏日The DPRK walked out of the talks in April 2009 in protest against UN sanctions

清新裝扮令Abe, who also heads the LDP, is set to provisionally dissolve the lower chamber of Japan's bicameral system of parliament on Sept 28, as this is when the extraordinary Diet session will be convened, according to LDP sources close to the matter人眼前亮However, the prime minister has the authority to dissolve the lower chamber and call a general election at will組圖今田美This scenario would see official campaigning for the national poll kick off on Oct 10, with voters thereafter casting their ballots on Oct 22櫻登A lower house election must be held by December 2018 as this is when the four-year terms of current lower house lawmakers expire封麵夏日If Abe goes ahead with his plan to call a snap election, then three by-elections that have been slated to take place on Oct 22 would be replaced by the general election

清新裝扮令The opposition camp, however, has criticized Abe's move to call a snap election, with some accusing him of merely trying to escape from the influence-peddling scandals he is currently implicated in and engineering his stay in power人眼前亮"Nikai on Tuesday, during a meeting of ruling LDP executives reportedly conveyed Abe's intentions and relayed the party's determination to get all of its candidates fielded in the race組圖今田美BEIJING -- Japan should act correctly towards an application for records of comfort women to be listed as UNESCO heritage, instead of threatening not to pay its UNESCO membership fees, a Chinese spokesperson said Monday

櫻登If the submitted documents are approved for the UNESCO Memory of the World Register next month, domestic pressure for Japan to cancel payment of its UNESCO membership fees will grow, according to Japanese media封麵夏日"The members of international organizations are obliged to pay their membership fees on time and in full清新裝扮令China demands Japan reflect on its history of aggression, and take a correct attitude towards and do not smear or meddle with the application," Lu said人眼前亮The move serves the purposes of the UNESCO, he said

Forceful recruitment of comfort women, or sex slaves, was a grave crime committed by the Japanese militarism during WWIIThere is solid evidence and no room for denying that, Lu said

He said that Japan should handle the issue properly and in a responsible way to gain trust from its Asian neighbors and the international communityPeople from the DPRK and the ROK belong to the same ethnic group, and China has always supported the two countries in strengthening exchanges, improving ties and promoting reconciliation, he saidLu's comment came after ROK President Moon Jae-in suggested that his country could go ahead with humanitarian aid to the DPRK "regardless of political situations," despite Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's request for consideration of the timing of the proposed aidBEIJING -- China hopes that concerned parities can understand and respect the emotions of the people and support normal exchanges between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said Monday

"All the UN Security Council resolutions that imposed sanctions on the DPRK, including the newly adopted Resolution 2375, have stated clearly that they are not intended to have a negative effect on the livelihoods and humanitarian needs of the people there," Lu said at a daily press briefing"I think this is not only good for China, but will also be a positive influence to the whole international system," he saidFor example, Singapore can become a launchpad for Chinese companies to march into international markets, and they can make the best of Singapore's trade and service facilities as a financial center and transport hubSingapore's cooperation with China concerning the Belt and Road Initiative, Lee said, is focused on infrastructure inter-connectivity, financial projects and third-country programs such as personnel training, which Singapore believes can combine advantages of both sides

The two sides are expected to exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced FridayIn the interview, Lee said the Initiative-related cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure investments, trade and tourism can help further "integrate China into regional and international economic systems while greatly boosting the prosperity and development in other countries

The Belt and Road Initiative, put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, is aimed at building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road through concerted efforts of all related countries to benefit all participants by promoting unimpeded trade, financial integration, infrastructure inter-connectivity and closer people-to-people exchangesThe Singaporean leader will pay an official visit to China on Sept 19-21 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang

"The Initiative will help foster closer cooperation among China and its neighboring countries as well as its trade partners in Europe, Asia and even Africa," he added"We deem the Belt and Road Initiative as positive," Lee said Saturday in an interview with Xinhuanet, Xinhua's official website, noting that China's continuous economic growth has made China an increasingly larger and more important part in the international systemSINGAPORE -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that the Belt and Road Initiative of China is positive to the world since it can help further integrate China into regional and international economic systems while boosting growth in other countries" In his opinion, the Initiative can help China make more and better contributions to global economic and trade cooperation as well as the international relationsOne option is to hold a snap election on Oct 22, when three by-elections are scheduled, the sources saidTOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering calling a snap election for as early as next month to take advantage of his improved approval ratings and disarray in the main opposition party, government and ruling party sources said on Sunday

Other possibilities are later in October or after an expected visit by US President Donald Trump in early November"Until now, it appeared the election would be next autumn, but

Abe's ratings have recovered to 50 percent in some pollswe must always be ready for battle," domestic media quoted Komeito party chief Natsuo Yamaguchi as telling reporters on Saturday during a visit to Russia

Abe told executives of his Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, that he might dissolve parliament's lower house for a snap poll after the legislature convenes for an extra session from Sept 28, the sources saidAbe will probably make a decision after returning from a Sept 18-22 trip to the United States, the sources said

Top LDP and Komeito officials will meet on Monday to discuss preparations, they added"We need to be clear that the latest UN resolution not only sanctions the DPRK's nuclear activities but also calls for the reopening of dialogue and resolving the issue through consultations," Cui said"Without implementing these, we also will consider it as noncompliance with the resolution," Nebenzia said, Reuters reportedChina's envoy to Washington has urged the US to do more to resolve the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, while stressing that the UN resolution on Pyongyang also calls for dialogue and peace talks

The ambassador's remarks followed shortly after the DPRK's latest missile launch drew condemnation from the United Nations and refueled fiery rhetoric about a military option from the Trump administration, which also asked China to mount pressure on the DPRK, partly by cutting oil shipments to Pyongyang"At the UN's headquarters in New York on Friday, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also called on the US and others to implement the "political and diplomatic solutions" that are called for in the latest sanctions resolution

Cui said the resolution is a shared responsibility for all partiesThe UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2375 on Sept 11 in response to the DPRK's sixth nuclear test, conducted on Sept 3

"Everybody else will have to do their share; they cannot leave this issue to China alone," Cui said at a reception on Friday night in WashingtonCui: United Nations resolution also calls for dialogue Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai

"Cui, however, bluntly said that China will never recognize the DPRK as a nuclear state and opposes nuclear weapons anywhere on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, including Japan and TaiwanHours after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea launched another missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean on Friday, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said Washington "should be doing much more than now", so that there's real, effective international cooperation on the Korean Peninsula issueWhen asked about the oil cuts, Ambassador Cui told reporters, "We are fully prepared to implement all the Security Council resolutions－no more, no less

China responded by saying that it has done its best, and the initiators of a problem should resolve it, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying"The resolution should be implemented comprehensively

However, the crisis on the Korean Peninsula has spilled over and endangered regional security and stability, as well as relations between other countriesRussian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also warned that there is no alternative to a peaceful solution

Trump tweeted earlier this month that the United States is considering "stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea"Threats, tests, launches, mutual threats should be stopped