Top Asian News 8:35 am GMT

SINGAPORE (AP) — Long a dream of Koreans on both sides of the world's most heavily armed border, a peace treaty that finally ends the 68-year-old (and still counting) Korean War is now being hinted at by President Donald Trump ahead of his summit Tuesday with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Could it really happen? Complete North Korean denuclearization will likely take much more than a single summit, but Trump may see a peace deal as a quick, fairly painless path to a Nobel Peace Prize. Kim, meanwhile, is pursuing a long-sought North Korean demand for a treaty that may be aimed at getting U.S.

SINGAPORE (AP) — The small island nation of Singapore, which prides itself on law and order, is feeling the pressure of more than 3,000 members of the press arriving for a historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The heavy media presence along with stringent security measures for the summit Tuesday has added to the frenzy unusual for the laid-back tropical state. For over a week, journalists have been staking out Singapore's luxury hotels, airports and government buildings to catch a glimpse of officials involved in summit preparations. Unruly ones have already crossed red lines.

TOKYO (AP) — North Korea's East Asia neighbors — Japan, China and South Korea — have a shared goal of denuclearizing the peninsula, but what may come out of Tuesday's summit in Singapore between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un has different and possibly conflicting implications for their security, economic and geopolitical interests. Japan, still unable to meet Kim directly, is relying on Trump for almost everything from its security to an accounting of its citizens who were abducted decades ago by the North; South Koreans remain skeptical but also embrace hope that a positive outcome of the talks could push forward a Korean War peace treaty and further cooperation; and China, a U.S.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An unknown number of nuclear warheads. Stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium and highly enriched uranium. ICBMs. Weapons factories — and the scientists who work at them. The list of what it would take for the "complete denuclearization" of North Korea is long. North Korea has said it's willing to deal away its entire nuclear arsenal if the United States provides it with a reliable security assurance and other benefits. But there is lingering skepticism ahead of Tuesday's summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that Kim would fully give up the nuclear weapons he has pushed so hard to build.

QINGDAO, China (AP) — The Kremlin says that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have mentioned Vienna as a possible venue for their summit, but no decision has been made. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Saturday that Putin and Trump discussed the prospects for their meeting in a March phone call and talked about locations, with Vienna as a possibility. Speaking in Qingdao in China where Putin is attending a regional summit, Peskov noted that "there have been no concrete agreements or understandings, and no specific discussions are being conducted now." Peskov added the issue also came up for discussion during Putin's talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz earlier this week, but he emphasized that Russia and the U.S.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan Taliban announced a three-day cease-fire over the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a first for the group, following an earlier cease-fire announcement by the government. A statement released Saturday by the Taliban said that they would defend themselves in case of any attack. They say foreign forces are excluded from the cease-fire and Taliban operations would continue against them. The statement added that the leadership of the Taliban may also consider releasing prisoners of war, if they promise not to return to the battlefield. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced a weeklong cease-fire with the Taliban to coincide with the holiday.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's former military dictator Pervez Musharraf has announced he will run for a seat in parliament in July 25 national elections. The move comes after the country's Supreme Court conditionally allowed him to return from Dubai, where he has been living in self-exile to avoid arrest on criminal charges. Musharraf's party said Saturday he will participate in the vote from the northern town of Chitral. Musharraf has not set any date for his return, but the court wants him to return before June 13 to avoid arrest in connection with several criminal cases pending against him. Musharraf seized power in 1999 by ousting the government of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With enemies like these, who needs friends? Stepping onto the world stage for a pair of high-profile summits, President Donald Trump is scrambling the usual breakdown of allies and adversaries. In the span of a few days, he's embraced Russia and North Korea while pushing away America's closest friends, like France, Canada and Germany. It's long been Trump's modus operandi to keep people on their toes, unable to predict what he'll do next. But the impulse to pick fights with countries the United States relies on for solidarity around the world is striking many as a step too far.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The self-proclaimed master dealmaker is facing doubts from multiple corners as he prepares to negotiate with Kim Jong Un. Ahead of President Donald Trump's landmark summit next week with the North Korean leader, U.S. allies and many Republicans are raising concerns that he may impulsively give in on issues they say should be deal-breakers for the United States. Ambiguity about exactly what "denuclearization" must look like has left some wringing their hands, while others fear he may yield on a longtime North Korean wish that the U.S. withdraw some or all of its military presence on the Korean Peninsula.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump raised eyebrows by suggesting Russia should be allowed to rejoin the elite group of leading industrialized nations now known as the Group of Seven or G-7. His suggestion Friday to give Russian President Vladimir Putin a seat at the table comes as some European allies aren't even sure whether Trump is a good fit for the group. Here's what happened and why it matters: RUSSIA WAS KICKED OUT There are plenty of international forums to engage Russia and other countries. Think the United Nations, the World Bank and the Group of 20, which brings together leaders of the world's biggest economies.

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