Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has resumed commercial whaling after 31 years, meeting a long-cherished goal of traditionalists that’s seen as a largely lost cause.

Whaling boats embarked Monday on their first commercial hunts since 1988, when Japan switched to so-called research whaling, but will stay within the country’s exclusive economic waters. Japan’s six-month notice to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission took effect Sunday.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan is imposing restrictions on exports to South Korea, citing a decline in “relations of international trust” between the Asian neighbors.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said a review soliciting public comments starts Monday on the move to effectively remove South Korea from a list of so-called “white nations,” like the U.S. and European nations, that have minimum restrictions on trade.

30 June 2019; DW: Moscow and Washington are mulling new talks on limiting their nuclear arsenals, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on Saturday.

Putin was commenting on his meeting with US President Donald Trump the day before, most of which took place behind closed doors.

"We have tasked our respective foreign minister to start lower-level talks on [nuclear disarmament]," Putin said.

Osaka, Jun 29 (AFP) US President Donald Trump said trade negotiations with China were "back on track" after "excellent" talks Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in which Washington reportedly agreed to hold off on new tariffs.

The crunch talks on the damaging trade war between the world's top two economies came on the sidelines of a meeting of the G20 in Japan's Osaka, with all eyes on whether the pair would agree a truce.

OSAKA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The outcomes of the highly anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Osaka summit on Saturday have shone a ray of light upon the clouded global economy.

At their gathering, the two leaders agreed to restart economic and trade consultations between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual respect. They have also agreed that the U.S. side will not add new tariffs on Chinese exports.

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin fired a new broadside against Western liberalism at the Group of 20 summit in Japan, saying that policies such as welcoming migrants have hurt people’s interests.

Speaking after the summit in Osaka concluded on Saturday, Putin charged that Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and a drop of popularity of traditional parties in Europe have been rooted in growing public dismay with mainstream liberal policies.

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Highlights of the agreements from the Osaka, Japan, summit of the leaders of the Group of 20 major economies, spanning a slew of issues including global warming, trade and international finance, the environment and sustainable development:

29 June 2019; DW: Months after talks with Pyongyang broke down, Donald Trump said he would like to visit the demilitarized zone and "shake hands" with the North Korean leader. North Korea said the meeting would be "meaningful."

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would be willing to meet with Kimg Jong Un in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) with South Korea. He made the comments from the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.

29 June 2019; DW: Leaders have agreed on a climate deal similar to the one struck in Argentina in 2018. The US has again refused to commit to tackling climate change.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday said world leaders at the G20 summit would sign a climate change deal similar to that signed in Argentina last year.

"We will have a similar text to Argentina. A 19+1 declaration," Merkel told reporters on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Osaka.

29 June 2019; DW: Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump on Saturday agreed to resume trade talks, following a high-stakes meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the western Japanese city of Osaka.

US President Donald Trump said his meeting with Xi was "excellent" and that "we're right back on track," adding that the US was "going to work with China where we left off."