TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that he wants the country's newly installed Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to step up peace treaty negotiations with Russia that have halted due to a long-standing territorial dispute.

After the unveiling of his reshuffled cabinet, Abe said at a press conference that the negotiations with Russia are "difficult" . However, it was his responsibility as prime minister to make "all-out" efforts toward resolving the problem.

"Minister Motegi's negotiation skills have earned him a reputation. In talks with Russia, I want Mr. Motegi to make full use of his negotiating skills," Abe said. (Japan-New Prime Minister)

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MANILA -- Philippine security forces have killed a Abu Sayyaf terror group's bomb expert in a clash in a remote village in southern Philippine province Sulu, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.

Maj. Arvin Encinas, the spokesperson of the Philippine military's Western Mindanao Command, identified the slain terrorist as Nanz Sawadjaan, the younger brother of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan.

"He was one of the Abu Sayyaf group's bomb experts who produced the improvised explosive devices used in the recent suicide bombing incidents in Sulu," Encinas said. (Philippines-Terror Group Expert-Killing)

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NEW DELHI -- P. K. Sinha was appointed as the principal advisor to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official statement said on Wednesday.

Sinha was functioning as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Prime Minister's Office.

According to the statement, Sinha has served as the cabinet secretary from June 2015 to August 2019. (India-principal Advisor-Appointment)

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TOKYO -- A Japanese high court on Wednesday upheld a ruling by a lower court ordering the Japanese government to pay compensation to around 22,000 plaintiffs in Okinawa over noise from aircraft at a U.S. base.

While the ruling was upheld, the Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court lowered the amount of damages to be paid from 30.2 billion yen (280.42 million U.S. dollars) ordered in 2017, to 26.1 billion yen (242.36 million U.S. dollars).

The ruling, first handed down by the Okinawa branch of the Naha District Court in 2017, was appealed by both the government and the plaintiffs in Okinawa. (Japan-Compensation-Okinawa)

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HONG KONG -- Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) said on Wednesday it has made a proposal to the Board of London Stock Exchange Group Plc (LSEG) to combine the two companies.

The proposed transaction values the LSEG at about 29.6 billion pounds (36.6 billion U.S. dollars), according to a statement by the HKEX. Enditem

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