Shinzo Abe criticised over pension report, calls it 'misunderstanding'

Abe has made reform of the social security system a top priority to cope with Japan's fast-ageing, shrinking population.

Iran-US tensions rising

A Norwegian and a Japanese cargo ship saw explosions in the Gulf of Oman.

The incident has simmered the tensions in the Persian Gulf region.

The two tankers, one Norwegian-operated and one Japanese-owned, were set ablaze in the Gulf of Oman.

Iran said its navy had rescued 44 crew members after the two vessels caught fire in 'accidents' off its coast.

The latest incident comes after the US alleged that Iran used mines to attack 4 oil tankers off nearby Emirati port of Fujairah last month.

Pompeo will travel to four countries in the Indo-Pacific region from June 24 to 30: India, Sri Lanka, Japan and South Korea.

It also comes as Japan tries to negotiate its own trade deals with Trump, who has been quick to impose tariffs on other nations.

Iranian and US leaders have ratcheted up barbs and insults ever since Trump was elected as president in 2016.

Trump explicitly linked trade and security, a link that disturbs Tokyo, whose alliance with US stands at the core of its defence policies.