PHOTO : WALLSTREETJOURNAL

Japanese  Prime Minister   Shinzo Abe explained his decision to resign in separate calls with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, while also touching on a number of issues involving the countries that remain unresolved. As stated by the Jakartapost.com Monday (31/8)  during his 30-minute phone talks with Trump, Abe thanked him for helping to make the Japan-US relationship the strongest it has ever been. It was Abe's first phone call with a foreign leader since he abruptly announced his resignation on Friday, citing a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease that can cause stomach pain and diarrhea. Abe just a week ago achieved the longest uninterrupted stint as prime minister in the country's history//JP