south korea the north koreans boycotted the. games they killed hundred fifteen i believe people and this time in effect and here in r.t. we are monitoring it extremely closely one short he's speaking to you very soon but i guess the if thank you. for the latest talks are followed months of escalation in rhetoric and saber rattling as more out was saying of course between north and south korea the north korea i should say on the u.s. over donald trump claiming his aggressive attitude towards pyongyang is exactly what made the diplomatic. totally and that's called the military action the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of that regime require a determined. little rocket man is a sick puppy. a lot of people have said a lot of people that without my rhetoric and without my tough stance and said just a stance i mean this is this is what has to be done if it has to be done. that they would be talking about olympics that they would. fight live now to talk to us some are in china member of the korea peace network a good morning to

to force the south korean government to limit its and gauge what north korea if north korea offers or freeze but not a lemonade nuclear program for now this gap has not occurred for now the south korean government as even we solve a couple days ago in the vancouver for many. there's conferences and sustain on denuclearization and i think that the u.s. will try and work to keep that alignment we've seen president moon change his campaign rhetoric and to when after when he sued office to take a farmer stance on these issues and so we i think this will continue but there is the danger that it was mentioned about the north trying to you maneuver to split the allies in order to attain its long term objectives of weakening and undermining the u.s. korean alliance reunifying korea under its control and threatening other countries without retaliation and so on and the nuclear missile the nuclear weapons that south of north korea's pursuing is precisely part of that campaign. is there a feeling there in korea that the the u.s. could no longer be fully trusted trumps belligerents korea as well

to force the south korean government to limit its and gauge what north korea if north korea offers a freeze but not a lemonade nuclear program for now this gap has not occurred for now the south korean government as even we solve a couple days ago in the vancouver for many. there's conferences insisting on denuclearization and i think that the u.s. will try and work to keep that alignment we've seen president moon change his campaign rhetoric and to went after when he sued office to take a farmer stance on these issues and so we i think this will continue but there is the danger that it was mentioned about the north trying to you maneuver to split the allies in order to attain its long term objectives of weakening and undermining the u.s. grand alliance reunifying korea under its control and threatening other countries without retaliation and so on and the nuclear missile the nuclear weapons that south of north korea's pursuing is precisely part of that campaign. is there a feeling there it in south korea that the the u.s. could no longer be fully trusted trumps belligerents korea as

to force the south korean government to limit its in gagetown with north korea if north korea officer freeze but not a lemonade nuclear program for now this gap has not occurred for now the south korean government as even we saw a couple days ago on the vancouver for many. there's conferences and sustain on denuclearization and i think that the u.s. will try and work to keep that alignment we've seen president moon change his campaign rhetoric and to when after when he sued office to take a farmer stance on these issues and so we i think this will continue but there is the danger that it was mentioned about the north trying to you maneuver to split the allies in order to attain its long term objectives of weakening and undermining the u.s. grand alliance reunifying korea under its control and threatening other countries without retaliation and so on and the nuclear missile the nuclear weapons that south of north korea's pursuing is precisely part of that campaign. is there a feeling there in korea that the the u.s. could no longer be fully trusted trumps belligerents korea as well as

to force the south korean government to limit its engagement with north korea if north korea offers a freeze but not a lemonade nuclear program for now this gap has not occurred for now the south korean government as even we saw a couple days ago on the vancouver for many. there's conferences and sustain on denuclearization and i think that the u.s. will try and work to keep that alignment we've seen president moon change his campaign rhetoric into went after when he sued office to take a farmer stance on these issues and so we i think this will continue but there is the danger that it was mentioned about the north trying to you maneuver to split the allies in order to attain its long term objectives of weakening and undermining the u.s. grand alliance reunifying korea under its control and threatening other countries without retaliation and so on and the nuclear missile the nuclear weapons that south of north korea's pursuing is precisely part of that campaign. is there a feeling there it in south korea that the the u.s. could no longer be fully trusted trumps belligerents korea as w

now some 30,000 north korean defectives have come to south korea. in china, however, tens of thousands of north korean defectors are living without papers under the shadows and are being physically or sexually exploited. while the u.s. continues urging -- should continue urging china and russia to support more economic sanctions, it should also do more to stop beijing from repatriating defectors back to north korea. the world was united to abolish the south african apartheid, now it is time for the world to stop the widespread and systematic human rights violations in north korea, which are tantamount to the crimes committed by the nazis. mr. chairman, this concludes my opening statement. thank you again for this opportunity, and i look forward to your questions. rep. royce: thank you very much, mr. thae. you make clear in your remarks that as more and more people gradually become informed about the reality of their living conditions in what they are told is a paradise, but they find out how people are living in south korea or the rest of the world,

south korea, north korea into a korean relationship. i could insist on having communication. north korea and south korea stopped talking for a while but now we opened new windows. donald trump has supported this move. he has also agreed in postponing joint south korean military exercises. this is the starting point. we have got to have a successful peaceful winter 0lympics. furthermore, the nuclear issue of north korea should be discussed. this should allow us to have a new chapter for the new peace of south and north korea. in doing so, america, china, japan and all oui’ so, america, china, japan and all our other alliances and i hope they do so. the north korean nuclear issue and establishing peace in north and south korea will be my aim. nuclearisation is the fundamental pathway we need to pass which is totally cannot be compromised. it should be the only way price to achieve full peace in the korean peninsula. i will make sure we get to that point. last week i met korean elderly ladies who are victimised during the japanese colonies. it reminded me of what a korean gove

korean blood there is a chance that a preemptive strike against north korea without firm south korean support could lead to a backlash against the american president that could have unforeseen there is a chance thatconsequenr position in east asia. host: this is the history and lesson for the age. we don't have a rockstar -- in southck solid ally korea. mr. fields: we do at the moment, but that could change drastically with a rash american decision. we could get away with it, but nobody knows. there is a wholesome scent of possibilities. we tend to think if we strike first, x number of koreans will die. it will make much more sense from the north korean perspective if we were to attack them not to level seoul, but to show that they had rolled the dice with tens of mainly -- the dice with tens of millions of south korean lives. they will say, do you really need the americans? they are the greatest threat. host: we have referenced china a few times. what is the influence china can exert on north korea? we see from our policymakers we are looking to them to stabilize the kim jong-un regi

korea's north korean could be the best option to try to initiate an ambitious program that's good and the crisis. before i answer that question i just want to remind everyone that the moon and ministrations so far has been very firm in its responses towards the provocations that the north koreans been activating recently if you look at the responses immediate show of force demonstrations combined operations all of the. shown the north koreans that they're dealing with not only a liberal and progressive government in south korea but a firm south korean government and a strong us korean. alliance here but that stuff by the way i also believe i could see what you're hinting is that somehow the same time that's not that does not seem to be the case we've seen moon j in distancing himself from the rhetoric of president trump and saying basically i would like to give diplomacy a chance this is exactly why he stepped in and he said give the go ahead to the bilateral talks of the two delegations to meet as soon as possible and before which was not absolutely in any way the case for the americ

that as a possibility preemptive or preventative strike against north korea without firm south koreans support could lead to a backlash against the american president -- against the american presence in south korea that could have unforeseen consequences. this is the historians lesson for the age, to understand we do not have a rock solid ally in south korea >>. we do at the moment -- that do at the moment but could change drastically with a rash of american decision. it is possible we could do this and get away with it, but nobody knows. a subset of possibilities as to how this crisis could play out. we think if we strike the north first, x number of south koreans will die. i think it would make much more sense from the north korean perspective if we were to attack but toot to level soul, point out to south koreans that americans had just rolled the dice with tens of millions of korean lives hanging in the balance. and then to ask the south koreans, do you really think you still media americans -- you still need the americans, because they are the greatest threat to security on the pe

korea's north korean could be the best option to try to initiate an ambitious program that's good and the crisis. before i answer that question i just want to remind everyone that the moon and ministrations so far has been very firm in its responses towards the provocations that the north koreans been activating recently if you look at the responses immediate show of force demonstrations combined operations all of the. shown the north koreans that they're dealing with not only a liberal and progressive government in south korea but a firm south korean government and a strong us korean. alliance here but that stuff by the way i also believe i could see what you're hinting at with that some other same time that's not that does not seem to be the case we've seen moon j in distancing himself from the rhetoric of president trump and saying basically i would like to give diplomacy a chance this is exactly why he stepped in a he said give the go ahead to the bilateral talks of the two delegations to meet as soon as possible and before which was not absolutely in any way the case for the amer

korea, and kimjong—un, the north korean leader. kimjong—un said in his new year's speech that he was open to dialogue with the south, and things moved very swiftly from there on, until we got to this point, where talks are now taking place, the first time in two years. it's massively unlikely that anything groundbreaking will be achieved, or they will even touch on denuclearisation, but people will be looking for signs there might be a chance of progress. i think we know that the first thing they will talk about is the winter olympics. but it's hoped, if pyongyang do send a delegation to the winter olympics — and of that, most people are quite confident. both the south korean president and the north korean leader have said that they want that to happen. so, if that happens, it's hoped there will be a period, at least, of some peace and some stability. a lot of people feel that, if north korea have a delegation there, then they are very unlikely to do any missile tests or nuclear tests throughout that period. the last test they

korea's north korean could be the best option to try to initiate an ambitious program that's good and the crisis. before i answer that question i just want to remind everyone that the moon and ministrations so far has been very firm in its responses towards the provocations that the north koreans been activating recently if you look at the responses immediate show of force demonstrations combined operations all of the. shown the north koreans that they're dealing with not only a liberal and progressive government in south korea but a firm south korean government and a strong us korean. alliance here by the stuff and by the way i also believe i could see what you're hinting at with that some other same time that's not that does not seem to be the case we've seen moon j in distancing himself from the rhetoric of president trump and saying basically i would like to give diplomacy a chance this is exactly why he stepped in and he said give the go ahead to the bilateral talks of the two delegations to meet as soon as possible and before which was not absolutely in any way the case for the

and a sign of thawing tensions north korea has reopened a suspended hot line just south korea north korean leader kim jong un ordered the reconnection of the phone line of the country's border north and south of been making overtures about improving ties since new year's eve and kim jong un said he wanted to see north korean athletes at next month's winter olympics in the south. one of the more contentious issues in coalition talks between germany's hopeful ruling party is likely to be reuniting refugees with their families the process is politically charged complicated and expensive and even if german or thought is approved family reunions red tape in other countries where refugees first arrive in europe can prolong the white so what does it mean for people quarter in the middle who often see themselves as victims of broken promises. moore yod and his younger brother abdul rahman like living in cologne their new home but they say they can only be truly content when the rest of their family joins them the two brothers traveled along the balkan route from syria and arrived in germany two su

in a sign of thawing tensions, north korea has reopened a suspended hotline to south korea. north korean leader kim jong-un ordered a reconnection of the phone line with the country's border. north and south have been making over chores about -- making overtures about improving ties since new year's eve since kim jong-un said he wanted to see north korean athletes at next month's winter olympics in the south. one of the more contentious issues in coalition talks between germany's hopeful ruling parties is likely to be reuniting refugees with their families. the process is politically charged, complicated, and expensive. and even if german authorities approve family reunions, other -- red tape in other countries can prolong the wait. so what does it mean for people caught up in the middle who often see themselves as victims of broken promises? reporter: this man and his younger brother like living in cologne, their new home, but they say they can only be truly content when the rest of their family joins them. the two brothers traveled along the balkan route from syria and arr

in a sign of thawing tensions, north korea has reopened a suspended hotline to south korea. north korean leader kim jong-un ordered a reconnection of the phone line with the country's border. north and soututh haveve been mamaking over r chores about -- making overtures about impmprovg ties since new year's eve since kim jong-un said he wanted to see north korean athletes at next month's winter olympics in the south. one of the more contentious issues in coalition talks between germany's hopeful ruling parties is likely to be reuniting refugees with their families. the process is politically charged, complicated, and expensive. and even if german authorities approve family reunions, other -- red tape in other countries can prolong the wait. so what does it mean for people caught up in the middle who often see themselves as victims of broken promises? reporter: this man and his younger brother like l living in cologne,heheir new homome, but theyey say they can only be trty content when the rest of their family joins them. the two brothers traveled along the balkan route from

talks with north korea beginning next week the talks would focus on the participation of a north korean team in this year's winter olympics to be held in the south now the offer comes a day after north korean leader kim jong un struck a more conciliatory tone towards the south in his new year's address saying he was quote open to dialogue but kim did keep up his threatening stance towards the united states. flowers for kim il sung and kim jong il north korea's past leaders a gesture of reverence repeated on every holiday in the kept saying those who turn out also pay homage to their current president kim jong un during his new year's address his speech included a range of threats against the united states but also unexpectedly an offer of dialogue with neighboring south korea. you want a winter olympics to be held in south korea will be a good occasion for the country and we sincerely hope that they will be a sixth is we're prepared to take various steps including sending a delegation officials from the two koreas may meet to discuss the possibility. kim said now was a good time to demo

one way of viewing what the north koreans are doing is forcing all of the nations involved -- south korea, the united states, and japan, to ask fundamental questions about the relationship with each other and the security of northeast asia. this is at a time when the answer to those questions will not be agreeable to all parties. >> in closing, as a historian, is there a metaphor you can use to describe the current situation as you're looking at it? i am thinking -- is it a tinderbox waiting for a spark or something other than that? >> a better metaphor might be some sort of precarious tower that is fairly strong but brittle, something made of iron. it is strong, but it cannot stand a lot of shocks. it can look strong and collapse suddenly. i think our alliances with south korea, with japan are fairly strong and robust, but that does not mean that certain actions, particularly preventative strikes against north korea, could cause this edifice to come down with shocking speed. >> a very timely subject for historians. thank you so much for your time. >> thank you very much. >> c-span "washi

to north korea. regardless of the niceness between north and south korea, that talk between north korea and u.s. is tough not just the president trump between but also coming from kim jong-un. kim jong-un remember in his new year's address said he would spend 2018 building up a nuclear arsenal that could hit the united states. good news and bad news. in london, greg palkot, fox news. >>> a welcome sight in the bay area, rain ending a two-week dry spell coming on the first snow survey of the year where there seemed to be as much grass showing as snow. good evening, i'm julie haener. >> and i'm ken wayne. frank is off tonight. light rain this afternoon in alameda. this is where windshield wipers and headlights were both turned on and most people we saw walking outside finally had to dig out those umbrellas. in fremont, a similar scene this afternoon, although when our cameras were there it appeared the rain was coming down harder. this is the first of a series of storms expected to hit the bay area ove

said sanctions on north korea could be lifted temporarily to ensure the north korean team can come to the winter olympics. until now, south korea and the us have been piling the pressure on pyongyang with intense joint military exercises like this, a clear threat to the north korean regime. and that may be why now the north is keen to talk. although these meetings could easily go wrong, so these meetings could easily go wrong, so far, that atmosphere seems quite positive, with some believing they could ultimately lead to negotiations between north korea and the us. richard galpin, bbc news. rupert wingfield—hayes is in the south korean capital, seoul. could it really lead to talks about north korea's nuclear programme? it is possible. that has happened in the past. there have been on numerous occasions over the last 20 yea rs numerous occasions over the last 20 years when those sorts of talks have begun and it has fallen apart. there is optimism and hope here today in large part because it has been such a frightening previous year here where it has, as richard said, it has at times

north korea said the aim would be to discuss sending a north korean delegation to the winter games in south korea next month. earlier today, president trump boasted on twitter that his nuclear button is "much bigger" and "more powerful" than north korea's. our correspondent rupert wingfield—hayes reports now from the south korean capital, seoul. on monday, kim jong—un welcomed in the new year with a more conventional display of fireworks than the sort he's been firing off throughout 2017. but anyone who was hoping his new year message would carry an offer of peace and goodwill was quickly disappointed. "the entire united states is within range of our nuclear weapons," he said, "and the nuclear button is always on my desk." "this is reality, not a threat." that was all the excuse president donald trump needed, and as we have now come to expect, his response came in a twitter tirade. so 2018 has begun pretty much as 2017 ended, with the president of the united states and the dictator of north korea hurling threats at each other, while the rest of the world looks on, mostly in dismay

one way of viewing what the north koreans are doing is forcing all of the nations involved -- south korea, the united states, and japan, to ask fundamental questions about the relationship with each other and the security of northeast asia. this is at a time when the answer to those questions will not be agreeable to all parties. >> in closing, as a historian, is there a metaphor you can use to describe the current situation as you're looking at it? i am thinking -- is it a tinderbox waiting for a spark or something other than that? >> a better metaphor might be some sort of precarious tower that is fairly strong but brittle, something made of iron. it is strong, but it cannot stand a lot of shocks. it can look strong and collapse suddenly. i think our alliances with south korea, with japan are fairly strong and robust, but that does not mean that certain actions, particularly preventative strikes against north korea, could cause this edifice to come down with shocking speed. >> a very timely subject for historians. thank you so much for your time. >> thank you very much. [captioning perf

one way of viewing what the north koreans are doing is forcing all of the nations involved -- south korea, the united states, and japan, to ask fundamental questions about the relationship with each other and the security of northeast asia. this is at a time when the answer to those questions will not be agreeable to all parties. >> in closing, as a historian, is there a metaphor you can use to describe the current situation as you're looking at it? i am thinking -- is it a tinderbox waiting for a spark or something other than that? >> a better metaphor might be some sort of precarious tower that is fairly strong but brittle, something made of iron. it is strong, but it cannot stand a lot of shocks. it can look strong and collapse suddenly. i think our alliances with south korea, with japan are fairly strong and robust, but that does not mean that certain actions, particularly preventative strikes against north korea, could cause this edifice to come down with shocking speed. >> a very timely subject for historians. thank you so much for your time. >> thank you very mu >> c-span's "washin

south korea's president says he's open to meeting his north korean counterpart but only under certain conditions. james up mrs al-jazeera live from doha it was a coming up at least nine hundred migrants drowned almost three hundred rescued in separate incidents off the libyan coast. it's janda later freight train coming down the. mudslides floods and a deadly rainstorm in southern california claims lives and homes. anger over austerity sparks protests in tunis the birthplace of the arab spring but the government warns it will crack down on rioting. south korea's president says he is open to meeting north korean leader kim jong un if certain conditions are met smain jane's comments follow to choose days official talks between the two sides the first in more than two years from seoul kathy novak reports. the first official talks between north and south korea in more than two years ended with an agreement that could make president vision of a peace a limb fix a reality says domestic support for his policy of dialogue with north korea helped bring about the rare meeting and he had someone

nation so it means not just north korea but also south korea and everything that they've done has that one goal in mind and kim jong il and the north korean leader has actually been talking about quote unquote final victory quite really more frequently in recent months that's north korean code for actually taking over the south kim jong un is feeling his oats he believes that he actually can do this apparently and so he has staked his position in the regime at the top of the regime he's staked his position on being able to take over the south this is going to be really dangerous and and certainly interesting as we go forward but this is consistent policy over the course of seven decades thanks good time today always. great talking with you thank you so much larry gordon chang and thank you by the way for joining me on this edition of politicking remember you can join the conversation on my facebook page or tweet me at kings things and don't forget use the politicking hash tag that's all the lizza dition of politicking. it's the cradle of jazz. the america is the america we. took knows

communication between the north and south korean governments has now been re—established. a north korean delegation will be present at the winter olympics being hosted by the south. and a direct military hotline connecting to the two koreas has been reactivated. but there was barely a mention, and certainly no movement on the fundamental issue of north korea's nuclear and missile programme. today, the south korean president said resolving that was the only pathway to peace. translation: the de-nuclearisation of the korean peninsula is the fundamental pathway we need to follow. this cannot be compromised. this is the only way for us to achieve full peace in the korean peninsula. not everyone was in favour of the talks. some believe that the north korean leader's sudden willingness to engage with its neighbour is motivated by the desire to drive a wedge between those allied against him, as the latest round of un sanctions imposed on his regime really start to bite. but moonjae—in was adamant today that he would not allow that to happen. translation: in terms of security an

south korea's president says he's open to meeting with north korean leader kim jong un but only under certain conditions. jane this is al jazeera life and. look over the trees are still. true. mudslides floods and a deadly rainstorm in southern california at least thirteen people are killed as dozens of homes are buried. more anger over stereotype protesters and to clash with police after the prime minister promises to crack down on rioters. protecting three quarters of a million young immigrants in the united states a judge issues an injunction to block donald trump's plan to deport them. south korea's president says he's open to meeting north korean leader kim jong un if certain conditions are met jane's comments follow choose days official talks between the two sides the first in more than two years from seoul kathy novak reports. the first official talks between north and south korea in more than two years ended with an agreement that could make president vision of a peace a limb pics a reality says domestic support for his policy of dialogue with north korea helped bring about th

peninsula but he also asked that the world except north korea has nuclear state now south korean officials along with the united states have said those issues cannot be disconnected from each other and that any talks that don't address the broader issue of north korea's nuclear program are not useful ok now we should to south to join the north north in talks would america be at the table as a kind of silent partner. that also remains unclear there's been some mixed messages out of washington about their attitudes towards talking to north korea as some officials in the state department have signaled out willingness and there have been some reports of back channel overtures in past months however president donald trump has remained rather publicly skeptical of the usefulness of talking to north korea so that obviously remains a huge issue for the effectiveness of any kind of talks ok briefly if you could josh are we looking at the escalation. again it's not clear you know whether this will hit some of those more substantive issues but i think even many of the most skeptical observers see thi

south korea's president says he's open to meeting with north korean leader kim jong un but only under certain conditions. and this is al jazeera live from coming up. later freight train coming down. at least thirteen people are killed after a powerful rainstorm triggers floods and mudslides in southern california. more anger over austerity protesters in tunis clashed with police after the prime minister promises to crack down on rioters. a court blocks the u.s. president's plans to end a program that protects hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from being deported. south korea's president says he's open to meeting north korean leader kim jong un if certain conditions are met. choose days official talks between the two sides the first in more than two years from seoul reports. the first official talks between north and south korea in more than two years ended with an agreement that could make president vision of a piece of lympics a reality says domestic support for his policy of dialogue with north korea helped bring about the rare meeting and he had some one else to think as we

south korea's president says he is open to meeting with north korean leader kim jong un but only under certain conditions. and i'm joined up in this is al jazeera live from doha it was a coming up. to the koreans come and go true true true mudslides floods and a deadly rainstorm in southern california at least thirteen people are killed as dozens of homes are bearing. transformer advisor steps down from the writing great part news after public forty yard with the u.s. president. more anger over a stereotype protesters internet clash with police after the prime minister promises to crack down on rioters. south korea's president says he is open to meeting north korean leader kim jong un if certain conditions are made to moon jay ins comments follow choose days official talks between the two sides the first in more than two years from seoul kathy novak reports. the first official talks between north and south korea in more than two years ended with an agreement that could make president vision of a peace a limb pics a reality says domestic support for his policy of dialogue with north kor

say the north koreans, exclusively at the united states, not against south korea, for example. how concerning is that to you? >> well, obviously it's good that the north koreans and south koreans are talking about athletes from north korea being able to participate in the olympics. that's good. but the north korean diplomat took the opportunity to make it clear that they are still intensifying their efforts towards developing a miniaturized hydrogen bomb to be put on an icbm that can reach any city in the united states. that's a threat to us. and that's why the president, that is president trump, still has not imposed the kind of sanctions, and by that i mean cutting off the crude oil that flows from china into south korea -- into north korea, rather, in place. because that's what fuels their economy, it's what fuels their icbm and nuclear weapons program. and unless and until that happens, they're just going to continue on the development of this program. and then we'll be in a much more dangerous place later on this year. >> as cruknow the president has been trying to squeeze

most or many north korean defectors who live in the south find south korean existence very empty because their lives are about nothing from their perspective besides the pursuit of profits, which they are taught to disparage. where life in north korea's about something, it is about maintaining the north korean race. about maintaining the north korean revolution and every north korean has a purpose in that struggle. a lot of them, especially the north korean defectors, say terrible things about kim jong-un. what a terrible leader he is. there are less likely to say those things about kim jong-il and you'll never hear them say , anything about kim il-sung. i think even north korean defectors see kim il-sung as a visionary leader and a great nationalist for the korean people. >> what should the everyday american know about the current south korean government? the attitude towards the united states and the west? >> i think it is important to understand that south koreans have a sense of grievance against the united states, not just because of the division, it is well-known that we divided ko

i think it's a good chance that north korean people, north korean teens, coming to south korea because it's a good opportunity that we can become one of the country and our south korean citizens can see how an north korean to and think that they are not as bad. there is an opportunity for the south koreans to see how north koreans are trying to unify as one country and it's a good chance and opportunity for both sides to have a better relationship that before. state prosecutors in myanmar have charged two journalists from the reuters news agency under the country's official secrets act, a charge which carries a maximum 1a—year prison sentence. wa lone and kyaw soe oo were detained last month while they were investigating reports of mass killings in rakhine state. soe win than reports. security is tight at the court where the two journalists are to appear. wa lone and kyaw soe oo smile when they are greeted, by eagerly awaiting family members and fellow journalists. the two journalists were detained on december 12 in yangon, at a restaurant, after meeting with two policemen who report

korea the current liberal president of south korea bring that back so i think the north koreans are entirely content to have the relationship they have with the united states right now the nuclear tensions and all that obviously with donald trump that's not going to change and they'd like to find a way than to go along with some of the other players the north has done this for a long time sort of playing one off the other off the other right and so if you if the americans are giving you a hard time then you go to the south i don't really see any change what we've seen in two thousand and seventeen i am i'm genuinely concerned right i mean the more the north koreans build the more missiles the more nuclear weapons they have the more tests they do and stuff like that the more sites they have it's that the more the pressure raises in the united states to do something more dramatic than sanctions and stuff like that right so when the north koreans just aren't significant to pull over slow down in any way which raises the possibility of course the americans will eventually strike. by the

and south korean approaches if not policies towards north korea. well i think since the election on a platform of dialogue openness and renewed engagement between the koreas i think there's always been some divergence of views. but moon was very careful moon is very conscious of trumps personality and style of politics and trump obviously is very keen on praise and being involved he doesn't moon doesn't want the united states to feel like it's been shut out from these talks. and the united states seems to have so far been on board with trump is obviously claim that his maximum pressure policy led to the resumption of talks whether or not you know a year on and still no government northern ireland's political troubles deepen. in sport the former world number one elbowing his way back into grand slam contention andy's here with that. at least nine thousand migrants have drowned after their boat sank off the coast of libya on tuesday almost three hundred people were rescued from other boats trying to make the journey across the mediterranean sea libya

of tensions between south and north korea. —— korean peninsula. tensions between south and north korea. -- korean peninsula. here is robert wingfield hayes. well i think there is a huge amount of relief because it has been a pretty scary year at least here in this region. it is felt very much like a times we have been teetering on the edge of war. we've seen missiles flying, nuclear tests, america sending aircraft carrier battle groups to the coast of korea. making very bloodcurdling threats towards each other, north korea and the united states. so in many ways this, there is relief that these talks are taking place, just because talks are now happening and also because it appears that the north korean side is now very keen to de—escalate the tensions. the bigger question is is this an opening to really deeper dialogue between north and the south and will the denuclearisation of the korean peninsula be on the table. and there is no sign of that at the moment. i think what has happened is the north korean leadership has looked into the abyss of a possible conflict with america and ste

one way of viewing what the north koreans are doing is forcing all of the nations involved -- south korea, the united states, and japan, to ask fundamental questions about the relationship with each other and the security of northeast asia. the answer to those questions will not be agreeable to all parties. >> in closing, as a historian, is there a metaphor you can use to describe the current situation as you're looking at it? i am thinking -- is it a tinderbox waiting for a spark or something other than that? >> a better metaphor might be some sort of precarious tower that is fairly strong but brittle, something made of iron. it is strong, but it cannot stand a lot of shocks. it can look strong and collapse suddenly. our alliances with south korea, with japan are fairly strong and robust, but that does not mean that certain actions, particularly preventative strikes against north korea, could cause this edifice to come down with shocking speed. >> a very timely subject for historians. thank you so much for your time. >> thank you very much. >> tomorrow, we look at the results of a public

this south korean engagement of north korea. well in some ways the messaging out of washington is as mixed as the messaging out of north korea with some elements calling for talks and others saying that talks are useless. as you see in that graham tweet however you know this these latest remarks by kim have been met with a lot of skepticism including by some very influential people who basically see it as a way by the north korean government to try to buy time potentially try to. drive a wage between south korea other allies and really kind of weak in these international efforts that have in recent months really increased pressure international sanctions and other efforts at isolating the government there and so a lot of people are taking a very skeptical view of kins recent remarks josh smith with the latest from seoul thank you. well it's a new year and all this week will he give you a preview of what to expect from top global players in twenty eighteen today we're focusing on germany number one on the agenda for chancellor an

south korea proposes high level talks with the north now this comes a day after north korean leader kim jong un offered a rare all of branch to the south and new threats to the u.s. . plus saudi arabia embarking on a pivotal year as it introduces reforms among them lifting the ban on women driving more hear from saudi women about the chip and the call for deeper reforms. i'm brian thomas great to have you with us protests in iran have continued for a fifth consecutive day in tehran and across the country with anti-government violence reported to now be spreading state media saying more than twenty people have been killed so far demonstrations initially broke out against economic conditions but they've also been drawing in opponents of the country's religious establishment. this footage has been provided by demonstrators people have been on the streets in various parts of iran's since thursday protesting conditions in the country and this is footage provided by iranian state t.v. which claims that protesters are violent and that some have damaged a.t.m.'s buildings and other property and

exercises during the olympics paving the way for north korean participation by next week north and south korea may well have settled on a deal that could see sport replace military tensions at least for a short while. relations between germany and turkey have been strained since the felt coup against turkey's president or the one that now they look like they could finally be thawing the nato allies have pledged to improve times after germany's foreign minister zick mark gabrielle invited mr bush counterpart medlock of the shoulder to his home town of goslar here's more. germany in taki scene trip struck a new year's resolution to improve ties after years of escalating tensions the mood here was cordell takis foreign minister emphasizing a hope for progress. that yes there are differences. there have been problems even tensions and escalations. but we all agree and have the shared desire to overcome these tensions and differences through dialogue. the only. touring gap players hometown the two men discussed how to steer relations onto a better course in these historic streets they focused

thank you so north korean oscillates take part in the winter olympics next month and south korea both countries have agreed to discuss the question next tuesday it could pave the way for north korean athletes to attend the upcoming games the first formal talks between the north and south in over two years. the host city for the winter olympics beyond chang is just eighty kilometers from the de-militarized zone that separates the two countries. on the ninth of january officials from both sides will meet at the truce village of parliament and twenty four team the two nations were able to reach an agreement here head of the asian games in incheon with north korean athletes crossing the border to take part. and it looks as though another deal could be on the cards according to the countries you see delegate speaking at beijing airport said that north korean participation will probably happen. there's even a possibility of the two countries marching under the same flag as they did at the two thousand and three university summer games in south korea while some experts and officials have gon

and eight when a south korean tourist was accidently shot but south korea refused to resume those tours and those talks broke down so those could be one of the things that they will talk about perhaps north korea might ask for some aid in return for sending or humanitarian aid in return for sending its athletes to participate in the wind upcoming winter olympics that of course all this is just speculation and we still have to wait for north korea to respond and see what they're going to say now a south korean official did say they tried to make contact with north korea via communication hotline at the demilitarized zone but unfortunately no one in north korea picked up the call so we still have to wait and see how north korea is going to respond now these talks however are as south korean officials have. put it very clearly are just going to be focused on the upcoming winter olympics as well as improving into career relations what everyone is concerned about is north korea's nuclear ambition but the president of south korea moon in has made it very clear that these talks will need requi

while these programs contribute to making south koreans interested in north korea the majority still think that it's a good state to treat or you know when. i and these programs make people think how is it possible for us to live with them no way and so they end up reinforcing and unification ideas and. this kind of. guy who's north korea is always described as a poor state its people are starving their human rights are infringed people see it as pathetic and they feel a sense of alienation but over time the image of north korea here is improved a lot people are realising that they can actually commune. with north koreans so the shows are having a positive effect and that in the path as a thong. in a situation where the stories about north korea remain scarce politicized and controlled defectors are a rare source of news that the information they provide gets turned into infotainment says as much about south koreans the television market and viewing habits as he does about the neighbors to the north. finally back to facebook one mark zuckerberg announced those changes to the news fee

this comes after north korean leader kim jong-un has ordered the reopening of a hotline with south korea's leaders, bringing the biggest thaw in relations between the two koreas in years. the overture came as south korean president moon jae-in said he's open to talks next week with the north in the so-called truce village in the demilitarized zone. earlier ththis week, president trump drew international attention when he tweeted a threat to north korea that was steeped in sexual bravado, writing -- "north korean leader kim jong-un just stated that the "nuclear button is on his desk at all .'mes will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that i too have a nuclear button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my button works!" duduring a p press confeferencen wednesday, white house press secretary sarah sanders addressed questions about trump's taunting of north korean leader. >> i don't think it is tauntingg to stand up for the people of this country. i think what is dangerous is to ignore the continued threats. if the previous administratio

while these programs contribute to making south koreans interested in north korea the majority still think that it's a good state to treat all of one good morning i and these programs make people think how is it possible for us to live with them no way and so they end up reinforcing anti unification ideas and super. kind of. whose north korea is always described as a poor state its people are starving their human rights are infringed people see it as pathetic and they feel a sense of alienation but over time the image of north korea here is improved a lot people are realizing that they can actually communicate with north koreans so the shows are having a positive effect that has a thong. in a situation where the stories about north korea remain scarce politicized and controlled defectors are rare source of news that the information they provide gets turned into him for tame and says as much about south koreans the television market and viewing habits as he does about the neighbors to the north. finally back to facebook one mark zuckerberg announced those changes to the news feed last

. >>> and on the korean peninsula, south korea offering to meet with north korea next week in the dmz after kim jong-un expressed an interest in sending a delegation to the winter olympics. could this drive a wedge between the u.s. and south korea? >>> two months ago the president claimed pakistan was finally respecting the u.s. in his first tweet of the new year, the president says pakistan has given the u.s. nothing but lies and deceit, claiming they give safe haven to terrorists. the white house withholding millions in military assistance. where does this feud go? also on the president's domestic plate, a daunting legislative agenda, immigration plan for d.r.e.a.m.ers. good morning, joe. >> reporter: good morning, john. the president back here at the white house after the long holiday break. his administration and the congress now confronting all the domestic issues they had to put aside in order to hit the road in december, but it is the international issue so far that have dominated the president's twitter feed during this new year. president trump returning to washington with a

korea the current liberal president of south korea bring that back so i think the north koreans are entirely content to have the relationship they have with the united states right now the nukes in the tension and all that obviously with donald trump that's not going to change and they'd like to find a way than to go along with some of the other players the north has done this for a long time sort of playing one off the other off the other right and so if you if the americans are giving you a hard time and you go to the south you and i say robert the rhetoric between kim jong un and donald trump pretty much remains the same the north korean leader as you say talked about having missiles that can reach the u.s. and he's got the nuclear button on his desk. yeah absolutely i mean it's it's kind of what you would expect right i mean so it's frightening right i mean the north koreans are good at this kind of stuff they're good at bluster are good at this sort of game they've made these kinds of or you know agree just threats in the past i don't really see any change what we see in two th

while these programs contribute to making south koreans interested in north korea the majority still think that it's a good state should treat all of. my eye and these programs make people think how is it possible for us to live with them no way and so they end up reinforcing anti unification ideas things this kind of. guy who's north korea is always described as a poor state its people are starving their human rights are infringed people see it as pathetic and they feel a sense of alienation but over time the image of north korea here is improved a lot people are realizing that they can actually communicate with north koreans so the shows are having a positive effect that has a thong. in a situation where the stories about north korea remain scarce politicized and controlled defectors are rare source of news that the information they provide gets turned into him for tame and says as much about south koreans the television market and viewing habits as he does about the neighbors to the north. finally back to facebook one mark zuckerberg announced those changes to the news feed last w

a south korean official says that the north will send a delegation to the winter games which will include officials, athletes, cheerleaders, and journalists. there was no talk at all about north korea's looming nuclear threat at that meeting today. north korean leaders did slam president trump for claiming he had somehow played a role in getting the high-level meeting to happen. >> it's a start, a big start. >> we should lower expectations. this is merely the tiniest sliver of an opening, but it is a real opening. >> reporter: meanwhile, the u.s. and north korea remain in a war of words so to speak. it was just last week when north korean leader kim jong-un threatened the u.s. with a nuclear button on his desk. president trump responded in part saying his button is bigger. the president says he remains open to speaking with the north korean leader but only if he abandons his nuclear program. that's not likely to happen. in the digital operations center, dray clark, nbc10 news. >>> 6:05. today in new jersey, the exchange of power begins as governor chris christie gives his final state of t