as you said this is been remarkably quick or appears to been remarkably quick what does it tell us about the state of north korea's intentions and and its future relations with both south korea and the u.s. well it's difficult to draw a broad conclusions just from this one event but it does suggest. kim jong un understands that trump has a domestic constituency that he has to deal with. a leader of any country has to worry about the domestic implications as well as the international implications of any choice the e.u. or she makes. and so kim recognizes that this is something that will be very good for trump then will enable trump empowered trump to make perhaps decisions that allow more momentum or an improvement in relations to continue we had the north korean media for the first time just talked about an upcoming u.s.

north korea summit what do you make a of that how does the north korean media sell this to to to north korea to the north korean people after vilifying the u.s. for so long. well they will portray it as the result of the peerless genius of their leader kim jong un you know ears fashion the summit he's brought the u.s. to a summit through is careful diplomacy and of course the military power that he has consolidated for the democratic people's republic of korea so that will be how they how they spin it domestically. really it's interesting to watch how it's being spun on the u.s. side. several hints dribs and drabs coming out the last couple weeks about where it might be and when the summit might be and yet very little confirmation so we're having to do a bit of tea leaf reading with both north korean and u.s.

media under a really good to talk to you many thanks indeed for being with us you're looking at live pictures there from the joint base andrews this is ours iraq with live coverage of. the three americans freed from prison in north korea have just landed at the joint base andrews in maryland president donald trump there to receive the let's bring in our cirrus kimberly how could now who is there a version at the foot of the steps of the the aircraft these three men we were waiting to see what condition the way that they were in they looking in pretty good shape kimberly. yeah this is consistent with what we heard from the u.s. secretary of state mike pompei only see them coming down now i believe in front we have kim dong chool followed behind him. either kim hacksawing or tony kim it's hard for me to to see from where i'm standing and of course the president of the first lady right behind but when those men first walked out of the airplane what

a lovely moment as we saw him don cheadle raise his hands both his hands in the air and there was an audible cheer from the media which you don't usually hear but that just sort of speaks to the moment before witnessing right now and sort of the feeling is you see that enormous american flag draped behind the the plane that these men are disembarking from that this is a patriotic moment for many americans to see these men returning back on u.s. soil and walking in such as you point out good help the president sort of motioning perhaps that they may have the opportunity to come over and speak to reporters which we certainly hope will happen this is certainly something of a foreign policy achievement for donald trump one that it appears he may want to share with the media

a remarkable welcome the president the vice president their wives and the secretary of state. that's right. right. now. the president is speaking as you as you probably can see there but we don't appear to have a microphone anywhere near him up at the moment i think many of the news organizations are in a similar position in the middle east here in the. resident to say the right are just about here. take. a. look see what. ever it's get the free or they're.

not going to. get it. out of. the old. system like the really great. to correct the loop little up the way. now when treated you have to experience. it is. there one hundred percent is a big nobody is interested in. the

one money to. hold all the economic. instability. we are experiencing in the media to. be am simply the to. the finish line and. the military. proudest achievement will be this a part of it will be what we even nuclearized that into. potential and this is what people have been waiting for for a long time nobody thought we could be on this track in terms of speed so i'm very honored to have helped the free for the great good i got and i got to speak to him on the plane these are great people they've been through a lot but. it's a great honor but the great the true honor is going to be if we have

a victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons you. know not at all. we very much appreciate that he allowed them to go before the meeting it was sort of understood that we had to. be able to get these to read to refer people during the meeting and bring them home after the meeting and it was nice good let it go before the meeting i mean frankly we didn't think this was going to happen and it did so you could say we're a little bit of that but it was a very important thing to all of us to be able to get these three great people out and i must tell you i want to pay my warmest respects to the parents of ottawa peter who is a great young man who. who really suffered and his parents have become friends of ours they are spectacular people and i just want to pay my

respects i actually call them the other day and i call them also my pets and. they are really good credible people. i think our secretary of state. spite the fact that the new york times said he was missing he was in north korea but i think our secretary of state has done a fantastic job my computer the one mistake that. they couldn't tried to come back and. they couldn't find him because he was in north korea you know but. i don't want to comment on whether or not i spoke to. him but we're starting off on a new footing this is a wonderful thing that he released the folks early that was a big thing very important to me and i really think we have

a very good chance of doing something very meaningful and if anybody would have said that five years ago ten years ago or even a year ago you would have said that stop possible so a lot i will say this a lot of very good things have happened. said. i really think he wants to do something i think he did this because i really think he wants to do something and bring that country into the real world i really believe that john and i think i think that we're going to have a success i think this will be a very big success it's never been taken this far is that a bitter relationship like this that we're starting from here but i really think a lot of progress has been made and we'll see what happens we're talking about a few weeks i guess many of you will be with us but some great things going to

happen and that's what we hope so i want to thank you all it's very early in the morning. i think you probably broke the all time in history television ratings for three o'clock in the morning that i would say but i want to just congratulate these are three great people and right. that's our president trying. well coming out of the three freed americans. he said we want to. nobody thought this would happen ten years ago five years ago even last year even one year ago but but it did we had very briefly i'm sorry about the sound quality most of the media were in that the same boat with the microphones not being

placed close enough to where the president chose to to launch his impromptu press conference but we did hear briefly from one of the former prisoners the oldest. who was arrested in twenty fifteen and given a ten year prison term with hard labor for alleged spying he said that. he had to work very hard the conditions weren't good but when he was sick he was treated very well all right let's bring in kimberly how could. one house correspondent who was literally feet away from the president. during that impromptu news conference where you make of what you heard kimberly. first of all don't worry about the sound . repeats himself and that was the case here. here with the benefit of. just what a great honor it was in the opportunity. at

the beginning. for that impromptu press conference i think it's important we know. there are. things that have happened what he's saying is the fact that these men are what appears to be great condition they will be taken to a medical center and there is a way to take them away but it is such a contrast from when we last saw an american. the president talking about paying respect to his parents the fact that there had been a. students who unfortunately died as a result of the injuries that were lots of happen well in captivity but certainly i think this is a critical pivot point for the united states once the emotion of this moment sort of starts to dissipate people are going to be really focused on the next step but what you heard there from donald trump was that his proudest achievement won't just

be the securing and the reunification of these men with their families but it will be if he could do something historic with his presidency and that would be achieving denuclearize ation of the entire peninsula so that is the end state that is what the united states is hoping for working toward and you heard donald trump there speaking somewhat confidently that is a bit of a character trait. i don't know if everyone in the united states shares his optimism but you heard him use the word success thanks to this meeting with him john or can be as big six that certainly it appears that these men have struck up some sort of or work for. you know that there there is this opportunity that seems to be what many are sensing and this moment sort of seems to be the emotion that is pushing at that moment momentum toward that moment where we will see the north korean leader meeting with the u.s.

president so you heard him there saying that he was honored to help these folks as he called them the men that have been released but his biggest honor he says would be if he could get rid of the nuclear weapons in north korea all spiffy hopes to go to north korea one day of the president said it could happen but he said that he really believes that kim jong un's to bring north korea into the real world as you said something's going on here that the two leaders appear to have developed some sort of relationship. yeah indeed and i think there is a recognition. that there are people in north korea that are suffering and we know that human rights groups tell us that we know that there are many detainees in north korea there are some americans who aren't getting this to take. the numbers have a brain in the thousands and i think that there is to that that there is a recognition that this could be not only a pivot point at

a turning of the page not just for the united states not just for north korea but really for the for the world in terms of bringing north korea into the fold if you will so we were happy talking earlier about the momentum that is that has taken place as a result of the negotiations with south korea and certainly tom congress to give him credit for that but if you want to speak in terms of the members and some of the olympics there's been a passing of the baton that has been taken place and now the baton appears to be in the hands of donald trump as he prepares to meet with the north korean leader yet we don't know when that summit will be we are told that is a matter of days before we get the time and the take but we do know as of today that it has been there are down we believe will get that decision that characteristically donald trump likes a lot of drama and anticipation but in this moment you have to say maybe it works for him so we are looking ahead now the table has been back for that not coming.

but we also have heard the cabinet for the president repeatedly say that the decision to not continue to favor i think the united states he said that it could all be stopped so that a lot of optimism break now but it is premature to be calling it perhaps excess of a heard donald trump model most for the moment the projecting that he believes that it will be a north korea. there will be for the moment many thanks indeed kimberly how could the law of a joint base andrews in marital before we move on. to some of the the rest of the day's news let's bring in kathy novak once again who's live for us in seoul kathy of the u.s. president saying that his proudest achievement will be when the entire korean peninsula is denuclearized. well yes if you look at the situation here he's talking about these three men who have been held prisoner in north korea

for some time you made reference to them saying that they are good people they have been through a lot but donald trump make most no mistake is saying that this is part of a bigger picture of the bigger play to talk with north korea at the summit about denuclearization this kimberly said there he is foreshadowing that he thinks that he will have some success in saying that a lot of good things have already happened this indeed was a concession from north korea to release these three americans and allow them to return home and it's not the only apparent concession that north korea has made in recent months in the lead up to this summit between donald trump and kim jong il and north korea also announced that it would be stopping its missile and nuclear tests more recently following the intercalary and summit it said that it would invite international journalists and experts to view its nuclear test site that it says it is shutting down and even realigned its time zones so that it would once

again match the time zone here in seoul three years ago pyongyang said its clocks back by half an hour at the time it said that it was changing the clocks because that time had been imposed by japan when korea as a whole was a japanese colony n.p.l. myung wanted to have its own time zone but after the success of the into korean summit north korea decided to realign the time with seoul so these are a number of apparent concessions that north korea appears to be making as it moves towards the summit of course north korea has long wanted a sit down with a sitting u.s. president to elevate the leader to the status that frankly kim jong un seems to be having at the moment as you see him having these meetings with the likes of chinese president xi jinping so in terms of what north korea is able to do in. the grand scheme of things analysts say things like releasing these three americans are comparatively easy for north korea to do is something that north korea can do as

a sign of goodwill as it goes into the summit to make sure that it does go ahead but then when it comes to the actual agenda that you're talking about of denuclearizing the korean peninsula that becomes more difficult the president of south korea and when jay and has said that he believes that north korea is genuine about talking about denuclearization we heard the president donald trump there saying that he thinks that he that kim jong un wants to bring his country into the real world but the question remains will kim jong un be willing to truly give up his nuclear weapons program this is something that north korea has long said the country needs for the defense of its government it has looked at examples for instance of libya where it gave up its nuclear weapons in the state that ultimately the fell the leader moammar gadhafi and what north korea has said that it needs it's a nuclear weapons program to protect its very existence adrian jaffe many thanks to

you because you know that they're alive and so before we move on let's get a final thought from dr andrea. who's a north korean expert that i don't follow the group his asia institute he's live with us now via skype from so what did you make of what's happened in the last fifteen twenty minutes or so. yeah i mean that's great to see the three americans back soon to be reunited with their families it's a nice easy win for the trumpet administration heading into the summer it was interesting i thought that in response to a journalist question president trump used the phrase denuclearization of the korean peninsula leading up to the summer that is actually a fairly contentious phrase it's the phrase that north korea uses and it implies that the american nuclear umbrella will also be removed from the korean peninsula the u.s. essentially promises

a nuclear deterrent on behalf of its ally south korea so that's something the north koreans tend to say americans tend to say the denuclearization of north korea so the fact that the president used that phrase we'll have to see in the coming days if that means something or if that's a slip of the tongue or you know he definitely did what he likes to do which is. news include the news cycle for the coming days and weeks and we'll just have to keep paying attention or a good many thanks for being with us andrea brahimi in there in seoul. is in syria where we've been covering the arrival back on u.s. soil of the three americans freed from prison in north korea within the last hour they landed at the joint base andrews in maryland president trump his vice president mike pence and the secretary of state my pump a zero all there to receive them and they looked in pretty good health.

now let's move on to the rest of the day's news israel's defense minister says that he hopes the latest round of violence with iran inside syria has ended every door lieberman says that israel hit all of iran's infrastructure in its biggest attack since the war began israel says it was in response to rainy and rockets being fired at its positions in the golan heights shallot palace reports. air raid sounding in the israeli occupied golan heights rockets fired from syria israel says somewhere into sifted other schools damage to the frontline positions. the israeli army is attributing the attack to the quds brigades part of the iranian revolutionary guard. iran is an ally of syrian president bashar al assad and the coalition says it didn't stop the spice it says israel fired shells at the

golan border town of han on a bay earlier on when stay on tuesday blamed israel for this is a strike on a syrian army base south of damascus that killed two people. the syrian military says this video shows a firing missiles in response to israeli attacks on damascus suburbs. some people asked me has made a hundred incursion certainly dozens scores of including just just. go for a wire or a plea i've been waiting for iranian response. iran has increased its military presence in syria and with the increased tensions with neighboring israel it is still later this week when u.s. president donald trump quit the iran nuclear deal referring to israeli intelligence documents that said iran had been pursuing nuclear weapons for years something iran

denies. prime minister benjamin netanyahu has traveled to moscow to meet with assad's ally russian president putin. it sucked. i presented israel's obligation and right to defend itself against iranian aggression from iran from within syrian territory against the state of israel the iranians declare their intention to attack us they are trying to transfer forces and diddly weapons there with the explicit goal of attacking israel as part of their strategy to destroy israel earlier this week the israel army warned of an imminent attack the i.d.f. has detected a regular iranian activity in syria as preparing the civilian population on the golan heights accordingly as well as defensive systems any aggression against israel will be mixed with a severe response and now after the golan heights attack israel followed through syrian media broadcasting their air defenses responding to attacks by israel

rockets arching from one country to another israelis in the golan heights and syrians urged to find cover hoping the assault doesn't exclaims shallop bellus out his ear. but israel says that the rockets were fired at its forces in the golan heights israel captured that area from syria in one thousand nine hundred sixty seven but zaki pyatt it ever since in a move that's never been recognized by the un occupying the golan heights gives israel a military advantage it's also a source of water but israel's built more than thirty settlements in the territory let's go live to west jerusalem of zeros alan fischer is. even when the defense minister says that he hopes that will be an end to the matter will it be. it's difficult to say essentially the israelis believe that there should be no further escalation depending on what side you're on of course the iranians would suggest that the israelis have targeted the really of forces inside syria without

any response and this was merely a new really in response it is rare for the israeli military target knowledge any of the efforts inside syria but they're clearly making the point here that they acted because they had intelligence it was good intelligence they were aware of it for a number of days even informed me or put in one bed to netanyahu was in moscow and then they carry the operation when those rockets started to be fired towards the occupied golan heights and the boat lieberman has said that if it rains on israel it will pour on iran knows far as the israeli military is concerned they say that they've taken every single iranian military site inside syria itself mr lieberman has said just in the last few hours or so that when the iranians wake up this morning they will realize it will take the months to rebuild what they hide and again making the point that for israel any sort of a really in military base inside syria is not acceptable

a point that prime minister netanyahu made during that trip to moscow and weapons they had many thanks. to their life in west jerusalem. a search and rescue operation is underway after a dam bust in central kenya heavy rain caused the patel dam in a corner of county to break its banks sweeping away hundreds of homes there are reports that at least twenty people have been killed the kenyan red cross said on twitter that it had rescued thirty nine people so flash flooding has already killed at least one hundred people across kenya and destroyed thousands of hectares of farmland. but lazio's former prime minister mahathir mohamad says that there's an urgency to form a new government a ninety two year old who ruled malaysia who governed rather malaysia in the eighty's and ninety's led an oppositional alliance to its first election victory in sixty years he'll replace. his former protege who was tainted by

a government corruption scandal there's been some is. a little understanding of the asian but we link to be clear that there is a and. we need to form now the that is because i believe they go off. i can't keep this rule it is and. is no. better said national the past not so now is committed to respecting the principles of democracy the king will decide who we made prime minister according to the constitution the party will respect whatever decision the king makes and i would like to urge the people of malaysia to remain calm and place confidence in the king to make a decision george lived out to kuala lumpur of zero. is there so dear what happens

next will mahathir be prime minister. that is the question adrian according to my terrace party they have an audience with the king about. nine g.m.t. and they're if accurate they will meet the king and the king would endorse them and will have to endorse their party also and particularly declare my have here the prime minister of the country my fear has said that the country's without government at the moment he gave this nine g.m.t. deadline which technically has no authority to do so and many are saying this is a throwback to his days as prime minister when he used to call the shots but the king has to according to constitution as said the king house indorse them and that is what everyone is waiting for najib meanwhile who has been the prime minister of this country's in two thousand and nine there is proxy jay has still not conceded

fully he says he will agree once it is confirmed officially but he hasn't said raised his hands up and said that he will step down in any way so he is probably hoping that there will be a critical coalition horsetrading where he could probably be part of the mix not necessarily want it wanting to step down fully just briefly did it was billed as the toughest election in. history what are people making of the surprise results. indeed surprise is the word people still don't know what to make of it this has never happened before this country has never had a different party rule the country for nobody really knows how to proceed all they know is that they have seen democracy in action and so on social media that's the kind of reaction you're seeing and even my peers said he's going to have to devise a new way of doing things because this is completely uncharted territory for the

country today many thanks indeed of zeros david upon the live in kuala lumpur. it's good to have you with us adrian finnegan here in doha the top stories this hour on al-jazeera three americans freed from prison in north korea have touched down in maryland and the u.s. president donald trump met the man when they arrived at joint base andrews outside washington d.c. their release comes after secretary of state mike pompei or travel to north korea to finalize plans for a summit between trump and kim jong. il. really. really big.

israel's defense minister says that his military has destroyed nearly all iranian bases inside syria avigdor lieberman says that more than a dozen targets were his it was in response to a ready and rockets fired at israeli positions in the occupied golan heights. mahathir mohamad says that he expects to be sworn in as prime minister following his surprise election win ninety two year old governed malaysia in the eighty's and ninety's led an oppositional alliance to the first election victory in sixty years he will replace najib razak his former president who was tainted by a government corruption scandal there's been some. is. a little understanding of the asian but we link to be clear that there is a and then you'll see here we need to form now the that is because

i believe the government of malaysia. i think even. and even there in the wind is no or. a search and rescue operations on the way after a dam burst in central kenya heavy rain caused the patel dam in the county to break its banks sweeping away hundreds of homes there are reports that a feast twenty people have been killed. there is the headlines the news continues here on al-jazeera after today's inside story next. the former bishop of hong kong says the pope is selling out china's catholics on the pieces of things. information. church cardinal joseph then talks town jazeera. the u.s. pulls out of the.