trained in canada with their north korean counterparts and they're desperate to meet again at pyongyang chang in an atmosphere of friendly rivalry. you'd be forgiven for thinking that the north korean winter olympic team might get a frosty reception across the border and sharing but for york and kim to seek the two figure skaters that comprise the north's modest olympic squad a warm welcome awaits they trained with southern counterparts came to yearn and calm kind child in canada last year and the foursome became fast friends. as we train together for two months in canada we became close easily because we speak the same language we rooted for each other and we said that we should meet in. a war. despite inevitable differences resulting from growing up on the regime's dancing to two wildly different tunes the athletes phone they still had plenty in common. to leave a peace to meet each other and could get along with them more than the other we ate together and it made us closer. to. a sense of togetherness among the korean earthly shows that the olympic spirit is alive and well allies of both

of next month's winter olympics and also feel a joint women's ice hockey team for the games in pyongyang chang in south korea the gesture of reconciliation was announced after the first time of a meeting in more than two years other measures include joint training and cultural events and pyongyang will send a cheerleading squad to the games pope francis is urging chile's mapuche a indigenous people to end violence in their struggle for more rights he's held mass in the arab kenya region which is at the center of a centuries old conflict those are the headlines the news continues here on al-jazeera after risking it all stage and that's a water. hole the benefit of saddam people so bad they see the importance of the arab. documentaries that open your eyes at this time on al-jazeera. the taj up our river in amazonia the world of brazil. jessie aged fourteen and lives up to eleven a trying to grab hold of the buds this is not a game it's what. they're not the only ones working the river traffic other kids get a ride to the passenger ferry. just below the ferries profile of. risking death just to m

story in the series takes a look at the upcoming winter olympics in south korea the games in pyongyang chang at the center of the first major thaw in relations between north and south korea in decades but there is an unexpected worry it's likely to be the coldest opening ceremony in twenty years and you can see that story here on out is there on sunday . now russia says it hopes the dialogue between north and south korea will settle tensions on the peninsula after two years of silence between pyongyang and seoul the shuttle for tuesday obviously has more from seoul. in a few days the truce village of panmunjom on the demilitarized zone that separates north and south korea will be a hive of activity representatives from the two countries will hold high level talks here for the first time in more than two years earlier this week north korean leader kim jong il dialogue at his new year's day address four days later his government agreed to hold talks the announcement came just hours after the u.s. and south korea agreed to postpone and your military drills for the end of february these have lon

america's best figure skaters are fighting for a place at next month's winter olympics in pyongyang chang and was a sports known for its elegance and grace one competitor is shaking things up. thanks twenty two year old jamie marr produced a hip hop inspired performance at the national championships in san jose california while he was a fan of favorite macit in the eleventh place in the men's competition top of the standings that was eighteen year old nathan chen he's the only undefeated male skater in the world this season will be vying for olympic gold and that's all useful for now or have more feel later. thanks joe i'll be back with a little hall fondues on the other side of the break until and thanks for watching the news or to stay with us. the final version. graduate from iraq he's also a part time going to museum which includes a reconstruction of the famous. most of the people he's showing around came to germany as refugees this is just one of several billion museums taking part in the project meeting point and as well as bringing people together one of its aims is to emphasize t

meeting is expected to focus on the north's participation in next month's winter olympics in pyongyang chang souls been projecting enthusiasm about the talks but some are questioning whether the lead to any real progress florence louis has more from the south korean capital this was the last formal face to face meeting between north and south korean officials in december two thousand and fifteen the two sides discussed reunions of families separated by the korean war and economic cooperation. that is make a good start and open the great path to reunification. despite the initial optimism the talks broke down and in the two years since north korea has fired more than forty missiles and conducted three nuclear tests to v.s.e. escalating tensions on the korean peninsula but at the start of this year north korean leader kim jong il unexpectedly proposed dialogue with the south and. the focus of the discussions due to take place on tuesday at the truce village of panmunjom will be on north korea's participation in the two thousand and eight winter olympics in south korea next month and on improvi

it comes to the korea's one north korea agreed to send a delegation to the winter olympics in pyongyang chang sportspeople performance for the cultural events it's simple if the north attends the olympics it's much less likely to stage a provocation launch another missile to family reunions relatives separated by the war that haven't seen each other for decades could be allowed reunions the extra month and three perhaps most importantly south korea has proposed to face meetings between the north's and the south's military officials in order to deescalate tensions at long last alternately to denuclearize the peninsula it's a long shorts but it's a start with number one i think we should be engaged in these talks in an earnest sincere manner to give a new year's gift namely the results of the talks to the korean nations so. that as you mentioned earlier we hope to bring a precious gift to your people but matches the expectations of our people it is been a chaotic year from escalation to escalation saber rattling and childish rhetoric near enough every month the u.s. and south korea would stage

it comes to the korea's one north korea agreed to send a delegation to the winter olympics in pyongyang chang sportspeople performance for the cultural events it's simple if the north attends the olympics it's much less likely to stage a provocation launch another missile to family reunions relatives separated by the war that haven't seen each other for decades could be allowed reunions the extra month and three perhaps most importantly south korea has proposed face to face meetings between the north's and the south's military officials in order to deescalate tensions at long last alternately to denuclearize the peninsula it's a long shorts but it's a start with number one i think we should be engaged in these talks in an earnest sincere manner to give a new year's gift namely the results of the talks to the korean nations. as you mentioned earlier we hope to bring a precious gift to your people but matches the expectations of our people it has been a chaotic year from escalation to escalation saber rattling and childish rhetoric near enough every month the u.s. and south korea would stage wa

it comes to the korea's one north korea agreed to send a delegation to the winter olympics in pyongyang chang sportspeople performance for the cultural events it's simple if the north attends the olympics it's much less likely to stage a provocation launch another missile to family reunions relatives separated by the war that haven't seen each other for decades could be allowed reunions the extra month and three perhaps most importantly south korea has proposed to face meetings between the north's and the south's military officials in order to deescalate tensions at long last alternately to denuclearize the peninsula it's a long short but it's a start with number one i think we should be engaged in these talks in an earnest sincere mammal to give a new year's gift namely the results of the talks to the korean nations. as you mentioned earlier we hope to bring a precious gift to your people but matches the expectations of our people it has been a chaotic year from escalation to escalation saber rattling and childish rhetoric near enough every month the u.s. and south korea would stage war game

it comes to the korea's one north korea agreed to send a delegation to the winter olympics in pyongyang chang sportspeople performance for the cultural events it's simple if the north attends the lympics it's much less likely to stage a provocation launch another missile to family reunions relatives separated by the war that haven't seen each other for decades could be allowed reunions deck's month and three perhaps most importantly south korea has proposed face to face meetings between the north's and the south's military officials in order to deescalate tensions at long last alternately to denuclearize the peninsula it's a long shorts but it's a start with number one i think we should be engaged in these talks in an earnest sincere manner to give a new year's gift namely the results of the tourists to the korean nations. as you mentioned earlier we hope to bring a precious gift to your people that matches the expectations of our plane with you it is been a chaotic year from escalation to escalation saber rattling and childish rhetoric near enough every month the u.s. and south korea would s

meeting is expected to focus on north korea's participation in next month's winter olympic games in pyongyang chang daniel bongos a research fellow at the onslow university.

sound it comes in into korea olympic team just prepare to compete at the upcoming winter games in pyongyang chang it marks a rare moment of ease tensions too on the peninsula after a war words between the north and the us you could have done of takes a closer look at that. a man who couldn't think of anything better than to include the threat of a nuclear winter in his new year's speech and donald trump a man who couldn't think of anything better happen to up the ante what ensued might one day come to be known as the battle of buttons. the entire us mainland is within the range of zero nuclear strike on the button is always on the table in my office space you clearly know that this is certainly not a threat but rather a reality. please inform him that i too have a nuclear button but it is much bigger and more powerful one than his and my button works so everyone's beginning to get used to the two way berridge of insults but then unexpectedly kim starts cracking outlines from a very different playbook proposing a joint women's hockey team with south korea at the winter olympics for the first time

so is pyongyang's sudden change of heart real orjust a tactic to avoid war with america?ike to gain time in order to avoid a potential action by the united states and eventually re—engage so it can threaten the united states. the winter of the pics a cover for kimjong—un, a the winter of the pics a cover for kim jong—un, a convenient excuse for him to step back from the brink. —— olympics. but here in the south, any chance to talk is better than the terrifying alternative. steve bannon, the former white house adviser to president trump, has resigned as executive chairman of breitbart news, the right—wing news organisation. mr bannon, who was a key member of the trump team, has recently been quoted in a new book criticising the president's son. breitbart said that mr bannon was a valued part of its legacy and they'd always be grateful for his contributions. our correspondent david willis is in washington. the writing was on the wall for steven bannon, after the president came out and slapped him down, called him sloppy steve and made it clear that he wasn't happy with him

meeting is expected to focus on north korea's participation in next month's winter olympic games in pyongyang chang daniel bulger's a research fellow at the university. korean studies he says the talks are a positive step towards easing tensions on the peninsula. do you mind. the. concept. i'm. sure some. i don't. even have already shown all the tension on the line is that everybody thinks that. going to the. state might be assured by the. national when you're. young you're. right whether. you're going. on the on the table if i believe that this is the first prize the focus will be how the. matter is in the meeting between separate gravity now the u.s. government has a sign in to terminate the temporary protected status of more than two hundred sixty thousand immigrants from el salvador. protesters rallied against the move outside the white house people from el salvador to live and work in the u.s. up to two large earthquakes hit that country in two thousand and one that so-called temporary protected status will not end in september next year people hanes move from washington d.c. . the department

now america's best figure skaters are fighting for a place at next month's winter olympics in pyongyang chang and while it's a sport known for its elegance and grace one competitor is shaking things up. twenty two year old jimmy maher produced a hip hop inspired performance at the national championships in san jose while he was a fan favorite more sits in eleventh place in the men's competition top of the standings those eighteen year old nathan chen he's the only undefeated male skater in the world this season and will be vying for and pick gold. and that is all useful for now back to mariam in london it's lovely thanks very much joe well that's it for the news hour but my colleague nic clarke will be with you with much more of the day's news a full round up of the top stories coming up in just a couple of minutes stay with us. am. in two thousand and eight al-jazeera documented a groundbreaking skiing. preparing some of india's poorest children for entry into its toughest universities. ten years on we return to see how the students and the scheme a helping change the face of india. super th

international olympic committee house confirm north korea's participation at next month's olympics in pyongyang chang during a meeting at sy c. headquarters in switzerland it was decided that twenty two north korean athletes will compete in the three sports but the two koreas marching behind one flag at the opening ceremony the i.c. german president thomas back says the agreement has global significance. i'm sure. that this will be a very emotional moment not only for all koreans but also for the entire world. climbing myself from a family be righted country it is a moment i'm also personally looking for what to with great anticipation and great emotion manchester city have meant saying their twelve point lead at the top of the english premier league after losing their unbeaten league record at liverpool last time out they were too good for newcastle a surge or a trick giving city a three one win. afterwards if you deliver always you have a little bit about how it was going to react would have been if you make two games in a rule. no winning in that way was so important to competitions like a little

olympics have a final chance to have this suspensions overturned in time for the winter games in pyongyang chang thirty nine of the forty three disqualified for doping at the saucy games have begun appealing at the court of arbitration for sport the decision is due at the end of the month just nine days before the start of the olympics the i.o.c. has banned russia from these games over allegations of a systematic doping program but those who prove they are clean will be able to compete as neutrals and the russian issue has overshadowed the upcoming olympics but last week's announcement of a joint north and south korean women's hockey team was seen as a big step towards peace between the hosts and the neighbors still not everyone is happy with the arrangement south korea's coach suggested it's something of a compromise is a tough situation as are our team be used for political reasons but you know it's kind of something that's bigger than ourselves right now and and we're dealing with it it's best we can and we know that we have no control so you know why stress about it why worry about it and ev

so is pyongyang's sudden change of heart real, orjust a tactic to avoid war with america?e to gain time in order to avoid a potential immediate retaliation by the united states against its wmd facilities and eventually re—engage in the provocation cycle so that it can threaten the united states with nuclear action. the winter olympics may be a cover for kim jong—un, a convenient excuse for him to step back from the brink. but here in the south, any chance to talk is better than the terrifying alternative. rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, in pyeongchang, south korea. live now to the south korean capital, and the bbc‘s sophie long. sophie, you are monitoring the speech president moonjae—in is giving. he is speaking about the economic situation, but of course we all want to know about the next stage of this thaw in tensions between south korea and north korea. yes, he is running three his domestic economic policies. but there is a lot of international interest in his press conference this morning because everybody expects to hear his view on the talks which took basis of a.

forward in the olympic spirit to delegation of athletes fans and journalists will be sent to pyongyang chang in neighboring south korea the countries have been holding official talks for the first time since two thousand and fifteen after months of rising tensions the i.o.c. says it's now awaiting details before deciding which north korean athletes can compete our sports correspondent lee wellings says this is a rare piece of good news for the committee. this is a huge relief for them they were worried about a boycott involving russia or a vigil with the puget doping problem they've been worried about the potential of a boycott like ninety eight they're worried about the tensions in the region among those worries don't completely go away but the easing of the tension is a huge boost for an organization that is how one problem after another when the actual action starts it will be brilliant for the i.o.c. as well because people will be concentrating on some great sport one thing not to expect from the north korean winter olympics is any kind of medal washougal washoe many competitors are tall

you know three days to go it's just twenty seven days until the start of the winter olympics in pyongyang chang but the world's best mogul skier has already made history canadian kingsbury posted his forty seven career victory in the most ever by moguls world cup competitor when india valued how was his twelfth in a row. and that's all your sport for now it's now back to marion and london. now fugitive has been arrested in thailand off the pictures of his tattoos and missing the full finger went viral on social media picture of him sitting at a checkers table was shared more than ten thousand times leading to him being identified by his gang tattoos type police say she gets. has been on the run for fourteen years confessed to being part of the yamaguchi gumi gang the seventy four year old is accused of being involved in the murder of a rival leader in japan in two thousand and three. some more news coming up in a couple of minutes and now the bullets and on the way. it's unlikely the band has to travel to the birthplace of the music they know and share a stage with election day challenge. after

so is pyongyang's sudden change of heart real or just a tactic to avoid war with america? >> north korea would like to gain time in order to avoid potential retaliation by the united states and eventually reengage in a production cycle so it can threaten the united states. rupert: the winter olympics may be a cover for kim jong-un, a convenient excuse for him to step back from the brink. but here in the south, any chance to talk is better than the terrifying alternative. rupert wingfield-hayes, bbc news, pyeongchang, south korea. laura: for more on today's talks i was joined a short time ago by bruce klinger, a former cia deputy chief for korea and now at the heritage foundation. do you see these talks as a tactic by north korea to take the pressure off or a genuine strategic shift? bruce: i think more of a tactic. what we have not seen kim jong-un do so far like his father did is a charm offensive, and this may be the beginning of the tactic. every year in the new year's day speech they extend an olive branch to south korea. what is different this year is how quickly the

meeting is expected to focus on the north's participation in next month's winter olympics in pyongyang change also the u.s. government has decided to terminate the temporary protected status of more than two hundred sixty thousand immigrants from el salvador protesters rallied against the move outside the white house and twenty four civilians have been killed near the syrian city of labor's government strikes bombard the region government forces are advancing on the rebel held territory forcing thousands of civilians to flee towards the turkish border. french prosecutors are investigating tech giant apple over its admission last month that it deliberately slowed down older phone older phone models and the inquiry focuses on planned obsolescence a commercial practice forcing consumers to periodic replace products if that's illegal in france and apple says the slowdown is intended to extend the life span of phones by putting less pressure on aging batteries larry magid is a technology analyst and joins us from las vegas could have you with us again on the program larry before we just talk about

it's just twenty seven days until the start of the winter olympics in pyongyang chang but the world's best mogul skier has already made history canadian mccollough kingsbury posted his forty seven career victory in the most ever by mobiles world cup competitor the when india value child was his twelfth in a row. and that's all your sport for now more later and that's also all of this news hour thanks for joining me richelle carey keep it here much more on the other side of the break with my colleague here in charge. you are making very pointed remarks where on line the main u.s. response to drug use and the drug trade over the last fifty years has been to criminalize or if you join us on sex no you will first just wakes up of it in the morning and say i want to cover the world in darkness this is a dialogue and that could be what leading to some of the confusion online about people saying they don't actually know what's going on join the colobus conversation at this time on al-jazeera when the news breaks members of the knesset israel's parliament setting a higher threshold for any fu

so is pyongyang's sudden change of heart real, orjust a tactic to avoid war with america?orea would like to gain time in order to avoid a potential immediate retaliation by the united states against its wmd facilities and eventually re—engage in the provocation cycle so that it can threaten the united states with nuclear action. the winter olympics may be a cover for kim jong—un, a convenient excuse for him to step back from the brink. but here in the south, any chance to talk is better than the terrifying alternative. rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, in pyeongchang, south korea. later, we'll hear any interview ricoh did with people who are spent time in north korea. —— rico. let's take a look at some of the day's other news. president trump's former chief strategist, steve bannon, has resigned as executive chairman of breitbart news, the right—wing news organisation. mr bannon was widely quoted in a new book which painted an unflattering picture of the trump white house, and which accused the president's son of treasonous behaviour. breitbart said that mr bannon was a va

so is pyongyang's sudden change of heart real orjust a tactic to avoid war with america?orth korea would like to gain time in order to avoid a potential immediate retaliation by the united states and eventually re—engage with the provocation cycle so they can threaten the united states. the winter olympics may be a coverfor kimjong—un, a winter olympics may be a coverfor kim jong—un, a convenient excuse for him to step back from the brink, but in the south, any chance to talk is better than the terrifying alternative. few could disagree with that thought. earlier we were joined few could disagree with that thought. earlier we werejoined by south korea's ambassador to the uk and started off by asking him what is the long—term goal of what has just begun. the us and korea have the same view that we can not accept a nuclear armed state. and also we wa nt a nuclear armed state. and also we want to preserve the verifiable... but they give nothing in order to come to the table and the fear is pyongyang is trying to drive a wedge between seoul and washington. pyongyang is trying

so is pyongyang's sudden change of heart real, orjust a tactic to avoid war with america? would like to gain time in order to avoid a potential immediate retaliation by the united states against its wmd facilities and eventually re—engage in the provocation cycle so that it can threaten the united states with nuclear action. the winter olympics may be a cover for kim jong—un, a convenient excuse for him to step back from the brink. but here in the south, any chance to talk is better than the terrifying alternative. rupert wingfield—hayes, bbc news, in pyeongchang, south korea. joining me now from washington is mark fitzpatrick, the executive director of the international institute for strategic studies. thank you forjoining us, good to see you. what do you make of this thawing of the relationship between the north, the first time they've engained in protracted talks for more than two years now, and now the possibility of a north korean delegation going to the winter olympics in the south? it's remarkable, not just the fact of the talks after such a period of ice, but also