so it does seem that stephen biegun is making a direct plea here.ited states doesn't accept that there is a deadline. they say that there is a deadline. they say that the united states has a goal of reaching denuclearisation. that is not what north korea is saying. it says it has a deadline and it is fast approaching. who knew fax machines were still being used. thank you very much. anti—government protesters in the lebanese capital, beirut, have again clashed with security forces. protesters threw bottles and fireworks at police officers, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. on monday, the lebanese parliament will consider whom to nominate as prime minister to replace saad al—hariri, who resigned in october. claire sedman reports. beirut is once again a flashpoint for protest. tea rgas beirut is once again a flashpoint for protest. teargas choked the air as police took aim with water cannon at protesters flooding into the city's central square. translation: iam here, city's central square. translation: i am here, and city's central square.

so it does seem that stephen biegun is making a direct plea here.ited states doesn't accept that there is a deadline. they say that the united states has a goal of reaching denuclearisation. that is not what north korea is saying. it says it has a deadline, and it is fast approaching. people across new zealand have observed a minute's silence to mark one week since the deadly eruption of white island volcano. jacinda ardern led the silence, standing alongside her ministers in wellington's parliament building. the tribute was held at 11 minutes past two the exact moment the eruption happened. 16 deaths have been confirmed while two bodies are still missing — believed to be in the water off the island. a short while ago the prime ministerjacinda ardern gave a press conference to update on the latest on the victims and the investigation. asi as i have said many times, there remain questions to be asked and questions to be answered. as you will know, on the 10th of december, work safe open to health and safety investigation into the harm and loss of lif

well, let's get this done, said us envoy stephen biegun.iating table from here in seoul. the problem is, north korea has set a deadline by the end of the year. it was set, back in april, by kimjong un himself. he said that the us had until the end of this year to come up with a denuclearisation deal that was acceptable to pyongyang. what he means is extensive sanctions relief plus security guarantees. that has not, a north korea's view, materialised, and over the last few weeks we have seen that ramping up of tests. in fact, last week we had two tests of an apparent rocket engine. this is an engine for what many analysts believe could be an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the united states. or it could also be a satellite. either way, north korea is keeping the united states guessing and also saying look, we might be able to launch one of these, despite your sanctions, and it would break their word that kimjong un offered to donald trump when he said i will not test these long—range missiles. kim jong un has said that

stephen biegun has held a news conference after meetings with south korean officials.ot do it alone. therefore, here today, let me speak directly to our counterparts in north korea. it is time for us to do ourjobs. let's get this done. we are here. and you know how to reach us. 0ur correspondent laura bicker is in seoul and sent us this update on the standstill in negotiations. well, the clock is ticking, and the clock has been set by north korea themselves. they have said that donald trump has until the end of this year to come up with a denuclearisation deal that involves significant sanctions relief and security guarantees or north korea says it will choose what it describes as a new path. that leaves the door open a little. what exactly is this new path? we have had a few hints over the last few months. more short range ballistic missile tests and also within the last week, there have been apparently two tests of a rocket engine. this is the kind of engine that may launch or help launch an intercontinental ballistic missile. these are the long—range missiles capabl

the us envoy to north korea, stephen biegun, has said the door remains open to a peace deal, despitee. mr biegun, who is visiting south korea, said the us had no deadline, but instead had a goal to fullfil the commitments president trump and kim jong—un made during their historic summit. anti—government protesters in lebanon have again clashed with the security forces. the protests came a day after dozens of people were injured in some of the worst violence since the demonstrations began two months ago. later, parliament will consider who to nominate as prime minister to replace saad al—hariri, who resigned in october. new zealand has held a minute's silence to mark the exact moment a week ago when a deadly volcanic eruption took place on white island. 18 people are known to have died in the explosion, including two whose bodies have not been recovered. several people are in a critical condition in hospital. the editor of the online magazine rappler has appeared in court in the philippines to answer charges of cyber libel. maria ressa is a prominent critic of president duterte. she s

and stephen biegun would be a natural choice.nd he could fill in as acting secretary for many months. another possibility is robert o'brien, now the national security adviser. let's bring in scott lucas. scott, professor of international politics and founder of eaue live this morning. >> happy holidays, george. >> same to you. let's start here with the impasse between the u.s. house of representatives, the senate, and house speaker keeping close to the vest her plans whether or if to move forward. the senate majority calling her bluff. do you think this is indeed putting pressure on mitch mcconnell? >> well, whether or not mcconnell's feeling pressure, he's the key person here. that is, trump, look, it's a distraction talking about mike pompeo is a distraction. bottom line is mitch mcconnell is blocking witnesses, he's blocking documents from being presented in any trial of donald trump. a trial without witnesses and a trial without documents in the view of nancy pelosi and in the view of many others is not really a trial. now, t

stephen biegun met with south korean officials in seoul monday just days after north korea says it carried out another crucial test at a rocket launch site. north korea's u.n. ambassador said last week that denuclearization is off the table in any negotiations with the u.s. let's talk about it with our paula hancocks, who is covering these developments in seoul, south korea. hello to you, paula. >> reporter: hello, natalie. well, steve biegun also met with the south korean president, moon jae-in, this morning to talk about north korea, and he did make some comments earlier on this morning. he was talking about how if the north koreans want to talk, they know how to reach him, saying publicly to his counterparts in north korea that it's time to get the job done. it's time to do our jobs and time to talk about this. he also pointed out that the u.s. doesn't have a deadline. now, this is in direct response to the fact that north korea has imposed a deadline on these negotiations, saying that the u.s. has till the end of the year to change its attitude, to come up with something better in the

stephen biegun and south korea with a message. >> let me speak directly to our counterparts in northit is time for us to do our jo jobs. let's get this done. we are here. you know how to reach us. >> despite two meetings this year, there's been no real progress towards the denuclearization of north korea. all four meetings haven't happened. he was left talking with allies. >> south korea on the u.s. have agreed to continue making efforts under close corporation, cooperation. >> this comes after one north korea called a crucial test this weekend along range missile. the second in ten days at a launch site. add to the north korean army saying it was aimed at the development of another strategic weapon of the north korea army. reliably restricting an overpowering threat to the u.s. i knew your deadline to come up with a new offer or else was rejected by envelope again. the latest from a north about a nuclear flash with the u.s. is only ugly mistakes. >> we may be going back to a crisis of the north koreans go back to long-range missile testing or nuclear testing. that will put us back i

stephen biegun met with south korean officials in seoul monday and set a clear message to north korea, it is time to return to the negotiating table. >> president trump, president moon, and all of us who serve them have worked hard to keep open the door to negotiations with north korea. it has been a long year, and we have not made nearly as much progress as we would have hoped. but we will not give up. i have read closely the many comments from various north korean officials over the course of the past month. we have heard them all. it is regrettable that the tone of these statements towards the united states, the republic of korea, japan, and our friends in europe have been so hostile and negative and so unnecessary. >> this comes just days after north korea says it carried out another crucial test at a rocket launch site and after north korean leader kim jong-un promised to deliver a so-called christmas gift to the united states. >>> meantime, south korean officials are now pushing to reopen a joint north and south korean resort. they say it is the key to peace with north korea, bu

special representative stephen biegun met with south korean officials in seoul.e urged the north to reopen gotiations on its nuclear program. >> we are here. and you know how to reach us.ul we are aware of the strong potential for north korea to conduct major provocations in a the daad, to say the least, such an action will be most unhelpful in achieving a lasting peace on the korea >> woodruff: north korea has ramped up weapons testing in recent months, including second major test at a rocket launch site last friday. the u.s. supreme court opted today not to hear a se on banning homeless people from sleeping outdoors in public spaces. instead, the justis today left in place an appeals court ruling against an ordinancen boise, idaho. that law barred the homeless from campi outside when no other shelter is available. a federal judge has blocked georgia from purging 313,000 people from voting rolls-- at least, for now. it would have affected those who have moved or died, or have not voted in seven years. democrat stacey abrams led the legal challenge. she lost to r

us special envoy stephen biegun has urged north korea to come to the negotiating table over denuclearisationlite launch site. north korea has set an end—of—year deadline for the us to come up with a new deal, adding it can expect a ‘christmas gift‘ if it does not comply. we don't know what that means exactly. hallmark cards have apologised for their decision to withdraw television advertisements featuring same—sex couples. the company's cable network pulled the ads for wedding registry and planning site zola under pressure from the conservative group one million moms. the decision's drawn heavy criticism on social media and calls for a boycott. and it was very quickly reversed. just shows that companies dealing with the social media fallout, you cannot apologise quickly enough and evenif cannot apologise quickly enough and even if you do apologise it might not work. brands can be lost very quickly. that did not wa nt to alienate people by pulling the ends of the they reversed it but the damage might have artie been done. ceos and companies having to step into cultural issues in a way that pe

strategy group by the korean representative and stephen biegun and the combined strategy group is the key to move forward that serves iraq and u.s. alliance interest. this report is based on two new assumptions to replace these who we had made, and believes that one camp will lead to denuclearization, and being, the rid tab argues for the right com bin aegz of both. >> are possible, very lakely that kim has no intention of denuclearizing and we must attend that fact. we assume it is only when kim faces a significant internal threat that will cause him to recalibrate. he must realize from that internal threat that the threat of possessing nuclear weapons is greater than giving them up, and until he feels that internal pressure he is unlikely to ever change. external pressure can and must be -- must contribute to this condition, but as it now stands in kim's calculus, he needs nuclear weapons for survival to support his blackmail diplomacy and it is unification of the korean peninsula under what i like to call the ghouling on state in order to achieve regime survival. we see no evidence

stephen biegun has held a news conference after meetings with south korean officials. negotiations. the problem as north korea has set a deadline, it was set back in april by kimjong un himself. he said the us had until the end of this year to come back with a deal for the denuclearisation that was acceptable to pyongyang. what he means is extensive sanctions lift plus security guarantees. that has not in the view of north korea materialised and a massive that ramping up of tests. in the last week, we've had two tests of an apparent rocket engine. this is an engine for what many engine. this is an engine for what ma ny a nalysts engine. this is an engine for what many analysts believe could be an intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of reaching the united states, or it could be a satellite. either way, north korea is keeping the united states guessing and also saying look, we might be able to launch one of these, despite your sanctions, and it would break their word that kim jong sanctions, and it would break their word that kimjong un sanctions, and it would br

standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of stephen biegun of michigan to be deputy secretary of state, signed by 17 senators as follows. mr. mcconnell: i ask knack the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the committee on judiciary be discharged from further consideration of s. 2774 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 2774, a bill to direct the attorney general to establish and carry out a veteran treatment court program. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the committ

stephen e. biegun of michigan to be deputy secretary. the presiding officer: the question is on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? second. appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: jood tsai 123450 vote: vote: the presiding officer: any senator wishing to vote or change a vote? if not, the ayes are 90, the nays are 3. the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motions to reconsider are considered made and laid on the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senate's action. the senate will resume legislative session. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on the motion to concur on the house amendment to the senate amendment to h.r. 1158, an act to authorize cyber teams, signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: order, please. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is