opposition to the fta continues in south korea due to possible damage of sales of domestic farm products. the united states and south korea held a press day to show case their joint military exercises to the media. the aim of the drills is to consequen convince north korea not to aid in further military provocation. the exercise is named "full eagle" and opened to the public on thursday. 100 south korean and 200 u.s. troops took part in a 90-minute drill. it took part in firing howitz howitzers. >> it is to deploy to korea and combine with the counterparts that we are united and we can fight together and we will fight and we will win. >> north korea has been refusing to hold dialogue with the south. north korean leader kim jung-un has been speaking out. >>> president karzai has met with leon panetta in kabul on thursday and they discussed the shooting spree with the u.s. soldier when the u.s. soldier murdered 16 afghan citizens. afghan forces have the ability to maintain security on their own in rural areas. he said that international forces have lost the trust of afghan people and they must pull out of rural

to convey that to north korea and to south korea to say that any united states policy toward north korea has to have the partnership and support of south korea. >>trace: and back to the rocket north korea will launch in honor of kim the younger, we know north korea has nuclear weapons but the question has been do they have a system to be able to carry the nuclear weapons, and the theory seems to be they are getting close to that. >>guest: i wouldn't say they "getting close." this is serious, the possibility of the test is serious but to put it in perspective they have had he tests and each of those has failed. and, again, when the united states tested our technology we had 40 tests. there is no question this test, if it happens, north korea will gain valuable technical information, will help them look the road at some point over a number of years to mate a nuclear weapons warhead with a delivery system. >>trace: we sign add deal with them last month and now they are thumbing our nose at us. >>guest: two issues the one is process. how do we move forward? i'm not sure whether it is north k

missile defense by twenty eight thirteen north korea's going to launch a satellite next month and that is something which is being seen by the united states and south korea is a missile test and they're adamantly against a bargain bamma rated the country that patients and threats the country isn't going to win any realized he called in china to press on but by looks at what the united states is really trying to do is to heighten its presence in the region particularly in the asia pacific region. it has been doing so right now in three bases out in australia i don't he has more than twenty thousand military personnel think friends in south korea so by the looks that washington really wants to make its presence known in the asian region for eric singer of kin the co-founder of a campaign to end the korean war and the u.s. involvement in military games in the korean peninsula is aimed at spreading its influence in the asia pacific region a u.s. has its eyes on china it has its eyes and maintaining its military superiority in the region you have to remember that south korea is the largest purchaser of conventional weapons from the united states and any

. >> japanese government officials say they'll work with the united states and south korea to press north korea to drop its launch plans. >>> japan is struggling to deal with millions of tons of rubble left by the earthquake and tsunami last march. prime minister yoshihiko noda asked local authorities around the country to help dispose of it. noda told regional officials disposing of debris is the first step toward reconstruction. he said authorities in areas directly hit by the disaster are overwhelmed by the task. the disaster created more than 22 million tons of debris in the three worst hit prefectures alone. less than a tenth has been incinerated or buried. some local authorities outside the disaster area are already helping. the government will tell them what kind of debris they need them to handle and how much. >>> engineers at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant have taken their first look inside one of the crippled reactors. they used an underwater camera to see what was left after a hydrogen explosion last march. the engineers sent the camera into the number four reactor.

. >>> the united states and south korea will now get cheaper products from each other. a bilateral free trade agreement went into effect on thursday, eliminating tariffs on most of their exports. the deal will remove tariffs on 94% of south korean exports. these include cars and consumer electronics to the u.s. over the next five years. south korea says it expects the fda will boost its gross domestic product by 5.7% and create 350,000 jobs. south korean president e myung-baek is optimistic. about the accord. >> translator: if the south korea/u.s. fta goes well, it will have a positive impact. >> a super market in seoul held a special sale event on thursday marking the launch of the fta. it offered u.s. wines at prices about 30% cheaper than before. about 1,000 members of agricultural organizations gathered in seoul on wednesday to demand a halt to the launch of the trade deal. opposition to the fda continues in south korea due to concerns over possible damage to sales of domestic foreign products. >>> the aim of the drills is to convince north korea not to engage in fu

carry out a satellite launch next month but that launch is seen as a missile test by the united states and south korea so the leaders of russia in the united states have agreed that they are going to put pressure on north korea in order to prevent them from carrying out that oppose the missile tests so of course still a lot of issues between russia and the united states to tinker are good at least they have finally come to an agreement that it's absolutely necessary that coffee on and continued his mission on installing peace in syria. ridiculous reporting there were international peace envoy kofi annan is now headed for china having secured russia's backing for his efforts to bring bloodshed in syria to an end it comes as the syrian national council the rebel and into the country's true government calls for that position groups since he has been losing support splintering away from it and invited every. twenty minutes to move them back to its wing and middle east blogger karl rove says the opposition's internal bickering. western support. what allowed this struggle to become a protracted one for syri

and in business, the united states and south korea open a new era of closer trade ties. >> hello. chinese state media have announced the major sacking within the ranks of the ruling communist party. it says the party boss in the southwestern city of chingqing has been dismissed in a scandal. bo xilai has been tipped to replace later in the year on china's most powerful body, the standing pode, as martin patience reports. >> he's one of china's most high-profile politicians. bo xilai is comfortable in the limelight and had been tipped for a top position during this year's leadership change. he had a campaign against organized crime, when he was party chief. but since last month, there has been intense speculation over his future. his police chief, shown here on the right, apparently tried to defect at a u.s. consulate. bo xilai's close associate under -- is not under investigation. it was this extraordinary scandal which now appears to have claimed bo xilai. on wednesday, premier wen took the highly unusual step of criticizing his colleague in public. >> the municipal party committ

what north korea says is such a large launch which is due to happen next month but the united states and south korea and japan now saying the same thing as it's. known young's test of its weaponry and their stringently extremely against it now of course the united states president obama in particular has used this seems to have used those five lines all of the nuclear security summit in order to discuss a lot of international issues but primarily it looks like the u.s. is looking to increase its presence in asia particularly in the pacific or in the asia pacific region and the u.s. president has never made a secret of it he always said that that was exactly the intent of the united states there is talk about about stationing u.s. ships on a naval base which is being billed by south korea right now there's also you have to remember that more than twenty thousand u.s. military personnel already stationed here in south korea there is also being developed in australia which is to help more than twenty five hundred u.s. troops and basically a lot of people view with yet another chance for her or the curr

united states also is looking for other countries to help out to get tougher on north korea. basically, stressing china. >>shepard: what do we know of military exercises between the united states and southorea. >>trace: war games off the coast of south korea involving 200,000 south korean troops and 13,000 u.s. troops. we are talking 13 naval ships, dozens of helicopters and hundreds of am filibuster out assault vehicles like this. the united states and south korean commanders say the exercises are not meant to be provocative but meant to strengthen readiness. >> partnering with our korean partners allows to us do many things to promote security in the region. and it increases our ability to support other things such as humanitarian assistance which is possible in this region of the world. >>trace: north korean media calls the exercises "infringement on our sovereignty and north korean military commanders," and they are threatening to "launch a merciless sacred war." >>shepard: at home members of a street gang in a wealthy washington, dc, suburb, forced high school girls into prostitution. coming up what official say happened to the girl when they tried to quit. i remember the day my do

united states is to create more. all over the world there are plans for such shield in eastern europe and now the united states is going to be working closely with south korea australia and japan in order to build such bases and they're saying this is to confront possible threats from north korea or iran north korea is going to want satellite next month and that's something which has been seen by the united states by japan and south korea is a missile test and they are adamantly against it. grated the country that by probations and threats the country isn't going to win any realized he called on china to try something but by looks at what the united states is really trying to do is to heighten its presence in the region particularly in the asia pacific region and they're also fears that such plans will not go down well with china and russia who see it as a threat to their security or also course reminder that moscow is already unpopular with the u.s. plans to build a missile shield in eastern europe and that was one of the marines markets of discussion between president obama on the first date. off the summit and there was of course the now infamous remark

so-called bad behavior and the reason for such harsh rhetoric is the planned satellite launch which north korea is hoping to conduct next month now the united states japan and south korea view this not as a as a as a satellite launch but rather as a missile test and they're being opposed to it of course the united states president obama in particular seems to have used the sidelines of the nuclear security summit in order to discuss a lot of international issues but primarily it looks like the u.s. is looking to increase its presence in in asia particularly in the asia pacific region if you look at what's going on in south korea for example the base that is being built which housed u.s. naval ships and you have to remember the twenty eight thousand u.s. troops are still already stationed here and there's also plans to put more than twenty five hundred military personnel in australia over the next six years so a lot of people are saying that's why this harsh criticism or to north korea the united states is actually showing china that it's still mighty in the region in its keeping its presence here in asia and that it's also keeping an ever watchful eye on china an

and most of it the reason for such harsh rhetoric is. is that. satellite launch which north korea is hoping to conduct next month now the united states japan and south korea view this not as a as a launch but rather as a missile test and they're opposed to it the united states president represented by the president obama said that they're calling on china to. north korea's only ally to put pressure on pyongyang but there is also some of the. harsh rhetoric the united states is only trying to put more pressure on china. in order to show its increasing presence in the asian pacific region if you look at what's going on in south korea for example at the moment or the base that is in bills which may house u.s. naval ships and you have to remember that twenty eight thousand u.s. military personnel already stationed here in this country there's also plans to put more than twenty five hundred military personnel in australia over the next six years so a lot of people are saying that by the harsh criticism of north korea the united states is actually showing china that it still might see in the region in the keeping its presence here in asia and that it's al

korea has had for some time. so i think there are positives to this agreement both in pyongyang and the united states and south korea as well. >> woodruff: just briefly, would you agree those are the next steps to look for? >> they are, but i would caution about the food aid. if, in fact, we are prefacing our shipments of food aid based on monitoring, if north korea cannot meet those requirements then from the message that kim jong-un sends to his people is that the united states reneged on the deal. so, again, it is... we have to be quite careful with all of these steps and measures. >> woodruff: well, we thank you both. breaking and entering know what hwang, donald gregg. >> ifill: still to come on the "newshour": the republican delegate puzzle; business with a conscience; an opposition voice from russia and upheaval at rupert murdoch's news corp. but first, with the other news of the day. here's hari sreenivasan. >> sreenivasan: at least nine people were killed in the midwest early today as an outbreak of tornadoes ripped across the region. more than 30 others were hurt, and a series of small towns suffered heavy

northern korean tests north korea says that they are going to carry out a satellite launch next month but that launch is seen as a missile test both by the united states japan and south korea so the leaders of russia in the united states have agreed that they are going to put pressure on north korea in order not to prevent them from carrying out that supposedly missile tests next month so overall a productive meeting but again no serious breakthroughs really except for of course this final finally voiced agreement on the situation in syria which obviously has to be dealt with in a peaceful and diplomatic matter. the mission carried out by kofi annan is absolutely vital. and she's really going to school thank you. well international peace envoy kofi annan is now headed for china having secured russia's backing for his efforts to bring bloodshed in syria to an end it comes as the syrian national council the rebel authority to be the country's true government calls for a pact among opposition groups since he has been losing support of more groups into a new way from it it's now invited a. turkey. to them its wing this blog says the opposition's internal bickering. one w

north korea is playing satellites next month and that's something which is seen by. by the united states by japan and south korea is a missile test and they are adamantly against a. country. saying that it's. threats the country isn't going to win any new allies he called on china to press them because according to. north korea's only ally and influence in that regard and of course there were a lot of very harsh words. about north korea in fact there is a ready information regarding. defense shields which are apparently standing at the ready if the satellite. and the satellite launch by north korea it looks like. by south korean military. they leave it there for the ridiculousness thank you for that. she wrote in the co-founder of the campaign to end the korean war these u.s. involvement and games in the korean peninsula is aimed at spreading its influence in the asia pacific region. they has its eyes on china it has its eyes and maintaining its military superiority in the region you have to remember that south korea is the largest purchaser of conventional weapons from the united states than any other cou

major companies from russia, china, the united states, japan, and south korea are raising their hands to participate in a joint development project. the mongolian government is negotiating with each country, but the process to determine the winning bid isn't easy. we would like to announce the result as soon as possible in 2012. >> reporter: mongolia's growing economy is helping to raise its region's profile. that's put the spotlight on its close ties with north korea. we asked prime minister batbold about the role his country could play in helping japan, the u.s., and south korea monitor the north's nuclear development program. >> translator: we don't want to isolate or exclude north korea from international society. our policy is to encourage north korea to participate in the international community. we will take a more active role according to that policy. >> reporter: the prime minister says regional security remains a top priority. >> translator: mongolia would like to do its best to help maintain peace and security in asia. mongolia is now a democracy. we have succeeded in the d

rainy and oil however the major importance of iranian oil haven't done to our haven't done that is satisfactory. levels especially for the united states we're looking here china india and it's south korea now the united states and barack obama the president has warned it should be countries not cut their imports of iranian oil by satisfactory levels then well those countries could face sanctions of their own. if i let down your now the r.t. business desk and find out what the latest middle east tensions mean for global oil prices. yes still above one hundred twenty three dollars a barrel be renewed situations they want people talking about but there are other factors keeping the high as well we'll bring you those reasons in the business in the world ten minutes on. a later we report on how three decades after the war britain is accused of reaffirming its military might near the falkland islands all in the name of oil. it's a quarter past the hour here in the russian capital al-qaeda says it's behind a series of bomb attacks that killed forty six and injured at least two hundred all across iraq eight cities were struck the blasts targeting police headquarters and security forces on tues

and oil however the major importers of iranian oil haven't done well haven't done that. satisfactory levels especially for the united states we're looking here at china india and it's south korea now. the united states and delicate part of the president has warned this should these countries not cut their imports of iranian oil by satisfactory levels then both countries could face sanctions of their own or partner threatening to cut off the countries like i say china and india from the u.s. financial system now that could have potentially huge repercussions when it comes to business dealings and trade between those countries in could result in some quite serious financial disaster. reporting right there of a need for oil drives exploration to the most remote of places and of course for yours conflicts as well but peru has cancelled the shuttle the visit by a british warship and what it called a spirit of solidarity act with argentina but us arias has a long running dispute with london over the falkland islands in the atlantic both countries claim the archipelago is there's. no reports of this. first prince in the warship all apparently routine but to watch and tina the message

and oil however the major importers of iranian oil haven't done well our haven't done that is satisfactory level. especially for the united states we're looking here china and india and it's south korea now. the united states and barack obama the president has warned it should please countries not cut their imports of iranian oil by satisfactory levels then those countries could face sanctions of their own. and a crude oil is causing a headache in another part of the world or later we are of course on hold three decades after the war britain is accused of reaffirming its military might near the falkland islands all in the name of oil. al-qaeda says it's behind a series of bomb attacks that killed forty six and injured at least two hundred all across iraq eight cities were struck with blasts targeting police headquarters and security forces on tuesday the latest violence came a day after the ninth anniversary of the u.s. led invasion of iraq and just one week before the arab league summit is due to be held in baghdad at the meeting is aimed at establishing iraq as an important political player in the region since the u.s. troop withdrawal in december but antiwar activist and michael a

and oil however the major importers of iranian oil haven't done to our haven't done that is satisfactory. levels especially for the united states we're looking here china and india and it's south korea now the united states and barack obama the president has warned this should please countries not cut their imports the rainy and oil by satisfactory levels then those countries could face sanctions of their own. iran is at the top of the agenda of the u.n. a security council meeting underway in new york right now stronger statements have been made by the u.s. accusing iran of supplying weapons to syria but russia has criticized if you are sanctions calling them unilateral more honest i'll talk to american lawyer a professor of international law of the geneva school of diplomacy dr alfred desires to live in geneva thank you for coming on r.t. today iran's economy and financial sector are already under heavy sanctions from the u.s. and the e.u. who all the while claiming iran is pursuing nuclear weapons what is the agenda here do you think well i am not an economist i'm a professor of law. former united nations our senior official. and i very much believe in the united nations charter a

levels especially for the united states we're looking here china at india and it's south korea now the united states and barack obama the president has warned it should these countries not cut their imports of iranian oil by satisfactory levels then well those countries could face sanctions of their own people of them and iran is at the top of the agenda at the u.n. security council in new york strong statements to be made by the u.s. accusing iran of supplying weapons to syria a professor of international law at the geneva school of diplomacy dr desires says that the united nations has become a war making machine have a great concern about the organization being transformed into a war making organization misusing the security council for purposes of incitement the united nations has one hundred ninety three states and the organization is not being directed by any one in particular but what the organization has to do is to be indicate the rule of law until recently cait the validity of the charter and to make it clear that international law cannot be current you cannot say we will appl

especially for the united states we're looking here at china india and it's south korea now the united states and buttercup barber the president has warned it should be countries not cut their imports of iranian oil by satisfactory levels then well those countries could face sanctions of their own well let's cross to daniel and our business that's to point out what the latest middle east tensions mean for oil prices. across the board also world markets have had another mixed day on the back of that on more global problems problems for the global economy will have all the business in around ten minutes time. and later a report on how three decades after the war britain is accused of reaffirming its military might near the franklin islands all in the name of oil. all still to come for you this hour but first al qaeda says it's behind a series of bomb attacks that killed forty six people and injured at least two hundred across iraq eight cities were struck with blast targeting police headquarters and security forces on tuesday the latest violence came a day after the ninth anniversary of

and oil however the major importers of iranian oil haven't done well or haven't done that is satisfactory level. especially for the united states we're looking here at china it's india and it's south korea now the united states and barack obama the president has warned it should be east countries not cut their imports of iranian oil by satisfactory levels then those countries could face sanctions of their own obama threatening to cut off the countries like i say china and india from the u.s. financial system now that could have potentially huge repercussions when it comes to business dealings and trade between those countries and could result in some quite serious financial disaster. kind of crude oil is causing a headache in other parts of the world as well just a little bit later on we report on three decades after the war britain is accused of reaffirming its military might near the falkland islands all in the name of god . so just after ten minutes past the hour here in moscow al qaeda says it's behind a series of bomb attacks that killed forty six and injured at least two hundred all across iraq eight cities were struck with blasts targeting police headquarters and security forces

from the headlines these days north korea has also been something of a news maker as of late especially with this. launch and little. south korea japan and the united states that satellite launch. north korea's rocketry they are adamant that this should not happen in fact south korea and japan already promised that they are going to shoot down the satellite should lift off but north korea says it's going to do that anyhow because it is absolutely vital for his development but going back to the issue with missile shields in the east asia pacific region and in the middle east some are already seeing that america's terminations to stay in the region in fact expand its presence in the pacific in the asia pacific region. right there in seoul south korea thank you very much. eric sirota and co-founder of the campaign to end the korean war believes u.s. involvement in military games in the korean peninsula is aimed at spreading its influence in the asia pacific region. they has its eyes on china it has its eyes on maintaining its military superiority in the region you have to remember that south korea is the largest purchaser of conventional weapons from the uni

and oil however the major importers of iranian oil haven't done well our haven't done that is satisfactory level. especially for the united states we're looking here at china and it's india and it's south korea now. the united states and barack obama the president has warned that should these countries not cut their imports of iranian oil by satisfactory levels then those countries could face sanctions of their own. across to daniel in our business desk to find out what the latest middle east tensions mean for oil prices. well they're still on the rise and that's having a bad effect on investors who feel higher prices will host a cannot recovery business of fifteen minutes time. later this hour a report on how three decades after the war britain is accused of reaffirming its military might near the falkland islands all in the name of oil. well back to what about top stories now the two fronts where french police are still surrounding the home of the government suspected of killing three jewish school children a rabbi and three paratroopers around to lose interior ministry has denied previous reports of his arrest but this of course is introduced at the moment i was attending the funerals of

south korea and is also thinking of putting its military ships. naval base which is being constructed in south korea as well you really look at the united states almost on a on the. on this mission to expand its presence and not just in the asia pacific region but also in the middle east and it of course can worry some countries particularly russia and china who are always concerned with the fact that such missile defense seals could pose a potential threat for their safety. from seoul thank you. barracks a world can call founder of the campaign to end the korean war believes u.s. involvement in military games in the korean peninsula is aimed at spreading its influence and asia pacific region a has its eyes on china it has its eyes on maintaining its military superiority in the region you have to remember that south korea is the largest purchaser of conventional weapons from the united states than any other country in the world there's a lot of money involved in this process and there is an eye on china to kind of flex the muscles and show that the u.s. still has. hope for a role in the region and we really need to find a way back to the table not se

especially for the united states we're looking here china india and it's south korea now the united states in but i could bar the president has warned it should be east countries not cut their imports of iranian oil by satisfactory levels then well those countries could face sanctions of their own obama threatening to cut off the countries like i say china and india from the u.s. financial system now that could have potentially huge repercussions when it comes to business dealings and trade between those countries encourages all to well some quite serious financial disaster. now the need for oil drives exploration in the most remote of places and fuels conflicts as well peru has canceled the shuttle visit by a british warship in a movie so it was a spirit of solidarity act with argentina when us ours has a long running dispute with london over the falklands islands in the atlantic as both countries claim the archipelago was theirs as r.t. as i've been at. first the prince. then the war ship all apparently routine but toward tina the message is clear when i go out that it's a regional and g

north korea knows hits obligations and must take step to meet those obligations on that the united states and republic of korea he are absolutely united. and since southone of our global partners we addressed challenges to national security and i want to thank south korea for important contribution and reinstruction in afghanistan and updated the president for our n.a.t.o. summit in chicago where we will chart the next phase of the transition to afghan and thank the president of south korea strong support of sanctions in iran because of failure to meet its international obligations, i know this decision does not come without costs both to the republic of korea as well as our own country. but the prospects of an iran with nuclear weapons would be a threat to the world. and this is one more example of south korea stepping up and playing a leadership role on the world stage. and finally, we're deepening the ties between our people. we agreed to expand educational exchanges, which will give more korean students the opportunity to study in the united states, which benefits both of our countries, so, once again, president lee, i thank you for your hospitali

and the south is taking place. it is the time for the joint military exercises between south korea and its ally, the united states. our correspondent has been there. >> america's forces are on the move. tanks, trucks, and thousands of extra troops sent to join their south korean allies for military exercises. from north korea's. a view, this is the old place of america's presence here. with the ink barely dry on the new agreement with the u.s., where do larger-scale were games like this fit in? >> there is no relationship. the exercise that we are having right now in march and april is a long-standing exercise that we conduct annually here in korea. the purpose of that is to demonstrate u.s. resolve to support the republic of korea as well as the alliance, and to train, to enhance readiness and injteroperability. this was scheduled in advance of current happenings in korea. >> north korea seems to be treating the two issues separately, protesting the exercises with a vast rally in the capital. as yet, no political consequences. the question is, how long can the new accord withstand events like these? these exercise

korea and the united states alliance. >> tuesday's demonstration is widely viewed as an effort by the u.s. and south korea to highlight their unity ahead of the launch by north korea. >>> today marks the 17th anniversary of a deadly sarin gas attack on tokyo's metro system. the incident left 13 people dead and sickened about 6,300 others. members of aum shinrikyo religious cult released the toxic gas inside subway trains during the morning rush hour. a memorial service was held at tokyo's kasumigaseki station. families of the victims and other participants, including transport minister takeshi maeda, offered flowers. >> translator: i offer flowers every year in the hope that people's memory do not fade away. >> japan's supreme court has finalized death sentences for 13 members of the cult for the sarin attack and other crimes. >>> japan and canada are expected to announce a plan to negotiate a bilateral economic partnership agreement. the two sides will likely give the final go ahead to the talks when japanese prime minister yoshihiko noda meets canadian prime minister stephen harper in tokyo later

and our partnership with the republic of korea and the united states alliance. >> reporter: tuesday's demonstration is widely viewed as an effort by the u.s. and south korea to highlight their unity ahead of the launch by north korea. fumitaka sato, nhk world, seoul. >>> u.n. delegates revisited an issue they've been ask ydiscuss for months, syria, but they can't agree on how to stop the fighting that's gone on for a year now. president bashar al assad's groups attacked deir al-zor. a human rights activists says the opposition free syrian army had to flee the city. large quantities of weapons are believed to have been smuggled into deir al-zor from anybody g i iraq. government forces have already taken the central city of homs and the northern city of idvid. the government has accepted a humanitarian fact-finding team and president assad agreed to allow in experts who will discuss the formation of a group to monitor any cease-fire. still government troops show little sign of letting up in their attacks. russia has offered conditional support for a u.n. security council statement designed to end the crisis. foreign minister sergei lavrov made some of

north korea knows its obligations and it must take irreversible steps to meet those obligations. on this the united states and the rebub lick of korea are united. >> the president and southorean counter part are worried over north korea's plan to laun launch. >> the man who is a heart beet away from the president has a new heartbeat himself. he has already survived five other attacks. here is athena jones. >> former vice president cheney waited more than 20 months for this information to become available. he thanked his team of doctors and medical professionals for their continued outstanding care. we have also heard from a spokesman from former president george w. bush. he said that president bush was in touch with the cheney family. he and mrs. bush were happy to hear that the surgery went well and they are keeping cheney in their prayers for a full and speedy recovery. he has had five heart attacks over the course of his life. he was just 37 years old when the first happened. now at 71, cheney is on the high end of the age group of people who usually get the heart transplants. most people are in their 50s. >> thank you, athena. how do you feel about this kpent from pr

a free trade agreement between south korea and united states has come into effect five years after it was signed it's the biggest such deal for the u.s. and sixteen years and is a bit slashing tariffs and other trade barriers south korea's opposition democratic united party says the plan will trigger a backlash against the government claiming it favors the us over the country's workers activists have staged rallies in seoul calling for the protocol to be scrapped. its national monetary funds approve a twenty eight billion euro loan for greece on thursday the cash is part of the second one hundred thirty billion euro international bailout for the struggling country intended to keep it from the top twenty fourteen greece has been hit by protests over the austerity being altered in return with widespread and employment and poverty because of a downturn from the massive national debt. next as promised just no room for some adventurous discoveries as we take you on another trip to another corner of the world's largest country russia in our close up series. just where are we heading well le

north korea knows its obligations and it must take irreversible steps to meet most obligations. on this, the united states and the republic of korea are absolutely united. since souths one of our key global partners we discussed a range of challenges to international security and want to thank south korea for its important reconstruction and the nato in chicago where we will chart the next phase of the transition to afghan lead and i also thank the president of south korea's strong support of sanctions on iran because of its failure to meet its international obligations. i know this decision does not come without costs. both to the republic of korea as well as our own country. but the prospects of an iran with nuclear weapons would be a threat to the world. and this is one more example of south korea stepping up and playing a leadership role on the world stage. finally, we're deepening the ties between our people. we agreed to expand educational exchanges which will give more korean students the opportunity to study in the united states which benefits both of our countries. so once again, president lee, i thank you for your hospitality, for your leadership, our all

united states made it very clear a satellite launch would be a deal breaker. let me turn briefly at just if you permit me one more minute to south korea. over the last year the united states and iraq have sought to transform the alliance so it remains available not only for the security of the decree an peninsula but also regionally and globally. we have frequently consult and coordinate with iraq counterparts across a variety of issues with the media focus being on preparation for the transfer of wartime operational control and the relocation of u.s. forces on the korean peninsula. to ensure the alliance remains well positioned to promote peace and stability for decades to come, our two countries have a comprehensive plan under strategic alliance 2015 framework to transition wartime operational control from the u.s. iraq combined forces demand to the rock joint chiefs of staff by december 2015. this transition will enable them to take the lead role in the defense of its nation while maintaining an enduring u.s. defense commitment and capability. as part of that effort general ther man will speak in more depth we are working to relocate u.s. forces and the metropolitan area s