the former prime minister to five years in prison for corruption police fired tear gas to disperse them zia was convicted of them best selling or than two hundred fifty thousand dollars in donations meant for an orphanage trust and lawyers say they will appeal against the conviction as she risks being in an audible to run in december's national election. schools of aftershocks are hampering their rescue efforts in taiwan as the search continues for survivors of tuesday's earthquake dozens are still missing after the magnitude six point four tremor killed ten people and injured hundreds in the port city while u.n. israel has begun to build a controversial wall along its border with lebanon construction work is taking place in a few meters from the disputed area which both countries claim that unease leaders say building the wall is threatening the stability of the region is also tension over a bid by lebanon to explore for oil and gas in disputed mediterranean waters there's

a main headlines to stay with us inside story is next out of the news after year after that i've now. is north korea playing games with the winter olympics athletes from both korea set to launch and a unified flag of the opening ceremony but as the south the red carpet but also on for book paraded in pyongyang so can the honeymoon last this is inside story.

on how this is inside a story south korea's president has been trying to sell the winter games in. as a peace lympics he may have got his wish with an axe and expect a thaw with the north the took korea decided to talk of the heights of tension over the north's nuclear bomb and ballastic missile development the first face to face negotiations in two years led to the north's inclusion in the winter games and now young is on the charm offensive. from the north of the games but due to launch with competitors from the south and a unified flag the delegation from north of the border is being led by the ceremonial had of the sate team young now he is the highest level leader to visit south korea also that is the sister of leader kim jong on came you know jong is set

to be increasingly powerful and influential. but the u.s. isn't sold vice president mike pence has been speaking in tokyo before leading the u.s. delegation to south korea who warned the world not to get taken in by the north the united states and japan will continue to confront the most dangerous threat in the indo-pacific the rogue regime in north korea we will not allow north korean propaganda to hijack the message and imagery of the olympic games we will not allow north korea to hide behind the olympic banner the reality the things flee their people and threaten the wider region and on the eve of the much anticipated display of unity of the winter olympics a show force in killing young a military parade for the seventieth anniversary of the founding of north korea's on me came jungle on board that soldiers are ready to fight if the u.s. and these are lies but and its sovereignty included in the convoy of weapons were

intercontinental ballistic missiles the focus of global alarm frustration and conciliation two thousand and seventeen was a busy year for north korea's missile and nuclear scientists more than twenty missiles were test launched last year suggesting developments in both short and long range rocket technology a new assignment blasted off in november larger and more powerful than and the last from the north before and capable honest say of attacking any city of the united states but the achievements came at a cost to the already poverty stricken economy with tough new sanctions imposed by the u.s. and the u.n. let's bring in our guests. by skype from beijing is childhood chan associate professor in the department of international politics at renmin university of china from seoul is c. one crew publisher of korea exposes a and by skype from bedminster new jersey is gordon chang

a us foreign policy analyst thank you all for joining us let me start by asking mr coo this. this is a moment when everyone is talking about the potential for the north and south to come together set aside their differences but then we have this ministry of parades in the north what is kim jong un trying to say by this parades well i think one thing we need to point out is still this was not in fact the kind of occasion many people expected it to be i think we can say with confidence to the scale of the parade was not as grand as some had anticipated and also the kind of publicity north korea wanted to generate for it was clearly limited there was a normal lybrel cast of the parade it was only made available later on state television and also there were no foreign correspondents invited to observe the

event which was quite interesting given that the eyes of the world war on killing young today so the statement kelly is trying to send is obviously that they are willing to make some kind of concession given everything that has been happening if you want to really care we have seen this very interesting and exciting month engagement between the two koreas and i think we can say with certainty that the moment of ministration here in seoul were strike very hard to accommodate north korea to the best of its abilities and of course despite the fact that north korea has been very adamant that it was going to have this parade it wasn't not going to change the date what has happened today actually shows it is mindful of what has been what the south korean government has been trying to do and they're willing to make certain concessions with the chung is this a message of defiance or is just an airport surety by north korea to display its

military might well what north korea was trying to do was to intimidate the south we've got to remember that we're living memory the north koreans have not had a parade during. the winter you know this parade which is meant to mark the foundation the establishment of the north korean army the korean people's army normally occurs in april this is unprecedented so what they're doing on the eve of the olympics is saying to the south koreans we're going to subject your chip you know we're talking about details that made it look better no this was real attempt i think to show hostility in belligerence and that's the nature of the north korean regime the most no interest on earth people in south korea may want to sugarcoat it but unfortunately that is what the north koreans were trying to say ok let's go to . chung is this an approach and it's a by the north korean government to try to show the world it is capable of one of

the most powerful symbols in more than times or do you just find it on a porch and it's a charity for them to say you know what we're here yes i think so so you know seize on the one hand snodgrass have tried to flex its muscles on the sense crim sh two and also we're not north korea as we continue to pursue its nuclear and missile programs and even necessary north korea so we have come from external threat that's the message to north korea trying to send to us at war but on the other hand like to say is holding a meter craze on the eve sort of malays was counterproductive but eat was not to be near zero in comparison with what we have witnessed in passi as north korea's compacted numerous a nuke numerous missile test that and then you can test sosa north korea as a sub not be dio not and also as we witnessed and not square as is doing some

scenes trying to minimize its muto crazy impact on the ongoing. comey and so on began for example to not grass but not even wide foreign journalist to attend me to really see if i and also the sides of me to operate was limited with the coup so this is happening against the backdrop of the winter olympics do you think that the games could be this time gentlemen to postulate on a platform for both north or south to set aside their differences well certainly what their south korean government would like to see. there's a reason why the government wanted to reduce tensions here because they feel that this is a very important precondition for dialogue it's face it it's not possible that there can be any negotiation while telling and washington will think asian frets

and belligerence so now it seems their store the climate is coming into place and there is potential but of course the government is moving very carefully to make sure that other pieces fall into their places for example i think what we have seen from pyongyang so far is that despite its commitment to showing this kind of force and maintaining its hostile gesture it is willing to engage in at least some form of change and what is going to be very important for south korea is that in needs to put enough persuasion into play so that washington might also with the procreate in return and that is going to be the very difficult part for the government given what we have heard from key members of the trumpet industry from so far with the chant the north. korean delegation is led by syria

members including the sister of kim jong un who is playing increasing bros now in north korea is that a message that the north koreans are trying. to send by the level of their own delegation well yeah this is interesting because president trump announced that his daughter of vodka would attend the closing ceremonies so the north koreans won up that by sending the sister kim jong un kim you know john and this is important because this is the first immediate family member of the kim family to set foot in south korea so this is going to be an important game of chess and we're seeing this in across the board you know vice president pence came in and said that not going to allow the north koreans to hijack the olympics so there is this geopolitical competition going on a during what the south koreans call the kissel unfixed this is absolutely fascinating such on the level of the delegation the senior members from north korea

attending the games defined it as a overtures towards the south koreans or just an attempt by north korea to test waters and see how things are going to go forward in the near future is a very important time to witness who will come to attend opening ceremony from north korea as mesa can to non and the chairman of the national people's congress so we can and also those. neider of north korea as young young say status will come to attend that send were strong signals that north korea it's a serious up improve its relationship with north which saucepans that's the one things we have to keep in mind but on the other hands we have to get into that he sues whether or not it to koreans who discuss north korea's nuclear he said send the

missile in addition to of a symbolic e.c. was a like a charity score us and. our core formers that's all carries over symbolic gets of meanings but most important things whether or not to do countries touch the north korea's nuclear issue was and to promote discussions between north korea north korea and the united states in the third coup the. south korean president moon in said he's committed to pursue the rick insolation with north korea now when it comes to reconciliation what do you think is the top priority nuclear issue deescalation well i mean deescalation is obviously important what the government has made it very clear that in pursuing the escalation there alternate call is denuclearization

of the korean peninsula i don't think anybody can question that what is however being question is the method the government is using to or arrived that goal so i think there's a lot of doubt i think in the international circle as to whether this particular policies going to war whether. setting sending all such a warm welcome for the north korean the leash on accommodating these high ranking members old people young elites or cold not to mention that today there were reports president moon might in fact even meet with kim jong un sr so that's that's a lot of welcome being shown but in return what can the government actually expect as your guest in china has just said i think the important thing is to bring the discussion back to the issue of what to do with north korea's nuclear program and that is not entirely clear at the moment i think what the government has already

been through that is they think it is very important to bring compelling young and washington together to talk to each other directly and unfortunately given the kind of messages we have seen from for example vice president mike pence it seems that the u.s. side is not especially interested in this possibility despite the fact that president trump has actually come out saying that dialogue may not be a bad thing and something good might come out of the illinois and he's willing to wait and see what happens. china is north korea's main ally the chinese foreign minister says negotiations of the only way to break what he called the vicious cycle on the peninsula. we cannot merely rely on the efforts of the south of the north all the parties should make joint efforts we won't be able to make our goal if some are trying to open the door while others are trying to close it and we hope that all the parties continue to follow the resolution of the un security

council and suspend all accidents that may intensify the conflict and to do their best to maintain the peace and stability of the peninsula. mr chang there are two options here the bitter confrontation everyone knows the massive cost of that confrontation if it happens then there is the second officer with his political tools everyone knows that the chinese government has huge leverage over north korea do you think this is a path the americans the americans should pursue in the near future well you know the united states should try to talk to north korea but only when north korea understands it has no choice but to disarm talking to north korea before then is unproductive as we've seen in the various negotiations with the north covering three decades you know don't just use the time jus prichard of perfect their arsenal and the chinese are going to help the north koreans with not only technology but also financing all the rest of it so you know the united states has

a strong policy and that is to cut off money flows to the north koreans so they can't launch missiles so they can't detonate nukes so that kim jong un can't engage in give politics and that's the way to do it because when the north koreans understand they have no choice but to disarm that's when you talk to them but this has american policy you have us that this doesn't seem to be paying off because when you look at the string of tests that were conducted by the north koreans over the last year you can see that moving forward to was establishing a very strong internet intercontinental ballistic missile as well there are signs from north korea that the sanctions are having an effect so for instance some officials in pyongyang are not getting their rations through their special distribution channels all the rest of it and but you know the point i think is that the united states has not been vigorous enough in enforcing sanctions so for

instance we should be going after chinese banks that have been laundering money for the north koreans we should be imposing costs on china for violating you. and sanctions as recently as a last months in leslie do these things there won't be a peaceful solution so what we have to do i think is to be even more strict in forcing sanctions not only against the north koreans but also against their big powers sponsors the chinese and the russians as well others that have been supporting the north korean economy as goes our guest in beijing. why the chinese are not doing enough to put pressure on the north korean to stop their nuclear or to abandon their nuclear program said katrina has done enough to pressure north korea back to abandon its nuclear and to missile programs since two thousand and six china's government haas in tourist eleven united nations security council resolutions china has been the leading trade partner to north korea as you know old

to sanction that countries in the old two parts and not countries wrongdoings and the china made a huge sacrifice a to cut to reduce is treated with that country's and one chante indorse united nations security council to dropped economic sanctions against north korea china would be the first all set country to for the victims of such a kind of sanctions are some mention late assignments a little bit delayed as a china was and esteem is a leading trait palmer who got country economic sanction hurt north korea but also for china but chana willing to make such success sekret fires that now will continue to go says the circle when you see that chinese north and south korea of these walking under the same whites in the flag you would assume that in an ideal wealth north and south can come together they'll solve their problems from the

station now it looks like we need more weeds in a powerless to step in do you think that if the chinese the russians the americans can come together that could be conducive to any. permanent solution this is the reality that many south koreans recognize this is this may have become a very prosperous country but it is a country that does not this is lee have the political power on the global stage to match that which is why the government also sees in nice to work with these one partners in the region whether it be china russia japan and of course the united states to have some kind of solution that everybody can agree on but as exchange just now between your guests in the u.s. and in china have revealed i think there is not as much consensus as south koreans would like to see. mr chang i believe in the u.s.

has made a good point that despite all that has been said china in fact does not seem to be leaving living up to its part in enforcing these sanctions as north korea and i say that because this is the widespread feeling here in the of korea and many people here on happy about the kind of role that beijing has played in allowing north korea to get away with these sanctions for example the very damning reports that surfaced recently regarding the transfer of oil from ship to ship so those kind of things really make people here question ok there can ever be consensus they really force north korea to accept that it is an isolated player on the very large global stage mr chang i mean from many say that from north korean perspective the problems of the americas have not been giving them enough incentives because you know for many decades the north koreans have been sticking to two boys first they wanted to pursue by lots of talks with the americans to the wall to the peace treaty of

one thousand fifty three to be replaced do you think that the two incentives could . break the ice well i think what could break the ice our initial discussions during the olympics because you do have. the sister of kim jong un she perhaps is the only person that kim listens to and you have vice president pantsuit has not ruled out conversations with the north koreans and obviously there are going to be small steps but they're irreconcilable differences here because north korea has a position going back to its founding in one nine hundred forty eight that it is a legitimate government for all of korea and the korean war was an intent to impose a solution by force and north korea since that time has been willing to use force to kill south koreans kill americans to achieve that goal so there's a lot to gap here in this incense erect wild bill but you know these conversations

that could occur during the olympics are arranged by president mode could certainly help the child chung from a chinese perspective what's that what's wrong with having the took arias come together and unite does it pose any strategic of risk for china i think it so he sees the as a number of countries are dividing china it's along the countries and the saucepan and not square off the counties and i think a tougher time it's no reason for six countries to prevent it to koreans from pursue me unified a state who and morally wrong and practically china cannot stand their ways and also as if china promote the kray nationally and hastens is sort of china's national interest is ten a cool pursuing its own national unity which taiwan this

a coup i mean that is the position in south korea which is opposed to any office both with north korea but also there's a general sentiment among. all wish does not seem to be of this particular moment in favor of strong ties with north korea is this something that could put more pressure on the president to to suit his agenda that's a very good question in fact because even as mr morgan has been pursuing this policy of a push more what we have seen here in south korea is that he's dealing with a very divided domestic electorate not everybody is happy about what he's doing. although he came from a very strong place politically speaking because he replaced a very unpopular president here just last year his approval rating certainly has dropped significantly about ten points over a four week period and i think some. you or some of the other

guest may i have seen that in fact there have been limited protests going on at the olympic site against the presence in participation of north koreans in the olympics you have to understand that koreans are ideologically divided it often comes down to fifty fifty order any kind of issue and north korea is an issue that really generates a very strong emotional reaction here and in fact they are people i recently who are afraid that what north korea is doing at the moment the forces are going reconciliation and dialogue may simply be a kind of a precursor to more serious and frightening form of aggression will shipley with this in fact might be a way. to try and gain more leverage thank you thank you sue will include the chair mr gordon chang thank you very much indeed for your contribution to the show

and thank you too for watching you can see the program again any time by visiting our web site c.n.n. dot com for further discussion go to our. facebook page facebook dot com for was last a.j. inside story you can also join the conversation conversation on twitter. for me has a lot of on the whole team here by phone now. and then reported on the. u.s. and british companies have announced the biggest discovery of natural gas in west

africa but what to do with these untapped natural resources is already a source of heated debate nothing much has changed they still spend most of their days looking forward to for the dry river beds like this one five years on the syrians still feel battered or even those who managed to escape their country have been truly unable to escape the war. the scene for us where on line what is american sign in yemen that peace is almost possible but not what happens not because the situation is complicated but because no one cares or if you join us on set there are people that that are choosing between buying medication or eating basis is a dialogue i want to get in one more comment because this is someone who's an activist and just posted a story join the global conversation at this time on al jazeera news has never been more available it's a constant barrage that they put every day but the message is

a simplistic you have the brain the good logical rational person the crazy monster and misinformation is rife dismissal and does not go over well documented accusations and evidence is part of genocide the listening post provides a critical counterpoint challenging mainstream media narratives at this time on al-jazeera. this is al jazeera. and this is the news hour live from london coming up as baldness rained down on eastern go to for a fourth consecutive day syria accuses the u.s. led coalition.