Both Korea and the United States have completed their own domestic procedures to start renegotiating
their FTA.
And next week,... they're set to begin their first round of actual negotiations, something
the Trump administration has been saying it wants to do since the beginning.
Cha Sang-mi reports.
Top negotiators from Korea's Trade Ministry and the U.S. Trade Representative will sit
down next Friday to begin negotiations over the amendment of the two countries' five-year-old
trade deal The first round of negotiations is set for
January 5th in Washington D.C. Korea's Ministry for Trade, Industry, and
Energy announced on Thursday that the revision is likely to be partial, as the U.S. hasn't
gone through all of the legal steps necessary for a full revision of the FTA.
In order to carry out a full revision of the trade deal, the U.S. would have had to follow
Trade Promotion Authority procedures such as stating its intentions to Congress ninety
days before the renegotiations begin.
The Trump administration wants to make amendments in multiple fields such as the automobile
and agro-livestock sectors in a bid to alleviate its goods trade deficit.
Seoul is seeking to protect sensitive sectors like agriculture while vying for what it calls
a 'mutually beneficial' deal.
The Korean government hasn't revealed what demands it'll make at the talks, but experts
say there are a few expected moves.
(ENGLISH) - "The Korean government seems to be interested
in weakening the Investor State Dispute Settlement - the ISDS - and weakening the conditions
to impose safeguards on American beef.
Some other cards that we can play are anti dumping."
Yet since Congress supports the U.S. anti dumping measures, the experts predict that
attacking the anti-dumping measures might be a somewhat dangerous move.
Korea's Trade Ministry in its report to the National Assembly last week, said that the
U.S. side is likely to request tariff adjustments to recover its trade imbalance.
The negotiations will be led by Korea's director general for FTA Negotiations Yoo Myung-hee
and U.S.'s Assistant Trade Representative Michael Beeman.
The representatives of Korea and the U.S. have already held two preliminary meetings
to arrange the amendment talks since the Moon and Trump administrations came into power
earlier this year.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.
For more infomation >> First round of Korea-U.S. trade deal amendment talks set for Jan. 5 in Washington - Duration: 2:24.-------------------------------------------
US Congressman The FBI Tried to Stop Donald Trump from Becoming - Duration: 4:20.
US Congressman: The FBI Tried to
Stop Donald Trump from Becoming President
Speculation has run rampant for months that the FBI was working against a Donald Trump
presidency, and now a United States congressman has given credit to that theory and what it
would mean.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told conservative radio host Todd Starnes he is convinced the
FBI was working against Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
�The whole pretext is wrong.
Think about this, you had � I�m convinced now � the FBI actively seeking with intent,
actively trying to stop Donald Trump from being president of the United States,� Jordan
said on the Todd Starnes Show.
Jordan pointed to text messages written by investigator Peter Strzok that referred to
an �insurance� policy.
�I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy�s office � that
there�s no way he gets elected � but I�m afraid we can�t take that risk.
It�s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you�re 40,� Strzok
wrote.
The reference was meant to convey that the bureau needed to aggressively investigate
allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, people familiar with
the situation told The Wall Street Journal.
Jordan was concerned the �insurance policy� might have included dressing up the infamous
Trump-Russia dossier, turning it into an intelligence document and using it to obtain warrants in
the FISA court that allowed them to spy on Americans.
In the same text messages, Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page disparaged Trump, calling
him an �idiot� and �loathsome human,� showing their obvious bias against the then-candidate.
To make matters worse, Strzok was the lead agent on the FBI investigation into Hillary
Clinton�s use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state.
He was also the top investigator for special counsel Robert Mueller, who has been in charge
of looking into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Strzok was removed from that position after the problematic texts surfaced.
But lawmakers like Jordan have remained concerned over how his bias may have influenced his
role.
In fact, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley wrote to the Justice Department about the issue, saying
Strzok�s texts appeared to �go beyond merely expressing a private political opinion.�
They �appear to cross the line into taking some official action to create an �insurance
policy� against a Trump presidency,� Grassley wrote.
Jordan called the situation �as wrong as it gets.�
�If that happened, and it sure looks like it did � if that happened it is wrong as
it can possibly be in this great country for the FBI to actively be trying to make sure
one individual, one major party�s nominee does not become the next president is as wrong
as it gets,� Jordan told Starnes.
He�s right.
The FBI should never be involved in trying to sway the outcome of an election � especially
the U.S. presidential election.
It certainly appears they crossed that line, however, and something must be done to ensure
they�re dealt with appropriately and that this never happens ever again.
Like and share this article on Facebook and Twitter and tell us what you think about the
FBI potentially trying to stop Trump from becoming president.
What should happen to the agents involved in trying to take down Trump?
Scroll down to comment below!
-------------------------------------------
Foreign ministers of Russia and U.S. agree to not accept N. Korea as nuclear state - Duration: 1:47.
The United States and Russia have spoken with one voice on North Korea,... saying they will
not accept the regime as a nuclear power.
But the U.S. isn't interested in Moscow's offer to play the mediator between Washington
and Pyongyang.
Park Ji-won reports.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Wednesday that top diplomats from
the U.S. and Russia have agreed that they will not recognize Pyongyang as a nuclear
power.
The agreement was made during a phone call the previous day,... with both sides expressing
concerns over the North's nuclear program.
The two countries' foreign ministers also agreed to work together to resolve the issue
through diplomatic channels.
However,... regarding Russia's offer to play the role of mediator to get the U.S. and North
Korea back to the negotiating table,... Washington, in effect,... turned down the proposal, saying
it quote "has the ability to communicate with North Korea through a variety of diplomatic
channels."
This is according to a Voice of America report, quoting a State Department official.
Previously, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also said the U.S. has three to four direct
communication channels with the North Korean regime.
The U.S. stressed that Pyongyang needs to understand that there is a different path
that it can choose, although it is up to the regime to change its course.
Meanwhile, the U.S. also urged China to sever all economic ties with the North,... including
expelling all North Korean workers,... and to use its unique leverage over the North
to bring the regime back to the negotiation table.
Park Ji-won, Arirang News.
-------------------------------------------
North Korea missile developers hit by US sanctions - Duration: 2:44.
North Korea missile developers hit by US sanctions
The US has placed sanctions on two North Korean officials it says have led the development
of nuclear missiles.
The US treasury named the two men as Kim Jong-sik and Ri Pyong-chol, and said both were "key
leaders" of North Korea's ballistic missile programme.
The UN Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Friday in response to ballistic
missile tests.
North Korea said the move was "an act of war" and tantamount to a total economic blockade.
The new US sanctions will block any transactions by the two men carried out in the US, essentially
freezing any American assets they may have.
Both men are regularly photographed alongside North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at missile
launches.
North Korea crisis in 300 words All you need to know about the NK missile
programme How do you defend against N Korea?
In the past year, the country has tested ever more ambitious types of missile, and says
it can now reach the entire continental United States.
A Reuters investigation in May said that the two men, along with weapons developer Jang
Chan-ha, were handpicked by Kim Jong-un and were very popular with him.
Their behaviour around him, Reuters said, "is sharply at variance with the obsequiousness
of other senior aides, most of whom bow and hold their hands over their mouths when speaking
to the young leader".
The news agency reported that Ri Pyong-chol was a former air force general educated in
Russia and that Kim Jong-sik was a veteran rocket scientist.
They were both among 16 North Koreans placed under UN sanctions on Friday.
Can the world live with a nuclear North Korea?
More news on North Korea The UN sanctions saw:
deliveries of petrol products capped at 500,000 barrels a year, and crude oil at four million
barrels a year all North Korean nationals working abroad
made to return home within 24 months, restricting a vital source of foreign currency
a ban on exports of North Korean goods, such as machinery and electrical equipment
The UN sanctions came in response to Pyongyang's 28 November firing of a ballistic missile,
which the US said was its highest yet.
In response, North Korea's official official KCNA news agency said: "The United States,
completely terrified at our accomplishment of the great historic cause of completing
the state nuclear force, is getting more and more frenzied in the moves to impose the harshest-ever
sanctions and pressure on our country."
-------------------------------------------
World's richest 500 see their wealth increase by U.S. $1 tril. in 2017 - Duration: 0:38.
It turns out 2017 was a great year to be one of the handful of super-rich.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the world's 500 richest people added one trillion
U.S. dollars to their collective net worth this year, more than four times the previous
year's estimate.
The top billionaires now control about five-point-three trillion dollars of global wealth, up almost
20 percent from 2016.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gained the most this year, adding 34-point-two billion dollars
to his name and leapfrogged Bill Gates as the richest person in the world in October.
-------------------------------------------
Bitter Cold Gripping Much Of The U.S. Could Last Through New Year's Celebrations | NBC Nightly News - Duration: 2:22.
For more infomation >> Bitter Cold Gripping Much Of The U.S. Could Last Through New Year's Celebrations | NBC Nightly News - Duration: 2:22. -------------------------------------------
Regions and Accents | Learn about the United States of America - Duration: 6:48.
So listen, guys! there's nothing planned for today, so I thought we could just do
a staring contest! are you ready? 1– 2– 3!
Wha–? Hold on! apparently we've got some mail here, let's see... oh it's from Norah! let's
talk about the differences between North, South, East, West and the Midwest! you know
what? that's a really good idea, thanks Norah! Actually Norah did not send me
anything, but she did win the vote for this week on Patreon. on Patreon you get
to vote twice each week for two of the videos that I make, and this week
Nora's idea won, so I'm making her video! become a patron now so you can vote for
two of next week's videos as well as get a lot of other really cool shit. Now to
start, we need to understand some American geography. because often
when we talk about American culture and language, we divide the country into two
parts, the North and the South. after hearing that you might expect that the
map looks like this, but nonononoo! because there is no map, no map that looks like
that. instead when you hear an American talk about the North and the South,
they're imagining the North, the United States, fighting the South, the
Confederates, the Confederacy! if you want another video that explains the American
Civil War in more detail, yo, just click right up here! but
this geography is already confusing because the North was also made up of
some Western states, California, Oregon and Nevada. as well, in the middle of the
country, there were five buffer States. these were neither part of the South or
the North. to make it easier, let's divide the United States into four regions. but
even with this subdivision we still have some confusion. let's analyze the four
parts, so you can see exactly what I mean! first– when we talk about the North I
think what we're really imagining in our head, as Americans and you should too, is
the Northeast. the Northeast is where massive urbanization occurred much
earlier than in other parts of the United States– New York City, Boston, New
Jersey– these places! now let's go a little further west to the Midwest. the
Midwest also has some urbanized pockets, Milwaukee and Chicago are great
examples, but these larger cities are still surrounded by smaller mid-sized
cities and a lot of rural communities. let's go south to where the population
density is a bit lower than the Midwest. you have more rural communities with an
even smaller number of large and mid-sized cities. by the way, Florida is
in the South, but it really shares nothing in common with the other states
in that region. and finally, we have the West. but we should really divide this
into two regions. the West Coast and the West. the West Coast is California, Oregon
and Washington. these are all very urbanized states. the
majority of the states in the West are the least urbanized states. very rural! so
the main difference between the South, although I do think the southern states
have a lot in common with those very rural states in the West, is that there
is much more importance to unwritten etiquette and courtesy. in the southern
states and I think in most rural places in general, you are expected to show a
lot more of that unwritten etiquette, while in much more urbanized places, that
etiquette I think goes away as city life makes everyday interactions less
personal. but let's continue! how I've described these regions, some more rural
and some more urban, is really what we mean when we say North and South. city
folk and country folk. each region has its own unique identity, and we'll focus
more on them in the future, but for now urban means more liberal,
secular, Democratic and city centric. that's our imaginative understanding of
what the North is. while rural means more conservative, religious, Republican and
country focused. so what about differences in American English? the most
general comparison is again northern and southern. and for many people, when they
meet someone for the first time based on their accent, they will ask "where are you
from in the South?" or "where are you from in the North?" that's very general. as we
investigate more, you'll find that accent is just as if not more complicated
than how we divide the regions of the United States, because living in a rural
or urban area has a big impact on how you speak English. whether it's rural
Michigan in the northern United States or rural Mississippi in the South, you
can often tell if someone grew up in a city, a town, or on a farm based on how
they speak. and all over the US, accents are becoming much more distinct. so even
in a state where I'm from there are three distinct accents. but if you're
learning English don't worry too much about that, in fact I made a video a
while back, you can watch it here, about why you need to choose a specific accent
to study. vocabulary is one reason, there's a lot of regional words but
especially the vowel differences that I just mentioned. you don't want to be
corrected by someone in Alabama even though you're speaking with a perfect
Minnesota accent. if you don't study a specific accent, when someone tries to
correct you, you don't know when you're right and when you're wrong! because
people from different regions, especially if you're traveling to different
english-speaking countries, will correct you WHEN YOU ARE CORRECT! putting a link
in the description for a really fun website you can visit. you'll see a big
map of the United States. you can click anywhere and listen to the regional
accents from across the country. use this because there's a lot of northern
southern and western accents, it's really fun to check it out. now that you
understand these parts, it's going to be much easier to move forward and learn a
lot more about American culture and language. and hey! thanks patrons for
making these videos possible! you guys ROCK! people like Norah, who I think is on
her 30th degree and only 30 more to go, so keep it up Norah! why you're still here,
let's talk a little bit more about Wisconsin. in terms of accents Wisconsin
is unique because there's really three distinct accents or dialects in this
state. and one of them we share with parts of Michigan, Minnesota and North
Dakota. this is the upper accent from the Upper Peninsula. and I'll just say
it's not the prettiest– there's a famous SNL sketch about "Da Bears", that uses this
accent. Sarah Palin, she wa– she's from Alaska but she's famous for having
this accent, and then finally there's the show and the movie Fargo, where you can
hear a lot of this accent as well! I'll catch you guys later!
"you were having sex with a little fella, then?" "that's something that John McCain
and I have both been discussing" "there anything else you can tell me about him?"
"I love John McCain" "oh yeah?" "yeah!" "oh you betcha yeah" "yeah!"
-------------------------------------------
China's expanding economy great for the US? - Duration: 6:04.
For more infomation >> China's expanding economy great for the US? - Duration: 6:04. -------------------------------------------
U.S. Court Devastates Watchdog Group That's Trying To Halt Voter Fraud Investigation - Duration: 2:54.
For more infomation >> U.S. Court Devastates Watchdog Group That's Trying To Halt Voter Fraud Investigation - Duration: 2:54. -------------------------------------------
President Trump Just Blew the Lid Off BIGGEST SCANDAL in US History - Duration: 3:37.
President Trump Just Blew the Lid Off BIGGEST SCANDAL in US History
Trump's administration has uncovered a frightening, and deadly, fact: the Department of Veterans
Affairs has been letting its hospitals hire doctors and nurses with revoked medical licenses!
Apparently this has been happening for the past 15 years.
Clearly, and for good reason, it violates federal laws.
In direct contradiction to a 1999 law that bars any VA from hiring a healthcare worker
whose licenses had been revoked in any state, in 2002 the VA distributed guidelines that
allowed its hospitals to hire doctors and nurses that had a license in one of the 50
states, even if they had, previously, been subject to a license revocation.
A report by USA Today starts out, "Veteran patients in imminent danger at VA hospital
in D.C., investigation finds."Among the findings:
• In February 2016, a tray used in repairing jaw fractures was removed from the hospital
because of an outstanding invoice to a vendor.
• In April 2016, four prostate biopsies had to be canceled because there were no tools
to extract the tissue sample.
• In June 2016, the hospital found one of its surgeons had used expired equipment during
a procedure
• In March 2017, the facility found chemical strips used to verify equipment sterilization
had expired a month earlier, so tests performed on nearly 400 items were not reliable
Missal said that the practices have placed patients at "unnecessary risk," though
so far, the Office of Inspector General has not determined if patients were harmed.
"The OIG's work is continuing and will include an assessment of whether patient harm
has resulted from any of these inventory practices in its final report on the Medical Center,"
he wrote.
That report goes on to explain that the conditions at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical
Center in Washington, D.C., are so dangerous that the agency's chief watchdog group actually
put out a report alerting patients about the issues at that organization.
Apparently multiple issues were found at that location, such as lack of critical supplies,
including bone material needed for knee replacement surgeries and tubes needed for kidney dialysis,
due to an ineffective inventory system.
Worse, perhaps, than the lack of an effective system was the fact that the inspector general
found that senior VA leaders knew about the problems for months but did nothing to rectify
it.
In addition to this finding, the investigators reviewed 25 sterile storage areas and found
that 18 of them were dirty.
These types of reports from the inspector general are, in fact, not commonly made, with
the last one having occurred in January 2015.
The Washington V.A.'s medical director, Brian Hawkins, has since been relieved of
his position and placed on administrative leave.
In addition to the immediate danger posed by these issues, there is the larger issue
of whether or not a government-run healthcare system, as promoted by many liberals, would
be able to provide quality healthcare to U.S. citizens.
If this V.A. debacle is any indication, it most certainly would not.
-------------------------------------------
News Wrap: Wind chill warnings stretch across Eastern U.S. - Duration: 3:23.
HARI SREENIVASAN: A cold wave kept the nation's Midwest and Northeast in the deep freeze today.
Windchill warnings and advisories stretched from North Dakota to New Hampshire, as arctic
winds dropped temperatures to 37 below zero in some places.
Officials warned of the risk of frostbite with less than 30 minutes of exposure, and
they went on alert.
ED HASSAN, Boston EMS: Any time that we have an extreme in weather, be it cold or hot,
it taxes the EMS system as a whole.
Look for people who may need assistance maybe before they're so bad off that they require
an ambulance to go to the hospital.
And they will get them services like a shelter, a detox, and things like that.
HARI SREENIVASAN: As the cold set in, Erie, Pennsylvania, declared a state of emergency,
with a record 65 inches of snow.
More snow was falling today.
In Syria, critically ill patients are finally being evacuated from a rebel-held area near
Damascus.
Hundreds of sick people in eastern Ghouta have been unable to get treatment at area
hospitals.
But now government troops are letting aid groups evacuate nearly 30 critically ill patients.
In return, the rebels want a like number of captive fighters released.
Also today, Russia declared the main battle with the Islamic State in Syria is now over.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Syrian army and its allies must turn their focus
to hunting down the Nusra Front group, linked to al-Qaida.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has officially registered to run for his fourth term as president.
In Moscow today, Putin handed in his papers in person to the nation's election commission.
Early polls show he's likely to be reelected in the March vote.
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny is urging a boycott of the election after he was banned
from running.
Today, he called for nationwide protests next month.
ALEXEI NAVALNY, Russian Opposition Leader (through translator): Let's come out to the
street for yourselves, for your rights, for your future, for the fact that we do not want
to lose another six years.
We will start a big campaign on one hand to persuade everyone to participate in the boycott
and not to take part in the election, and on the other hand to count how many people
really come to the polling stations, and not let Putin fabricate that number.
HARI SREENIVASAN: Putin is 65 years old and has already led Russia as prime minister and
now president for a total of 18 years.
Former President Obama is urging leaders to be careful in their online statements.
He spoke with Britain's Prince Harry in an interview that aired today on the BBC.
The former president didn't directly mention President Trump, but he did voice concern
about social media's effect on politics.
BARACK OBAMA, Former President of the United States: All of us in leadership have to find
ways in which we can recreate a common space on the Internet.
One of the dangers of the Internet is, is that people can have entirely different realities.
They can be just cocooned in information that reinforces their current biases.
HARI SREENIVASAN: Mr. Obama also said he considers the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare,
one of his greatest achievements.
The Library of Congress says it will no longer archive every public tweet, including the
president's.
Instead, starting in the new year, it will be more selective.
The library cites the growing volume in tweets and the increase in characters from 140 to
280.
The National Archives keeps all presidential tweets, and will continue to do so.
And on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 28 points to close at 24774.
The Nasdaq rose three points, and the S&P 500 added two.
-------------------------------------------
U.S PROVIDING JAVELIN ANTI-TANK MISSILES TO UKRAINE AGAINST RUSSIA - Duration: 7:41.
The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, a long-awaited
move that deepens America's involvement in the military conflict and may further strain
relations with Russia.
Moscow responded angrily on Saturday.
The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles, U.S. officials said late
Friday.
Ukraine has long sought to boost its defenses against Russian-backed separatists armed with
tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than
10,000 since 2014.
Previously, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has
let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.
The officials describing the plan weren't authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded
anonymity.
The move is likely to become another sore point between Washington and Moscow, as President
Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he's too hesitant to confront
the Kremlin.
Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the U.S. says Moscow is arming, training
and fighting alongside the separatists
In this video, Defense Update analyses the impact of U.S PROVIDING JAVELIN ANTI-TANK
MISSILES TO UKRAINE AGAINST RUSSIA.
The intensified support for Ukraine's military also comes amid early discussions about sending
U.N. peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine, to improve security conditions not only for Ukrainians
but for monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are
on the ground.
The U.S. and other nations were cautiously optimistic when Russian President Vladimir
Putin proposed to send in peacekeepers.
But there are major disagreements about how and where the peacekeepers would operate,
especially about whether they'd be deployed only on the "line of conflict" between
separatists and the government.
The U.S. and Ukraine want peacekeepers deployed throughout the separatist-controlled regions
stretching to the Ukraine-Russia border.
By approving a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, the Trump administration could
see it as providing leverage in these negotiations.
Trump had been considering the plan for some time after the State Department and the Pentagon
signed off earlier this year.
President Barack Obama also considered sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, but left office
without doing so.
The FGM-148 Javelin is an American man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile fielded
to replace the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service.It uses an automatic infrared
guidance that allows the user to seek cover immediately after launch, as opposed to wired
guided systems, like the Dragon, where the user has to actively guide the weapon throughout
the engagement.
It is manufactured by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
The Javelin's High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks
by attacking them from above where armor is generally thinner, and is also useful against
fortifications in a direct attack flight.
The tandem warhead is fitted with two shaped charges: a precursor warhead to detonate any
explosive reactive armor and a primary warhead to penetrate base armor.
It has a range of 4.75 km or around 3 miles.
The State Department, responsible for overseeing foreign military sales, would not confirm
that anti-tank missiles or other lethal weapons would be sent.
But in a statement late Friday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. had
decided to provide "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help Ukraine build its military long-term,
defend its sovereignty and "deter further aggression."
"U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine
is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," Nauert said.
The White House's National Security Council declined to comment.
In thanking the U.S. for its support, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addressed the concerns
over how the weapons would be used.
"American weapons in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers are not for an offensive, but for
a decisive rebuff of the aggressor, the protection of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, as well
as for effective self-defense," he wrote on Facebook.
"It is also a trans-Atlantic vaccination against the Russian virus of aggression."
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rybakov said the U.S. decision will only make the
conflict more deadly and suggested that Russia could be forced to respond.
Rybakov said in a statement "U.S is not a mediator.
It's an accomplice in fueling the war,"
Although the portable Javelin anti-tank missiles can kill, proponents for granting them to
Ukraine have long argued they are considered "defensive" because the Ukrainians would
use them to defend their territory and deter the Russians, not to attack a foreign country
or seize new territory.
Under law, the State Department must tell Congress of planned foreign military sales,
triggering a review period in which lawmakers can act to stop the sale.
It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers
aren't likely to try to block it given that Democrats and Republicans alike have long
called on the government to take the step.
The move comes as the United States and European nations struggle to break a long logjam in
the Ukraine-Russia conflict that erupted three years ago when fighting broke out between
Russian-backed separatists and government troops in the east.
France, Russia and Germany brokered a peace arrangement in 2015 that has lowered violence
but not stopped it.
In recent days, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has warned that violence is up about 60% this
year.
In Europe earlier this month, Tillerson called Russia's involvement the biggest tension
point between the former Cold War rivals.
"It stands as the single most difficult obstacle to us, denormalizing the relationship
with Russia, which we badly would like to do," Tillerson said.
The United States, under Obama, also imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion and annexation
of Crimea.
The Trump administration has insisted those sanctions will stay in place until Moscow
gives up the Crimean Peninsula.
Sending lethal weapons to Ukraine creates the troubling possibility that American arms
could kill Russian soldiers, a situation that could thrust the two nuclear-armed nations
closer to direct confrontation.
-------------------------------------------
North Korea launch IMMINENT? US 'missile sniffer' airborne as Kim taunts Trump - DAILY NEWS - Duration: 3:41.
North Korea launch IMMINENT? US 'missile sniffer' airborne as Kim taunts Trump
NORTH Korea is feared to be on the verge of an imminent missile launch as the US has dispatched
one of its top spy planes.
Missile detector plane Cobra Plane is airborne as the world awaits to see if Kim Jong-un
will look to end 2017 with a bang.
Spy satellites have detected activity around North Korea allegedly linked to plans by the
rogue state to launch a "satellite".
Fears loom this could be just a cover-up for another missile test – and possibly even
Kim's most daring yet, a rocket fired into the Pacific.
Two public holidays in North Korea have passed unmarked by launches linked to the nuclear
programme despite warnings from experts.
Kim is reeling after new UN sanctions were slapped on him aiming to strangle the rogue
state and end its quest for ICBMs.
Cobra Ball is boasted to be "rapidly deployable" and operates on direct command of the US top
brass at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Two US Air Force pilots crew the plane along with a navigator.
And behind the cockpit is a fuselage packed with seven engineers operating state of the
art detection systems.
The plane is tasked with observing missile flights and gathering data on the weapons.
She has a range of 3,900 miles and can fly over 500mph.
Experts have previously predicted the US would rather "watch" Kim's weapons than shoot
them down.
Allowing the missiles to fly before crashed down to Earth allows the US to gather key
intel on how far North Korea is from a fully operational ICBM.
Military-tracking feeds have revealed Cobra Ball is currently airborne – but have not
revealed its location.
Kim's next milestone in his nuclear programme will be to launch a missile out into the Pacific.
This will prove his missile's range, and make it clears North Korea's threats to
detonate a nuke over the ocean are serious.
Pyongyang's mission to explode a nuclear weapon over the Pacific is known as the dreaded
Juche Bird.
Experts told Daily Star Online the Juche Bird is Trump's "red line" on North Korea
– and could spark a war.
Speaking to Daily Star Online, Michael Madden, founder and director of NK Leadership Watch,
predicted another launch before the end of 2017.
He said: "There is a lot of activity in the country now indicating preparations for
another missile test although not one of these Hwasong-15s.
"Realistically we will see one more missile test event from North Korea before the end
of the year, holiday or not."
Today, it emerged China is helping North Korea with oil – despite Trump's calls for them
to support the US .
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Sub-zero wind chills grip parts of US - Duration: 2:18.
For more infomation >> Sub-zero wind chills grip parts of US - Duration: 2:18. -------------------------------------------
US forces should shoot down North Korea's missiles: Robert Maginnis - Duration: 4:13.
For more infomation >> US forces should shoot down North Korea's missiles: Robert Maginnis - Duration: 4:13. -------------------------------------------
U.S., Russia agree to join hands to resolve North Korean issue - Duration: 0:39.
The United States and Russia have spoken with one voice on North Korea,... saying they will
not accept North Korea as a nuclear state.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Wednesday that both sides have
agreed to collaborate to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels.
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution last week that toughened sanctions
on North Korea, limiting oil supplies that could be used to further develop the regime's
nuclear and missile programs.
Russia has offered to play the role of mediator to get the U.S. and North Korea back to the
negotiating table.
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BREAKING US cuts funds for UN after 'null and void' vote - News - Duration: 3:17.
For more infomation >> BREAKING US cuts funds for UN after 'null and void' vote - News - Duration: 3:17. -------------------------------------------
China to 'overtake the US as world's most POWERFUL economy after Trump's trade plans bite' - Duration: 4:08.
China to 'overtake the US as world's most POWERFUL economy after Trump's trade plans bite'
The United States will be overtaken as the most powerful economy in the world as China's strong growth continues, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
World Bank lead economist John Litwack said: " has maintained its growth resilience and gained reform momentum." The UK-based think tank revealed what they expect to be the world's 10 biggest economies in 2032, with the sitting in second behind the communist superpower.
India, Japan, Germany and Brazil make up the rest of the top six ahead of the UK in seventh.
China's growth has been partly driven by the "new economy" with internet firms succeeding with massive growth of 16 per cent in the last decade, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said.
The report claimed that President 's isolationist trade agenda will contribute to its downfall as the world biggest economy.
The UK think tank said: "The impact of President Trump on trade has been less severe than expected, the USA will retain its global crown a year longer than we anticipated in the last report." South Korea and India will both climb four places, with Seoul making its first appearance in the top 10 and eighth.
The rise of Asian economies is reflected in the gloomy fortunes of the former global powers of Europe.
Germany and the UK will fall one place while France's economy tumbles a worrying four places to come in at number nine behind South Korea.
The last entry in the top ten sees Indonesia rise an impressive six places to enter the top ten for the first time.
The news comes after President Trump defended his controversial tax plan that will see businesses and billionaires enjoy staggering cuts to their bills.
Benefits for most other taxpayers would be smaller, but the President attempted to sell the bill as a "Christmas present" for middle-class Americans in part because it would trigger job growth.
President Trump told reporters on the White House lawn before travelling to Camp David for the weekend: "It'll be fantastic for the middle-income people and for jobs, most of all. He also predicted the legislation would cause the economy to soar beyond its current 3 per cent rate of growth.
Many economists believe that attaining that would be challenging – the nation last topped 5 per cent in 1984.
The Republican plan is the widest-ranging reshaping of the tax code in three decades and is expected to add to the nation's $20trillion (£15trillion) debt. The tax cuts are projected to add $1.46trillion over a decade.
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