Waching daily Dec 27 2017

A recent report shows that ever since President Trump came to power, there has been a wave

of trade wars between American firms and their foreign competitors.

The Washington Post released on Tuesday its analysis of U.S. Commerce Department data,

which found that 23 new trade disputes had been initiated since January, making 2017

the busiest year for tariff cases in more than 15 years.

It also reports that the new cases target trade between the U.S. and 29 countries, the

most in any year since 2001.

One of those countries includes South Korea, with a case brought by Whirlpool to impose

anti-dumping duties on Korean washing machines made by Samsung and LG.

The surge in complaints comes amid Trump's push for his so-called "America First" policies.

For more infomation >> U.S. trade wars with foreign firms surge amid Trump's 'America First' drive - Duration: 0:49.

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Empowered Teen Proud of Prosthetic Leg | SHAKE MY BEAUTY - Duration: 3:16.

For more infomation >> Empowered Teen Proud of Prosthetic Leg | SHAKE MY BEAUTY - Duration: 3:16.

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Libya pipeline blast causes drop in crude oil production, surge in oil prices - Duration: 0:43.

Oil prices surged to more than two-and-a-half-year highs on Tuesday after reports of a pipeline

explosion in Libya cutting the country's crude supply.

Libya's National Oil Corporation says production has been reduced by 70-thousand to 100-thousand

barrels a day, causing U.S. crude to reach more than 67 dollars a barrel.

The NOC did not state the cause of the explosion, but reports suggest the pipeline, which carries

crude oil from Libya's south to a port terminal in its north, could have been attacked.

Libya produces about one million barrels a day, but supply has been disrupted in the

past due to protests, power blackouts and conflict between rival factions in the country.

For more infomation >> Libya pipeline blast causes drop in crude oil production, surge in oil prices - Duration: 0:43.

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U.S. announces $285m cut in UN 2018 operating budget - Duration: 1:56.

Now for a look at stories making headlines around the world and we start with a budget

cut at the United Nations.

The U.S. Ambassador the UN, Nikki Haley, has announced that the Trump administration has

negotiated a 285 million-dollar cut in the world body's budget for the next fiscal year.

For more let's turn to our Ro Aram….

Aram… so Washington seems to be making good on its threat to cut funding after a vote

condemning Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

That's right Semin… although Haley did not explicitly say the reason for the budget cut

was because of the vote by the 120 countries last week, it certainly looks that way.

She made a veiled threat of cutting U.S. funding to the UN before the vote was held and issued

a statement on Christmas Eve touting the 285-million-dollar cut in the budget as a product of U.S. negotiation.

She added that the U.S. will "no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken

advantage of or remain unchecked."

It's still unclear if the budget savings will come from a reduction in the U.S. contribution

to the UN, which is about 22 percent of the world body's 5-point-4-billion-dollar biennial

budget.

But, Haley's statement did not mention any other member states that may have taken issue

with what she called the UN's "inefficiency and overspending."

There could be more cuts in the future as Trump's proposed spending budget for next

year would end funding for UN climate change programs and also reduce funding to UNICEF

by 16 percent.

Trump's threats of cutting contributions to the UN emerged long before the vote to condemn

his Jerusalem decision, but tensions have certainly heightened after it.

The spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world body is currently

studying the impact of the newly adopted budget numbers and will soon issue a statement on

the matter.

For more infomation >> U.S. announces $285m cut in UN 2018 operating budget - Duration: 1:56.

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N. Korea could participate in PyeongChang Winter Olympics: Unification Ministry - Duration: 2:04.

Everything's coming into place as Pyeongchang readies to host the 2018 winter olympics.

The big question mark that still hovers is will North Korea join in?

If the answer is yes, it could be a solid first step towards peace talks.

Kim Mok-yeon gauges the possibility of two Koreas coming together for the global games.

South Korea's Unification Ministry said Tuesday that North Korea could be preparing to compete

at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February.

Speaking to reporters, an official from the ministry said that though nothing is confirmed

yet, they have seen some indication that North Korean athletes have recently been getting

training overseas.

But the official said that further confirmation is needed to know whether they were actually

training or if it was something else.

On the same day, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that the ministry will work through the

PyeongChang Olympics towards the goal of denuclearizing North Korea.

(KOREAN) "If North Korea decides to participate in

the Olympics, which is a worldwide peace festival, it could create momentum for the regime to

engage in peaceful negotiations regarding its nuclear program."

Meanwhile, a group of 72 influential South Koreans from different fields have urged Washington

and Pyongyang to stop any military activity during the Winter Olympics.

They include former Prime Minister Goh Kun, and the Buddhist monk the Venerable Pomnyun.

At the conference in Seoul on Tuesday for peace in East Asia, they issued a statement

demanding a peaceful Olympics, stressing that the event is one of the few opportunities

that can bring peace to the region.

They also pointed out that North Korea's participation in the Olympics would help make the Games

a venue for peaceful.

In a related move, China's state media are also pressing for the United States to accept

President Moon Jae-in's proposal to postpone the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise

until after the Olympics.

China's Huanqiu shibao newspaper said President Moon's suggestion could be seen as a shift

in Seoul's policy towards Pyongyang, and that the Kim Jong-un regime might welcome the move,

which could eventually put an end to the vicious cycle of escalation on the Korean Peninsula.

Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang news.