Waching daily Oct 20 2017

North Korea has sent Australia an open letter... urging the country to distance itself from

the United States.

The letter says Pyongyang is a fully-fledged nuclear power and President Trump's attempt

to destroy it would be a "big miscalculation" that could lead to a "horrible nuclear disaster".

Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop revealed to Fairfax Media that the

document was received on September 28th.

She said it's an unprecedented step, which shows that diplomatic and economic pressure

on the regime is working.

North Korea sent letters last month to parliaments around the world,... after President Trump

threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea, if necessary, during a speech at the United

Nations.

For more infomation >> North Korea sends letter to Australia, urging them to turn away from Trump - Duration: 0:45.

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North Korea 'months away' from perfecting nuclear weapons capabilities: CIA chief - Duration: 1:30.

In one of the starkest warnings yet from a member of the Trump administration,... the

head of the CIA has admitted North Korea is a matter of months away from perfecting its

nuclear weapons capabilities.

Park Ji-won has more.

Speaking at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington on Thursday, CIA

Director Mike Pompeo warned that North Korea could be only months away from perfecting

its nuclear weapons capabilities.

He emphasized the need for a concerted global effort to pressure the regime.

"They are closer now than they were five years ago and I expect they will be closer in five

months than they are today, absent a global effort to push back against them.

(...) And it is the case that they are close enough now in their capabilities that from

a U.S. policy perspective we ought to behave as if we are on the cusp of them achieving

that objective."

The CIA chief also said the military option remains on the table to prevent the North

from fully developing its nuclear weapons technologies.

However, Pompeo and U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster both emphasized that

the Trump administration still prefers to pursue a diplomatic approach to force North

Korea back to talks on its denuclearization.

Park Ji-won, Arirang News.

For more infomation >> North Korea 'months away' from perfecting nuclear weapons capabilities: CIA chief - Duration: 1:30.

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Independent commission recommends Shin Kori nuclear reactors remain online - Duration: 2:44.

Our top story this afternoon...

A state commission has announced the results of its public survey over the fate of two

nuclear reactors,... that were being built near Ulsan in the southeast of the country.

The reactors' construction had previously been suspended by the Moon administration.

For more we have our Ji Myung-kil on the line for us.

So Myung-kil,... just walk us through the results of this survey...

Hello Mark.

I'm at the government-complex in Seoul right now.

And just two hours ago,... the chairman of the state commission,... Kim Ji-hyung, announced

the results... saying nearly 60 percent of the public favored continuing the construction

of the two unfinished nuclear reactors... while 40 percent called for abandoning the

construction.

Currently,... the two reactors are about 30 percent complete.

The commission also stated that although the public were in favor of restarting the construction,...

when it comes to future policy, over 50 percent of the participants advised the government

to opt for cleaner sources of energy.

Back in June... the government suspended the reactors' construction, and then established

the independent commission in charge of collecting views from the public.

Since August, the commission formed a jury and provided them with information on the

merits and downsides of the project.

The 471 jury members spent four days together debating the issue over the past weekend,...

during which they heard from experts representing both sides.

After that, the commission conducted a final survey of the jury, and based on its results,

drew up its recommendation to the government.

So... the state commission has announced the results,... now these results will be passed

over to President Moon Jae-in for his final decision, right?

Yes, Mark that's right.

President Moon will make the final decision, during the Cabinet meeting on October 24th,

on whether to restart or permanently halt the construction... of the Shin Kori 5 and

6 nuclear reactors.

Now it is likely that President Moon will respect the commission's decision and give

the green light to restart the construction of the two nuclear reactors.

It goes counter to President Moon's pledge during his campaign period as he had said

he would halt the construction of any nuclear reactors.

Some four million U.S. dollars was spent running this special commission,... and over one billion

dollars has been spent on the Shin Kori 5 and 6 nuclear reactor construction project.

But the results of the commission could still be seen as in line with President Moon's energy

policies,... as the Moon administration wants to phase out Korea's reliance... on nuclear

energy in the long-term.

Back to you Mark.

For more infomation >> Independent commission recommends Shin Kori nuclear reactors remain online - Duration: 2:44.

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President Moon urges officers to become 'the people's police' - Duration: 0:43.

A massive ceremony has been taking place in Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square to mark Korea's

seventy-second Police Day.

President Moon Jae-in joined the celebrations as well.

Urging them to be "the people's police,"... the president thanked officers for their hard

work and for making the country safer.

He said they should remain politically neutral and refrain from using excessive force.

With the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics a matter of months away, President Moon called

on the police to reinforce their counter-terrorism abilities.

He also pledged to recruit 20-thousand more police officers and improve their working

conditions.

For more infomation >> President Moon urges officers to become 'the people's police' - Duration: 0:43.

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How to find your LinkedIn SSI score - Duration: 2:02.

For more infomation >> How to find your LinkedIn SSI score - Duration: 2:02.

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FREE Tiger Print Theme Youtube and Logo Banner Template [PHOTOSHOP CS6] + DOWNLOAD TUTORIAL!! - Duration: 1:16.

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For more infomation >> FREE Tiger Print Theme Youtube and Logo Banner Template [PHOTOSHOP CS6] + DOWNLOAD TUTORIAL!! - Duration: 1:16.

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Italian auction house to become world's first to accept Bitcoin - Duration: 1:43.

For the first time, an Italian auction house says bidders at its next sale will be able

to settle up in Bitcoin.

There seems to be no stopping Bitcoin,... despite growing concern among world governments

over their lack of control over the currency Won Jung-hwan tells us more.

At the beginning of next week, about 600 Italian and foreign objects, mostly furniture, will

go under the hammer at Sant'Agostino where payment in the world's top cryptocurrency

will be allowed.

The move means the Turin-based company will become the world's first auction house to

accept Bitcoin as a payment method.

Sant'Agostino's decision is just the latest example of Bitcoin penetrating into real-world

use.

Last month in Dubai, apartments were bought and sold in Bitcoin and the Pacific island

of Vanuatu said recently that it would give citizenship to foreigners if they pay the

government 280-thousand U.S. dollars worth of Bitcoins.

However, despite an explosion in transactions,… financial authorities around the world have

issued numerous warnings against the widespread use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

They claim it could lead to an asset bubble and say investors are vulnerable to scams

or market manipulation.

South Korea's financial authorities said last month that they will ban all forms of initial

coin offerings, joining a wave of global regulations against popular fundraising schemes using

cryptocurrencies.

Since its creation in 2009, the value of Bitcoin has risen exponentially, hitting the five-thousand-800

U.S. dollar mark for the first time in last week.

Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.

For more infomation >> Italian auction house to become world's first to accept Bitcoin - Duration: 1:43.

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S. Korea and U.S. nuclear envoys emphasize coordination over North Korea - Duration: 0:57.

Turning to the latest diplomatic moves to ease tensions with North Korea.

South Korea's representative for the Six-Party talks met with his American counterpart in

Seoul earlier today.

The two discussed how to best tackle the North Korea nuclear issue, and work towards a consistent

South Korea-U.S. message on the regime, in preparation for President Trump's visit to

Seoul early next month.

The U.S. representative, Joseph Yun, said close coordination with Seoul was Washington's

number one priority,... while South Korea's nuclear envoy Lee Do-hyun said he felt cooperation

between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan was stronger than ever after this week.

Lee's comments are in reference to a series of meetings held between diplomats from the

three countries over the last few days.

On Wednesday, a vice-foreign ministerial level meeting concluded with the nations pledging

to explore all possible diplomatic options to denuclearize North Korea.

For more infomation >> S. Korea and U.S. nuclear envoys emphasize coordination over North Korea - Duration: 0:57.

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NS Treinen VIRM + Nieuwe VIRMm, Amsterdam Sloterdijk! - Duration: 2:27.

For more infomation >> NS Treinen VIRM + Nieuwe VIRMm, Amsterdam Sloterdijk! - Duration: 2:27.

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Strong alliance deters conflict on Korean Peninsula: U.S. Navy Admiral - Duration: 0:44.

The commander of the U.S. strike group that's in South Korea for the joint military drills....

insists there will be no military clashes on the Korean Peninsula as long as Seoul and

Washington maintain their ironclad alliance.

Speaking with Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency on Thursday, Admiral Marc Dalton, Commanding

Officer of USS Ronald Reagan, said the allies maintain strong deterrence through the joint

exercises.

U.S. Carrier Strike Group 5 is currently deployed to the East Sea and has been taking part in

joint operations with South Korea's Navy since Monday.

Dalton says the purpose of the drills is not to escalate tensions on the peninsula,...

emphasizing that the exercises are purely defensive in nature.

For more infomation >> Strong alliance deters conflict on Korean Peninsula: U.S. Navy Admiral - Duration: 0:44.

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Russia and Poland pledge no more new North Korean laborers - Duration: 0:49.

Russia and Poland have confirmed they will NOT hire any new North Korean workers, falling

in line with the latest UN Security Council resolution.

Moscow's labor minister, Maxim Topilin, told local reporters that workers currently in

Russia can stay till the end of their contracts as they do not violate the UN sanctions, but

those contracts will not be renewed and no new workers will be accepted.

Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Marek Magierowski (Ma-gier-roff-ski) made comments along similar

lines on Thursday, adding his country had already implemented such policies before the

UN sanctions were made.

There are thought to be some 40-thousand North Koreans working in Russia, and over 400 in

Poland, mainly in the construction, logging and farming industries.