N. Korea taken off U.S. ‘terror list’

SINGAPORE: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has expressed willingness to “resume disablement” of the nuclear facilities at Yongbyon under a new “package” on “verification.”
In terms of the “package,” the U.S. rescinded its own classification of North Korea as a “state-sponsor of terrorism.” And, in the “agreement” with the U.S. on the removal of the ‘terrorism’ tag, North Korea announced measures designed to help its dialogue-partners “verify” its “nuclear declaration.”

India will seek two more border trade centres with Myanmar
New Delhi (PTI): India will seek two more border trade centres with Myanmar in the North-eastern states of Manipur and Mizoram but Arunachal Pradesh will be kept out of the proposal owing to security reasons.
The issue will be taken up by Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh at Mandalay in Myanmar during his two-day visit from Tuesday.
At present, Moreh in Manipur is the only operational trade centre on the border. India will propose two additional such centres -- Avangkhu in Nagaland and Zowkhathar side.

Merkel urges coordinated financial rescue
BERLIN (AP): Coordinated national rescue efforts for the financial markets are needed to restore confidence in the world economy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in comments published on Sunday.
``Only an act of the state can bring back the needed trust,'' Merkel told Bild am Sonntag newspaper in an interview Saturday after meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

N Korea says it will resume nuclear disablement
SEOUL (AP): North Korea said on Sunday it will resume disabling its main nuclear facilities, hours after the United States removed the communist country from a list of states that Washington says sponsor terrorism.
North Korea's Foreign Ministry said it will again allow inspections by the U.S. and the International Atomic Energy Agency at its Yongbyon nuclear complex to verify the disablement process, pledged under a 2007 disarmament-for-aid deal with the U.S. and four other regional powers.

Karzai offers Taliban a role in Govt
London (PTI): Afghan President Hamid Karzai has offered Taliban leaders the possibility of positions in his government if they struck a peace deal to end the fighting, media reported on Sunday.
The offer was made through his brother Qayoun at a secret meeting in Saudi Arabia of which Britain was aware.
Britain was in favour of such a deal and the Americans are thought to be coming round to the idea as the Afghan war is proving to be a costly affair. But the Americans have made it clear that while they may let talks with the Taliban, no negotiation with al-Qaeda is possible.

Saudi prince to build world's tallest building
Riyadh (AP): Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal says he will build the world's tallest building in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
Yesterday's statement by his firm, Kingdom Holding Company, says the building will be more than a kilometer (3,281 feet) high and will be part of a larger project that will cost USD 26.7 billion).

Turkey's military attacks rebels in northern Iraq
ANKARA (AP): Turkish warplanes and artillery bombed and killed a large group of Kurdish rebels as they tried to cross the rugged mountains into Turkey from northern Iraq, the military said onFriday.
Turkish surveillance teams spotted the rebel group and called in the attack late Thursday that killed most of the group's members along the border, said military spokesman Gen. Metin Gurak.
But rebel group the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, said its fighters had not tried to cross the border, did not have a presence in the area and had not suffered any casualties.