Seoul - Famine conditions in communist North Korea are worsening despite international food aid, a US congressman said yesterday after a three-day visit to rural areas of the impoverished country.
A House of Representatives Democrat, Mr Tony Hall, told reporters: "I think when somebody writes the history of this country - and we don't have it now - when we really know what happened in North Korea, this will be one of the great disasters in the last 50 years. I think it's that severe."
Mr Hall returned from his sixth visit to North Korea on Tuesday.
--(Reuters)
Brazil officer stands trial
Sao Paulo - A Brazilian police chief charged with ordering the slaughter of 111 prisoners in 1992 is to stand trial in what rights activists say is a landmark case in Brazil's fight against impunity for officials accused of brutality.
Col Ubiratan Guimaraes, who allegedly ordered troops with machineguns to crush a riot at Sao Paulo's Carandiru prison eight years ago, could be sentenced to between 50 and 1,400 years, an official on the prosecuting side said. The prison is Latin America's biggest.
--(Reuters)
Blair shocked at boy's killing
London - The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, said yesterday he was shocked and outraged at the killing of a 10-year-old schoolboy who bled to death after being stabbed in the leg.
The death of Nigerian-born Damilola Taylor, who settled in Britain only months ago, hit the headlines yesterday and prompted calls for people to take on more responsibility to fight crime.
"I think there is shock and outrage not just in this house and in that constituency but right across the country at the appalling and brutal murder of Damilola," Mr Blair told the House of Commons.
--(Reuters)
Aziz in sanctions talks
Moscow - The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Tariq Aziz, pursued Baghdad's goal of an end to a decade of UN sanctions against the oil-rich Gulf state when he talked to senior Russian officials here yesterday.
The Iraqi official held an initial 90 minutes of talks with the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr Igor Ivanov, before breaking for lunch, Foreign Ministry officials said.
The talks were scheduled to resume later, but the officials stonewalled most questions about what had been said so far.
--(Reuters)