TOKYO: Washington's point man on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth, said Tuesday he would consider visiting Pyongyang in a bid to revive stalled talks on dismantling the communist regime's nuclear programme.Asked about a possible trip to Pyongyang, Bosworth told reporters in Tokyo that ‘this is something we will be considering over the next few weeks.’ But the envoy, wrapping up a tour of countries involved in the negotiations aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme, said it was too early to say when any visit could happen. "That of course does not depend entirely on us," he added."I think I will go back to Washington now and we will have consultations there... and then probably be in touch with our partners out here in Asia." Bosworth said the United States was prepared to hold bilateral talks with Pyongyang, reiterating the foreign policy of US President Barack Obama.The North vowed to permanently quit the six-way talks after the UN Security Council condemned the launch, and has also threatened to conduct a new nuclear test.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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