South sceptical of North Korea pledges When the six-party talks on the denuclearisation of North Korea ended last week, there was plenty of scepticism in neighbouring South Korea: to what extent can the reneging North be trusted to keep its pledges and promises in the future? The talks in... 29 Jul, 2007
IN OTHER WORDS: Not enough North Korea’s decision to shut down its plutonium-producing reactor and admit international inspectors was only the first of several steps it needs to take under the deal it made with the US and five other countries in February. These two steps are... 18 Jul, 2007
Japan-N Korea talks fail over bitter history Talks between Japan and North Korea last week to normalise bilateral relations failed to get over a bitter past history with the two sides unable to even set future dates for resumption of dialogue. “The problems that divide both sides are steeped in... 20 Mar, 2007
US: Realists open to talks with Iran, Syria Two weeks after making major concessions for a nuclear accord with North Korea, the Bush administration said on Tuesday it was prepared to sit down with Iran and Syria as part of a regional conference to stabilise Iraq. In testimony before the Senate... 01 Mar, 2007
Axis of evil, five years later In his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush had listed North Korea, Iraq, and Iran as the “axis of evil.” Where stands the axis five years later? North Korea can be counted as a tentative — very tentative — success for diplomacy.... 21 Feb, 2007
Nuke talks: Who blinks first? Despite great expectations for a breakthrough deal on ending North Korea’s nuclear crisis four days of tough international negotiations sponsored by China have produced little hope of a quick resolution. The surge of optimism which accompanied the... 13 Feb, 2007
TOPICS: What North Korea really wants In late 2004, I stood at the edge of the Sahara Desert and marvelled at a scene that would have been impossible to imagine a short time before. Near the ancient trading post of Al Kufrah, where Libya’s asphalt roads surrender to sand, a convoy of 350... 30 Jan, 2007
China confirms anti-satellite missile test Beijing, January 23:China confirmed today that it conducted an anti-satellite weapons test that alarmed the world and prompted questions about Beijing’s motives.Both Washington and Tokyo have expressed concern over the January 11 test in which China... Women 23 Jan, 2007
2006: A bad year for empire For those who believed that the precise and overwhelming demonstration of US military power in Afghanistan and Iran would “shock and awe” the rest of the world — and particularly Washington’s foes and aspiring rivals — into accepting its... 24 Dec, 2006
Regional nuke race: Nightmare for China China’s concerns about the onset of a nuclear arms race in East Asia are beginning to override Beijing’s long-term worry of seeing a collapsed state on its border, according to analysts and diplomats. Despite Pyongyang’s nuclear brinkmanship of... 11 Dec, 2006
N Koreans flee looming famine The recent arrest of 91 North Korean defectors in Thailand’s northernmost province of Chiang Rai has brought into relief the conditions driving such flight. It is hunger and a growing food shortages, say humanitarian agencies. And international... 06 Nov, 2006
Japan-US ties and Korean bomb US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s tour of Japan, China and South Korea last week to rally support for tough measures against North Korea underscored Japan’s growing military dependence on Washington. “North Korea is talking about returning... 29 Oct, 2006
