North Korea

The Supreme People's Court is now responsible for death penalty cases. Every year, 10,000 people are sentenced to death, according to a Chinese parliamentarian.

"Spontaneous" manifestations of joy for the nuclear test of 9 October took place. Before the feasting, Pyongyang launched five missiles and, according to American charges, has sold at least 40 to African and Middle Eastern countries.

A court convicted the group to a year's probation for entering the country illegally and without documents. The asylum seekers want to file a request for political asylum to eventually relocate in South Korea.

South Korean Unification Minister quits. Seoul's unconditional dialogue with Pyongyang comes under attack as humanitarian aid is diverted to North Korea's army and military plans.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman denied reports about informal apologies offered to Beijing by the North Korean dictator, who has no plans to undertake new tests but does not exclude them. According to anonymous sources, China may back a coup d'etat to overthrow him.

The government of Tokyo has applied unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang that block meager bilateral trade and prevent ships from docking if they are going from or to North Korea. The only ones to suffer are 600,000 North Korean residents in Japan, who will lose all contact with relatives on the peninsula.

Human rights groups present the next United Nations secretary general with a joint petition on the eve of his departure for Beijing. International sanctions continue against the Communist regime.

The North Korean leader will resume talks "if the US eases the pressure", according to a South Korean newspaper citing Chinese diplomatic sources. Yesterday, the dictator met Chinese envoy Tang Jiaxuan, who delivered a personal message from President Hu Jintao.

The decision was taken at the end of a two-day meeting at the headquarters of Caritas Internationalis. Participants told AsiaNews that charity means unconditional love and that the mission of the Church, "as repeated several times by the Holy See", consists in being close to those who suffer. The North Koreans were given copies of Deus Caritas Est.

A South Korean MP, member of the Intelligence Committee of Seoul's Parliament, confirmed that clues coming from several countries indicate that another three or four nuclear tests are being prepared. Meanwhile, Kim Jong-il reappeared in public.

The director of the Korean Caritas, Fr Paul Jeremiah Hwang Yong-yeon, was the first foreigner to cross the border with North Korea after Pyongyang announced that it had carried out a nuclear test. He told AsiaNews how this experiment is sure to deal a heavy blow to the work of the Catholic organization and how ordinary people will pay the price.

Japanese Foreign Minister said there was nothing wrong to discuss whether his country should have nuclear weapons, but having them is unnecessary because of the reconfirmed US commitment to defend Asia against North Korean threats.