Reuters - North Korea's capital faces its worst electricity shortages in years just as a new leadership takes power in the impoverished state and pushes ahead with lavish building projects to celebrate the centenary of its founder's birth.
AP - North Korea is taking a step back from earlier vows that it would never deal with South Korea's leader, but it is demanding preconditions for resuming talks that include the cancellation of U.S.-South Korea military drills.
AP - In a message aimed at both Koreas, a senior U.S. diplomat said Wednesday that Washington is open to settling the North Korean nuclear standoff through diplomacy, but only if Pyongyang improves ties with archrival South Korea.
AP - A senior U.S. diplomat on Tuesday expressed "hope in diplomacy" for settling differences with North Korea, but he reassured ally Seoul that a lasting U.S.-South Korea military presence will back up any talks.
AP - North Korea's young new leader gets rock star treatment when he visits his troops — just as his father did. But while the late Kim Jong Il mostly stayed aloof in dark shades, his son holds hands and hugs his soldiers.