Free Republic

N. Korea's No. 2 leader visits Europe in March: sources SEOUL, April 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's No. 2 leader made a secret trip to three European countries in March, but the purpose of his visit was not yet known, sources familiar with North Korean affairs said Sunday. Jang Song-taek, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's brother-in-law, made visits to France, Italy and Switzerland from early to mid-March, the sources said, without elaborating on the purpose.

NEW YORK, May 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush is considering making his first trip to the Middle East as president in the next few weeks to salvage a peace plan threatened by suicide bombings against Israelis, the New York Times reported on its Web site late on Tuesday. A trip to Israel is possible but unlikely, the Times reported, citing unnamed administration officials. Officials told the Times that Bush could meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Kuwait or Qatar on a side trip from a meeting he is set to attend later this month in the...