U.S. experts arrived in North Korea on Thursday to discuss preparations for the disablement of the country's nuclear facilities by the end of 2007 under a six-party denuclearization deal, Yonhap reported.

It has been a year since North Korea alarmed the world by demonstrating its nuclear weapons capability with an underground test. In the months since, multinational diplomacy dealing with North Korea's nuclear weapons picked up urgency - and has made progress.

Japan's Cabinet approved on Tuesday the extension of economic sanctions against North Korea for another six months over the lack of progress in the issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals.

The representatives of New York Philharmonic are to visit North Korea to discuss the possibility of a history-making performance in the communist nation.

The leaders of North and South Korea signed a historic joint declaration on Thursday in Pyongyang pledging a commitment to peace talks and a range of economic ties, reported Yonhap from Seoul.

Two nuclear powers took the podium at the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday. North Korea's vice minister for foreign affairs says Pyongyang supports a denuclearized Korean peninsula. While, his Pakistani counterpart says his nation is opposed to an arms race in South Asia.

North Korea has agreed to disable all its nuclear facilities by 31st December in exchange for diplomatic sops and energy aid, according to an agreement reached during six-nation talks on peacefully dismantling Pyongyang's atomic programme.

North Korea has agreed to disable the facilities at its main Yongbyon nuclear reactor complex by December 31 under US supervision, according to a six-nation agreement released by China.

Pyongyang committed at separate nuclear negotiations to disable its main reactor by the end of the year. The first summit between two Koreas left south pleased.

South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun has made a symbolic step across the border into neighbouring North Korea as he heads to Pyongyang for a rare summit meeting with his counterpart, Kim Jong Il.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has taken a symbolic set of steps crossing the fortified border to North Korea, on his way to a summit with the North's leader Kim Jong Il.

US President George W Bush has authorised $25 million in energy aid to North Korea in response to Pyongyang's progress in complying with its denuclearisation agreement.