U.S. President George Bush is calling on Iran's leaders to drop their objections to a modified package of incentives put forward by the five UN permanent Security Council members plus Germany. From Paris, VOA White House correspondent Paula Wolfson reports the dispute over Iran's nuclear program and other Mideast issues dominated the agenda when Mr. Bush met with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

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.

Iran's top nuclear has said it was "impossible" Tehran would yield to the key Western demand over its nuclear programme, even if the UN Security Council imposed further sanctions.

US: North Korea to Disable Its Nuclear Plants This Year. The chief U.S. nuclear envoy says North Korea has agreed to identify all its nuclear programs and disable them by the end of this year.

North Korea Foreign Ministry said that their country is ready to quickly shut down its nuclear reactor after receiving funds that had been frozen in a banking dispute.

Iran says the country's uranium enrichment program is ready to operate on an "industrial level." The announcement comes on the first anniversary of what Iran announced was its first success in enriching small amounts of uranium at Natanz.

The United Nations Security Council intends to vote on March 24 on a draft resolution that would tighten sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, diplomats say.