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North Korea called Wednesday for "unconditional and early" talks with rival South Korea to put an end to months of tensions. Seoul quickly dismissed the offer as insincere and said it's waiting for an apology for two deadly attacks blamed on Pyongyang.
Britain's defense secretary said Wednesday that 2011 and 2012 are crucial in the fight against the Afghan insurgency and that NATO forces are now strong enough to make a lasting difference in the war against the Taliban.
Mick Karn, bass player in the 1980s group Japan, has died.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will visit the Palestinian territories even though his trip to Israel has been canceled due to an Israeli Foreign Ministry strike, the Kremlin said in a statement.