World IN BRIEF : NORTH KOREA : Nuclear Inspections May Be Conditional

Full diplomatic ties with Washington and a modern nuclear reactor are North Korea’s conditions for letting inspectors monitor its nuclear program, according to the government’s Rodong Shinmun newspaper. The paper said U.S. response to the demands, to be set Friday when talks resume in Geneva, will show “whether they are interested in the fundamental solution to the nuclear issue in the Korean peninsula or not.” U.S. officials reportedly want a step-by-step approach that rewards North Korea for progress on nuclear issues.