United States close to taking NKorea off terror list: reports

The United States is close to removing North Korea from its terrorism blacklist in the hope of saving a crumbling nuclear disarmament deal, according to reports from several countries Friday. They said Washington, which sent its chief negotiator Christopher Hill to Pyongyang last week, is nearing agreement with the hardline communist state on "verification" inspection procedures for its nuclear plants. But Japan objected, saying the North did not deserve an immediate removal from the list and citing Pyongyang's decision to bar UN inspectors from its Yongbyon nuclear complex.