US Removes N. Korea From Terrorism Blacklist

The US removed North Korea from its terrorism blacklist today after Pyongyang agreed to all nuclear inspection demands. North Korea will allow atomic experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at its nuclear facilities. If it balks, it will go back on the list. Diplomats said President Bush signed off on the move in a bid to salvage a faltering disarmament accord.

More Than 2 Dozen Killed in Mexican Drug Violence

Mexican gangs battling over drug routes to the US show no signs of easing up on the mayhem, the Los Angeles Times reports. In a spasm of violence over the last 2 days, gunmen raked patrons of a bar in Chihuahua and killed 11; a newspaper publisher was shot to death and dumped on a roadside; 2 federal agents and 2 suspected smugglers died in a highway shootout; and 13 people were shot to death in Tijuana.

Far Right Austrian Leader Dies in Crash

A right-wing Austrian politician who sparked controversy with rhetoric viewed as pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic was killed today in a car accident, CNN reports. Joerg Haider, 58, was driving alone when he left the road, hit a concrete post, and flipped several times, said a witness. When Haider's anti-immigration Freedom Party earned enough votes to join a government coalition in 1999, the EU imposed months of sanctions. He broke from the party a few years ago and toned down his comments.

Couples Stick Together in Life, Death

Turns out you can die of a broken heart, especially if you’re elderly and your longtime partner passes first, MSNBC reports. More studies are buttressing what had long been an anecdotal belief: that bereaved spouses face an increased risk of death within months of their partner passing. The leading cause of death in such cases is heart failure, but “I think it’s about connection,” said one doctor.

Smugglers Force 150 Overboard Off Yemen

At least 100 people, mainly Somalis, are missing and feared dead after being forced off a people-smuggling boat near Yemen, Reuters reports. The boat had been carrying 150 passengers when it left Somalia to cross the Gulf of Aden nearly three days ago, said survivors. Some 47 people managed to swim to a beach.