World briefs

Smugglers sneak weapons into Gaza after Israelis leave

RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Palestinian gunrunners smuggled hundreds of assault rifles and pistols across the Egyptian frontier into Gaza, dealers and border officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The influx confirmed Israeli fears about giving up border control and could further destabilize Gaza.

Black market prices for weapons dropped sharply, with AK-47 assault rifles nearly cut in half to $1,300 and even steeper reductions for handguns.

News of the smuggling came as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas tried to impose order following the Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza this week.

Militant groups scoffed at a new Palestinian Authority demand that they disband after parliamentary elections in January, saying they would not surrender weapons.

Israel voiced concern about chaos along the Egypt-Gaza border in the three days since its pullout, sending messages to the United States, Egypt and the Palestinians.

"We will not put up with this," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said.

 

U.S. refuses North Korean nuclear reactor demand

BEIJING - North Korea insisted Wednesday it should get a nuclear reactor to generate electricity in exchange for abandoning atomic weapons development.

But the main U.S. envoy at disarmament talks said Washington, D.C., and its partners have no intention of meeting the demand.

After his first one-on-one meeting with the North Korean delegation at this round of six-nation talks on the communist nation's nuclear program, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said the sides "did not make a lot of progress."

The talks resumed Tuesday after a five-week recess, and also include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

The last session failed to yield an agreement after 13 days of meetings, and no end date has been set for the current negotiations.

Under the offer on the table, North Korea would receive economic aid and security guarantees from Washington, D.C., along with free electricity from South Korea for dismantling its nuclear weapons program.