US: No talks with North Korea. The United States continues to refuse bilateral talks with the newly-declared-nuclear North Korea, according to this CNN report. 'White House press secretary Scott McClellan said North Korea would have plenty of opportunities to raise issues directly with the United States if it agreed to resume six-party talks. Those have been on hold since Pyongyang withdrew last year.' The six-party talks included the two Koreas, the US, China, Japan, and Russia. Debka says: 'White House plays down North Korea claim of nuclear weapons, calls for return to multi-nation disarmament talks but rules out concessions. DEBKAfile’s Washington sources: Administration has no real proof that Pyongyang really has manufactured nuclear bomb although it has enough plutonium. Its announcement may be bluff. No indication nuclear test ever conducted. Kremlin concurs with this skeptical view'. (CNN, Debka)
Death of a playwright. Arthur Miller, America's foremost playwright, has died. The reclusive writer died at his Connecticut home Thursday night of heart failure, at the age of 89. Miller was the author of the classics "All My Sons", "The Crucible", and "Death of a Salesman", (CNN)
