US won't take N. Korea off state sponsors of terrorism list yet

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Japan that Washington would not remove North Korea from a US list of state sponsors of terrorism on the initial deadline of Monday, Japan's foreign minister and the State Department said.

The White House had made clear it did not expect a deal with Pyongyang by yesterday for presenting a verification plan for its nuclear programmes, but it had said talks would continue. Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura told reporters Ms Rice told him in a telephone call of the delay in taking North Korea off the list of states viewed by Washington as sponsors of terrorism. The list includes Iran, Syria, Sudan and Cuba.