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Albright visits North Korean leader

PYONGYANG, North Korea-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright became the first senior American official to meet North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong Il, who declared himself "very happy" as he greeted her for three hours of talks at a government guest house yesterday afternoon.

Dressed in his trademark two-piece, khaki-green jacket and pants, Kim said, "This is a new one from a historic point of view." State Department spokesman Richard Boucher later called the meetings "substantive" and "very useful." He said Albright described Kim as "very engaged."

Neither side gave any indication of what they accomplished, but Boucher said they discussed "the issues which were of concern to us."

Officials earlier described those as a range of security matters such as North Korea's nuclear program, long-range missile development and exports, and military tensions along the border with South Korea.

Albright, Kim and a few close aides later had dinner and they plan to meet again today. State Department officials said they needed to see some tangible progress on security issues if President Clinton is to travel here next month.

Russian case against accused spy begins

MOSCOW - Edmond Pope, a U.S. businessman and former naval intelligence officer, opened his own defense in court yesterday against Russian charges of spying and questioned whether he can get a fair trial after the court earlier turned down all the motions made by his lawyer.

In a closed-door session of the Moscow City Court, Pope, who is accused of acquiring blueprints for a Russian underwater torpedo, read a statement asserting his innocence.

Pope covered 19 of a planned 39 points, but details were not immediately made public.