European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday March 212007 stars and stripes Page in the world us n Korea resolve Frozen funds dispute six party talks resume by Christopher Bodeen the associated press Beijing the United states and North Korea have resolved a dispute Over million in Frozen North korean funds Clearing the Way for Progress in dismantling the norths nuclear programs us officials said monday the us nuclear envoy Christopher Hill said six party talks which resumed monday could now move on to the next problem of which there Are Many meanwhile North Korea questioned japans qualifications to participate in the talks ratcheting up recent tensions be tween the two sides us Deputy assistant Treasury Secre tary Daniel Glaser said the funds in a Small Bank in Macau would be transferred into a North korean account at the Bank of China in Beijing to be used for education and humanitarian purposes Glaser said North Korea had proposed the arrangement Sean Mccormack a state department spokesman acknowledged that the United states would have difficulty monitoring How North Korea uses the Money because of the nature of korean Sci negotiators from North and South Korea Japan Russia China and the us begin a new round of six party talks on North Korea nuclear program monday in Beijing Ety it is difficult to Monitor activities in North Korea there is a limited ability to do that Mccormack told reporters the funds some of which us authorities suspect May be linked to counterfeit ing or Money laundering by Cash starved North Korea had held up Progress in nuclear disarmament talks officials in Macau said they would follow North Korea instructions and release the Frozen funds North Korea has pledged that these funds will be used solely for the better ment of the North korean people Glaser said we believe this resolves the Issue of the apr related Frozen funds he said using the acronym for North Korea for Mal name the democratic Peoples Republic of Korea the feb 13 disarmament agreement gave North Korea 60 Days to shut Down both its main reactor and a plutonium processing Plant and allow in monitors to verify the closures in return North Korea is to receive Energy and economic Assis Tance and a Start toward normalizing relations with the us and Japan also monday japans chief envoy Ken Ichiro Sasae said his North korean counter part Kim Kye Gwan questioned japans commitment to meet its requirements and also questioned its qualifications to remain participants of the six nation discussions Kim made the remarks at the opening session of the talks which also include South Korea Host China the United states and Russia reiterating a position the re Gime has stated before Sasae did not elaborate on what Kim said Hill said he did not think the dispute would obstruct negotiations but he urged North Korea to improve ties with Japan this weeks session will focus on review ing the Progress of five related working group meetings held Over the past month discuss specific Steps necessary to meet the april 14 shutdown deadline and begin talking about what actions would come after it chinese envoy we Dawei said chefs to Cook gourmet meals for millionaires at pyramids by Jocelyn Gecker the associated press Bangkok Thailand from the creators of the Din Ner theres another pricey Gour met feast on the horizon wealthy foodies can Mark their calendars for dec 122008 when top chefs from around the world will be flown to Egypt to Cook a dinner in front of the ancient pyramids of Giza organizer Deepak Ohri said monday this dinner will be a bargain at least compared to the one in Bangkok last month that was billed As the meal of a lifetime and cooked by six 3star Michelin chefs for a head High rolling food lovers flew in from the United states Europe the Middle East and across Asia for the 40seat dinner the Price for dining beside the pyramids has not yet been set but it will Cost less than per person said Ohri the managing i Sakchai Michelin 3star chef Jeanmichel Lorain from France prepares for what organizers dubbed the meal of a lifetime in Bangkok on feb 10 for a Price of a head about 40 people enjoyed a dinner that included Beluga caviar truffles and Dom Perignon sorbet Rector of Bangkok luxury Lebusa hotel the event planner behind the dinners that Are boldly titled epicurean masters of the world though cheaper the upcoming feast is intended to be even grander than its predecessor some 500 tickets will be sold for the dinner to be cooked by 30 3star Michelin chefs about a third of the chefs Al ready have confirmed their Atten dance each chef will prepare a meal for roughly 17 diners All profits from the Din Ner Are going to two charities Medici is sans frontiers which will be sent a Check for and the Chai Wattana foundation a Rural development program set up by the King of Thailand which will receive Ohri said banana company Chiquita pleads guilty in terrorism probe Washington banana company Chiquita brands International admitted in Federal court Mon Day that for years it paid terrorists to protect its colombian banana growing operations the company pleaded guilty to one count of doing business with a terrorist organization the plea is part of a Deal with prosecutors that Calls for a Mil lion Fine the agreement ends a lengthy Justice department investigation into the company financial dealings with righting paramilitaries and leftist rebels the us government deems terrorist groups prosecutors say the Cincinnat based company and several unnamed High ranking corporate offic ers agreed to pay about million Between 1997 and 2004 to the United Sel defense forces of Colombia known As aug for its Spanish initials prosecutors said the company made the pay ments in Exchange for Protection for its workers in addition to paying the aug prosecutors said Chiq Uita made payments to the National liberation army or Len and the leftist revolutionary armed forces of Colombia or Farcas control of the com pants banana growing area shifted from the associated press russian Coal mine blast kills at least 75 workers dozens still trapped by Mike Eckel the associated press Moscow rescuers struggled to Rescue dozens of workers caught underground in a siberian Coal mine monday after a methane Gas explosion killed at least 75 in russian worst mining disaster in a decade As Many As 200 workers were in the Ulanovskaya mine in the Colarich Southern Region known As the Kuz Bass at the time of the blast which occurred Early Mon Day at a depth of around 885 feet emergency and regional officials said Sergei Chere nov a spokes Man for the regional govern ment in Kemerovo where the mine is located told the associated press that at least 75 min ers were killed with an unknown number of bodies brought to the surface he said 75 people had been rescued and 50 others were still missing rescuers were i Contact with some surviving miners under ground it was unclear whether they were in immediate danger at least five miners were injured but officials said three had been released from the hos Pital by monday evening Chere nov said that company officials were in the mine examining a British made safety system on monday along with a British representative of the Ivan president Vladimir Putin right has sent emergency minister Sergei a Loigu to the site of a mine blast monday russian news agencies reported company that made the system the British Man and his inter Preter Are now missing he said the Ulanovskaya mine is in Novokuznetsk a sprawling City about 1850 Miles East of mos cow in a Colarich Swath of sout Central Siberia known As the Kuz Bass president Vladimir Putin ordered emergency situations minister Sergei a Loigu to travel to the area the huge mine operated by  an affiliate of russian Coal and steel company Nevraz group a opened in 2002 and produces 33 million tons of Coal a year according to the Rian Vosti news Agency