Seoul - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il visited two factories recently, state media reported Tuesday, after speculation by foreign media that the reclusive leader had suffered a stroke.

The 66-year-old leader visited a machinery plant and cosmetics factory in the western city of Sinuiju on the border with China, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. No date was given for the visits.

KCNA also published two pictures which show a seemingly healthy Kim in a brown overcoat and sunglasses.

Seoul - North Korea said Monday it will suspend cross-border rail service, effectively closing the land border with the South, and expel South Korean personnel from an industrial complex just inside its border, starting next month.

A statement by the North's military carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, said it would also suspend all tours to its border city of Kaesong near the industrial site as well as halting rail traffic across the border starting December 1 in protest of Seoul's tough policy toward Pyongyang.

North Korea had warned two weeks ago that it would restrict overland passages across the inter-Korean border.

Seoul, Nov. 18 : A former North Korean camp guard has revealed that mass executions, torture and sexual violence against prisoners are a regular feature in that country''s prison camps.

According to An Myong-Chul, 40, these camps are presently holding about 300,000 people, and he adds that around this time North Korea executes up to 20 inmates at each camp.

Seoul - Amid continuing speculation about the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the country's media reported Sunday on a further public appearance by the 
66-year-old.

Kim viewed cultural performances by several units of the People's Army, the state-controlled KCNA news agency reported, but when and where this took place was not clear.

South Korean secret services reported in September that Kim had suffered a stroke in the middle of August. They said he had also received brain surgery.

Following two months of silence on the leader's activities, North Korean media started broadcasting images of Kim again in mid-October and reporting on public appearances, like inspections of military units and visits to sporting events.

Washington/Seoul  - The United States on Wednesday criticized North Korea's refusal to allow samples to be taken to verify its nuclear disarmament as the country again slowed the dismantlement of its nuclear facilities.

US State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters in Washington that in a deal made last month, the United States and North Korea had "basically agreed that experts could take samples and remove them from the country for testing."

He also added that the United States kept its part of the deal by shipping 500,00 metric tons of heavy fuel oil to the impoverished communist state.