The legal battle against the former chief executive of WorldCom, Bernie Ebbers, kicked off in New York yesterday with his lawyers attacking the credibility of the prosecution’s star key witness.
Mr Ebbers, who attended the pre-trial hearing, is accused of orchestrating an $11bn accounting scandal which resulted in WordCom’s collapse in the largest bankruptcy in history. The current stalemate may then continue with neither side making concessions.. The most aggressive critic of North Korea, Under Secretary of State John Bolton, will not continue in office but the secretary of state-designate Condoleezza Rice has not named a successor.If the Bush administration decides to focus on Iran rather than North Korea, Kim Jong Il may find himself simply ignored. As evidence emerges of the instability of the Kim regime, it undercuts the position of those favouring engagement with Pyongyang and strengthens the hand of the hawks in Washington.Pyongyang seems to be waiting to see who will be in charge of Korean policy in the second Bush administration before deciding whether to take part in further negotiations. They wanted to ask the Chinese government to show more leniency towards North Korean refugees and those helping them.

In particular they tried to publicise the case of Choi Young-hun, a South Korean jailed for attempting to rescue 50 North Korean refugees in China and the Rev Kim Dong-sik, a pastor suspected of being murdered by North Korean agents while helping refugees on the border. A Buddhist NGO in South Korea, Good Friends, which has been helping refugees in China for 10 years, has just released a report alleging half of foreign food donations to the North go directly to the military and party organisations and not to the needy.Earlier this month, Seoul was further embarrassed when Chinese secret police detained South Korean lawmakers attempting to hold a press conference in Beijing. Last October, the US Congress passed the North Korean Human Rights Act with up to $24m (£13m) a year, some of which goes towards helping refugees, beaming information into the North and supporting dissident groups.Trying to soften the image of Kim Jong Il is not easy. Refugees in South Korea trying to foment unrest in the North by broadcasting news and smuggling in information about the outside world have repeatedly complained of government harassment.Seoul’s policies are at odds with the mood in Washington. Last year Pyongyang broke off talks after Seoul organised an airlift for 450 North Koreans who had made it to Vietnam.

The video contradicts claims by the South Korean President, Roh Moo-hyun, that Kim Jong Il is firmly in charge despite a steady stream of stories about purges, rifts within the ruling family and assassination attempts.The South Korean President is doing everything he can to appease Kim Jong Il and reassure him that the South is not working for his overthrow.Seoul has long pursued a so-called “sunshine policy”, favouring dialogue over confrontation with its northern neighbour.President Roh has promised that he will no longer help refugees escape the country and has even put forward a bill making it more difficult for North Koreans to claim asylum in the South. Some North Koreans have become emboldened to voice their frustrations as the economy has fallen apart and social controls have weakened.Refugees report that military officers have been seized and executed because Kim suspected them of trying to organise a coup d’?t. Shaky footage of defaced images of Kim Jong Il and calls for his overthrow have been hailed in South Korea as evidence of a growing internal opposition movement. Four of his close friends are reported to have taken poison on hearing of his death Two are said to be in a serious condition.. Among the dead is reported to be the star of one of those films: Senthil, who is famed for his work in the film Virumandi. The bulls are also said to be given alcohol before the fight.

It is highly probable that many of the competitors are in a similar state.The event has entranced Indian film directors and several Tamil-language films have been made about the sport. But this has not prevented animal rights activists from objecting as there have been accidental deaths of bulls over the years. Today there is often betting on the outcome.Unlike in Spanish bullfighting, the bulls are not killed. In Hinduism, bulls are sacred to the god Shiva and it would be unacceptable for the competitors to kill or try to inflict wounds on them.