N. Korea steps up bid to show "recovered" Kim

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's state TV broadcast pictures of Kim Jong-il Saturday as the reclusive country stepped up its campaign to show its leader was healthy after reports surfaced last month he may have suffered a stroke. U.S. and South Korean officials said Kim, 66, may have taken severely ill in August, raising questions about succession in Asia's only communist dynasty and who was making decisions on its nuclear program. Last week, Kim made his first public appearance in nearly 50 days when he attended a soccer match, according to reports from the North's state media monitored in Seoul. His state's media said early Saturday he inspected a women's military unit.... [read full story]