1.   South Korea began to ship rice to the north, and hopes grew that a peace process could be built on the sacks of rice.

2.   A North Korea delegation asked Japan Wednesday to ship more rice to help overcome a food shortage in the reclusive communist state, a Japanese lawmaker said.

3.   Both countries have shipped rice to the North after it made its first plea for such help last summer.

4.   Cold War-era trade restrictions made it impossible to ship the rice from the United States to Cuba by more traditional methods.

5.   In an apparent move to avoid embarrassing North Korea, Rha said South Korea will ship the rice without labels showing its origin.

6.   South Korea may begin shipping free rice to its impoverished communist rival as soon as this week, news reports said Sunday.

7.   Thailand would ship the rice to Indonesia next month, he said.

8.   Hanoi has reacted by attempting to ban illegal exports to China and to ship more rice from the southern regions to the north.

9.   The original agreement to ship the rice was made in informal talks in Beijing.

10.   South Korea also shipped free rice to Pyongyang, creating a brief thaw on the peninsula.