President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign a security agreement and during Hagel’s visit he held no meetings with Karzai, saying there’s nothing left to discuss, the pact has already been negotiated and needs to be signed. Speaking to U.S. soldiers in Kandahar province, Hague said the U.S. wants to have a continuing role after 2014. 

 

But we can’t do that unless we have an agreement that needs to be signed by the leader of this sovereign nation. 

 

Hagel is wrapping up a two-day tour of Afghanistan, saying the U.S. believes the Afghan people support the agreement even if Karzai continues to resist. Larry Abramson, NPR News, Kabul.

 

South Korea is responding to China’s new air defense zone in the East China Sea by extending its own. Both moves are raising regional tensions. Jason Strother reports from Seoul. 

 

South Korea's expanded air defense zone will partially overlap some of China’s. It includes a submerged rock in the Yellow Sea that both countries claim, the Korean zone, which comes into effect on the 15th, also includes parts of Japan’s own zone. There are concerns that these air zones could spark military standoffs. China now requires that all flights passing through its airspace, radio in first, enforcement has been mixed, but Beijing recently scrambled fighter jets to trial foreign planes. Vice President Joe Biden who left South Korea this weekend called on the East Asian neighbours to resolve these disagreements. For NPR News, I’m Jason Strother, in Seoul.

 

North Korea’s state media acknowledges that Kim Jong-un’s powerful uncle has been dismissed. The country’s second most powerful official is accused of corruption, drug use, and a long list of other anti-state acts. Un’s uncle was long considered as his mentor. 

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says any agreement that might emerge from talks with the Palestinians will likely result in what he calls a cold peace and he says Israel is insisting on iron-clad security arrangement in case of collapses.

 

It must withstand the forces of terrorism and the ravaging forces of radicalism and all the forces backed by Iran and others that will try to unravel the peace. 

 

Netanyahu made the comments in a video address today to an annual Washington forum of U.S. and Israeli leaders. President Obama spoke to the same group yesterday, delivering a more optimistic view. He said a peace framework can be attained within months. In July, the Obama administration launched a 9-month process in an effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

 

This is NPR.

 

An Olympic gold medal won by American runner Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Games sold at auction today for more than $1.4 million. SCP Auction says it’s the highest price ever paid for a piece of memorabilia. Owens won several gold medals that year, the same year Nazi leader Adolf Hitler attended the games. He was using them to showcase his notion of Aryan supremacy.

 

In college football, a lost by previously undefeated Ohio State last night opened the door for one lost team to play for the National Championship. NPR’s Mike Pesca reports matchup for that game will likely pit Florida State against Auburn.

 

At dawn on Saturday, there were two undefeated teams in the biggest division of college football, Florida State continued its unblemished run crashing Duke 55-7. But Michigan State upended Ohio State. This means there are several teams with a single loss that could be selected  face Florida State for the championship. The strongest case can be made by Auburn, which won 59-42 over Missouri yesterday. Auburn was on the run to begin the year just as they were in 2010 when they went on to win the National Championship. Well, as seven national champions have been from Auburn’s conference, the SEC, Florida State can snap that straight January 6th in Pasadena. Mike Pesca, NPR News.

 

At the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. at this hour, Herbie Hancock, is one of five artists being honoured for contributions to American culture. This year’s other honourees are Billy Joe, Carlos Santana, Martina Arroyo and Shirley MacLaine.

 

I’m Barbara Klein, NPR News, in Washington.