N Korea nuclear talks 'to resume'

Six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear programme will resume on Thursday after a nine-month lay-off, South Korea's negotiator has said.

Kim Sook told reporters that envoys from the US, China, Japan, both Koreas and Russia would meet in Beijing.

The announcement came almost two weeks after Pyongyang gave the Chinese a dossier on its plutonium programme.

The North's failure to hand over details of its nuclear ambitions had stalled the denuclearisation efforts.

But Pyongyang unexpectedly produced the long-awaited document in late June.