Latest round of North Korea nuclear talks begins

Beijing played host on Thursday to the latest round of six-party talks over North Korea's nuclear disarmament, the Wall Street Journal reported. The talks, which run until Sunday and involve China, the US, Russia, Japan and the two Koreas, are intended to push forward a deal reached in February that will see Pyongyang end its nuclear projects in exchange for energy aid. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Beijing had delivered the second batch of the 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil it has promised to North Korea. In total, the reclusive country will receive 1 million tons in oil or the monetary equivalent in aid and assistance. Pyongyang has already closed down its main nuclear reactor and must now declare and then disable all of its nuclear programs.