Fuel tanker reaches North Korea

The fuel shipment is part of an international disarmament deal

The first shipment of fuel oil to be delivered to North Korea under a nuclear disarmament deal is reported to have arrived in the country.

Officials from South Korea's Unification Ministry said the ship had reached the North's port of Sonbong.

The deal requires North Korea to close its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon in exchange for fuel supplies.

A UN nuclear team is also due in Pyongyang on Saturday, to start monitoring the reactor's shutdown.

The ship - No 9 Han Chang - arrived off the North Korean port of Sonbong at 0400 on Saturday (1900 GMT Friday), loaded with 6,200 tons of heavy fuel oil .

Better international relations

Talks involving South and North Korea, Russia, Japan, the United States and China are set to resume in Beijing on Wednesday to map out the next stage of disabling the North's nuclear programme.

North Korea has warned that the disarmament deal could still be undone by US "threats."

North Korea tested an atomic bomb for the first time last year, and has repeatedly said it needs nuclear weapons to fend off a US attack.

It agreed in February to end its nuclear programme in return for energy aid and better international relations.

The oil delivery is the first shipment of the one million tons of fuel aid that Pyongyang has been promised in return for disarming.

Fuel shipments made under an earlier deal were suspended five years ago.

Last month an international UN team was given access to the Yongbyon plant for the first time since 2002.