UN atomic inspectors prepared to return to Pyongyang

North Korea called for military talks with the United States, as UN atomic inspectors prepared to return to Pyongyang to supervise the shutdown of its nuclear program. But with inspectors on the eve of returning to check on North Korea's nuclear facilities for the first time in five years, the North also warned that a landmark disarmament deal could still be undone by US threats. The secretive regime, which tested an atomic bomb for the first time last year, has repeatedly said it needs nuclear weapons to fend off a US attack, and ahead of the pending UN visit called for talks with its long-time foe. The first step in the deal (the closure of Yongbyon reactor, which produces raw material for bomb-making plutonium) is expected within days.