In Brief

IN THE NAME OF DEMOCRACY – A 60-year-old taxi driver who rammed his car into a parked tank in September in anger over Thailand’s coup has hanged himself in an apparent protest against the military takeover, police said.

The driver, Nuamthong Praiwan, is the only person to die in connection with the bloodless coup that ousted twice-elected prime minister Thaksin Shinwatra on September 19. * TABLE SANCTIONS – North Korea confirmed yesterday it would return to six-nation nuclear disarmament talks if the issue of lifting US financial sanctions is settled during the negotiations.The announcement that Pyongyang had agreed to return to the negotiating table came late on Tuesday in Beijing, less than a month after the reclusive communist state stunned the world with its first atom bomb test.Nampa-AFP* TABLE SANCTIONS – North Korea confirmed yesterday it would return to six-nation nuclear disarmament talks if the issue of lifting US financial sanctions is settled during the negotiations.The announcement that Pyongyang had agreed to return to the negotiating table came late on Tuesday in Beijing, less than a month after the reclusive communist state stunned the world with its first atom bomb test.Nampa-AFP