North Korea to stage first party congress

                                          

                                                         Kim Jong-un

 North Korea has said its ruling Workers Party will hold its first congress in nearly 40 years next month.

The gathering, which will take place in Pyongyang from 6 May, will be only the seventh in the party's history and the first under leader Kim Jong-un.
It will be closely watched for signs of major policy shifts, movement among senior officials or comment on North Korea's nuclear programme.
It comes as North Korea is believed to be preparing a fifth nuclear test.
North Korea has often timed its controversial tests to coincide with big political occasions.