US, North Korea conduct joint operations

The United States and North Korea have agreed to conduct joint operations to recover the remains of thousands of US soldiers killed in the Korean war.

The operations, which will take place over several months, are an expansion of previous similar exercises conducted by the two countries.

The announcement came as the US expressed its optimism that next week's historic summit between North and South Korea will lead to a significant reduction in tension on the peninsula.

The talks, which are to be held in the North Korean capital Pyonyang, are the first ever since the peninsula was divided. In a separate development, the US also announced it was hopeful that the previously announced relaxation of sanctions against North Korea could be implemented by the end of June.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service