talks

Biden agrees in principle to summit with Putin over Ukraine tensions

The talks proposed by France will only take place if Russia does not invade its neighbour, the White House said.

The meeting could offer a possible diplomatic solution to one of the worst security crises in Europe in decades.

US officials say intelligence suggests Russia is ready to launch a military operation, which Moscow denies.

The proposal was announced by the French presidency after two phone calls between President Emmanuel Macron and Mr Putin, which went on for almost three hours in total.

Trump says summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un may be delayed

He said the North must meet conditions for the summit to go ahead though if it did not, it might happen "later".

He was speaking as he received South Korea's President Moon Jae-in at the White House.

The North has said it may cancel the summit if the US insists on it giving up nuclear weapons unilaterally.

Mr Trump did not say what conditions the US had set for the summit but, asked by a reporter about the North's arsenal, he said "denuclearisation must take place".

Koreas agree military talks to defuse border tension

The North will also send a delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympic Games taking place in South Korea in February.

Agreement was also reached to reinstate a military hotline suspended two years ago, the South's government said.

However, the North's delegation was negative on the subject of denuclearisation, the South added.

The United States gave a cautious welcome to the meeting.

Trump would 'absolutely' talk to North Korea on phone

US President Donald Trump says he would "absolutely" be willing to talk on the phone to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and that he hopes a positive development results from talks between North Korea and South Korea.

North Korea agreed on Friday to hold official talks with South Korea next week, the first in more than two years, hours after Washington and Seoul delayed a military exercise amid a standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.