North

Deal reached easing North and South Korea tensions

During two rounds of marathon talks that began Saturday at the border village of Panmunjom, the Koreas agreed on a set of steps aimed at easing tension, with Pyongyang agreeing to lift a "quasi-state of war" that it had declared last week, according to South Korea's presidential office and North Korea's state media.

The countries also agreed to resume in September reunions of families separated by the war and to hold further talks soon in either Seoul or Pyongyang, both sides said.