U.S. to give N. Korea food aid

WASHINGTON, Uruguay, June 22 (UPI) -- The United States announced Wednesday it would provide North Korea with 50,000 tons of food aid through the World Food Program.

"It is a humanitarian act based on need and not based on political considerations and not linked to six-party talks," State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

The announcement could, however, spark momentum to revive the stalled talks that bring together China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the United States. The talks are aimed at persuading Pyongyang to renounce its nuclear weapons program.

The aid will be based on the need for food, competing needs elsewhere and the ability to monitor the distribution of the aid, Ereli said.