IN BRIEF (Page 8)

Israel

Govt suspends negotiations

Israel on Thursday suspended US-sponsored peace talks with the Palestinians in response to President Mahmoud Abbas' unexpected unity pact with the rival Islamist Hamas group. The negotiations had appeared to be heading nowhere even before Wednesday's reconciliation agreement between the Palestinian groups plunged them deeper into crisis.

Iran

FM: Don't miss chance in talks

Iran's foreign minister is urging the West not to miss the opportunity that President Hassan Rouhani offers in talks over the country's nuclear program. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, tweeted on Friday that progress could have been made in negotiations 10 years ago. Zarif's message added: "Rouhani offers an opportunity that must not be missed: too much is at stake."

United Kingdom

Mother charged with killing kids

A woman charged with the murder of her three severely disabled children wept on Friday while appearing in court. Tania Clarence, 42, broke down in tears as she looked over at her husband while she stood in the dock, accused of killing her 3-year-old twin sons, Ben and Max, and 4-year-old daughter, Olivia, at their home. All three children had suffered from spinal muscular atrophy.

Thailand

Attacks made on newspaper, court

Grenades were fired at a newspaper headquarters and a court in Thailand's capital, police said on Friday, as political tensions heat up ahead of a court ruling over the fate of the prime minister. No one was hurt in the attacks. The first grenade left a small crater outside a building in the Daily News compound in northern Bangkok's Lak Si district on Thursday night, police said.

Indonesia

Nation may curb alcohol sales

Indonesian Trade Ministry has threatened to revoke the business licenses of local sellers of alcoholic drinks who violate the law, an official of the ministry said Friday. Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi said that such drinks can be sold only to eligible consumers at least 21 years old.

Pakistan

Karachi blast kills 4, injures 30

At least four people were killed and more than 30 injured when a bomb struck a government vehicle in the southern port city of Karachi on Friday afternoon, officials said. Sagheer Ahmar, the health minister of Sindh province, said three men and a woman were killed in the blast near a mosque of Pakistan's biggest city.

AP-Reuters-Xinhua

(China Daily 04/26/2014 page8)