Briefly

PALESTINE

Committee set up to handle Israeli threat

A senior Palestinian official says that a special committee has been formed by President Mahmoud Abbas to follow up on the Palestinian measures in response to the Israeli threat to annex parts of the West Bank. Azzam al-Ahmad, member of Abbas' Fatah party Central Council and the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, said on Saturday that the committee will meet this week to determine its next steps and submit its recommendations to the organization's executive committee, which is considered the highest political level in Palestine. He warned that the anticipated Israeli annexation decision would have grave political, economic and security repercussions.

VENEZUELA

Troops seize Colombian combat boats and arms

Venezuela's military said it seized three abandoned Colombian light combat vessels that soldiers found on Saturday while patrolling the Orinoco River, several days after the government accused its neighbor of aiding a failed invasion. The defense ministry said the boats were equipped with machine guns and ammunition, but had no crew. According to a preliminary investigation the boats were dragged away by strong river currents, Colombia's Navy said, adding that it is talking with its counterparts in Venezuela to recover the boats. In televised comments Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the military would return the vessels if the Colombian government made an official request for them.

Agencies - Xinhua