Briefly

MIDDLE EAST

US toughens line on Israeli settlements

The United States on Tuesday voiced concern about Israel's decision to build settlements in the West Bank, saying it will "strongly oppose" such expansion on occupied Palestinian land. The criticism by the administration of US President Joe Biden was some of the strongest in years on Israel after Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, gave his blessing to settlements and annexations. "We strongly oppose the expansion of settlements, which is completely inconsistent with efforts to lower tensions and to ensure calm, and it damages the prospects for a two-state solution," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

SUDAN

PM returns home under tight security

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has returned home with his wife under tight security, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday. Since early Monday, Hamdok and some of his ministers were arrested along with civilian members of the nation's Sovereign Council. Earlier on Tuesday, General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Burhan denied Hamdok had been arrested, saying the prime minister was staying at Burhan's house at the Guest Palace. Since a coup attempt on Sept 21 in Sudan, tensions between the military and civilian partners in the transitional government have escalated. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Hamdok on Tuesday, the US State Department said.

UNITED KINGDOM

Queen Elizabeth skips COP 26 talks to rest

Britain's 95-year-old Queen Elizabeth II will not attend the COP 26 UN climate conference in Glasgow, after "advice to rest" from doctors following an overnight hospital stay, her Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday. "Her Majesty has regretfully decided that she will no longer travel to Glasgow" for a Nov 1 reception, the palace said in a statement. The queen worked a busy schedule in early October but canceled a visit to Northern Ireland last week on medical advice. On Thursday, she spent the night at the private Edward VII hospital in London for "preliminary investigations". The hospital stay－her first since 2013－and the palace's delay in revealing it have raised fears over her health, given her age.

Agencies - Xinhua