IN BRIEF (Page 12)

China Daily | Updated: 2019-09-06 08:46

Middle East

Netanyahu's visit to Hebron sparks outrage

The visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday afternoon has sparked outrage among Palestinians. Netanyahu's remarks during his visit saying that "we will stay in the city forever" had sparked outrage. The Palestinian Authority condemned in an official statement the visit of Netanyahu, saying that the prime minister's visit to Hebron and to the Ibrahimi Mosque is "a severe escalation and provocation the Muslims' feelings". Nabil Abu Rdeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said that "storming Hebron by Netanyahu comes in the frame of keeping the Israeli assaults on Islamic and Christian holy places, either in occupied Jerusalem or in Hebron".

United States

One remains missing from dive boat fire

Only one person remained missing on Wednesday after searchers recovered 33 bodies from the charred underwater wreckage of a dive boat that caught fire off the Southern California coast and sank on Labor Day. US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the fire. An official from the agency said the probe's findings are expected in 12 to 18 months.

Esper briefs European allies on Taliban deal

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Wednesday began briefing allied officials in Europe on an emerging peace deal with the Taliban, but he cautioned that no final deal has been sealed yet."Negotiations in some ways are still ongoing," he told reporters traveling with him from Washington, a day after he discussed Afghanistan with US President Donald Trump. Esper declined to talk about his meeting with Trump other than to say it covered a range of issues. He said political decisions are pending. The US envoy to Afghanistan said earlier this week that a deal had been reached in principle to end the war, amid concerns by the Afghan government that US forces will leave too quickly and without requiring the Taliban to reduce violence.

Agencies - Xinhua

(China Daily 09/06/2019 page12)