IN BRIEF (Page 12)

JAPAN

Abe, S. Korea PM meet amid freeze in ties

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met his South Korean counterpart on Thursday and warned frayed relations should be mended, but appeared to suggest it was Seoul's responsibility to make that happen. Bilateral ties between the neighbors are at rock-bottom over a dispute related to the use of forced labor during World War II, with the countries trading retaliatory sanctions. "The relationship between Japan and South Korea is now in an extremely serious situation, but this important relationship should not be left like this," Abe said during a meeting with South Korea's Lee Nak-yon. Lee, who was in Japan to attend the new Japanese emperor's formal enthronement ceremony earlier this week, handed a letter from South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Abe, the ministry said.

ISRAEL

Gantz gets a shot at forming government

Israel's former military chief Benny Gantz was tasked on Wednesday with forming the next government, but he has few options after last month's elections left him in a near tie with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu was given the first opportunity to form a government after assembling a large right-wing bloc but announced this week that he had failed to build a 61-seat majority. Gantz faces similarly steep odds, raising the possibility that Israel will hold a third election in less than a year. President Reuven Rivlin formally granted the mandate to Gantz, who will have 28 days to form a coalition. It is the first time in over a decade that anyone besides Netanyahu has been given the task.

Afp - Ap

(China Daily 10/25/2019 page12)