The Wednesday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories
Highlights from the news file for Wednesday, Dec. 28
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KERRY DEFENDS U.S. POSITION ON ISRAEL: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has staunchly defended the Obama administration’s decision to allow the UN Security Council to declare Israeli settlements illegal. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called Kerry’s speech “clear, courageous and committed.” And the Palestinian president said he’s ready to resume peace talks if Israel freezes settlement construction. Mahmoud Abbas’s words come as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Kerry’s speech a “great disappointment.”
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