US spars with key allies at UN over Mideast peace approach
AP, United Nations
The U.S. derided the viability of reaching “international consensus” on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Tuesday, further distancing itself from the two-state solution preferred by most of the world and drawing rebukes from its European allies.
President Donald Trump’s Mideast negotiator, Jason Greenblatt, delivered the harsh assessment during a U.N. Security Council debate as the White House says it is preparing to unveil the political portion of its Mideast peace plan.
2 S Koreans, 15 Russians held in NKorea after boat drifts
AP, Seoul
Two South Koreans and 15 Russians have been held in North Korea for a week after their boat drifted into North Korean waters, Seoul officials said on Wednesday.
The crew members were aboard a Russia-flagged fishing boat when it was detained by North Korea on July 17, the Unification Ministry said in a statement.
Libya says 38 migrants taken to detention center
AP, Cairo
Libya’s coast guard says it has intercepted around four dozen Europe-bound migrants off the Mediterranean coast and taken them to a detention center that was bombed earlier this month.
Spokesman Ayoub Gassim says a rubber boat carrying 38 migrants, mostly Egyptians, was stopped Tuesday off the coast some 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of the capital, Tripoli. He says the migrants were transferred to the Tajoura detention center.
New German Defense Minister backs higher military spending
AP, Berlin
Germany’s new defense minister is underlining her commitment to long-term military spending targets and says that financing must keep rising in order to meet the country’s needs.
NATO members in 2014 agreed to “aim to move toward” increasing defense spending to 2% of their gross domestic product by 2024, though Germany has already said it doesn’t expect to meet that goal. The U.S. has criticized Berlin’s spending.
