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WORLD NEWS Friday 22 december 2017

King tells Palestinians Saudi Arabia backs Jerusalem claim

The state-run Saudi Press from Muslim countries met
Agency reported that King in Turkey to reject and de-
Salman on Wednesday re- nounce Trump’s decision.
iterated to Abbas Saudi Saudi Arabia and some of
Arabia’s support for “the its allies were notably ab-
legitimate rights of the Pal- sent from that summit amid
estinian people to establish reports that the kingdom
their independent state is privately pressuring Ab-
with East Jerusalem as its bas to relinquish Palestinian
capital city.” claims over east Jerusalem
The meeting in the Saudi in exchange for continued
capital, Riyadh, was at- U.S. pressure against Saudi
tended by a number of se- rival, Iran.
nior princes and Palestinian The Palestinians and Turks,
officials. meanwhile, are accusing
The meeting, however, did the U.S. of intimidation af-
not include the king’s son ter its ambassador at the
and heir, Crown Prince Mo- United Nations warned
hammed bin Salman, who countries that Washington
met with Abbas in early “will be taking names” dur-
November in Riyadh— a ing a U.N. General Assem-
month before President bly vote on Thursday on
Donald Trump formally an- the Trump administration’s
nounced his administra- Jerusalem announcement.
In this photo released by Al-Ekhbariya, Saudi King Salman, right, receives Palestinian President tion’s decision to recognize The U.S. earlier vetoed a
Mahmoud Abbas after he arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. Jerusalem as the capital of Security Council resolution
(Al-Ekhbariya via AP) Israel. that would have required
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) ian President Mahmoud support Palestinian claims Abbas’ visit to Riyadh on the Trump administration
— Saudi Arabia’s King Abbas in their meeting that to Jerusalem, a govern- Wednesday comes one to rescind its Jerusalem
Salman reassured Palestin- the kingdom continues to ment statement said. week after heads of state decision.q

South Sudan warring sides sign cease-fire for Christmas Eve

By ELIAS MESERET and no one knows how brate their Christmas and tion is the longer and more said the rebels were ready
Associated Press many tens of thousands of New Year. This is the most difficult aspect . many to defend themselves of
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia people have been killed in precious gift of all time,” critical issues lie ahead.” the government did not. “I
(AP) — South Sudan’s war- the world’s youngest na- Ethiopia’s foreign minister, A spokesman for South Su- doubt if it will hold but we
ring factions on Thursday tion. Parts of the East Af- Workineh Gebeyehu, said dan’s opposition, Lam Paul will abide by it as we have
signed a new agreement rican country are on the during the signing ceremo- Gabriel, told The Associ- always done,” he said. The
to cease hostilities and pro- brink of famine, and well ny. “But as past experience ated Press that they will re- agreement also calls on
tect civilians in the latest ef- over a million people have has showed, implementa- spect the agreement but the warring sides.q
fort to calm a devastating fled abroad, creating the
civil war, as diplomatic ob- world’s fastest-growing ref-
servers issued sharp warn- ugee crisis. The U.S. called
ings against allowing yet the deal “the last chance
another peace deal to fail. for the implementation of
The cease-fire is set to be- the peace process.” Past
gin first thing Sunday morn- attempts at peace deals
ing, or Christmas Eve. The have stumbled amid re-
warring sides also agreed newed violence. The new
to grant badly needed hu- deal is an effort to salvage
manitarian access to con- a 2015 peace agreement.
flict-affected areas after South Sudan’s government
days of talks in neighboring is under growing pressure
Ethiopia brokered by the In- to find an end to the civil
tergovernmental Authority war as the U.S. and others
on Development regional threaten further sanctions.
bloc. South Sudan is enter- “This is a gift to South Su-
ing its fifth year of civil war, danese people to cele-