RAMALLAH, WEST BANK // A Palestinian official has said the US Middle East envoy has ended his latest trip without agreement on terms for renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. George Mitchell had hoped to lay the groundwork for such a meeting next week in New York, perhaps also attended by the US president, Barack Obama. But the chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Palestinians are sticking to their demand for a total halt to Israeli settlement activity before talks can take place.
Mr Erekat said Mr Mitchell's week-long trip to the Middle East is ending "without agreement". Mr Mitchell met today with both the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli officials had no immediate comment on Mr Erekat's statement. *AP
