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Kerry to stay extra day in Mideast for more meetings in push to salvage talks

Associated Press
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. Kerry waded again into the nitty-gritty of faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on Wednesday, saying he was optimistic that tensions and difficulties could be overcome, even between "two proud people" struggling to reach an accommodation. Kerry was upbeat after separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.(AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool) (The Associated Press)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, is welcomed by Israel's President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. Kerry waded again into the nitty-gritty of faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on Wednesday, saying he was optimistic that tensions and difficulties could be overcome, even between "two proud people" struggling to reach an accommodation.(AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool) (The Associated Press)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, meets with Israel's President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013. Kerry waded again into the nitty-gritty of faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on Wednesday, saying he was optimistic that tensions and difficulties could be overcome, even between "two proud people" struggling to reach an accommodation.(AP Photo/Jason Reed, Pool) (The Associated Press)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has decided to stay an extra day in the Mideast on his latest trip to salvage Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Kerry said in a joint interview with Israeli and Palestinian TV networks that will air later Thursday that he plans to return to Israel on Friday for another meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, Kerry landed on Thursday in Amman, Jordan, which was supposed to be the final stop in his two-day Mideast trip. He had not originally been scheduled to return to Israel.

Kerry brokered the re-start of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which began three months ago.

But little progress has been made in the U.S.-brokered talks which are supposed to produce an agreement by the end of April 2014.