Kerry says “real progress” achieved as he flies out of Mid East

“With a little more work, an agreement [for Israeli-Palestinian talks to resume)] is within reach,” said US Secretary of State John Kerry as he ended is fifth shuttle mission for reviving peace negotiations Sunday. He said his three rounds of conversations each with prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian lader Mahmoud Abbas had narrowed the gaps considerably. “They asked me to return in the near term,” he said and until then a team remains to carry on his work.