EU's Ashton to head to Mideast as talks pressure mounts

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she would depart for the Middle East on Wednesday as diplomatic pressure intensified to save faltering Israel-Palestinian peace talks.

"I'm going to the Middle East tonight and and I'll meet (US Middle East peace envoy) George Mitchell when I land tomorrow," Ashton told Reuters in an interview in Washington, adding that she also planned to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (Reuters)