World in brief: Israel building road; foes see it as threat

Israel confirmed Tuesday it is building a new road for Palestinians in the West Bank, prompting charges an increasingly separate road system is meant to seal Israeli control over a swath of land near Jerusalem as the sides try to revive peace talks.

Israel said the 10-mile road will help connect Palestinian communities that would otherwise be cut off by a loop of the Israeli separation barrier that is intended to reach deep into the West Bank.

Palestinian and Israeli critics accused Israel’s government of creating “facts on the ground” before peace talks and said it was undermining trust.

Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia called on Israel to rescind its decision and urged the U.S. to intervene.

Avignon, France

Woman on trial for kissing painting

A woman who planted a lipstick-laden kiss on an all-white painting by the American artist Cy Twombly went on trial Tuesday, telling the court she had committed an “act of love” – not a crime.

Rindy Sam, a 30-year-old French artist, faced charges of “voluntarily damaging a work of art.” The painting is worth an estimated $2,830,000 and restorers have tried to remove the lipstick smudge from the bone-white canvas using nearly 30 products – to no avail.

Prosecutors, however, want Sam to pay a $6,400 fine. The verdict is set for Nov. 16.

The painting is owned by collector Yvon Lambert. He is seeking $2,878,000 in damages, which included the value of the painting and the $47,000 restoration cost.