Middle Orient

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Burdened by Israeli restrictions that paralyze the economy of the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Palestinians have become more and more reliant on outside assistance, the World Bank said on Wednesday. “As the Palestinian economy declines, it is becoming increasingly dependent on foreign aid,” the bank …

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Wednesday a brazen attack on the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy complex in Yemen bore “all the hallmarks” of al Qaeda but no final conclusions had been made on who was to blame.

DAMASCUS (Reuters) – A fifth round of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel has been postponed at the request of the Jewish state, Syria’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

SANAA (Reuters) – No American embassy staff were hurt in a suspected car bomb attack on the U.S. embassy in Yemen on Wednesday, a source inside the heavily-fortified compound said.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Members of Israel’s ruling party began voting on Wednesday for a new leader to replace Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has promised to resign following a corruption investigation in which he faces indictment.

A double car bomb attack on the US embassy in Yemen has killed at least 16 people, Yemeni officials say.

A double bombing in a west Baghdad business district has killed at least eight people and wounded another 20, Iraqi police say.

Three US soldiers have been charged with murder over the deaths of four Iraqis in Baghdad, the US army says.

A gunfight between rival Christian political groups in northern Lebanon has left two people dead and three wounded, security officials say.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Tuesday that his country may not cut ties with Iran, reiterating that Tehran and Damascus would remain two strategic partners in the region.