Middle Orient

RAMALLAH — Acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said yesterday Israel would seek talks with the US and others before embarking on another round of unilateral withdrawals from occupied Palestinian territories.

WHEELING, West Virginia (AP) — No matter his audience, President George W. Bush is drawing on his plainspoken manner in freewheeling venues to defend his Iraq strategy.

MOGADISHU (AP) — Sporadic gunfire rang out in the Somali capital Thursday, witnesses said, a day after some of the heaviest recent fighting in Mogadishu killed at least 20 people when an Islamic militia battled forces that have challenged clerics’ growing power.

CAIRO — Jobless and broke, Hamada Ismail called off his wedding and broke up with his fiancee — all because of bird flu. Its outbreak last month in Egypt has forced the closing of hundreds of

BE’INEH — “Fifteen minutes of your time every four years is not too much to ask. You must vote,” one Arab Israeli lawmaker shouted through his megaphone. “Vote for us or for any other Arab party,” called Azmi Bishara to a small audience in the northern Israeli village of Be’ineh-Njeidat.

GAZA CITY — The discovery of deadly bird flu in both Israel and the Palestinian territories is pushing the two sides to work together despite plummeting relations as Hamas prepares for government.

KHARTOUM (AFP) — Arab leaders meet in Khartoum for their annual summit Tuesday under pressure to take a more active role in Iraq and find a common stance on dealing with a Hamas-led Palestinian government.

LONDON — Battered, bloated and broke, the Palestinian Authority faces an uncertain future under a new Hamas leadership at odds with the PLO, Israel and the West.

TEHRAN — US-Iranian talks to discuss Iraq could open a valuable channel of communication between the two foes, but analysts say a history of missed opportunities dampens hopes of any broader dialogue developing.

Troops rescue Western hostagesBAGHDAD (AP) — The American military spokesman said on Thursday that major violence in Iraq was confined to just three of Iraq’s 18 provinces, but the fighting raged on with at least 56 more Iraqis reported killed in shadowy execution-style slayings, bombings and gunbattles.