The latest study by the Rand Corporation on Israel’s complex relationship with its Palestinian neighbours — the Gaza Strip is Hamas-controlled — concludes that “a two-state solution provides by far the best economic outcomes” for citizens of both sides of the conflict.

Israelis and Palestinians would gain billions of dollars from making peace with each other, while both would face daunting economic losses in case of other alternatives, particularly in case of a return to violence, according to a study.

The US Defence Department says an additional 829 military personnel may have been exposed to deadly gases when an Iraqi chemical weapons depot was destroyed during the Gulf War.

The US Congress is considering plans to hire hundreds of new food inspectors and lab technicians and allow the government to seize or recall tainted products and inspect food makers’ records, to deter new bioterror attacks.