US Secretary of State Colin Powell today blamed Yasser Arafat for blocking US efforts to make Palestinian security forces strong enough to end terror attacks on Israel.

ONLY the United States stood behind Israel last night in the face of international condemnation of the reprisal air raid on Syria that plunged the Mideast into deeper turmoil.

Only the United States stood behind Israel tonight in the face of international condemnation of the reprisal air raid on Syria that plunged the Mideast into deeper turmoil.

Hard-line Israeli MPs and the Palestinians were struggling today to come to terms with Ariel Sharon’s apparent U-turn on the peace process.

Jordan’s King Abdullah today flew to London for talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the future of Iraq and how to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

AN assassin pumped eight shots into an American diplomat outside his Amman home yesterday in the first known killing of a Western envoy in the Jordanian capital.

SAUDI Arabia has upped the pressure on Baghdad, hinting it may let the US use its bases for a military campaign against Iraq if the attack had UN backing.

JORDAN'S foreign minister yesterday credited President George Bush with breaking new and encouraging ground in his Mideast diplomacy.

US secretary of state Colin Powell was expecting to win broad approval from Arab, European, Russian and United Nations leaders today on an ‘‘action plan’’ to help the Palestinian people over the next three years.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has unveiled a peace plan calling for the centralisation of Palestinian security forces immediately.