Tel Aviv/Ramallah - There are not many parts of the world where George W Bush - one of the most unpopular US presidents in history - is as well liked as he was in Israel.

It remains to be seen whether his successor, either Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain, will be able to fill his shoes.

Outgoing Israeli premier Ehud Olmert called Bush "our closest ally and partner" and "a force of inspiration" during a visit in May. President Shimon Peres welcomed him as a "dear" and "Biblical" friend of Israel.

Amman - A regional conference on security cooperation between Mediterranean and European countries opened in Amman Monday with the participation of 56 states.

The two-day meeting entitled "Regional Security: the Mediterranean as a Model" is sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Jordanian foreign ministry.

The meeting is designed to boost cooperation between OSCE and states in the region particularly in the sphere of combatting terrorism.

Manama, Bahrain - A new report about the state of the environment in the Arab world warns of fresh water scarcity, desertification, air quality and marine pollution among the top challenges facing the countries in the region.

The Arab Environment: Future Challenges report, released at the opening of the first Arab Forum for Environmental Development (AFED) in the Bahraini capital Manama on Sunday said that urgent action was needed to prevent such problems from intensifying.

The report, compiled by independent experts, estimated the cost of environmental degradation in the Arab region as a whole at 5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Ramallah - Nearly 600 Palestinian police began deploying Saturday in the West Bank city of Hebron following an agreement Thursday between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The deployment of the force loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah is part of a Palestinian plan more effectively to enforce law and order in several cities in the occupied West Bank.

The PA says many "wanted criminals" have taken refuge in areas which security forces had not been authorized to access. Hebron is considered a stronghold of Hamas supporters, the Islamic movement which routed pro-Abbas forces in the Gaza Strip last year.

Baghdad - An Iraqi soldier was killed and two were wound