Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Dec. 31

TEHRAN -- Two people were killed overnight in western Iran in anti-government protests, Iran's Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported on Sunday.

The announcement was made by Hbibollah Khojasteh Pour, deputy governor of Iran's Lorestan Province. (Iran-Protests)

- - - -

RAMALLAH -- Palestinian National Authority (PNA) recalled Sunday its ambassador to the U.S. for consultation over the crisis with Washington after its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

A short statement by the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riad Malki said that he decided to recall the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) mission in the U.S., Ambassador Hossam Zomlot. (PNA-US-ambassador)

- - - -

JERUSALEM -- The gross domestic output (GDP) received an annual growth of 3 percent in 2017 in Israel, according to the preliminary statistics issued Sunday by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

The figure was down by 1 percentage from 2016's 4 percent growth. The Israeli annual growth of GDP was reported at 2.6 percent in 2015. (Israel-GDP)

- - - -

TEHRAN -- Iran will use funds from the Eximbank of Russia to implement some infrastructure projects, local media reported on Sunday.

The Central Bank of Iran and the Export Insurance Agency of Russia signed a deal recently to pave the way for Russian banks to fund Iranian projects, the Financial Tribune daily reported. (Iran-Russia-Bank Loans) Enditem