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Short Takes:
Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid asserted that he received a note from Yemen's permanent delegate at the Arab League which called for listing a new item on the draft agenda for the 113th session of the Arab League council that will be convened next month in which Yemen calls for establishing a periodic and systematic system for convening the Arab summit. Abdul Meguid told ArabicNews.com that Yemen suggested listing the item under the title "Establishing a mechanism for the systematic periodic convening of the Arab summit," adding that he suggested listing this subject with the determining dates for convening the Arab summit periodically. Go

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria on Wednesday received visiting Moroccan youth and sports minister, Ahmed Moussaoui, who arrived in Algiers earlier in the day with an oral message from King Mohammed VI. Moussaoui told the press that he raised with Bouteflika Morocco's candidacy to host the 2006 World Cup and other topics related to the consolidation of bilateral relations. Go

"Presidential Political Advisor Dr. Osama Al-Baz is due to visit Lebanon in two weeks to follow up the implementation of President Hosni Mubarak's initiative during his lightning Saturday's visit to Labanon for the reconstruction of power plants," Al Diar newspaper said Tuesday. The paper said that Baz would also meet with a number of Lebanese officials to discuss steps for putting Mubarak's initiative into effect. Go

The Jordanian paper al-Arab al-Youm quoted the Jordanian ambassador in Damascus, Nasouh al-Majali, as saying that Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa will visit Jordan shortly carrying a message from President Hafez al-Assad to King Abdullah II on developments in the region. Al-Sharaa's visit to Jordan will be in the course of an Arab tour in several Arab states, the Jordanian paper added. Go

Farouk Qaddoumi, chairman of the political department of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and George Habashi, chief of the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine, called yesterday to stop the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Go

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and his foreign minister, Hubert Vedrine, will visit Israel and the Palestinian self-rule territories. Monte Carlo radio said that the French premier will try during this visit to give the stumbled negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides a push forward. Go

The speaker of the Yemeni Parliament, Abdullah al-Ahmar, has reiterated his country's opposition to establishing relations with Israel until a just and comprehensive peace is achieved in the region, a peace that can bring back the lands and rights to their owners. Go

The Egyptian ambassador to the Vatican, Hassan al-Sader, has praised the stand adopted by the Vatican in supporting the right of the Palestinian people to get back their lands and considering Jerusalem as a city occupied by Israel, like other Arab lands that were occupied in 1967. Go

A young Moroccan who was helping his parents get into an airplane bound for Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage found himself in a situation of illegal immigrant against his will. The plane took off, while the young man was still on board, the Moroccan press reported, saying the man had no passport nor ticket. He was repatriated by the Moroccan border police. Go

Norway's secretary of state for foreign affairs, Wegger Christian Strommen, is expected this Wednesday in Morocco on a two-day visit. According to the Moroccan foreign affairs and cooperation ministry, the Norwegian official will assess with Moroccan officials bilateral relations and other issues of common concern. Go

The Israeli radio on Tuesday quoted Israeli Minister of Education Yossi Sarid as saying that there are possibilities to resume negotiations between Syria and Israel if the Syrians and Israelis will take necessary difficult decisions. Go

Dennis Ross, the US Middle East peace process envoy, asserted that there are difficulties facing the Palestinian - Israeli peace talks and that it needs a lot of efforts to bring it back to its course. For his part, Azmi Bishara, a member of the Israeli Knesset, expressed his belief that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will declare the Palestinian state in September and that the other subjects will be opened with Israel, adding that declaring the Palestinian state will bring the peace process into a new round of negotiations. Go

The secretary of the people's committee for sports and youths in Libya, Muhammad Mahmoud Hijazi, met on Monday evening in Tripoli with Algerian Minister of Youths and Sports Abdelmalik Sellal and the chairman of the general commission for youths and sports in Iraq, Eyad Khaleifa al-Rawi. Go

The building of the river navigation commission in Khartoum collapsed on Monday, and this resulted in several slight injuries among the staff of the commission, while heavy material losses were reported. Go

Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan is facing a second trial in Ankara today on accusatinos of the dissention, killing and blackmail which could lead to a death sentence for the second time. The death sentence against Ocalan, leader of the PKK, was issued in June 1999 on accusations of treason and dissention. Go

The first Euro-Mediterranean forum of women parliamentarians will be held next March 7-8 in the Italian center-southern city of Naples. Go

The 7th International video art festival will be held in Casablanca next March 9-12 under the theme 'youth, modernity and creation." Go

Morocco and France are to conclude this week in Rabat an agreement on cooperation in the realm of handicraft. The agreement will be signed during the four-day visit French secretary of state in charge of small and medium size enterprises, trade and handicraft, Marylise Lebranchu is paying to Morocco as of Thursday. Go

Morocco's Hicham Arazi on Tuesday qualified for the second round of the $800,000 indoor tournament of London. Go

The Moroccan Royal golf links of Dar es-Salam of Rabat will host next March 6-13 the 31st international amateur Golf championships and the first Mohammed VI challenge. Go