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Short Takes:
Kuwait's first deputy premier and foreign minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad on Sunday submitted his resignation to ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah. The Kuwaiti daily al-Anba' (News) which published the news on Monday said it has been noted recently that Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad did not have any political activities in the country. Go

The economic committee in the Egyptian People's Assembly agreed on a draft law regulating private sector participation in the capital of the public sector banks, which is the first step paving the way for privatizing an Egyptian bank. Go

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Deputy Premier and chairman of the national guard Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz met on Sunday in Jeddah with Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Go

The 20th meeting of the trade negotiations committee was opened on Sunday at Arab League headquarters in Cairo. The committee is one of the main bodies of the Arab free trade zone. Go

Meetings of the fifth session of the council of the Turkish-Jordanian joint business center started today in Amman between the Jordanian Businessmen's Society and the Turkish foreign economic relations council with the participation of some 120 businessmen representing the two sides. Go

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi met today with Jordanian Minister of Agriculture Najm al-Khureisha, currently visiting Tehran. Go

Bahrain's Prime Minister Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Salman al-Khaleifa today received a message from his Indian counterpart. Go

The Lebanese police have destroyed a poppy field near the ancient Lebanese town of Baalbek on Saturday as part of the government's campaigns against illegal drugs in Lebanon, Lebanese security officials said. Some 50 drug enforcement officers destroyed about 10 km of hashish plantation in Younen village, Go

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa on Saturday received U.S.congressmen Matthew Martinez and Silvestre Reyes, and the chairman of the national council of American-Arab businessmen, Eli Abboud. Talks dealt with developments in the region and the obstacles facing the peace process. Go

Bahrain's Cabinet discussed concerns of the fishing industry over management of fishing resources, Gulf Daily News reported. Go

Incidents of unrest continued in Hebron, as Palestinian youths threw stones at Israeli soldiers, Bahrain Tribune reported. Go

Vatican official Monsignor Dominique Rezeau said the Vatican is considering establishing a university in Amman, Petra reported. Go

A forming Omani company, Dhahirah Investment Holding Co., held a meeting to iron out details of the company's formation, Oman News Agency reported. The company has an authorized capital of 15 million, 40% of which will be available for general subscription, the report said. Go

Qatar's Emir authorized an increase in the Qatar General Petroleum Company's capital to 20 billion Qatari riyals, Qatar News Agency reported. Go

The U.A.E. and Lebanon signed two agreements yesterday for protecting investments and avoiding double taxation, Khaleej Times reported. Go

Israeli President Ezer Weizman is attempting to win compensation for the family of an Arab man who was stabbed to death last week in Jerusalem, calling the deadly attack a "terrorist incident," Haaretz reported. Go

Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri held discussions on preparations for upcoming Lebanese local elections with deputy Tammam Salam and Lebanese Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, with more meetings scheduled, Lebanon News Wire reported. Go

Jordan and the U.S. began month-long joint military exercises, named "Infinite Moonlight '98," Jordan Times reported. Go

Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin called on the Palestinian people to fight against Israel, Nando Times reported. Go

The Kuwait Foodstuffs Company opened the first U.S. fast food restaurant, Kentucky Fried Chicken, in Syria, CNN reported. Go

Egypt has confiscated packages of the impotence drug Viagra, illegally imported into the country which has not yet approved the drug, from pharmacies, Fox News reported. Go

The U.S. deputy ambassador in Cairo at a symposium called yesterday on the Egyptian government to interfere to reduce the prices of Egyptian products exported to foreign markets, especially cotton products and ready-made clothes, to make them more competitive with other countries' products, pointing out that the U.S. government encourages opening U.S. markets before Egyptian exports. Go

A new round of European - Egyptian participation negotiations will start on Sunday in Brussels. The Egyptian delegation will be headed by ambassador Gamal Bioumi, the Egyptian assistant foreign minister. Go

The Iraqi assembly of birth control sent messages to Arab and international organizations in which it said the death rate among Iraqis is increasing due to international sanctions. Go

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat meets today in Oslo with former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres within a meeting for the International Socialism Council, news reports said in Oslo on Sunday. Go

Bahrain's Minister of the Interior Sheikh Muhammad Bin Khaleifa has denied recent news reports that the number of detainees arrested in recent incidents that took place in the country number in the thousands and that some of them stay for a long time without trial and judicial conviction. The Gulf News Agency said Go

Saudi Minister of Agriculture and Water Abdul Karim Bin Muammar on Sunday discussed with Adel el-Baltaji, the director general of the International Center for Agriculture Research in Dry Areas and Arid Zones (ICARDA), headquartered in Aleppo-Syria, issues pertaining to agricultural experiments on plants that can be grown in arid zones and dry areas. Go

Secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Ezzddine al-Iraqi expressed deep concern over the nuclear tests recently carried out by India. Go