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Short Takes:
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri sent messages to the head of the parliaments of the UN Security Council's permanent member states, the UN secretary-general, the head of the Arab Parliamentary Union, and the head of the Arab League, protesting Israeli transportation of farming soil from south Lebanon's occupied zone into Israel for use by farmers there. Go

Sharjah conducted an immunization campaign to protect schoolchildren from polio and measles, Khaleej Times reported. Go

Qatar's Cabinet yesterday welcomed the Wye Plantation agreement between the Palestinians and Israelis, Gulf Times reported. Go

A bag containing parts of a woman's body was found in a Bahraini landfill, and Bahraini police have initiated a search for more body parts, Gulf Daily News reported. Go

Palestinians marched in the funeral of a Palestinian teen who was shot to death during a demonstration earlier this week outside Palestinian military intelligence headquarters, Jordan Times reported. Go

The Sudanese-Egyptian joint committee responsible for the issue of the River Nile's water started its four-day session yesterday in Khartoum. The head of the Sudanese delegation, Minister of Irrigation Esam Zadik, stated at the beginning of the meeting that the committee embodies the strong relations between the Egyptian and Sudanese people. Go

Syrian official newspapers expressed yesterday Syria's refusal of the invitation presented by the US administration to resume normalization with Israel and asked the Arab countries to support its solidarity and refuse normalization. Go

The executive bureau of the Algerian Movement for a Peaceful Society called for the movement's leader, Sheikh Mahfouz Nehnah, to be nominated for president, calling the roots of the movement to intensify communications and form cells as a preliminary step before elections. The bureau also called on the consultative council to settle the subject finally. Sources close to the national bureau of the al-Nahda movement said the bureau prefers to nominate the leader of the movement, Sheikh Abdallah Djaballah on the basis that the movement will support him. Go

The Islamic Development Bank and Gabon signed a loan accord Wednesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia worth $1.15 million. The amount will help finance a 339 kilometer long road project that will link the north and south of the African country. Go

Nine Spanish nationals jailed in Morocco will serve the remainder of their prison terms in Spain by virtue of a 1996 Moroccan-Spanish accord, which provides for the transfer of prisoners and coordination between the two countries' justice departments. Go

Four Dutch nationals were arrested lately at the Tangiers port (Northern Morocco) with 221 kg of cannabis concealed in their vehicle's oil tank. Go

Morocco plays host next December 9 - 12 to the first Arab music festival to gather renowned Arab musicians and composers. Go

Tunisia won on Wednesday the 13th edition of the African handball championships, staged in South Africa. The Tunisians won their 5th African title after toppling their neighbors and rivals in Algeria 22-17. Those two teams in addition to Egypt, Nigeria and Morocco will represent Africa in the world championships, to be held next June in Egypt. Go

Morocco will launch at the end of November a nationwide campaign to fight violence against women, the Moroccan secretary of state for social protection, family and childhood announced. Go

Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi conferred recently in Rabat with visiting Finnish Secretary of State Alec Aato on ways of boosting partnership between the two countries in various sectors of common concern. Go

Sudanese Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Nafeh Ali Nafeh stated that the growth of desert areas is threatening his country and that this problem has affected nearly 75% of Sudanese citizens till now. Nafeh said that half of Sudan's 26 states which cover a large part of the biggest country in the African continent are harmed by the desertification problem. He described the problem as economic, environmental, social and political and said that the desertification problem caused poverty for 19.5 million citizens. Go

A Mayo Clinic press release yesterday said that King Hussein of Jordan is finishing the fifth of six stages of chemotherapy to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and that the clinic's doctors are pleased with the King's progress. Go

The manager of the Sudanese Telecommunications Company and Iranian Minister of Post, Telegraph and Telephone Mohammadreza Aref signed Wednesday a letter of understanding, and Aref said Iran could send equipment and provide training in telecommunications to Sudan, IRNA reported. Go