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Short Takes:
The head of the Arab summit, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, is to receive today a written message from Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is making communications regarding convening the Arab summit. The message will be delivered by Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdul Qader Bajmal, Yemen's ambassador at the Arab League, Ahmed Lafi, said. Go

The International Committee of the Red Cross has announced that some 200 Iraqi civilians were wounded as a result of the recent British-US attacks against Iraq. The committee did not specify the number of deaths. Go

Yemen is studying the creation of a stock exchange, reported Sunday Yemeni news agency Saba. The agency said a governmental committee, chaired by Yemen's prime minister Abdulkarim Al Iryani, held a meeting to look into a study on the creation of a bourse. Go

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied reports that he and Labor Party leader Ehud Barak had reached an agreement for an Israeli withdrawal from the Syrian Golan Heights, an Israeli Cabinet communique stated. Netanyahu told his cabinet that "Israel's presence in the Golan Heights is essential for the security of the state," the communique said, adding that the prime minister and Barak agreed only that talks with Syria should be restarted. Go

Bahrain's Al Eslah Society renewed a call for financial support for its program to support Iraqi war orphans, Gulf Daily News reported. Go

UAE Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum yesterday issued a decree calling for a five-day work week in government ministries and federal departments starting in January, Khaleej Times reported. Go

Oman's Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council met yesterday to discuss the 1999 budget, taking into account falling oil prices, Oman Daily Observer reported. Go

Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman stated that the Israeli Foreign Ministry had protested strongly to the Palestinian Authority over an incident yesterday in which Israeli inspectors at the Palestinian airport were not allowed to search an Egyptian aircraft carrying Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and other passengers. The spokesman said that not allowing the inspection of the aircraft's cargo, crew or passengers' travel documents violated the operating agreement for the airport. Go

Jordan has begun deportation of foreign workers who are in the country illegally, Jordan Times reported. Go

Iraq accused on Sunday the UN Sanctions Committee of delaying the approval of the oil-for-food contracts passed with several Arab enterprises. Go

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Mohammmedia (near Casablanca) to express solidarity with Iraq and condemn the US-British air raids, while a group of women organizations, trade unions and political parties held a similar march for women in Casablanca. Go

Construction works of a $ 4 Million sea sports complex were launched last weekend on the bank of the Bouregreg river separating the capital city of Rabat and Sale. The complex, to be built over a 8,784 square meter area, will include a swimming pool, two tennis courts, two squash sites, fitness center, restaurant. Go

The British Ministry of Trade and Industry announced that 25 British companies will take part in Comdex fair and conference for information technology, which will be held in Cairo on May 15-17, 1999 at the Cairo International Conference Centre. Go

Germany and Egypt have endorsed an agreement according to which Germany will grant Egypt 50 million marks to upgrade the sewage system in Alexandria Go

Stocks group for development and investment registered in South Africa is currently preparing to enter the Moroccan market to establish mutual projects in fields of tourism and luxury housing. Go

The Algerian central bank announced a reduction in the value of the dinar by 5.8% in relation to the United States dollar. Go

Both Egypt and the Netherlands signed today a program of development subsidies to be offered by the Netherlands to Egypt during 1999, which is valued at $24 million US. Meanwhile an economic source at Holland's embassy in Cairo told ArabicNews.com that the subsidy program concentrates on the sectors of controlling water, agriculture, sewage, housing and health, adding that there is another agreement that will be signed during the coming year to boost cooperation between the two countries' private sectors. Go

Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir is to issue a temporary decree regarding the law regulating the press for 1998, which are in compliance with the new Sudanese constitution to allow political multiplicity as of the beginning of the coming year. Go

Iraqi health sources announced that the wave of cholera that has prevailed in Iraq lately is coming from the northern area, which is not under the Iraqi central authority and is still a source of anxiety. The sources added that the danger lies in that the vaccines necessary for fighting this disease are in very short supply currently, due to the sanctions.. Go

The 31st Cairo International Book Fair which will open its doors on January 26 and last for two weeks has received the agreement of 80 countries and nine international organizations to take part in this event, held under the title of "How to get ready for the coming century," through discussing the Arab and local issues, social and economic reform, national unity and factional life. Go

The Syrian-Lebanese joint economic committee will hold a meeting today in Beirut under the chairmanship of Syrian Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Zou'bi and his Lebanese counterpart, Salim al-Hoss. Talks will deal with various topics including upgrading cooperation between the two countries, especially matters pertaining to the freedom of exchanging national industrial products between Syria and Lebanon in the context of implementing the cutting by 25% of the customs tariffs between the two countries. Go

Ethiopia has called upon the international community to pressure Eritrea to accept peace proposals adopted during the recent summit of the central commission of the Organization of African Unity. Go

Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss on Sunday received Niger's Premier and Foreign Minister Ibrahim Assane Mayaki. Relations between Lebanon and Niger were reviewed. The Nigerien premier arrived in Beirut earlier in the day. Go

Leader of Libya Col. Moammar Gaddafi met on Sunday in Tripoli with President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, currently visiting Libya. The two presidents reviewed the latest developments concerning the conflict in the Great Lakes region of Africa and efforts exerted to settle them as well as discussions on several current African issues. The Ugandan president arrived in Tripoli earlier in the day on board a special plane, violating the air embargo imposed on Libya. Go

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani on Friday released a decree pardoning 77 convicted persons on the occasion of the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, Qatar News Agency reported. Go

AFP has quoted the Israeli daily Haaretz as saying that Israel is currently developing its "Arrow" anti-missile missile system to be deployed within the forthcoming years as a defensive system against Iranian, Iraqi and Syrian ballistic weapons. The paper added that whole system will be tested in the middle of 1999. Go

The Iranian capital, Tehran, will witness next Sunday a mass demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinian and Iraqi people, with the participation of the Iranian people and vocational and trade union organizations. Go

Naval trips resumed between the United Arab Emirates and Iraq after a one-week cessation because of the US-British attacks. The director of the Nayef company for naval services, Muhammad Hamdan al-Shami, told AFP on Sunday that the vessel "Jabal Ali I" owned by the company left Dubai on Saturday carrying 65 passengers. Go