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Short Takes:
Senegalese minister of communication, Aissata Tall Sall, wound up on Thursday a four-day working visit to Morocco, that she described as "very fruitful." Sall told reporters upon departure that she had "fruitful and concrete" talks with her Moroccan peer, Larbi Messari, on means of enhancing bilateral cooperation in matters of cinema, print and audio-visual press. Go

The head of the El-Wasat party and former Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai confirmed that he intends to appoint an Arab minister and show concern toward Arab interests if he wins the coming elections for prime minister on May 17. Go

Pakistani sources in Cairo said yesterday that Pakistani and Turkish war ships began joint maneuvers in the Arab Sea (Bahr al-Arab) region. The sources said a Turkish frigate and three Pakistani warships are participating in these maneuvers, the third of their sort between the two countries naval forces, which will last for four days. Go

Monthly news from the Egyptian central bank indicated that the reserves of foreign currency fell to $19.8 billion in December 1998 from $20 billion in November 1998 and $20.22 billion in December 1997. Go

Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said yesterday that Iraq has not violated the no-fly zones recently, saying, "There have been no violations of the no-fly zone by the Iraqi forces for the last five days or so." He added, "There have not been the provocations that we had seen up until the last week or so. I think it's one of the longest quiet periods we've had since Desert Fox." Go

Red Sea governor Saad Abu Rida said that the hotel capacity in Red Sea governorate amounts to 17,800 rooms in Hurgada, Safaga, El-Kosir and Marsa Alam. He also said that the hotel capacity in the governorate last year was 13,200 rooms, pointing out that the rate of occupancy in hotels and tourist villages amounted to 90% from the beginning of current month. Go

Muslims will start the celebration this Saturday (3/27/99) of Eid al-Adha holiday, or feast of the sacrifice, which commemorates the readiness of the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son at God's command. As Abraham was about to perform the sacrifice, the Archangel Gabriel told Abraham to instead sacrifice a sheep. On this occasion Muslims sacrifice sheep and other small animals to feast on and to give to the poor. Go

Some 120,000 foreign tourists visited Morocco in January 1999, against 103,000 in January 1998, says the Moroccan statistics department. The department also notes a 8.7% increase in the number of nights spent in hotels (756,000 against 695,000). Go

Four members of a Moroccan family died lately suffocated by the gas leaking from a water-heater. Go

Moroccan Customs Agents arrested lately a Moroccan-born Dutch national with 57 kg of cannabis concealed in his Mazda car. Go

Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Arens expressed his belief that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat will not proclaim the independent Palestinian state on May 4, claiming that such a proclamation would lead to the failure of the peace process and oblige Israel to take unilateral steps. Go

The general trusteeship of the international union of Arab workers' unions renewed its primary national position toward continuing struggle against Israel to liberate Palestine and all occupied Arab territories, including the Syrian Golan and south Lebanon, and establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Go

The governor of South Sinai, Mostafa Afifi, inaugurated yesterday six tourist villages in Sharm city valued at nearly 90 million pounds and a building for a post office in the middle of the city at a cost of 2 million pounds, as well as a new unit for aid at Raas Mohamed, valued at 65,000 pounds. The general secretary of the governorate, Jaheen Zaghoul told ArabicNews.com in Cairo, that these projects come in light of the governorate's plan to lure international tourism. Go

Emirates Holidays tour operator has witnessed a 39% increase in its volume of passengers so far this financial year, Khaleej Times reported. Go

ABC Islamic Bank and Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) have signed a $56 million lease facility for the purchase of two gas turbines for the Wasit power station, Gulf Daily News reported. Go

The UN secretary general's deputy spokesman, Manoel de Almeida e Silva, said yesterday that developments in the Lockerbie case are considered so sensitive that announcements of new developments are not likely to be made until the developments happen. Go