We are looking for sales & marketing representatives in different countries. Apply now!

Short Takes:
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa left Damascus on Sunday heading for Canada on a three-day official visit at the invitation of Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy. Al-Sharaa's schedule includes talks between the two sides under the chairmanship of the two foreign ministers. Al-Sharaa will also meet with Canada's prime minister and several members of the Canadian parliament. During his visit al-Sharaa will open the new Syrian embassy in Canada and meet with the Syrian community in Canada. Go

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz on Sunday in Riyadh had a telephone conversation with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan. During the conversation friendly talks were exchanged. The two men discussed "the distinguished" relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE and means of consolidating them. Go

President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen has announced that Yemen will not agree to allow a military presence of any international force on its islands and territorial waters. Upon opening an international airport at Suqatri, the Yemeni president said this airport will end the isolation of the island and link it to all parts of Yemen. Go

Speaker of the Syrian People's Assembly (parliament) Abdul Qader Qaddoura met on Sunday in Damascus with the secretary of the people's general conference in Libya, al-Zanati Amin. Talks dealt with parliamentary relations between the Syrian PA and the Libyan People's General Conference and means of strengthening and developing them. Go

The Algerian daily al-Youm issued on Sunday said that the Armed Islamic Group killed three members of the civil guards in Mashdal district in Bouira province. Meantime, the Algerian daily al-Aseel said that 14 gunmen surrendered themselves to the Algerian security forces in Saida province. Go

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz on Saturday night received a telephone call from the ruler of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khalelfa. Talks covered bilateral relations and developments in the Arab, Islamic and international arenas. Go

King Abdullah Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan will visit Morocco early July, Moroccan Al-Ittihad Al-Ichtiraki daily reported on Monday. The Jordanian king will visit Morocco part of a tour that will also lead him to Yemen, Sudan and Mauritania, the daily said, quoting Jordanian information minister, Nacer Louzi. Go

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met yesterday with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek. Their discussions focused on the Middle East peace process and Kosovo. Meanwhile, Egyptian Minister of Trade and Supply Ahmed Goweili announced that Egypt and Slovenia had signed a series of agreements to carry out joint industrial projects. "Discussions are under way to regulate links between the two countries' banks and ports," Goweili added. Go

Morocco has granted $ 50,000 worth of food assistance to Kosovo refugees in Albania, according to the World Food Program (WFP). The Rome-based U.N. agency said Monday the donation is the first granted by a country from the Middle East and North Africa to Kosovo refugees via the WFP. Moroccan ambassador in Rome, Zine-El-Abidine Sebti, travelled this Monday to Albania to hand over the Moroccan aid. Go

On Saturday Algerian President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika extended invitations to four former African presidents to attend the African summit due to be held in the middle of July in Algiers as guests of honor as they were among the co-founders of the Organization of African Unity. Those Presidents are Ahmad Bin Bella (Algeria), Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Yulus Neireiri (Tanzania), and Sedar Sengore ( Senegal). Well-informed sources in Algiers did not rule out that Bouteflika will invest these former presidents with the Algerian national order of merit. Go

Moroccan Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, underwent a neurological surgery on Sunday, medical sources at the Rabat Ibn Sina hospital said adding the operation was successful, MAP reported. Youssoufi, who is leading a center-left coalition government appointed last year, was admitted to the hospital after a mild neurological ailment. Doctors at the Rabat hospital said after tests revealed a hematoma, and the operation was conducted to drain a blood gathering. Go

Iraqi sources stated that there is an increase in the number of Iraqi youths who refrain from marriage because of the economic conditions resulting from the international sanctions. The sources said the youths, whose age varies between 18 and 40, refrained of marriage because they consider it a luxury. The sources said "Women are more affected then men regarding the change that came with the international sanctions." Sources also referred to the increase of divorce and in marriage advertisements in Iraqi newspapers. Go

US jets patrolling the northern Iraq no-fly zone as part of Operation Northern Watch launched a missile against an Iraqi surface-to-air missile radar site east of Mosul today, a statement from the United States European Command said, adding that the attack came in response after Iraqi radar targeted ONW aircraft and Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery fired on the aircraft. Go

UNICEF said that more than 120,000 thousand children less then 18 years old are participating in armed clashes. The organization said there are 40 million children in the African continent do not go to school, that school is a strange world for them, and that those who go to school feel frustrated by the long distances they have to walk to reach their schools, in addition to the adequacy of study methods to African situations and goals. Go

The Japanese government granted a Moroccan handicapped children association "Ibn Al Baitar" $ 40,263 to rehabilitate its premisses. A statement of the Japanese embassy in Rabat says the grant will also serve to buy 35 wheelchairs and 12 pairs of crutches for needy handicapped children. Go