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Egyptian Minister of Trade and Supply Ahmed Goweili agreed to Egyptian companies' participation in five international fairs all over the world. The fairs are Damascus International Fair in Syria, held from August 28 through September 7; the International Fair for Presents in Tokyo on September 1 - 10; the Egyptian Products Fair in Gabon starting September 4; the Tripoli fair for Arab and African industries on September 4 - 20; and Zagreb International Fair in Croatia on September 13 - 19. Go

Sources in the Arab League told ArabicNews.com today that there is an Israeli plan for espionage targeting the Arab states and selling Arabs' economic and military secrets to foreign countries and multinational companies. The sources said the plan targets the Middle East and Africa through launching six satellites that circle the globe with American support and that Israel will achieve profits of $4 billion annually from selling the information. Go

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak received in Alexandria on Friday chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. Developments of the Palestinian -Israeli track were discussed during the meeting. Go

The Lebanese daily al-Nahar issued on Friday said that Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss will head for Damascus within the coming days to meet with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and high-ranking Syrian officials. The paper added that contacts were made in this respect in preparation for setting a date for the meeting necessitated by recent developments in the region pertaining to the prospects of resuming peace negotiations and the Syrian-Lebanese stances concerning them. Go

The London-based al-Hayat daily said on Friday, quoting Western sources in Washington, that US President Bill Clinton is studying the possibility of visiting the Middle East in November if conditions require his "intervention to launch the peace process on the Syrian tracks." The paper added in its Friday issue that a decision in this respect will be decided by the results of the visit to be held by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to the region in September. Go

Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss said yesterday that statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak recently on withdrawal from south Lebanon in agreement with Lebanon are "booby-trapped." He added that there is no endorsing of a peace accord with Israel, because there is a correlation between the Syrian and Lebanese peace tracks, adding that there is no agreement on security arrangements with Israel within UN Security Council resolution 425. Go

The criminal court in Cairo today sentenced three journalists from the Egyptian opposition daily al-Shaab to a two year imprisonment. A Judicial source in Cairo said the court sentenced the three journalists to pay 30,000 Egyptian pounds each on charges of defaming Egyptian Minister of Agriculture Youssef Wali. Go

The leader of theTurkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, who is sentenced to death in Turkey, expressed the readiness of his followers to hand over their arms if Turkey presents a general amnesty for them to end the armed struggle that has lasted for more than 15 years between the two sides. Go

The Mauritania Post and Communication Corporation said it had started steps to privatize the corporation with support from the International Development Assocition affiliated to the World Bank with a loan of $10.8 million, which will be specified for reorganizing this sector and developing postal services by issuing a new law for developing this sector. The loan will be paid back in 40 years with a grace period of 10 years. Go

The Saudi daily Okaz said on Friday that President of Liberia Charles Taylor will declare his "embracing Islam" in holy Mecca during a visit he will hold soonto Saudi Arabia. Go