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Short Takes:
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met on Tuesday in Burj al-Arab, northern Egypt, with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. The two sides discussed the results of the meeting held between Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the question of final status negotiations with Israel. Go

The secretary general of the people's committee for transport and communication in Libya (transport minister), Ezzeddine al-Hanshiri, on Tuesday met in Syrte city with the Sudanese minister of roads and communications, currently visiting Libya. The two ministers reviewed prospects of cooperation between the two states in the areas of transport and communications. Go

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah held talks on Tuesday in Kuwait with president of Bosnia Alija Izetbegovic. Talks dealt with means of developing and boosting bilateral relations between the two countries as well as issues debated on the international arena. Go

The general secretariat of the Arab Journalists Union has urged Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to intervene in order to halt the decision banning, administratively, the Sudanese press, especially the Sudanese daily al-Rai al-Akhar. In a statement released on Tuesday in Cairo, the secretariat said this measure defames Sudan's international reputation as well as the internal conditions in Sudan. Go

In its Tuesday issue, the Kuwaiti daily al-Qabas said, quoting sources from Cairo it identified as well-informed, that the US administration is currently making contacts with several Arab capitals with the objective of giving a push forward to relations between Arab capitals and Israel. The sources said that so far these contacts covered Tunis, Algiers, Rabat, Cairo, Doha, Amman and Sanaa. Go

Israel Radio quoted on Tuesday the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot as saying that, "The cost and price of the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon is half a billion Israeli shekels." The Israeli paper added, "Circles in the Israeli army estimated this price to be much less if the withdrawal will be made in the framework of a settlement and an agreement with Syria." Go

Israel has agreed to send a shipment of Israeli medicine to Russia, at a cost of US $100,000. Israel Radio said on Tuesday that a Russian plane will transport this medicine load that Russia had asked for from Israel following the waves of violence that recently took place in areas of Russia. Go

Pope John Paul II confirmed today that he will visit the Middle East next year on a pilgrimage to the Hold Land, Voice of America reported. Go

The Cairo Stock Exchange (CSE) and Raya Holding Company signed a LE 1 million agreement to develop and modernize the exchange. CSE chairman Sameh el-Torgoman said the modernization would include a network to process the increasing volume of activity on the market and links from the market to brokers' offices to speed up the exchange of information. Go

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's political advisor, Osama El-Baz said that there are signs that a breakthrough on the Syrian - Israeli peace track may be possible in the coming months. He said that in her meeting today with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright "is seeking to get acquainted with the views and stances of the two parties about issues to be raised for discussion during negotiations." He also voiced hope that the current efforts will help reactivate talks on the Syrian - Israeli track. Go

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today inaugurated the third phase of youth housing project in al-Sherouk city, saying that the government is making an effort to provide subsidized housing at affordable prices. "The government has thus shunned temporary solutions to tackle the core problems and, among the main challenges was to strike a balance between economic reform and the protection of the lower-income brackets," Mubarak said. Go