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The Italian Cabinet on Wednesday evening said that Italian Prime Minister Masimo D'Alema will visit Libya on December 1 and 2. It is the first visit for a Western prime minister to Libya since 1992. On April 5 this year the UN Security Council suspended the sanctions imposed on Tripoli since April 1991. Go

The speaker of the Syrian People's Assembly (PA) Abdul Qader Qaddoura said on Thursday that the delay in approving the Syrian budget for 1999 is resulted from the decline in the oil prices in the first months of this year. Qaddoura did not set a date for issuing the Syrian budget, which is usually released in April or May every year. Syria produces some 600,000 barrels of crude oil of which it exports 320,000 Go

Omani Ninister of National Economy Ahmad bin Abd al-Nabi al-Makki, the deputy chairman of the council for financial affairs and energy resources said the main committee has been formed to prepare for the 6th five-year plan (2001-2006) and determine the major economic trends as well as the service and production sectors. He added in press statements yesterday in Muscat that the committee will raise the primary project of the plan at the Shura and the Cabinet for discussion and revision to pave the way for the plan in its final shape to be raised to Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman to be ratified in October 2000. Go

German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping is arriving in Cairo today, heading a high-ranking military delegation on a formal visit to Egypt at the invitation of Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the general commander of Egypt's armed forces and minister of defense and military production, during which military discussions will take place between the Egyptian and German sides aiming at boosting military cooperation as well as discussing issues of joint concern between the two countries. Go

The meetings of the Japanese - Egyptian business council are to start in Cairo on Sunday and last for two days. Official sources in the Japanese - Egyptian business council said today that the meetings aim at learning aspects of possible cooperation between businessmen in the two countries in light of the investment atmosphere and the opportunities it provides to establish joint projects and increase Japanese investment percentage in Egypt in the shadow of the recent political approach between Tokyo and Cairo after the visit of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to Japan last summer. Go

A European group comprising French-Belgian Totalfina Repsol of Spain, OMV of Austria and Saga of Norway has signed an agreement for a new oil license in Libya. The consortium will be exploring oil in southwestern Libya. Go

Tunisian President Zein al-Abidin Ben Ali emphasized his country's continuation of privatization through periodically declaring lists of companies that will be privatized, aimed at attracting more foreign investments. Ben Ali added that he gave orders to make periodic lists of companies so that options will be before the investors and a data list based on a study. This statement came after Bin Ali's meeting with the national committee for the privatization yesterday. Go

The Qatar News Agency reported that Algerian Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Muhammad al-Ammari started an official visit to Qatar on Thursday, a visit which will last for several days. Earlier, an Algerian source said the visit falls in the course of "strengthening cooperation relations between the armies of the two countries." Go

A commercial delegation from Malta will hold commercial discussions with Egypt during their visit to Cairo in February to open horizons for joint investment between the two countries in different industrial fields like marble, cars, textiles and leather products. This will be the fourth delegation arriving in Egypt from Malta, which exports products of $2.6 billion annually, while its inhabitants do not exceed 400,000 citizens. Go

Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagui met with British Secretary of National Heritage Chris Smith on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ongoing world travel market(WTM). He said he discussed with Smith the warning issued by London to the British nationals who have the desire to travel to Egypt and which warned them against visiting certain places. Smith promised to review the warning and consult with various officials in this regard, said Beltagui. Go

An international petroleum conference is to start tomorrow in Kuwait and last for two days to discuss the future of the petroleum industry in Kuwait with the participation of 50 Kuwaiti, Arab and foreign companies in addition to the attendance of petroleum ministers of Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen and Egypt. Egypt will present a report regarding the "privilege" (rights) agreements and drilling so the Kuwaiti government can benefit from it in the negotiations currently taking place with the international companies for drilling petroleum. Go

The Arab justice ministerial council will open next Tuesday its 15th session to discuss a number of issues pertaining to joint Arab action in the legal and justice fields. The Arab League's assistant secretary general for legal affairs, Radwan Khasra, told reporters that the council's two-day session would review mechanisms to implement the Arab anti-terrorism agreement, standardize legislation and issue a unified Arab law on prisons. Go

The travel guidance service in the Egyptian Foreign Ministry continued issuing warnings to Egyptian travelers abroad, as it warned the citizens who want to travel abroad to work of fraud by unlicensed companies practicing this activity. The travel guidance service urged job seekers abroad to make sure of the company they are dealing, with whether licensed or not, through communicating with the concerned governmental bodies like the foreign ministry and ministry of labor. Go

The Arab single chess championships started Thursday in Aden, Yemen. Chess players from Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Yemen are also vying for titles in the championships, to down curtain on November 30, Map reported. Go

USA's NTSB Chairman Jim Hall stated today that more work is being done to transcribe the crashed EgyptAir 990 plane's voice recorder in Arabic and English. He condemned rampant speculation saying headlines in newspapers have had "information that is just flat wrong." He said no new information has been found that would warrant a change in the course of the investigation. December 1 will be the time when a specialized ship will be deployed to start recovery of plane parts for examination, he added. Go