Today's Headlines
- Damascus: Seif's sentence next week
The third and last defendant witness in the trial of the independent parliament member Riyadh Seif on Wednesday denied Seif to have had demanded the change of the constitution illegally or provoked any sectarian provocation or even forming a secret society. Syria, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Message to Arab summit: it is time to restore the Arab nation's international position
Your excellencies, majesty, the Arab kings, Presidents and princes. In this phase in which the Arab League is being held, our Arab nation and its surrounding are witnessing fundamental changes which are in reality part of greater world changes which started with the collapse of the old world system. Regional, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Qatar's second conference for democracy on March 26
Qatar's second conference for democracy and free trade will be held on march 26 to 29 at Ritz Carlton. It is organized by the Gulf studies center at Qatar university in collaboration with the foreign ministry in Qatar. Regional-Qatar, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Mubarak and Cheney discuss Palestine, Iraq
Egyptian President Mubarak yesterday received in Sharm EL Sheikh Richard Cheney the US Vice President who arrived in Egypt from Jordan in the context of a Middle East tour that will take him to eleven countries. Egypt-USA, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Message from al-Assad to Austrian President
Al-Shara highly appreciated Austria's stances towards the Middle East. He explained "the grave and inhuman acts committed by Israel and stressed that the Palestinian resistance confronts the Israeli army on its occupied territories. A thing which is the simplest means for self-defense and therefore the Palestinians should not be asked to stop violence while they are vulnerable to all forms of Israeli violence, killing and destruction." Syria-Austria, Politics, 3/14/2002
- 'Human Rights in Islam' under the spotlight
An international symposium entitled "Human Rights in Islam and Protection of its Basic Freedoms" will be held March 14-15, at the U.N. headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, with several international experts attending. Regional, Politics, 3/14/2002
- King Mohammed instructs commission entrusted with amending personal statute to submit draft before year's end
The sovereign, who is keen on seeing the new personal statute code materialized promptly, ordered the commission to submit to his appreciation the new code before the end of the current year. The commander of the faithful insisted that the code amendment be thorough and comprehensive. Morocco, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Military action against Iraq not necessary, Morocco says
Morocco on Wednesday said military action against Iraq is not necessary and called for peace efforts instead. Morocco-Iraq, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Morocco calls for face to face talks with Algeria over Sahara
Morocco on Wednesday called for face to face talks with Algeria over the issue of the Moroccan Sahara. Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Turkey: we share Syria a joint desire to develop friendship, cooperation ties
The Turkish minister of housing and construction Abdul Qader al-Jaan has stressed that the Syrian and the Turkish leaderships have the joint desire to develop relations and strengthen ties of neighborhood and fraternity between the Syrian and Turkish peoples. Syria-Turkey, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Seven persons killed by Israel, including one Italian journalist
A mission which is described by the White House as seeking to alleviate the clashes in the occupied Palestinian territories, the Israeli military escalations of the Sharon government which reoccupied of the whole parts of the Palestinian city of Ramullah, where the Israeli forces conducted acts of killing and destruction the same it did in other Palestinian areas, cities and camps it had occupied during the few past days. Palestine-Israel, Military, 3/14/2002
- Moussa and the Saudi initiative
The secretary general of the Arab league (AL) Amr Moussa has announced that a normalization of relations with Israel is not debated in the Saudi initiative in "language or formulation " used by the press, stressing that this formulation as stated in these media was not precise. Regional-Israel, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Israeli cabinet discuss military measures and tightening the siege on Palestinians
Member of the Israeli Knesset Yusi Sarid called on the US to agree to deploying UN observers in the Palestinian territories to supervise closely what is taking place. Palestine-Israel, Politics, 3/14/2002
- UN Security Council issues a resolution for a vague 'vision' to establish a Palestinian state
Syria's representative at the UN Mikhael Wahba said that the decision of the UN security council is weak because it does not deal with the main reason for violence mainly because of the Israeli occupation. He said that this resolution puts the assassin and the victims on equal footing. Palestine-Israel, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Full text of UN security council resolution 1397 on Palestine - Israel
The UN Security Council on the ground of its previous resolutions concerned especially UN resolutions 242 of ( 1967) and 338 of 1973, committing to a perspective based on an area of where the states of Israel and Palestine coexist side by side within secure and recognized borders Palestine-Israel, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Annan appeals to Arab leaders not to give up search for peace
He called on Israel to stop the bombing of civilian areas, the assassinations, the unnecessary use of lethal force, the demolitions and "the daily humiliation of ordinary Palestinians." Palestine-Israel, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Moroccan-French talks in Rabat
Moroccan Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi conferred here Wednesday with visiting secretary of state for foreign trade, Francois Huwart, who started Tuesday a two-day work visit to Morocco. Morocco-France, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Sahara Issue at the Focus of Benaissa-Bradshaw Talks in London
The latest developments in North Africa and the contention with Algeria over the Sahara issue were at the hearth of talks held in London Wednesday by Moroccan foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Mohamed Benaissa, and British secretary of state to the foreign office in charge of North Africa and the Middle East, Ben Bradshaw. Morocco-UK, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Survivors of Polisario jails get strong backing in Sweden
The Association of the Survivors of the Tindouf (south-western Algeria) Jails (ASOCAPOS) has won a strong backing in Sweden where a solidarity committee with the association was set up. Morocco-Sweden, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Bush says the Iraqi president is a problem and he is going to fix it
US President George Bush talking about Iraq said yesterday, "This is a nation run by a man who is willing to kill his own people by using chemical weapons; a man who won't let inspectors into the country; a man who's obviously got something to hide. And he is a problem. And we're going to deal with him." Iraq-USA, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Israel Raids UN-Run School in Palestinian Camp, Trapping staff and Causing Damage
The United Nations relief agency assisting Palestine refugees reported Tuesday that one of its schools in the Ramallah area had been occupied by Israeli troops and turned into an observation and detention point, trapping many UN staff who were unable to leave the premises, fearing for their lives. Palestine-Israel, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Algeria: 50 wounded in confrontation between the Berber and the security forces
At least 50 persons were wounded among the protesting Berber groups in clashes with the Algerian security forces in al Qabayel area. This comes following the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika recognition of the Amghazi language as an official language beside the Arabic language with the aim to alleviate tension in the region. Algeria, Politics, 3/14/2002
- Spanish company to invest $ 26 mln in Morocco in 2002
Spanish investment Company, COFIDES, is projecting to invest 300 Mln Dirhams (nearly $ 26 Mln) in Morocco in 2002, mainly in the sector of tourism. Morocco-Spain, Business, 3/14/2002
Short Takes
- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday in Damascus received former Lebanese President Elias Hrawi and his two sons Roland and Roy al-Hrawi. Discussions dealt with issues of mutual concern. Go
- Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, who is expected in Morocco Friday will convey King Mohammed VI a message from President Emile Lahoud of Lebanon. Go
- Italian secretary of state in charge of communication, Giancarclo Innocenzi, will start on Thursday a four-day visit to Morocco for talks with Moroccan officials on means to upgrade bilateral cooperation in related sectors. Go
- The Arab Writers Union (AWU) general assembly, on Sunday reelected Egypt's Fawzi Fahmi president of the union, Sudanese artist, Ali Mehdi, secretary general, and Egyptian film-maker, Kamal Sheikh, treasurer. Go
- The Qatari weather forecast expects Qatar to undergo a warm wave started gradually on Tuesday and will reach its peak on Friday and Saturday. Go
More Headlines · Previous Edition · Politics · Business and Economics · Local · Algeria · Bahrain · Comoros · Djibouti · Egypt · Iraq · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Syria · Saudi Arabia · Somalia · Sudan · Tunisia · United Arab Emirates · Yemen
