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Today's Headlines

• Iraqi official threatens to withdraw recognition of UN resolutions
  Chairman of the Iraqi National Council (Parliament) Sadoun Hammadi said on Monday that the council has the right to call for withdrawing recognition of UN Security Council resolutions because the Security Council did not abide itself to its commitments concerning Iraq. Iraq, Politics, 1/13/99
• Kuwait carries out intensive military training
  Director of the morale guidance in the Kuwaiti Army, Col. Ahmad al-Rahmani, has asserted that the Kuwaiti Army is currently holding intensive training with US forces on the northern borders and that it is ready for any emergency. Kuwait, Military, 1/13/99
• Five-way Arab ministerial meeting postponed
  The five-member meetings of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Oman and Yemen, scheduled to have been held in Cairo on Tuesday were postponed awaiting the crystallization of the positoin of the foreign ministers of the GCC in dealing with the Iraqi file when they resume their meetings on Thursday in Jeddah. Regional, Politics, 1/13/99
• El-Bashir hopes Cairo approves his initiative
  Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir expressed his deep concern with restoring relations with Egypt. Despite the Sudanese opposition's presence in Egypt and the Halauib triangle's issue, El-Beshir told reporters, "We hope the Egyptian government will approve my initiative calling for halting any hostile activity toward Egypt from Sudan and restoring Egyptian confiscated possessions." Sudan, Politics, 1/13/99
• Khaddam meets with Hawatemah
  The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine has announced that Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam received its secretary general, Nayef Hawatmeh, and discussed with him the situation in the Arab states and Iraq and inter-Arab relations. Syria, Politics, 1/13/99
• Baghdad calls the opposition to a democratic discussion
  The Iraqi government called today eight opposition factions to a new discussion with it in Baghdad, as an Iraqi official whose identity was not revealed escorted the representatives of these factions in an urgent visit to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, to hold an important discussion. Iraq, Politics, 1/13/99
• Moroccan chamber of advisors rejects privatization program extension
  The Chamber of Advisors (upper house of the Moroccan bi-cameral parliament) on Tuesday turned down a draft law proposing a 1-year extension of the deadline for the completion of the privatization program until the end of 1999. Morocco, Economics, 1/13/99
• Saudi, South Africa mediation efforts to settle Lockerbie issue
  The South African president's envoy to Libya has asserted that the question of Lockerbie is in its final stages Libya, Politics, 1/13/99
• Syrian PA continues deliberations on nominating President al-Assad for new term of office
  The Syrian People's Assembly on Tuesday continued the deliberations of its special session to debate the Baath Party regional leadership's proposal on the nomination of President Hafez al-Assad for a new constitutional term of office. Syria, Politics, 1/13/99
• Limited ministerial reshuffle in Qatar
  Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani on Tuesday made a limited ministerial reshuffle in his government. Qatar, Politics, 1/13/99
• On the terrorist acts in Yemen
  The official for Ansaar al-Sharia (Sharia partisans) Mustafa Kamel, better known as Abu Hamzeh al-Masri, on Tuesday denied having sent a group of British Islamists to carry out terrorist operations in Yemen. Yemen, Politics, 1/13/99
• Kuwaiti Emir urges his citizens toward austerity
  Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jabir al-Ahmed al-Sabah urged the Kuwaiti people to austerity and handling economic problems to reach solutions to them. Kuwait, Economics, 1/13/99
• Jordanian Parliament approves 1999 budget
  The Jordanian parliament on Tuesday approved by a majority of 55 parliament members out of 80 the state's general budget for 1999, which is expected to have a deficit of US $340 million. Jordan, Economics, 1/13/99
• Tunisian cereal crop is expected to increase
  The source said that about 1.3 billion feddans of cereals were cultivated at the end of last December 98 and it is expected that this area will increase to 1.6 billions feddans at the end of this month. Tunisia, Economics, 1/13/99
• Russia opposes Iraqi parliament's recommendation to refuse implementation of UN resolutions
  The Russian ambassador to Kuwait, Vladimir Shishouv, has asserted that his country opposes the recommendation of the Iraqi Parliament that Iraq withdraw its recognition of UN Security Council resolutions, especially UN resolution 833 concerning Iraqi - Kuwaiti border demarcation. Regional, Politics, 1/13/99
• Syrian-Italian companies sign tourism agreement
  The Syrian al-Cham Hotel Company and the al-Cham Tourism Company have agreed with major Italian tourist companies to start weekly charter trips to Martyr Bassel al-Assad airport in Lattakia so as to transport Italian tourist groups to Syria. Syria, Business, 1/13/99
• Abu Mazen: Declaration of a state on May 4 is the Palestinian people's right
  The secretary general of the executive committee of the PLO, Mahmoud Abass (Abu Mazen), confirmed the adherence of the Palestinian government to the date of May 4 for announcing the establishment of a Palestinian state Palestine, Politics, 1/13/99
• Former members of al-Jihad and al-Gamaa groups seek to establish Egyptian party
  Former members in the banned al-Jihad and Islamic Group (al-Gamaa) armed groups in Egypt announced their determination to establish a new political party. Egypt, Politics, 1/13/99

Short Takes

• A high-ranking Kuwaiti security source has denied reports on the existence of "a cell" against the Kuwaiti government, recruited by the Iraqi government. The Kuwaiti daily al-Watan on Tuesday quoted the security source as saying that all that had been said and published in Kuwaiti dailies about this matter is groundless. The source expressed wonder over promoting such rumors. Go
• Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf met on Monday night in Baghdad with acting Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Rida Sader, who is also the envoy of Iranian President Muhammad Khatami, currently visiting Iraq. The Iraqi daily al-Joumhurieh which published the news did not report any details about this meeting. Go
• Iranian President Muhammad Khatami will hold an official visit to Saudi Arabia before the beginning of al-Haj season this year. The visit of the Iranian president will come at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz. Go
• A statement released by the Algerian security forces said that five citizens were killed on Monday night by the Armed Islamic Group in al-Beida, near al-Bweira, southeast of the capital, Algiers. Go
• Under the patronage of Syrian Information Minister Muhammad Salman, the Iranian Cultural consulate in Damascus is holding at 6 p.m. Wednesday evening a symposium under the title "So as not to forget Jerusalem." Go
• Israeli occupation forces on Tuesday bombarded, using heavy artillery, Aqmata plain, Sujoud mountain and al-Rafee mountain in al-Tuffah district. News reports from south Lebanon said the Israeli bombardment was in conjunction with intensive sorties by Israeli warplanes at low altitudes over Tyre and Bin Jbeil districts. Go
• An opposition source told the London-based al-Hayat daily in Addis Ababa that strong confrontations took place between the forces of the Sudanese People's Liberation Army for Sudan and Sudanese governmental forces in the southern parts of the Blue Nile province in Olo and Maban districts, resulting in the death of 96 members of the armed forces. Go
• Director General of the Iranian Bares company for convoys, Rida Razazi, said on Tuesday that the first shipment of train convoys for transporting cereals had been exported to Syria's general railway establishments. The first shipment includes 120 convoys out of 360 contracted upon between the Syrian and Iranian sides at a cost of US $17 million. Go
• Abdul Aziz Saba, the official spokesman of the Algerian Foreign Ministry, said that the attendance of international supervisors at the early presidential elections to be held April has not currently been raised. Go
• Executive manager of the UN development Fund on Women, Noeleen Heyzer, is expected in Morocco on January14 on a five-day work visit to assess the fund's actions in Morocco and enhance cooperation ties with Moroccan partners. Go
• Three people were killed Friday in a violent storm off the southern Moroccan town of Dakhla, the Moroccan press reported. Two million pray in Mecca in last week of Ramadan France presents proposal for lifting embargo in Iraq Yemenis Free British Hostage Iraq pleads for Arab unity to oppose U.S.-British aggression Iraq to raise oil production Sharon Says There Will Be Palestinian State Libya Reports Progress In Lockerbie Talks YEMEN/TRIAL Tycoon 'to build now' at al-Amud Go

Yesterday's Headlines

• On the nomination of President al-Assad for a new term of office
• Five-member Arab foreign minister meeting in Cairo today
• Abdul Meguid refuses Iraqi accusations
• Iraq criticizes Saudi initiative to alleviate embargo
• Report: Iraqi leaders issue second call for urgent meeting with eight opposition factions
• Kuwaiti forces on alert to counter Iraqi threats
• Egyptian foreign minister: Saudi Arabia and Cairo present aid to Iraq
• Iraq denies any arrests or hangings
• Moroccan party welcomes Moroccans unanimous rejection of US aggression against Iraq
• Jordan for convening Arab summit
• Egyptian foreign minister calls for Saddam Hussein to quit office
• Arabs in Kuwait plot to provoke riots
• Egyptian Shoura council approves fourth term of office for President Mubarak
• Lebanese president stresses efforts to return the displaced
• Israeli attack hits Lebanese infrastructure cutting off electricity
• Chirac will not receive Sharon
• Secret committee surveys properties of Israelis in the Golan
• Egyptian official attacks Agence France Press for Abu Nidal story
• Palestinian sources: Declaration of state is to take place on May 4
• South African envoy to discuss Lockerbie crisis
• Kuwaiti Ministry of the Interior withdraws Bu Yabes passport

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