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Today's Headlines

• President al-Assad's address on taking oath of office: Peace with Israel will not be made before settling inter-Arab disputes
  Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Thursday took the oath of office at the people's assembly on the occasion of the start of his fifth, seven-year constitutional term. Syria, Politics, 3/12/99
• Free trade agreement to start between Egypt and Tunisia
  Implementation of the free trade agreement between Egypt and Tunisia is to start next week, after the exchange of special documents between the two countries. Egypt, Politics, 3/12/99
• Jordanian health minister refuses normalization with Israel
  Jordanian Health Dr. Minister Yitzhak Maraqa has asserted his refusal to meet with any Israeli official, regardless of his post. "I will not accept normalization under any condition, even if I will be obliged to leave the ministry." Jordan, Politics, 3/12/99
• Iraq persistent about discussing the missing during Cairo meeting
  Iraq is determined to include the issue of the Iraqi and Kuwaiti missing on the agenda of the forthcoming session of the AL council. It opposed Kuwaiti reservations to submitting this issue to the Arab foreign ministers meeting to be held on Wednesday, March 17 in Cairo. Regional, Politics, 3/12/99
• EU stresses the Arab identity of Jerusalem
  The European Union has rejected claims raised by Israel that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and falls under the Israeli supremacy. Regional, Politics, 3/12/99
• Damascus seeks to prevent Europe from financing US $1.6 billion Turkish dam
  Well-informed diplomatic sources in Damascus said that Damascus held official contacts with Britain and other European countries over news reports that European private and governmental institutions intend to participate in financing a new Turkish dam at a cost of US $1.6 billion on the Tigris, whose waters are shared by Syria, Iraq and Turkey Syria, Politics, 3/12/99
• Israeli rabbi and the Golan Heights
  Jewish rabbi Ariel Daree has said, "Since we had returned Sinai to Egypt, why has the Golan not been returned to the Syrians for the sake of peace?" Regional, Politics, 3/12/99
• Algerian presidential candidates' programs
  Candidates for the Algerian presidency asserted in their election programs the need to give priority to the question of restoring peace and security to Algeria. Algeria, Politics, 3/12/99
• US official denies visit to US State Department by president of self-proclaimed Sahrawi republic
  A US official source denied Thursday that Mohamed Abdelaziz, president of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi republic, would be received at the US State Department. Morocco, Politics, 3/12/99
• Meeting between Clinton, Arafat postponed
  A well-informed US source said that the meeting scheduled to be held after two weeks between US President Bill Clinton and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has been postponed to a time which has not been fixed yet. Palestine, Politics, 3/12/99
• Belarussian - Egyptian agreements for commercial cooperation
  Egypt and Belarus endorsed yesterday two agreements for trade cooperation on the margins of 32nd round of the Cairo International Fair. Egypt, Economics, 3/12/99
• Moroccan-Tunisian joint information commission meets in Rabat
  The Moroccan-Tunisian joint commission for cooperation in information is currently holding its first session in Rabat to look into ways of bolstering this cooperation. Morocco, Economics, 3/12/99
• Gulf governments to spend $200 billion and shift focus to private sector
  Gulf sources expected that the amount of spending by the governments in the Gulf during the coming ten years will amount to nearly $200 billion, which equals what was expended in the last quarter of this century. Gulf, Economics, 3/12/99
• Egyptian minister of economy says price of Egyptian pound far less than real value
  Egyptian Minister of Economy Youssef Butros Ghali confirmed that the current price of the Egyptian pound is lower than its real value by 15%, according to the capabilities of the Egyptian economy. Egypt, Economics, 3/12/99
• The new heirs in the Arab states
  The paper said it is mere coincidence that three young rulers in the region, Jordan's King Abdullah Bin al-Hussein, the ruler of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa and Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, had graduated from military academies in Britain and they spent most of their practical years in the army. Regional, Politics, 3/12/99
• $1.3 billion in Egyptian - Italian commercial exchange
  The Italian ambassador at Cairo, Fransisco Londi, told ArabicNews.com today that his country forms Egypt's third-largest commercial partner and that commercial exchange between the two countries reached nearly $1.3 billion as 7.3% of Italian exports head to Egypt. Egypt, Economics, 3/12/99
• Turkey refuses to resume works of the tripartite committee
  The Turkish television news channel NTF reported that a high-ranking Turkish official refused on Thursday an invitation extended by Iraqi Irrigation Minister Ahmad Diab to resume works of the tripartite technical committee concerning the water issue between Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Regional, Politics, 3/12/99
• Indyk will not seek Damascus to amend April Understanding
  In its Thursday report on the visit of the US Undersecretary of State Martin Indyk to Syria, the BBC said this visit is the first by a US official of such a rank during 1999. Syria, Politics, 3/12/99
• Yemeni President to visit India and Japan
  Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh today starts a two-day visit to India to be followed by a similar visit to Japan. Yemen, Economics, 3/12/99
• Cairo floats 11 airports before German investors
  Egyptian Minister of Public Works Atef Ebeid said in press statements yesterday that his government has floated up 11 airports on the B.O.T. (build-operate-transfer) system before a delegation of German businessmen currently visiting Egypt. Egypt, Economics, 3/12/99
• Egyptian Orascom floats 8.67 million shares sale
  The Egyptian stock market is going to witnesses on Sunday the implementation of selling 8.67 million shares of Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) at 43 pounds per share for a total value of 372.8 million pounds. Egypt, Business, 3/12/99
• Emirates airline secures financing for aircraft purchase
  Informed sources in the Emirates airline company revealed that the company signed a financing agreement worth 142.9 million euros to purchase the first two of 17 Airbus A330-200 airplanes to support the company's fleet. United Arab Emirates, Business, 3/12/99
• Four Planet Hollywood restaurants planned for Egypt
  The El-Sadat group for investment has decided to construct four Planet Hollywood restaurants in different parts of Egypt at a cost of 15 million pounds. Egypt, Business, 3/12/99
• Three million dollars earmarked for restoring charity centers
  A total of $3 million (28.6 million dh) will be earmarked to restore 130 charity centers in Morocco, a committee supervising an anti-poverty fund-raising campaign announced. Morocco, Economics, 3/12/99
• New Kurdish group claims responsibility for two explosions in Istanbul
  A group which was not known before calling itself the "National Kurdish Revenge Group" announced on Thursday responsibility for two explosions that took place in Istanbul on Wednesday. Regional, Politics, 3/12/99
• Morocco does not want referendum delay, says government spokesman
  The Moroccan government spokesman told reporters after the Cabinet's weekly meeting that setting the referendum date depends on the implementation of the UN settlement process in the Sahara. Morocco, Politics, 3/12/99
• 16.4 percent of Moroccan households are led by women
  In Morocco, 16.4 % of households are led by women, according to the findings of a national survey conducted in 1997-98 by the statistics department. Morocco, Culture, 3/12/99
• Iranian president and Salman Rushdie
  Iranian President Muhammad Khatami has expressed strong regret over the awarding of British writer Salman Rushdie who wrote "The Satanic Verses" of a prize from the University of Torino, Italy on Wednesday. Iran, Politics, 3/12/99

Short Takes

• US Defense Secretary William Cohen on Thursday in Cairo announced following his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he discussed with the Egyptian president the situation in Iraq and the Middle East peace process and means of giving it a push forward. Go
• The Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, is due to host the meeting of the water resource ministers council of the 10 Nile basin countries in mid-April, to discuss means of exploiting water and the possibility of carrying out mutual projects to encourage development in these countries. The conference, Egyptian sources told ArabicNews.com today, seeks to discuss the organization of establishing water projects on sub-basins and dams in the Nile River and how to better conserve water in the Nile's source regions in order to allow better use of water without negative effect on the rights of the countries on the northern part of the river. Go
• Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday in Cairo held final bilateral talks with Libyan President Moammar Gaddafi. The two presidents completed discussions on issues already debated on the Arab, regional, international and bilateral levels. Go
• Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Thursday received the delegation of the International Agency for Atomic Energy IAEA, led by Muhammad al-Baradi. Go
• The Jordanian-Israeli joint technical committee on water resumes its meeting next week in Israel in the context of Wadi Araba agreement. The Jordanian daily al-Dustour said on Thursday that the committee will discuss several joint projects due to be established in the Jordan valley region and projects on water desalination. Go
• A workshop among representatives of the tourism business sector in Egypt and Cyprus will be conducted in May to study joint tourism programs that could be raised and marketing opportunities between the two countries to attract tourists based on activating the tourism agreement signed between Egypt and Cyprus in 1984, Adel Abd El-Aziz, head of the organization for tourism activation, said following the completion of his negotiations with Cypriot Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism Nicos Rolandis, who is currently visiting Cairo. Go
• Senegalese weekly "Le Temoin" published in its latest release a story on Moroccan-Senegalese "privileged" relations wherein it said that President Abdou Diouf would pay an official visit to Morocco. Go
• Three Moroccan leading clubs will start as of this weekend competing in three African cups. Go
• The Moroccan movie "Femmes et...Femmes" by Said Chraibi was awarded the UNICEF prize for the promotion of woman during the latest festival for African cinema "FESPACO" held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from February 27 through March 6. Go
• UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said yesterday that two bombs exploded this week in Iraq, the first on March 9 in Erbil near the home of a UN Food and Agriculture staff member's residence. This explosion, using a homemade device hidden in a garbage container, wounded three local security guards on duty on UN premises. Go
• US Senator Sam Brownback said yesterday that he will introduce next week to the US legislature a resolution authorizing direct aid to areas of southern Sudan. Addressing a National Press Club press briefing he criticized the Sudanese government for allowing slavery to exist and for what he said is the government-created famine in the south through banning aid flights. Go
• US Secretary of Defense William Cohen said yesterday in Cairo that little progress has been made in resolving the Lockerbie issue, Oman Daily Observer reported. Go
• Investigations into the deaths of two divers who were missing from a ship in the Gulf earlier this year found that the two had been strangled, Gulf News reported. Go
• The head of the Computer Section of Abu Dhabi Municipality called for the establishment of a national panel in the UAE to supervise Y2K measures, Khaleej Times reported. Go
• Bahraini mosques are performing special prayers today after Friday services for the late Emir, Sheikh Issa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Bahrain Tribune reported. 'The veil is not a barrier' in an Arab vote 'Unrecognized villages' Oil Producers Agree On Production Cuts Cohen Ends Middle East Visit On south Lebanon battlefront, village backing aids guerrillas Cholera epidemic follows drought in south Somalia U.S. Planes Attack Iraq Sites Egyptian Actress Wins Appeal UNICEF proposes plan to end slavery in Sudan On south Lebanon battlefront, village backing aids guerrillas Dutch Criticize Israel Over '92 Air Crash U.N. Criticism Angers Charities Buying Sudan Slaves' Release Likud to use EU letter on Jerusalem in campaign Hebron road is re-opened to Palestinians Go

Yesterday's Headlines

• Mubarak, Gaddafi tackle Sudan issue
• Chirac calls for adopting the French ideas to settle the Iraqi crisis
• French and US position on Iraq and Gulf states' double-speak
• Report: New phase in relations between Syria and Turkey
• Gaddafi calls on Arab states to remove barriers and shackles
• Saudi -Kuwaiti opposition to inserting Iraqi captives issue in Arab foreign ministers meetings
• Saudi Arabia inaugurates major oil field
• Report: On the future of Syrian-Jordanian relations
• Abdul Meguid expects written message from Saddam Hussein
• Statement by Arab Gulf oil ministers
• Morocco and Iran for enhanced economic and cultural relations
• Lebanese president stresses cohesion between Syrian-Lebanese tracks
• Jordanian parliament refuses al-Rawabdeh resignation from parliament
• Khatami calls for halting international terrorism
• Palestinian - Egyptian committee to discuss peace, economic cooperation
• Syrian defense minister meets with US air war team
• Morocco will count on its own resources in Fisheries
• Life imprisonment sentences for six Libyans over bombed plane incident
• Yemeni group threatens war against government, threatens US and UK to leave
• Iraqi opposition says Baghdad involved in assassinating al-Sader
• Arafat in Jordan to discuss the peace process
• Japanese export bank lends $250 million to Oman
• Moroccan political parties denounce sanctions against Iraqi people as unfair decision

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