Today's Headlines
- Yemenis elect their president today
Some 5.6 million Yemenis head today to the balloting centers to elect a president for their country in election, in which it seems that the election of current President Ali Abdullah Saleh is very likely, due to the great popularity and backing he enjoys in all parts of Yemen. Yemen, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Saudi Arabia celebrates its foundation anniversary
Saudi Arabia today celebrates its national day which falls September 23, the day when it was established by the late King Abdul Aziz al-Saud, who united the different parts of the country and declared it united as one state in 1932 and had the Islamic Sharia as its constitution. Saudi Arabia, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Maghreb communications to convene meeting of Maghreb foreign ministers
Tunisian sources told ArabicNews.com today that there are Arab and Maghreb communications currently being held to convene a meeting of the Maghrebean foreign ministers scheduled to be held in October and the proposed summit in November in Algeria. Maghreb, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Albright, al-Sharaa review Middle East peace in New York
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa met on Wednesday morning in New York with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Syria-Regional-USA, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Barak and the Syrian track
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said in a statement to French TV channel 11 that the chance should be available to make peace between Syria and Israel out of fears that such a chance will not be available during the next decade. Regional-Israel-France, Politics, 9/23/1999
- France and Middle East peace
Sources at the French presidential palace have denied that the French President Jacque Chirac will contact Syrian President Hafez al-Assad during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Syria-Israel, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Meeting for African trade ministers in Algeria today
A meeting of African trade ministers is starting today in Algeria and will last for two days. Regional-Algeria-Africa, Economics, 9/23/1999
- Hamas urges King Abdullah to intervene to release its leaders
Sheikh Ahmad Yassin stressed his movement's opposition to resorting to confrontation as a means of reacting to these measures, saying that his movement does not take part in confrontation measures except with the "Israeli enemy." Jordan-Palestine, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Hamas statement on leaders' arrest
The chairman of the political bureau of the Hamas movement in Jordan, Khaled Mashaal, has announced in an interview with Monte Carlo radio that the return of the movement's members to Jordan is a natural right and therefore "nobody can prevent us from this right." Jordan, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Islamists meet in Amman
An Islamist official said in Amman on Wednesday that a joint meeting of the leadership of the Muslim Brothers group in Jordan and the Islamic Work Front (the political party of the group), was held immediately after they returned from Amman's airport, after they had received Hamas leaders who were arrested. Jordan, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Jordanian authorities arrest Hamas leaders
The Jordanian security authorities on Wednesday arrested the three wanted leaders of the Hamas movement, Khaled Mashaal, Mousa Abu Marzouk and Ibrahim Ghoushe, immediately upon their arrival at Queen Alia International Airport near Amman, coming from Tehran at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Jordan, Politics, 9/23/1999
- El-Mahdi adheres to political solution with Sudanese government
The former Sudanese prime minister and chief of the opposition Ummah Party, El-Sadeq El-Mahdi, said he would continue his endeavors and communications to reach a political solution that restores stability to the country. Sudan, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Khartoum asks to be given oil pipeline bombers
Sudanese Minister of the Interior Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahim Muhammad Hussein said the government of Khartoum will ask several Arab states to hand over the Sudanese opposition members who are suspected of being involved in the aggression which targeted an oil pipeline in the northern part of the country last Sunday. Sudan, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Egypt - Saudi relations are strong, says Egyptian ambassador
Egypt's ambassador in Saudi Arabia, Helmi Badeir, referred to the depth of Egyptian - Saudi relations, pointing to the fraternal relations between President Mubarak and King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, which led to coordinating the stances and the joint work which serves the Arab causes and Muslims in all international circles. Egypt-Saudi Arabia, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Morocco calls for reform of geographical representation at U.N. Security Council
Morocco on Tuesday called for a reformed composition of the United Nations Security Council based on a "fair geographical distribution." Morocco-Regional, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Arafat and the Palestinian state
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said that the declaration of the Palestinian state will be made next year. He indicated that postponing the declaration of this Palestinian state came at the request of the US and friendly states so this declaration of a state "will not be missinvested during the Israeli elections which were held on May 17 this year." Palestine-USA, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Commander of the US Sixth Fleet to visit Algeria
The Algerian daily al-Khabar said on Wednesday that the commander of the US Sixth Fleet, Vice Admiral Daniel Murphy, will make a three-day visit Algeria next week on board of his ship, the USS Mount Whitney. Algeria-USA, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Lebanese clergy confers with US ambassador
The chairman of the Higher Shiite Council in Lebanon ,Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shamseddine, on Wednesday in Beirut received the US ambassador to Lebanon, David Satterfield. Lebanon-USA, Politics, 9/23/1999
- US Ambassador to Cairo: Washington committed to supporting Middle East peace
Daniel Kurtzer, the US ambassador to Cairo, said the USA continues its support for the Middle East peace process, either during the rest of President Clinton's term of office or during the coming presidency, adding that the peace process was the most important item on the political agenda of the US State Department during the last three decades. Regional-USA, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Arab media prepares recommendation for ministers on boycott of Disney
The Arab media did not take a decision to boycott the US Walt Disney Company, as Egypt, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia refused to take this decision while Palestine, Iraq, Yemen, and Sudan supported it. Regional, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Saudi Arabia announces commitment to any Arab stance toward Disney
Saudi Arabia said it will be committed to any Arab stance toward the Walt Disney Company due to concerns regarding the establishment of a wing for Israel in the Millenium Village exhibition that will be held in Orlando, Florida in the USA. Saudi Arabia-Regional, Politics, 9/23/1999
- Le Monde: The Golan is a Syrian territory Syria-Israel, Politics, 9/23/1999
- US gives loans for Aqaba railroad upgrade
The US governmental Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) gave loan guarantees worth $55 million to the Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation for work on Jordan's Aqaba Railway Company's lines to help increase Jordanian phosphate exports. Jordan-USA, Business, 9/23/1999
- Israel continues aggressions against south Lebanon
Two houses and one car were badly damaged in south Lebanon by the Israeli shelling of Kafer Tabnet town on Wednesday. Lebanon-Israel, Military, 9/23/1999
Short Takes
- Lawyers of the chairman of the Tunisian human rights league, Kahmis Kaseila, said that Kaseila was released on Wednesday morning after he spent 22 months in prison, following the release of a presidential pardon in this respect. Kaseila was arrested on September 29, 1997 and was sentenced in February 1998 to three years imprisonment under charges of "defaming the general rule and publishing false information that creates confusion and provokes citizens to violate the laws." Go
- Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said Iraq will not cooperate with the United Nations Security Council to ease the sanctions, but it will be ready to work with the UN after the lifting of the sanctions. Go
- The secretary general of the Libyan people's committee, Muhammad al-Manqoush, met on Tuesday night in Syrte with Sudan's first vice president, Ali Othman Taha, currently visiting Libya. During the meeting, the two sides discussed means of strengthening and backing cooperation relations for achieving integration and the interests of the two states' peoples. Go
- The founder of the Islamic Movement Hamas in Israel, Abdullah Nimr Darwich, has described the attempts made by the Hamas movement to get Arab citizens in Israel involved in operations against Israel as terrorism and damaging of their interests. In a statement to Israel Radio, Abdullah accused the Hamas movement of damaging the interest of Arab circles in Israel and described what it has been done by Hamas as immoral and non-humanitarian, as well as a destruction of all the achievements of the Palestinians of 1948. Go
- Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa met at United Nations headquarters with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi to discuss bilateral relations, particularly in light of the joint committees whose establishment was agreed to in May, as well as other issues of mutual concern, Gulf News Agency reported. Go
- Meetings of the executive bureau of the Arab ministers of labor and social affairs' council concluded in Amman on Wednesday. Jordanian Minister of Social Development Muhammad Jum'a al-Wahsh said the bureau discussed the issue of rendering financial and technical assistance to the states which submitted applications for membership in accordance with the council's rules. The participants in the meeting discussed in the course of three-day deliberations issues pertaining to childhood, women and family planning in the Arab states. Go
- Djibouti's President Ismael Omar Guelleh called yesterday at the United Nations General Assembly for decisive action, as was taken in Kosovo, to establish peace in Somalia. He suggested that the process begin with a general reconciliation meeting that would include the major actors in Somali society, leading to free and democratic elections and the dismantling of personal armies. Go
- Two members of the municipal guards were killed in Algeria, and a young man was wounded following a bomb explosion in the Algerian city of al-Qadereyah. The Algerian daily al-Khabar said that several traders were exposed to provocation and blackmailed by an armed group in Ziraa al-Mizaan city in Tizi Ouzou province. Go
- Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika yesterday before the United Nations General Assembly that questioned the dividing line between humanitarian intervention and strategic deployment of troops, the Algerian News Agency reported. "Algeria counts among the countries which still believe in the independence of states and the sovereignty of peoples," he said. He questioned whether the right to interference is a universal right, where humanitarian interference starts and ends and where strategic interference starts and ends. He said that although the world is becoming more interdependent, sovereignty is still important. Go
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