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Today's Headlines
- Meeting between Ugandan president and El-Bashir
A meeting between Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni will be convened today in Durban city in South Africa. Sudan, Politics, 11/16/99 - Syrian information minister stresses that Refaat al-Assad port in Lattakia was demolished
Syrian Minister of Information Muhammad Salman has talked about the killing of guards of "an illegal port" for Refaat al-Assad, the brother of the Syrian president, in Lattakia in an attack launched by the Syrian police in October. Syria, Politics, 11/16/99 - Saudi - Egyptian committee meeting concludes in Cairo
Egypt and Saudi Arabia agreed on the importance of making haste in signing an agreement to establishing the planned free trade zone between the two countries and on the importance of increasing the exports of each of them. Egypt, Politics, 11/16/99 - Morocco, Libya sign packages of cooperation accords
Libya is Morocco's first partner among the members of the Arab Maghreb Union that musters besides Morocco and Libya, Algeria, Mauritania and Tunisia. Up to June 1999, Morocco's exports to Libya -- finished and semi-finished consumption goods-- were worth $ 71.83 million while imports --fertilizers, chemical products, iron and steel-- amounted to $ 11.46 million. Libya, Politics, 11/16/99 - Jordanian government welcomes Egyptian laborers in Jordan
The Jordanian government expressed its relief for the Egyptian laborers that work in Jordan and said it considered them productive laborers who contributed to building the Jordanian economy and the economies of the other Arab states. Jordan, Politics, 11/16/99 - King Abdullah: Negotiations between Syria and Israel will be resumed soon
King Abdullah II of Jordan told the French daily Le Figaro issued on Monday that negotiations between Syria and Israel will be resumed very soon. Jordan, Politics, 11/16/99 - UNDP to help in revamping Moroccan supreme court
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has agreed on Monday to help in a more modern management of the Moroccan supreme court. Morocco, Judicial, 11/16/99 - Disputes on amending constitution warn of confrontation between El-Bashir and Turabi
The issue of amending some items of the Sudanese constitution warn of a confrontation between the Sudanese president and the National Council (parliament), especially as the raised adjustments reduce the specializations and power granted by the constitution to the president. Sudan, Politics, 11/16/99 - Pope John Paul II confers with President Bouteflika
Pope John Paul II met in the Vatican on Monday with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who started a European tour aimed at strengthening relations between Algeria and the countries of the European continent. Algeria, Politics, 11/16/99 - Moussa heads to Istanbul
Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa headed today to Istanbul to head Egypt's delegation in the summit on European - Mediterranean cooperation which will start the day after tomorrow in Turkey. Egypt, Politics, 11/16/99 - Bashar al-Assad confers with Abu Dhabi's crown prince
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaleifa Bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who is also the commander of the armed forces, received Bashar al-Assad on Monday in Abu Dhabi. Syria, Politics, 11/16/99 - Libya, Morocco call for reactivating Maghreban union
Morocco and Libya have stressed the need to reactivate the structures of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) as a strategic choice. Libya, Politics, 11/16/99 - UAE for settling disputes with Iran over islands
The United Arab Emirates has announced that it has great hopes that Iran will move to settle the disputes between the two countries over three Gulf islands. United Arab Emirates, Politics, 11/16/99 - Extending al-Mu'allim post in Washington is not a sign for resuming Syrian-Israeli negotiations
Well-informed Syrian sources told the Lebanese daily al-Nahar that extending the post of office for the Syrian ambassador in Washington, Walid al-Mu'allim, does not reflect any political indicator on the level of resuming negotiations with Israel following four years of suspension. Syria, Politics, 11/16/99 - Egypt confirms continuing BOT projects
Egyptian Minister of Finance Medhat Hassanein asserted the importance of implementing the projects in Egypt on the BOT system, which allows the country to expand the high-cost projects like projects for the basic infrastructure including roads, airports and harbors. Egypt, Economics, 11/16/99 - Moroccan foreign minister announces measures to upgrade diplomatic staff
Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mohamed Benaissa, said Monday the ministry structures and diplomatic action should be reconsidered to match international standards. Morocco, Politics, 11/16/99 - Moroccan premier lauds King's keenness to settle social problems
Moroccan Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, has lauded the keen interest King Mohammed VI grants to the settlement of social problems facing Morocco. Morocco, Politics, 11/16/99 - Barak to take painful regional concessions
Israel Radio on Monday quoted Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak as saying that, "Giving territorial concessions is a difficult and painful matter," adding that Israel will not hesitate in taking "the needed decisive decisions in this regard." Israel, Politics, 11/16/99 - Starting meetings of the Egyptian - Turkish business council
Egyptian Minister of Economy Yousef Butros Ghali is opening today the meetings of the Turkish - Egyptian business council which are being held in the headquarters of the Egyptian Businessmen's Association and in which a Turkish delegation comprising officials from the trade and foreign ministries and more than 40 Turkish businessmen working in industry, tourism and trade are participating. Egypt, Economics, 11/16/99 - Hamas accepts evacuation of its office, not members
Hamas political bureau member Mousa Abu Marzouk expressed his hope to reach "a political solution" to the crisis with the Jordanian government. He simultaneously remarked that the movement "may give up its pledge not to carry out military activities in Jordan." Jordan, Politics, 11/16/99 - Paris confirms its endeavor to support joint cooperation with Baghdad
Andres Ganee, head of the department taking care of French interests in Baghdad, expressed his country's desire to expanding horisons for joint cooperation with Iraq, saying that the commercial and economic relations between the two countries are witnessing progress and that 130 French industrial and commercial companies are participating in the Baghdad International Fair. Iraq, Economics, 11/16/99 - EgyptAir investigation may go to FBI
US National Transportation Safety Board chairman Jim Hall said yesterday that no conclusions have been reached about the crash of EgyptAir flight 990, based on the evidence provided by the cockpit voice recorder which was recovered last weekend. Egypt, Economics, 11/16/99 - Yemeni army for arresting men responsible for oil pipeline explosion
The Yemeni army has been cordoning two villages in the eastern part of Yemen in order to force persons who are responsible for exploding the oil pipeline of the US Hunt Oil company to surrender. Yemen, Politics, 11/16/99 - Moroccan Information Day: minister wishes major changes
Moroccan Communication Minister Mohamed Larbi Messari said strong signals of change in various sectors are heralding major changes in information. Morocco, Politics, 11/16/99 - Baghdad announces the death of 9,000 Iraqis in October
Baghdad announced on Monday that more than 9,000 Iraqis died in October, the majority of them children. This will increase the victims of the UN embargo imposed on Iraq to 1.2 million. Iraq, Politics, 11/16/99 - Egypt participates in London tourism stock market
Egyptian Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagi left Cairo yesterday evening heading a tourism delegation for a several-day visit to the UK, during which he will head the Egyptian delegation participating in the 20th session of the world travel and tourism market, which opened it's activities yesterday and will last until November 19. Egypt, Economics, 11/16/99 - UK deputy demands that Arab states resume air trips with Iraq
UK Parliament member George Galloway urged the resumption of trips by civilain airplanes to and from Iraq, saying that some practical procedures must be taken to bring civil aviation in Iraq back to normal and adding that it is impossible for the situation to remain as it is concerning the external trips to and from Baghdad. Iraq, Politics, 11/16/99 - Colloquy on Jews in Portugal, Spain, Morocco
"Sephardi Jews between Portugal, Spain and Morocco" is the theme of a three-day colloquy to open doors this Tuesday in Lisbon with experts from the three countries attending. Morocco, Culture, 11/16/99
Short Takes
- Tunisian President Zein al-Abidin Ben Ali on Monday took his constitutional oath after he was reelected as president of the country on October 24 for a third term of office of five years. The oath-taking ceremony was made in a special meeting of the new Tunisian parliament. Fuad Mubze was unanimously reelected as speaker of parliament. During the first multilateral presidential elections in the history of Tunisia, Ben Ali was elected president by 99.44% of the Tunisian voters. Go
- Syria today celebrates the 29th anniversary of President Hafez al-Assad's ascencion to power in 1970. Huge mass rallies are being carried out to commemorate this event (the Correctionist Movement) in various parts of the country's 14 provinces and in Syrian embassies abroad and by the Syrian communities in various parts of the world. Go
- Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss has called on the Palestinians to abstain from any armed actions in south Lebanon because this "does not meet with the interests of Lebanon." Go
- Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah on Monday in Kuwait received the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jamil al-Hujeilan. Talks dealt with prospects of cooperation between the GCC member states and issues of mutual concern. Go
- The Israeli Hebrew language radio quoted Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul Illah al-Khatib as saying that King Abdullah, who arrived on Monday in Paris, will work to resume negotiations between Israel and Syria and achieve progress in the Middle East question. Go
- The Arab League and the International Committee of the Red Cross signed a memorandum of cooperation between the two sides on Monday in Cairo. The memorandum calls for maintaining cooperation in issues of mutual concern, exchanging of information, attending conferences organized by the two sides and maintaining consultations in joint programs and coordination in joint activities. Go
- King Mohammed VI received Monday afternoon, Farah El-Khadir, a terminally-ill nine-year old girl living in the Netherlands. Farah's long-cherished dream finally came true. Hospitalized in a Rotterdam hospital, the meeting was made possible thanks to the action of "Make A Wish Foundation International," an organization working to achieve the dream of children suffering from acute diseases. Go