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Today's Headlines
- Jordan ready to host Syrian-Israeli peace negotiations
A high-ranking Jordanian official has told the AFP that Jordan is ready, if it is asked, to host the peace negotiations between Syria and Israel after these are officially resumed in Washington next week. Jordan, Politics, 12/11/99 - Turkey and the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Syria
A Turkish daily issued in Ankara on Friday quoted sources at the Turkish Foreign Ministry as saying that despite Turkey's continued concern over its relations with Syria, relations which had almost reached war between the two countries, Turkey is strongly backing the Middle East peace process and the resumption of dialogue between Syria and Israel. Syria, Politics, 12/11/99 - Lebanese premier confers with PLO official
Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss on Friday in Beirut received the chairman of the PLO political department, Farouk Qaddoumi. Talks dealt with Lebanese- Palestinian relations and the developments of the Middle East peace process. Lebanon, Politics, 12/11/99 - King renews Morocco's attachment to human rights as they are universally recognized
A new concept of the authority is being defined so that the authority will be at the service of citizens, close to their concerns and needs, and maintain with them relations of mutual respect and complementarity. The king also said that any person, community or administration violating the law shall be punished. Morocco, Politics, 12/11/99 - Bouteflika's envoy heads to Addis Ababa
Mohie El-Din Amimor, the personal envoy of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika headed today to Addis Ababa, where he met with Organization of African Unity Secretary General Salem Ahmed Salem and delivered him a written message on developments in Sudan, Somalia and the Comoros Islands. Algeria, Politics, 12/11/99 - Zewail receives Nobel prize
The 1999 Nobel chemistry laureate Ahmed Zewail, who received yesterday in Stockholm the award for his work in laser field, said that such award expresses the ingenuity of science and compared the revolution he has pioneered in atoms and molecules to the scientific advances of ancient Egyptians in the area of time measurement. Egypt, Science, 12/11/99 - Toshka Project will continue
Interviewed by El-Musawar Magazine in its Friday edition, President Hosni Mubarak affirmed that work on Toshka project will continue non-stop, pointing out that feasibility studies' repeated affirmations that the project will be a success. Egypt, Economics, 12/11/99 - Palestinian anxiety toward negative effects of resuming Israeli - Syrian talks
Political analysts expressed yesterday their fear of the negative effects of resuming Israeli - Syrian negotiations on the Palestinian track, adding that this decision could lead to weakening the Palestinians' stance in the troubled talks with Israel. Palestine, Politics, 12/11/99 - Arafat hails Mubarak's efforts to revive peace process
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat hailed the efforts exerted by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his stable stances toward the peace process, especially on the Palestinian track. Palestine, Politics, 12/11/99 - King Mohammed receives Palestinian official
King Mohammed VI received on Friday Mahmoud Abou Abbas, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Palestine, Politics, 12/11/99 - UN extends oil-for-food, US ups pressure on Iraq
The United Nations Security concil yesterday voted unanmiously to extend the oil-for-food program with Iraq for another six months in resolution 1281. Iraq, Economics, 12/11/99 - Iraq: We reject any decision that does not lift sanction on Baghdad
Iraqi Information Minister Humam Abd al-Khaliq Abd al-Ghafur stated sured that Iraq will deal with any decision that does not lift up the sanctions permanently. Iraq, Politics, 12/11/99 - King Mohammed renews solidarity with Iraqi people
King Mohammed VI renewed solidarity with the Iraqi people and prayed the almighty to help them overcome the hardships and sufferings they are enduring. Morocco, Religion, 12/11/99 - A call to release political prisoners in Bahrain
The human rights organization in Bahrain on Friday called on the ruler of the country, Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa, to release all political detainees on the occasion of celebrating the country's national day on December 16. Bahrain, Politics, 12/11/99 - $490 million from World Bank to Egypt
Egypt agreed with the World Bank for the bank to finance projects to increase resources to limited income families at a value that might exceed $200 million, knowing that the project's cost may reach $490 million. Egypt, Economics, 12/11/99 - Prince Moulay Rachid to chair committee of Morocco's candidacy to host 2006 soccer World Cup
King Mohammed VI has entrusted to his younger brother prince Moulay Rachid the chairmanship of the national committee of Morocco's candidacy to host the 2006 soccer World Cup, it was officially announced in Rabat this Saturday. Morocco, Sports, 12/11/99 - 3,500 companies in Cairo International Fair 2000
Nearly 3,500 international and local companies from 70 countries will participate in the 33rd Cairo International Fair on March 1 - 10. Egypt, Economics, 12/11/99 - Egypt gets a lion’s share of the world celebration of The Third Millennium
Information Minister Safwat al-Sherif said yesterday that Egypt has successfully managed to book a substantial part of TV broadcasting time of the Third Millennium world celebrations shared by 60 countries. Egypt, Culture, 12/11/99 - Egyptian organizations celebrate international volunteer day
Representatives of the Egyptian civil associations convened yesterday in the headquarters of the US embassy in Cairo for the annual celebration of the volunteer day sponsored by the United Nations in Egypt. Egypt, Politics, 12/11/99 - International tourism group to build tourism and spa compound in Morocco
An international tourism group, "Palais des Roses" (Palace of Roses), will build a tourism compound in the Moroccan Atlantic Ocean resort of Agadir, for an initial investment of $22 million. Morocco, Business, 12/11/99 - Old-Kingdom archaeological cemetery, excavated
The Supreme Council for Antiquities will set up a museum to host the archaeological pieces discovered in the Old-Kingdom cemetery recently excavated in Munsh’at Ezzat, Daqahliya governorate. Egypt, Culture, 12/11/99 - Moroccan writer among goodwill ambassadors against racism
Moroccan writer Tahar Benjelloun was named in Geneva on Friday goodwill ambassador to promote awareness for the world conference against racism to be held in 2001 in South Africa. Morocco, Culture, 12/11/99 - International mass wedding in Luxor
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism is organizing a party for a mass wedding for 12 couples who represent the world's five continents. Egypt, Politics, 12/11/99 - Israel continues aggressions against south Lebanon
The Israeli occupation forces on Friday continued their attacks against areas adjacent to the occupied part of south Lebanon. Lebanese security sources said the Israeli artillery bombarded the woods of Sujoud al-Rayhan and the Aqmata farm in al-Tuffah district, with 155 and 130 mm shells. Lebanon, Military, 12/11/99 - Death toll of Fez collapsed building rises to 47
Forty seven people have been killed in the collapse early Wednesday of the five-story building in Fez, according to estimates that are almost final as there remains little hope to unearth more living persons from the rubble. Morocco, Local, 12/11/99
Short Takes
- It was announced on Friday in Washington that US President Bill Clinton will open talks between Syria and Israel next Wednesday in the White House from the point they left off. Clinton will monitor closely the proceedings of these talks aiming at reaching a land-for peace agreement. Go
- Colonel Moammar Gaddafií leader of the Libyan revolution, received El-Sadek El-Mahdií head of the Sudanese opposition Ummah Party, and they discussed the situation in the area generally. Libyan diplomatic sources stated that El-Sadek El-Mahdi informed Gaddafi of the details of his meeting with Sudanese President Omar Hassan El-Bashir in Djibouti and the agreement between them, its dimensions and its effects on achieving national rapport and supporting stability in Sudan. Go
- Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Friday evening made a telephone call to the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan, to make sure of his good condition after Sheikh Zayed was admitted to the hospital for medical treatment. President al-Assad expressed best wishes for Sheikh Zayed's good health and a speedy recovery to play his role in the Arab region. A similar cable of good wishes for the UAE President was received from Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, SANA reported. Go
- The Secretary General of the Arab league Esmat Abdul Meguid has received a written message from the foreign minister of Panama confirming that his country's position not to move their embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem. Go
- Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ali Khalil expressed his hope that the coming year will be a year for peace in Middle East, adding that peace is Syria's strategic choice and that this peace must be fair and comprehensive according to international legitimacy resolutions and the land-for-peace principle. Go
- Indonesian sources in Cairo added that "the Indonesian president (Abdurrahman Wahid) will convene a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Fahd Bin Abdel-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, to discuss the Islamic cause and Jerusalem's cause as well as necessity to support the Palestinian negotiator in final negotiations. Go
- The Palestinian Authority arrested Ali Assad Baka, who it is said is a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization in the West Bank who fled from Palestinian prison guards with two other suspects in October, after they were arrested on suspicions of being involved in an explosion that took place in Jerusalem city. Leaders in the Islamic Jihad accused the Palestinian government of working to implementing an Israeli security plan and said that El-Jihad will not be a tool for improving Israeli - Palestinian government relations. Go
- A Barcelona University archeological mission, in tandem with the Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA), discovered a cemetery containing several tombs that date back to the Coptic Era. The mission used electromagnetic currents that can determine spots of changes beneath the earth surface. This led to discovery of two stone tombs and in one of them rested a large limestone coffin with its cover having a painting of the face of the deceased. Go
- The Jordanian Royal Airlines said it is stopping its trips on the New Year to avoid any problems that might occur in the computers due to theY2K problem. Go