Al Bawaba back issues from January 2003:
Azmi Bishara barred from running in Israeli elections
Jan 01, 2003 ... Israel's election commission voted on Wednesday to bar an Arabparty and its leader from running in the January 28 generalelection.The panel, whose decision is now subject to Supreme Courtapproval, acted on the advice of Israel's attorney general who hadaccused lawmaker Azmi Bishara and ...
Bush: Saddam is threat to security of Americans; Blix invited to hold talks in Baghdad
Jan 01, 2003 ... Us President Goerge W. Bush said Tuesday he had hoped the Iraqiweapons stand-off could still be settled without bloodshed."Alloptions, of course, are always on the table for any president, but byworking with (U.S. allies) we can resolve this," he said. "I hopethis Iraq situation will be ...
Kuwait begins four-day holiday marking New Year & Emir's silver jubilee
Jan 01, 2003 ... In Kuwait, government offices and private businesses will closedown Wednesday for four days to mark the Emir's silver jubilee andthe New Year.The Kuwaiti cabinet declared Wednesday a public holidayon the occasion of Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah's 25 years as rulerof the emirate.The ...
Journalists' rights group protests Syria's arrest of reporter
Jan 01, 2003 ... A New York-based journalists' rights body protested on Tuesday thearrest of the Damascus correspondent of Al-Hayat and urged Syria'sPresident Bashar al-Assad for his release.Late last week, theofficial Syrian Arab News Agency reported that police officials haddetained Ibrahim Hmaydi for ...
Two Iranian women hanged for murder
Jan 01, 2003 ... Two Iranian women have been executed for taking part in the murderof a friend's husband, while the wife behind the plot escaped with alight prison term, according to the Etemad newspaper.In its Tuesdayedition, the paper reported that Zahra Baghshirin and Farahnaz Yulywere hanged on ...
US Congress member visits Saudi Kingdom
Jan 01, 2003 ... Saudi Arabia's assistant defense minister, Prince Khaled binSultan, met on Tuesday with Ellen Tauscher, a member of the USCongress' Armed Services Committee, and her accompanyingdelegation.The officials ...
Egyptian guards: Israel blocks Saudi donation to Palestinians
Jan 01, 2003 ... Israel has not allowed 12 ambulances donated by the Saudi Kingdomto the Palestinians to cross into the Gaza Strip, Egyptian borderguards at this crossing point said on Tuesday.The ambulances and atruck loaded with medicine and medical equipment also donated by ...
Saudi King receives Algerian Awqaf Minister
Jan 01, 2003 ... Algeria's Minister of Religious Affairs and Awqaf, Dr. Abu Abdullamet in the Saudi capital of Riyadh Tuesday with King Fahd BinAbdelaziz. The meeting was attended by a number of Saudi ...
Israeli forces destroy homes of two Palestinian activists
Jan 01, 2003 ... Israeli forces demolished the homes of a Fatah suicide bomber anda Hamas activist before dawn Wednesday. They also arrested ninePalestinians. The Israeli army demolished the home of Fatah memberAhmed Mohammed Ahmed Zida, who blew himself up in an ...
Israeli Foreign Minister, Jordanian Charge d'affaires hold talks
Jan 01, 2003 ... Israel's Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday withDr. Mazen Tal, Jordan's charge d'affaires, the Foreign Ministry said,and highlighted the importance his country places on the stabilityand security of the Hashemite kingdom, the ...
Israeli, American, Turkish navies hold joint exercises
Jan 01, 2003 ... Ships from the Israeli, US and Turkish navies set sail onWednesday from Haifa Port for the fifth annual joint search andrescue exercises between the three countries. Joint search and rescue maneuvers, called Reliant Mermaid, by thethree navies are to take place in international ...
British human rights activist visits Bahrain
Jan 01, 2003 ... Leading British human rights advocate and member of the House ofLords, Eric Avebury, arrived in Bahrain on Tuesday in order to "takea closer a look" at the kingdom's ongoing democratic reforms.LordAvebury, founder of the House of Lords human rights committee, isexpected to spend six days ...
Pakistani Prime Minister visits Jeddah
Jan 01, 2003 ... Pakistan's Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali and anaccompanying delegation arrived in the Saudi Red Sea port city ofJeddah on Tuesday evening, according to SPA news ...
Syrian President receives Lebanese Prime Minister
Jan 01, 2003 ... Syria's President Bashar al-Assad received on Tuesday LebanesePrime Minister Rafik Hariri, the official Syrian Arab News Agencyreported.In the course of the ...
Syrian Vice President, Foreign Minister receive PLO official
Jan 01, 2003 ... Syria's Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam received on Tuesday PLOPolitical Department Chief Farouk Qaddoumi.During the meeting, talksfocused on Israel's violence against the Palestinians, according toSANA news agency.In addition, talks centered on the Arab situationand the need for an ...
Turkey's population due to reach over 90 million in 2023
Jan 01, 2003 ... Turkey's population is expected to reach 90.4 million in the year2023, the 100th anniversary of the republic's foundation, accordingto state statistics institute (DIE) projections cited by a Turkishpaper on Tuesday.Institute projections suggested ...
UN special envoy on Sahara to visit Maghreb region
Jan 01, 2003 ... The United Nations secretary general's personal envoy for theSahara, James Baker, is expected to tour the Maghreb region inJanuary to find a breakthrough to the Sahara issue, UN spokespersonannounced Monday, according to MAP News Agency.No indication wasprovided as to the time ...
Morocco to take part in Maghreb Foreign Ministers meeting in Algeria
Jan 01, 2003 ... Morocco is due to attend a meeting of the foreign affairsministers of member countries of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA),scheduled to begin on Friday in Algiers.The meeting will be precededby that of the Maghreban follow-up commission at the level ofSecretaries of State.Morocco will be ...
US State Department official to visit Cyprus
Jan 01, 2003 ... United States State Department Coordinator, Thomas Weston isexpected to pay a visit to Cyprus in the month of January, accordingto ...
Ivory Coast President to propose new peace plan
Jan 01, 2003 ... Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo launched a spirited defenceof his regime in his New Year's message as he promised to win a three-month war against rebels holding half of the country. Gbagbo'saddress came hours after the main rebel group made its first ...
Britain, U.S. discuss North Korea crisis
Jan 01, 2003 ... European governments, alarmed by North Korea's moves to reactivateits nuclear facilities, urged its leaders to allow U.N. monitors toreturn to the country. Britain said it supports Washington's conceptof stiffer economic sanctions. A British Foreign Office spokesmansaid Foreign Secretary ...
Pakistan, India exchange information on nuclear facilities
Jan 01, 2003 ... Pakistan and India exchanged information on their nuclearfacilities on Wednesday through diplomatic channels. "Both thecountries exchange this information on the first working day of everyyear, according to ...
Mubarak urges Saddam to comply with U.N. resolutions
Jan 01, 2003 ... Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has expressed hope that the Iraqicrisis would be solved peacefully. "Iraq would abide by UN SecurityCouncil resolution 1441 and would not give any chance for war tobreak out," Mubarak was quoted as saying Wednesday by al-Ahram daily."This could be done ...
Death toll of Philippines grenade attack rises to 10
Jan 01, 2003 ... The death toll in the explosion on New Year's Eve in TacurongCity, in the southern Philippines increased to 10 while at least 32others were wounded, an army official said Wednesday. Initial reportssaid six to seven ...
Fireworks blast in Mexican city kills at least 28
Jan 01, 2003 ... At least 28 people were killed and 50 wounded in a fireworks blaston New Year's Eve in the Mexican gulf port of Vera Cruz, officialssaid, according to AFP.Police and members of the public helpedfirefighters carry heavy hoses to the fire as ...
Yemen detains ''scores'' of militants, intensifies security around embassies, hotels
Jan 01, 2003 ... Yemeni authorities have detained "scores" of Muslim militants withsuspected terror links as part of an expanding search for a terroristcell targeting foreigners and secular-minded politicians, a securityofficial said Wednesday, according to AP. The arrests followed theassassination of ...
U.S. combat division moves to Gulf region; Iraq calls Arabs to follow Korean response towards Bush threats
Jan 01, 2003 ... The U.S. military ordered more than 11,000 desert-trained Armytroops from the 3rd Infantry Division to start moving to the Gulf incoming days in the kickoff of a major build-up of ground forces for apossible war with Iraq, defense officials said on Wednesday.According to Reuters, army ...
Iran prepared to host more Iraqis in case of war
Jan 01, 2003 ... Iranian Government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said onWednesday that Tehran would host more Iraqi refugees under UNsupervision and along the borderline, according to the official IRNAnews agency. "In case a number ofIraqi nationals require ...
Saudi Head of Higher Tourism Commission receives Tanzanian ambassador
Jan 01, 2003 ... Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the SecretaryGeneral of the Higher Tourism Commission, received in RiyadhWednesday Tanzanian ...
Sudanese Minister hails Syrian efforts for Arab causes
Jan 01, 2003 ... Sudanese Minister of Presidential Affairs Nafe Ali Nafe haspraised Syria's leading pan-Arab role under the leadership of SyrianPresident Bashar al-Assad.In a statement to reporters on the occasionof the current visit of Assistant Secretary General Abdallah al Ahmarto ...
Israeli forces raid Gaza Strip refugee camps; Palestinian shot dead after infiltrating Israeli township
Jan 02, 2003 ... Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians in two Gaza Strip refugeecamps early Thursday and then withdrew. Elsewhere, israeli policesaid they killed an armed Palestinian who broke into a home at anIsraeli township near the West Bank boundary. The Palestinian'sintended hostages, an Israeli ...
Israel: Al Qaeda recruits new members in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon
Jan 02, 2003 ... A top Israeli officer said Wednesday that one of six senior al-Qaeda leaders is actively recruiting men from neighboring countriesfor the network. According to the Israeli sources, this recruiter hasrecently visited Jordan, Syria and Lebanon in an effort to win newrecruits for Osama bin ...
Lebanon government bans by force TV program criticizing Saudi Arabia
Jan 02, 2003 ... Lebanese special forces surrounded a Beirut-based satellitetelevision station Wednesday to prevent it from airing a programcontaining criticism of Saudi Arabia, said sources at the NewTelevision (NTV) station.NTV officials said senior politicians hadwarned that the station risked being ...
Damascus Radio calls for Arab unity
Jan 02, 2003 ... Damascus Radio, in its daily political commentary, warned againstthe current Arab positions towards the issues, which impose a dangeron their very existence.On Wednesday, SANA cited the state-run radioas reporting that in the past year, the Arab general position was"under the ...
Bahrain arrests 41 rioters
Jan 02, 2003 ... Bahraini authorities have detained 41 rioters who went on arampage during New Year's Eve celebrations, damaging cars andproperties and assaulting people in the capital Manama, the InteriorMinistry said Wednesday. A ministry statement said the rioters,mostly teenagers or in their 20s, ...
Turkish fuel tanker strikes sunken Norwegian ship
Jan 02, 2003 ... A Turkish ship carrying 70,000 tons of highly flammable gas oil onWednesday night hit a sunken Norwegian vessel in the middle of theChannel after failing to heed French naval warnings. The Turkishtanker is the second ship to strike the Tricolor since it sank in acollision in the Channel ...
Fate of Solomon islands unclear following huge cyclone
Jan 02, 2003 ... A small Pacific island, Tikopia, has been struck by 40-foot wavesgenerated by a cyclone that appears to have swept away villages anddestroyed the lagoon around the island, experts in New Zealand saidon Thursday. Cyclone "Zoe" hit Tikopia and Anuta in the Temotu District of ...
New Brazilian President sworn in
Jan 02, 2003 ... Former shoe-shine boy, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who neverfinished high-school, became Brazil's first working-class presidenton Wednesday, as tens of thousands celebrated the historic changeoverin Latin America's largest country. Nine heads of state were presentin Brasilia in honor of ...
Leadership on the Palestinian and Israeli Streets/ Hady Amr
Jan 02, 2003 ... 1 January 2003Once again the "Arab Street" has proven to be wiserthan its leaders. In this case I'm referring to the Palestinian partof the Arab Street. And incidentally, the "Jewish Street" seems to becommensurately ahead of its leaders as well. Although you wouldn'tknow it from the ...
Australian police launch investigation into asylum camp violence
Jan 02, 2003 ... Police officials in Australia are investigating whether a wave ofarson and breakout attempts in immigration detentions centers overthe past four days were deliberately carried out to exert pressure onthe government. Fires in four camps, and an unsuccessful breakoutattempt on New Year's ...
Two killed in Kashmir by suspected militants
Jan 02, 2003 ... Suspected militants killed two people in separate incidents whileArmy forces arrested a youth in the course of search operations inKashmir valley on Thursday, according to officialsources.Unidentified militants abducted carpet weaver Manzoor AhmadRather from his house in Haalwani village ...
Report: United States to participate in Taiwanese annual military drills
Jan 02, 2003 ... The United States will take part in Taiwan's annual militarydrills later on this year for the first time in a period of twodecades, according to a newspaper report.In its Thursday edition, theChina Times quoted unidentified Taiwanese military sources as sayingofficers from the US Pacific ...
Aziz: U.S. continues with war plans without awaiting U.N. inspectors report
Jan 02, 2003 ... Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, accused the UnitedStates on Thursday of going ahead with plans for war without awaitingthe weapons inspectors' report on their findings. "Despite thepresence of the inspectors, U.S. aircraft carriers are heading to theregion and U.S. and British ...
Report: Yemeni killer of U.S. doctors met Al Qaeda members
Jan 02, 2003 ... The Yemeni gunman who killed three U.S. missionaries earlier thisweek has confessed to meeting al Qaeda members, including a suicidebomber who attacked the USS Cole, a state-owned Yemeni magazinereported on Thursday.The September 26 weekly said Abed Abdel RazzakKamel told police he ...
Barghouti beaten in Tel Aviv courtroom
Jan 02, 2003 ... The trial of the West Bank Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouti, resumedThursday in Tel Aviv, with Barghouti being ejected from the courtroomat the beginning of proceedings. Barghouti was brought into thecourtroom by a police escort and as he raised his hands and began toshout, an Israeli ...
Rania Farid Shawki returns to the big screen hoping to reach fame without the help of her father
Jan 02, 2003 ... Egyptian actress Rania Farid Shawki has decided to return to thebig screen after an absence that lasted several years. Rania did notgive out any specifications over the details of the new film exceptthat it will be directed by her sister Abeer Farid Shawki andproduced by the two. Rania ...
Latifa heads to Paris to meet up with Algerian singer Bilal
Jan 02, 2003 ... Tunisian singer Latifa headed to Paris to meet up with theAlgerian singer Bilal after hosting a New Year's Eve concert inLebanon. Her visit to Lebanon had also included work sessions withLebanese record distributor Jan Mary Riashi for her upcoming album.Latifa is to meet Algerian singer ...
Fans create new website for Asalah Nasri
Jan 02, 2003 ... Fans creating personal personal websites for Arab singers hasbecome a popular trend nowadays. The most recent addition to theonline world is Syrian singer Asalah Nasri. A dedicated group fromthe Asalah Nasri fan club are currently putting the final touches forher new website.According ...
Fula cancels concert in Lebanon after sponsor badmouthed her in front of people and refused to pay her wage
Jan 02, 2003 ... On New Year's Eve Algerian singer Fula had headed to Lebanon tohost a concert in celebration of the New Year. The concert which wasto be held at the Commodore Hotel in Beirut was cancelled minutesbefore the singer stepped on stage. According to the London basedElaph, a huge fight broke ...
Washington criticizes disqualification of Tibi, Bishara from running in Israeli elections
Jan 03, 2003 ... The United States said late Thursday it wanted to see broadparticipation in this month's Israeli elections, implicitlycriticizing the disqualification by the Central Elections Committeeof Israeli Arab Members of Knesset, Ahmed Tibi and Azmi Bishara andthe latter's Balad party. "We're of ...
Cairo police arrest members of Muslim Brotherhood
Jan 03, 2003 ... Cairo Police detained 13 alleged members of Egypt's banned MuslimBrotherhood on Thursday, including the grandson of the group's lateleader, police officials and the movement's lawyer said, according toAP. Ten of the men were arrested while holding an "organizationalmeeting" in the ...
Bush: Saddam ''day of reckoning is coming''; U.S., Britain step up military preparations
Jan 03, 2003 ... US President George W. Bush warned Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein thathe holds the key to war or peace. "He's got to understand that hisday of reckoning is coming," Bush told reporters."I am hopeful wewon't have to go to war," he added. "Let's leave it at that untilSaddam Hussein makes up ...
Blair holds unexpected meetings with Mubarak, King Abdullah
Jan 03, 2003 ... Tony Blair, the vacationing British Prime Minister, unexpectedlycrossed the Red Sea to Jordan Thursday for talks with King Abdullahon the Iraqi crisis and Middle East peace. Blair, accompanied by hiswife, Cherie, broke his Egyptian holiday for a second time to meetKing Abdullah in Aqaba ....
West Bank home of Islamic Jihad leader razed; Cairo talks postponed
Jan 03, 2003 ... Israeli forces destroyed the West Bank home of an Islamic Jihadleader, identified as Mohammed Brewesh, on Friday.Israeli forcesarrested Brewesh last summer, the sources said. His home was locatedin Beit Kahil north of Hebron.Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrested fivePalestinians in the West ...
U.S. condemns arrest of <i>Al Hayat</i> journalist by Syria
Jan 03, 2003 ... The State Department on Thursday denounced Syria's detention ofthe Damascus correspondent of the Pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat.Spokesman Richard Boucher said the arrest of Ibrahim Hamidiunderscores the lack of freedom of press and basic civil liberties inSyria. "We look to Syria, which is ...
Five Israeli soldiers injured in Jenin; U.S. condemns demolition of Palestinian homes
Jan 04, 2003 ... Five Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded Saturday morning afterbeing shot from an ambush while on patrol in the West Bank city ofJenin. The occupation troops managed to hit one of the Palestinianattackers, and according to Israel's Army Radio, he was shotdead.Elsewhere, Israeli forces ...
Bush: America ready for war in Iraq; Britain to send more than 20,000 troops to Gulf region
Jan 04, 2003 ... President Bush Friday told U.S. soldiers they may be called intocombat "to secure our country and to keep the peace." If it comes towar, "this generation of Americans is ready," Bush said. "We acceptthe burden of leadership. We act in the cause of peace and freedom.And in that cause we ...
Rabbi stabbed inside Paris synagogue
Jan 04, 2003 ... An assailant stabbed and wounded a rabbi inside his Parissynagogue Friday, authorities said. Gabriel Farhi, 34, was treatedfor a stomach injury and later released, a hospital spokesman. Theattacker fled and was still at large late Friday. Paris MayorBertrand Delanoe, himself a recent ...
Turkish PM starts Mideast tour
Jan 04, 2003 ... Turkish Prime Minister, Abdullah Gul has left Turkey on a three-country tour of the Middle East. This move comes within the frameworkof Turkey's attempts to help reach a peaceful solution to the Iraqicrisis. Gul told reporters the problem with Baghdad should beresolved peacefully since ...
Faten Hamama expresses her fascination with Majida Al Roumi
Jan 04, 2003 ... Lebanese singer Majida Al Roumi was in complete surprise when theAlgerian French radio station called to give her two recorded lettersby Egyptian director Yousuf Shaheen and Prominent Egyptian actressFaten Hamama expressing their fascination with her. According to themonthly magazine ...
Katia Harb denies rumors of her divorce
Jan 04, 2003 ... Lebanese singer Katia Harb denied rumors circulating of any recentengagement while in the US on tour alongside Egyptian singer EhabTawfic. For her part, Harb expressed her disturbance towards therumors, that are affecting her personal life saying that they hold notruth to them and are a ...
Shakira guest of honor on Lebanese Broadcasting Company (LBC)
Jan 04, 2003 ... The Lebanese Broadcasting Company (LBC) satellite channel showPepsi Musicana hosted by Taleen (previous announcer on MBC) willfeature the Lebanese-Colombian pop/rock singer Shakira Mebarak as theguest of honor. Shakira has wholeheartedly accepted the invitation bythe Lebanese channel and ...
Fairouz to perform in Dubai with her son Ziad
Jan 04, 2003 ... Prominent Lebanese singer Fairouz has announced that she will behosting a live concert alongside her son Ziad Rahbani on the January23rd in Dubai. Preparations for the Fairuz and Ziad Rahabani'sconcert are underway where a mixture of various styles, old and new,Eastern and Western, ...
Algeria hopes to host soon Arab Maghreb Union summit
Jan 04, 2003 ... Algeria, whose dispute with Morocco over Western Sahara hadcrippled the Arab Maghreb Union, was hopeful to host a summit of theNorth African bloc in the next weeks, its foreign minister saidSaturday."We had achieved a breakthrough during our meeting and ourhope is great to hold a summit ...
Shaath: Constitution of future Palestinian state to be drafted soon
Jan 04, 2003 ... Palestinian Minister of Planning Nabil Shaath said Saturday theconstitution of a future Palestinian state would be drafted soon, theRamallah-based daily Al Ayyam reported. Shaath, also the chief ofPalestinian constitution committee, noted that it is working on thefinal touches of the ...