Henaynei
11th February 2004, 09:41 PM
Arabs Propose EU-Style Union
(I wonder if there will be 10)
The European Union is not alone in reforming its institutions. The Arab League is also changing the way its members co-operate and is looking toward the European Union for answers.
Yemen's President, Ali Abd Allah Salih is calling for the Cairo-based body to be replaced with an Arab Union which he says would boost effectiveness on the world stage.
At 22 members and with minimal integration the League has struggled to make its voice heard outside its own region.
According to Al-Jazeera, the President wants EU-inspired reforms in order to "develop common Arab action with a view to giving international and regional weight to Arab countries". But in spite of decades of pan-Arab rhetoric, few leaders in the region are likely to be willing to cede power to such a degree. "If our (Arab) brothers have reservations or consider that proclaiming a union would be premature, we are prepared to present other serious proposals or study the proposals of every other party". ...eu observer (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=14432)
Earthquake Cracks Knesset!
An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale rocked Israel Wednesday morning, sending frightened people streaming into streets throughout the country, but causing no injuries and, according to initial reports, only minor damage.
Israel Radio reported the quake left a crack in the ceiling of the Knesset plenum, Israel's parliament, just minutes before lawmakers were scheduled to take their seats for the day's debates. The quake, with its epicenter near the Dead Sea, was felt across the country, and in neighboring Jordan.
Channel 2 TV reported that Israeli geologists believe a major earthquake could strike Israel without notice, and based on research predict the arrival of "the big one" in the next 50 years. According to a recently released report exposing the shoddy standard of construction in the country, a quake of 6.0 or over on the Richter scale is expected to flatten an untold number of buildings, leaving tens of thousands of Israelis dead - possibly many more. ...jnewswire (http://www.jnewswire.com/news_archive/04/02/040211_quake.asp)
IDF Troops Kill 13 Palestinians in Gaza
IDF troops killed 12 Palestinians and wounded at least 50 in an exchange of fire in a neighborhood at the easterm edge of Gaza City Wednesday, Palestinian witnesses and medics said. Another Palestinian was killed in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip, on the border between Israel and Egypt. ...ha'aretz (http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/393162.html)
Bush-Sharon Meeting Indefinitely Postponed
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's has been forced to call off plans for an imminent summit with U.S. President George Bush to win his endorsement of an Israeli unilateral withdrawal plan from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.
Aides to Sharon said an operation that took place on late Monday could sideline the prime minister for at least several weeks. They said Sharon, under advice of his physicians, will probably be unable to travel to the United States for up to the next six weeks.
Sharon, 75, underwent an hour-long operation to remove kidney stones in his urinary tract. The operation, pronounced a success, had been announced hours earlier when physicians urged the prime minister to undergo treatment. Aides said Sharon was experiencing sharp pain on Sunday. He was diagnosed as having stones in his urinary tract. The stones were shattered by the use of ultrasound in a non-intrusive procedure. ...menl (http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2004/february/02_11_2.html)
From: Harpazo's News (http://www.harpazo.net/news.html)
(I wonder if there will be 10)
The European Union is not alone in reforming its institutions. The Arab League is also changing the way its members co-operate and is looking toward the European Union for answers.
Yemen's President, Ali Abd Allah Salih is calling for the Cairo-based body to be replaced with an Arab Union which he says would boost effectiveness on the world stage.
At 22 members and with minimal integration the League has struggled to make its voice heard outside its own region.
According to Al-Jazeera, the President wants EU-inspired reforms in order to "develop common Arab action with a view to giving international and regional weight to Arab countries". But in spite of decades of pan-Arab rhetoric, few leaders in the region are likely to be willing to cede power to such a degree. "If our (Arab) brothers have reservations or consider that proclaiming a union would be premature, we are prepared to present other serious proposals or study the proposals of every other party". ...eu observer (http://www.euobserver.com/index.phtml?sid=9&aid=14432)
Earthquake Cracks Knesset!
An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale rocked Israel Wednesday morning, sending frightened people streaming into streets throughout the country, but causing no injuries and, according to initial reports, only minor damage.
Israel Radio reported the quake left a crack in the ceiling of the Knesset plenum, Israel's parliament, just minutes before lawmakers were scheduled to take their seats for the day's debates. The quake, with its epicenter near the Dead Sea, was felt across the country, and in neighboring Jordan.
Channel 2 TV reported that Israeli geologists believe a major earthquake could strike Israel without notice, and based on research predict the arrival of "the big one" in the next 50 years. According to a recently released report exposing the shoddy standard of construction in the country, a quake of 6.0 or over on the Richter scale is expected to flatten an untold number of buildings, leaving tens of thousands of Israelis dead - possibly many more. ...jnewswire (http://www.jnewswire.com/news_archive/04/02/040211_quake.asp)
IDF Troops Kill 13 Palestinians in Gaza
IDF troops killed 12 Palestinians and wounded at least 50 in an exchange of fire in a neighborhood at the easterm edge of Gaza City Wednesday, Palestinian witnesses and medics said. Another Palestinian was killed in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip, on the border between Israel and Egypt. ...ha'aretz (http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/393162.html)
Bush-Sharon Meeting Indefinitely Postponed
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's has been forced to call off plans for an imminent summit with U.S. President George Bush to win his endorsement of an Israeli unilateral withdrawal plan from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.
Aides to Sharon said an operation that took place on late Monday could sideline the prime minister for at least several weeks. They said Sharon, under advice of his physicians, will probably be unable to travel to the United States for up to the next six weeks.
Sharon, 75, underwent an hour-long operation to remove kidney stones in his urinary tract. The operation, pronounced a success, had been announced hours earlier when physicians urged the prime minister to undergo treatment. Aides said Sharon was experiencing sharp pain on Sunday. He was diagnosed as having stones in his urinary tract. The stones were shattered by the use of ultrasound in a non-intrusive procedure. ...menl (http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2004/february/02_11_2.html)
From: Harpazo's News (http://www.harpazo.net/news.html)