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July 7, 2006 |
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***** The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Chairman of King Abdul Aziz Foundation and his men will patronize the regional conference for the talented which will be held in Shabaan. The head of the organizing committee said the conference is part of the care accorded to the talented by the government, adding that the organizing committee has taken all measures to ensure the success of the conference. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received at the Royal Court at Al Salam palace in Jeddah the U.S. ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalil Zadeh who was accompanied by the U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom James Oberwetter. During the audience, the ambassador conveyed to the monarch the greetings of President George W. Bush of the United States. On his part, King Abdullah sent his greetings to the president. The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Foreign Minister, Prince Miqren Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chief of General Intelligence, Prince Bandar bin Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Secretary General of the National Security Council, and Adel Al-Jubair, Advisor at the Royal Court. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has ordered the opening of a college for support studies and applied sciences in addition to a center for inventions at King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran. Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency yesterday that the royal order was in line with the recommendations of Council of the Higher Education's 40th session. "The decree also approved three new colleges affiliated to King Khaled University in Najran. They are a college of sciences, a college of applied medical sciences and one for computer sciences and information systems," SPA quoted Al-Anqari as saying. The new colleges are in line with the council's policy to develop qualified manpower to satisfy the needs of the job market and developmental requirements, the minister said. The proposed center for inventions aims at promoting original ideas conceived by the students and faculty members and helping them to earn patent rights. "The Higher Education Council also decided to rename the Department of Petroleum Engineering in King Saud University to the Department of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering," the minister said. The king appointed Ahmad Ibn Saleh Al-Tami as the deputy president for academic affairs at Qasim University for a period of three years. He also ordered the creation a new projects division at King Saud University with Ahmad Ibn Hassan Al-Arjani as its deputy president, the minister said. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received a message from Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The message was delivered to the King by Yemeni Deputy Premier, Minister of Interior Dr. Rashad Al-Ulaimi during an audience in Jeddah. During the meeting, the Yemeni Deputy Premier conveyed to the Monarch the greetings of the Yemeni President. In turn, the King sent his greetings to the President. the audience was attended by Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Advisor to the King and Prince Nawaf Ibn Faisal Ibn Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Vice President of Youth Welfare. Prince Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, concluded a several day visit to Russia.He was seen off at the airport by Deputy Mayor of Moscow Valery Vengradv, senior officials and Saudi Ambassador to Russia Mohammed Hassan Wali. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Governor of Assir region has addressed his thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General for the care about Assir region and for allocating part of the budget for the implementation of developmental projects in Assir. This was announced at a press statement at the announcement of the winners of Abha prizes this year. Prince Khalid Al-Faisal Governor of Assir region said during a reception with the talented organized by the King Abdul Aziz organization and his men that Islam is a way of life that calls for progress and development. He said Islam is a tolerant religion that calls for civilization, brotherhood and tolerance. The embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Kenya has delivered a new batch of relief assistance worth $10 million ordered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz to drought-hit areas in the African Horn countries. The Saudi embassy representative in Kenya has handed over 250 tons of dates to the representative of the Somali government in the presence of Somalia's Prime Minister Jidi Ahmed and 100 tons of dates to the representative of Kenya Washil Oringa, Minister of Special Assistance. The US Supreme Court struck down the military commissions President Bush established to try suspected members of al-Qaeda, emphatically rejecting a signature Bush anti-terrorism measure and the broad assertion of executive power upon which the president had based it. Brushing aside administration pleas not to second-guess the commander in chief during wartime, a five-justice majority ruled that the commissions, which were outlined by Bush in a military order on Nov. 13, 2001, were neither authorized by federal law nor required by military necessity, and ran afoul of the Geneva Conventions. The Naif University for Security Sciences has issued a study on the future of terrorism by Dr Ahmad Falah Al Amoush, that analyses terrorism, its implication, ways of dealing with it and combating it. The Ministry of Labour refuted allegations published in local newspapers saying that capitals immigrates from the Kingdom because of restrictions in the number of visas. The Ministry said it has set up a committee that deals with entry visas. This committee is formed by the members of the Ministry and the Private Sector and deals with all issues related to granting labour visas. The Ministry stressed that the Minister holds regular meeting with businessmen to discuss and solve their problems. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) highlighted the role played by The Saudi Relief Committee for Palestinians to support their educational programs with a grant of more than SR 130 million, according to a detailed report issued recently by UNESCO. Following the signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) by the Saudi Committee, UNESCO and the Palestinian Ministry of Education, the report said a project to support financially higher studies for Palestinian students and their universities was started. Since last March, UNESCO has transferred 90% of the allocated amount to eleven Palestinian universities and 23 colleges; and those who benefited from the scholarships amounted to more than 19, 000, pointing out that the rest of the 10% of the amount will be transferred soon. The report added that the Saudi Committee finances this project which focuses on humanitarian and developmental goals in conformity with the missions of international organizations especially those which are contained in UNESCO's budget plan for the fiscal years 2004-2005 and 2006-2007. It is worth mentioning that the Saudi Committee has forged cooperation with a number of international organizations such as The United Nations Development Organization, The International Food Organization, UNESCO and The Red Cross Organization through financing their developmental programs with more than SR187 million. Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit said the Jordanian- Syrian relations are strong and historical, stressing that the governments of both countries are keen on promoting such ties. In a joint press conference with Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji Utri following the meetings of the Joint Jordanian- Syrian Higher Committee, Bakhit said that the distinguished ties between His Majesty King Abdullah II and President Bashar Assad give a strong momentum to the bilateral relations. He also pointed that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries doubled several times over the past five years, calling for further cooperation in this regard. ''Syria is the closest to Jordan and the two states form a trade, economic, cultural and historical depth to each others,'' Bakhit said. He noted to agreements reached between the two sides to increase cooperation, expressing thanks to the preparatory and technical committees. The premier, who pointed to the importance of implementing the reached agreements, noted that there are some simple obstacles, concerning the administrative procedures, that could be solved through transparency and truth. ''We need to facilitate procedures and remove the non- customs obstacles,'' said Bakhit, expressing hope that trade would be enhanced between the two brotherly countries. On developments in Palestine, Bakhit said that it was approved that using, and even showing force does not achieve any political accomplishment, a fact that necessitate resorting to the international legitimacy and dialogue. '' Violence will lead only to violence and the unilateral solutions will not succeed,'' Bakhit added. On the issue of weapons smuggled by Hamas to Jordan, Bakhit said that we have evidences proving that Hamas smuggled the weapons and hided them in Jordan, noting that Syria has nothing to do with the issues. '' The issue is between Jordan and Hamas,'' said Bakhit. At the end of the meetings of the 11th session of the Joint Jordanian- Syrian Higher Committee, Jordan and Syria signed nine agreements, protocols, and executive programs including cooperation in investment, youth, media, tourism, agricultural, vocational training, scientific research, and environmental spheres. Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit and his Syrian counterpart Muhammad Naji Utri signed the minute of the meetings. Bakhit's accompanying delegation, which included a number of ministers, held talks with Syrian counterparts to promote relations in all fields. The Jordanian ministers discussed with the Syrian officials issues on borders, Syrian labor in Jordan, trucks movement, and means of increasing industrial and energy cooperation. Yemen denied offering funds or arms to the Islamic Courts Movement in Somalia. "Yemen did not offer any fund or arms to the Islamic Courts Movement in Somalia and the statements of American official on this issue was baseless and untrue," Yemen Foreign Minister, Abu Bakr Al Querbi, told reporters. Jendayi E. Frazer, US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, had told the media that funds were flowing into Somalia from Yemen to support the movement. Al Querbi, however, said that his country supported the transitional government after the Nairobi agreement. "The Yemeni support was confined to light weapons and equipment for Somali police after the formation of the Somali transitional government after Nairobi agreement," he said. "But after that, Yemen did not provide any funds or arms to the transitional government or the Islamic Courts Movement." "I wished ... the American official, who said that she would discuss this matter with the Yemeni government and the region, did that before she said this statement," Al Querbi said. He said that stability in Somalia would be achieved only if all countries, especially the neighbouring ones, exert efforts to create a climate for dialogue between the Islamic Courts and the government on the basis of the charter signed by Somali personalities in Nairobi. And "not by siding with the Islamic Courts or the government", he said. Eng. Salim Ibn Said Al Ghattami, chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), and Eng. Salah Salim Al Shamsi, chairman of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held a session of talks on exploring ways of promoting bilateral economic, trade and investment relations. Ghattami said the meeting was aimed at acquainting the UAE businessmen and investors with the investment opportunities available in the Sultanate particularly in the area surrounding Sohar Industrial Port. He stressed the keenness of the OCCI and Omani businessmen on further enhancing economic and investment partnership with their UAE counterparts, calling on the UAE businessmen to utilise the investment incentives and facilities offered by the Sultanate. Eng. Al Shamsi said the UAE businessmen are keen on further developing bilateral trade and investment cooperation. He noted that their visit complements the meeting of the joint Omani-UAE Businessmen's Council which has recently met in the UAE. The session discussed topics relating to developing partnership and economic investment relations between private sectors in both the countries. It also stressed the need to achieve integration between industrial institutions in both the countries and coordinate merger efforts in order to find Gulf economic blocs which are capable of competition regionally and internationally. Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Abdullah Al Harthy, minister of transport and communications, received Al Shamsi and his delegation and discussed aspects of cooperation between the two brotherly countries in various spheres, particularly in transport and communications. Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Salim Al Rowas, minister of regional municipalities, environment and water resources, also received Al Shamsi and discussed ways of promoting partnership in economic and investment spheres. The meeting was attended by the OCCI chairman and some ministry officials. Mohammed Ibn Nassir Al Khusaibi, secretary-general of the Ministry of National Economy, at his office, received Al Shamsi and members of his delegation. They reviewed bilateral economic and trade relations and how to develop them. Khusaibi briefed the guest on investment opportunities available in the Sultanate and the mega projects being implemented at the Sohar Industrial Port and in the tourism sector. The meeting was attended by Sheikh (Dr) Abdul Malik Ibn Abdullah Al Hinai, economic affairs undersecretary; Eng. Salim Ibn Said Al Ghattami, chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), and officials of the national economy and finance ministries. Sayyid Hamad Ibn Hilal Al Busaidi, undersecretary for labour affairs at the Ministry of Manpower, also received Al Shamsi and his delegation. Al Busaidi reiterated the significance of promoting cooperation between the two countries in the field of manpower in the private sector establishments. The UAE delegation praised the remarkable development in the Sultanate and the Sultanate's efforts on the Omanisation drive. The delegation stressed the necessity for exchanging views in the field of training and employment. The Sohar branch of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) will today hold a seminar on investment opportunities available in the Sultanate to acquaint the UAE businessmen who are on a visit to the Sultanate with the projects implemented at Sohar and the infrastructure projects at Sohar Industrial Port. Members of the UAE delegation will then visit Sohar Port and tour the various investment projects being implemented there. The Aqsa institution denounced the Israeli Antiquities Authority's plans to remove the Mugrabi ramp and start diggings in the area. However a reliable source told Hebrew daily "Ha'aretz" that "now that the Palestinian Authority is paralyzed and incapable of resisting, it's an excellent opportunity to carry out the plan." The institution asserted in a statement that the ramp is an inseparable part of the Aqsa Mosque and warned against destroying it, considering that act as a direct and dangerous assault on the holy Aqsa Mosque. The institution also stressed that the Israeli Antiquities Authority has no right to start diggings in the mentioned area. The institution appealed to Arab and Muslim nations to salvage and defend the holy Mosque. Moreover, the institution denounced in its statement the Israeli procedures preventing under 45's from entering the Aqsa Mosque for prayers on Fridays and transferring the Mosque's surroundings into military barracks. In the same context Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tamimi, the chief justice of Islamic courts in Palestine, in a statement, called on the Arab and Muslim (Ummah) to assume their duties. He also appealed to the international community to take a responsible stand against the ceaseless Israeli violations and aggressions, warning of the exploding situation in the whole region. The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak discussed with US Attorney General the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories and ways to enhance the legal and judicial cooperation between Egypt and the United States. Emerging from the meeting which was attended by US ambassador in Cairo Francis Ricciardone, Alberto Gonzales expressed Washington's appreciation of the role being played by President Mubarak to contain violence in Gaza and reach a peaceful settlement to the crisis of the abducted Israeli soldier. The US official called on Israel to exercise self restraint and not to target Palestinian civilians. He said he hopes that a peaceful solution for the crisis would be reached. Asked about the reason behind his visit to Egypt the US Attorney General said he came for talks on several issues, atop of which are combating terrorism, smuggling and immigration. Asked whether he discussed the issue of terrorism with President Mubarak, Gonzales said he did. Egypt has a long history in terror-combat, which Gonzales finds important to benefit from. Answering a question on whether he had ideas to solve the current situation in Gaza Strip, given the fact that he had held talks with Israeli officials just before coming to Cairo, Gonzales said he had discussed the issue. He made it clear that he was calling on the Israelis to exercise self-restraint and to stop causing damage to facilities. Gonzales said he condemned the action that led to such incidents -in reference to the abduction of the Israeli soldier -hoping a peaceful solution would be reached soon. Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the world's security structure to be updated, and reaffirmed relations with other countries. "I am confident that we have reached a turning point, when the updating of the whole structure of global security is necessary," Putin said in his speech to Russian ambassadors who were called back from around the world. Reports said the meeting was taking place to assess Russia's place in the world and to set the country's new foreign policy goals. "If we let the inertness of former approaches carry us away, the world will be once again doomed to ineffective confrontation," Putin said. He urged diplomats to "overcome these dangerous tendencies and develop new ideas and approaches." The president also emphasized a need to assess the foreign policy of any country on the basis of principles of international law and universal standards. "We are not dividing countries of the world into those which we shall cooperate with and those which we shall confront," he said. "Our competitors on economic markets, for example, are at the same time our key partners in solving major international problems, but not all were ready to see Russia get stronger so quickly," said the president. He told the top diplomats that Moscow would not join any ultimatums undermining the authority of the UN Security Council. "We do not want to join any kind of ultimatums, which simply deadlock the situation and jeopardize the authority of the UN Security Council," the president said. Russia "is proposing concrete decisions in the domain of nonproliferation, for instance, the idea of setting up international uranium enrichment centers," he said, clearly referring to the Iranian nuclear issue. Putin said the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which mostly consists of the former Soviet republics, and NATO should cooperate in the fight against terrorism and new challenges. "We propose substantially broadening international cooperation in countering terrorism, in (countering) drug trafficking, as well as in peacekeeping operations and liquidation of consequences of natural disasters," he said. He said "such interaction is possible both on a bilateral basis and between regional organizations, for example, CSTO and NATO, and other associations." "Russia consistently advocates a more safe and democratic world order, equal access of countries and peoples to benefits of globalization. We are also for the joining of efforts of all states in the minimization of the challenges," Putin said. Talking about relations between Russia and the United Sates, Putin said bilateral relations must be based on mutual respect. "We are still to change much in the attitude toward each other. In order to have a positive character, statesmen of both countries should learn as an axiom: the partnership between the world powers like Russia and the United States can be built only on the conditions of equality and mutual respect," Putin said. He said positive results would only be achieved through joint efforts, in particular in the fight against terrorism and the settlement of several key regional problems. Putin suggested launching negotiations to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) due to expire in 2009. "We want our dialogue on the most crucial disarmament issues to be resumed. We call on our American partners to launch a negotiating process to replace the START," he added. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's special services to "hunt down and destroy" those responsible for the killing of four Russian diplomats in Iraq. The president ordered the special forces to take all necessary measures to find and destroy the criminals who killed Russian diplomats in Iraq," the Kremlin press service reported. Putin was also quoted saying Russia would be "grateful to all its friends for any information on the criminals who killed our citizens in Iraq." The four victims, all from the Russian Embassy, were abducted when gunmen attacked their vehicle in west Baghdad on June 3. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the four diplomats had been killed after the release of a gruesome internet video showing some of the men being executed. An insurgent coalition led by al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility. It had demanded that the Kremlin pull its forces out of Chechnya and free Muslim prisoners from Russian jails. Officials in Moscow will not say whether any Russian Special Forces are currently in Iraq. The United States would like Iran to respond by July 12 to a U.S.-backed offer of incentives aimed at containing Iran's nuclear program, the White House said. "We have made it clear ... that we expect an answer by the 12th before the G8 summit begins," said White House spokesman Tony Snow, referring to the Group of Eight summit that Russia is hosting in St. Petersburg. White House officials had hoped to hear from Iran on Wednesday but a meeting between European chief negotiator Javier Solana and Iran's top nuclear envoy, Ali Larijani, was postponed for a day. Iran postponed the talks in apparent anger at an exiled opposition leader's visit to the European Parliament. "As a consequence they (the Iranians) wanted to postpone, and that's all there is to it," Snow said. Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of greetings to Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, president of the Somali Democratic Republic, on the occasion of his country's National Day. The Sultan wished the president good health and happiness, and progress and prosperity to the Somali people. Sultan Qaboos has also sent a cable of greetings to Michelle Jean, governor-general of Canada, on the occasion of her country's National Day anniversary. The Sultan wished her good health and happiness, and the friendly Canadian people further progress and prosperity. Sultan Qaboos has sent a cable of greetings to Pierre Nkurunziza, president of the Republic of Burundi, on the occasion of his country's National Day. The Sultan expressed his best wishes to the president and people of Burundi. The joint Saudi Committee for the Relief of the Palestinian people and the Relief campaign to help victims of the Tsunami will participate in the International Forum on Disaster Relief which will be held in Brunei Darussalam between the 10th and the 12th of July. Six Iraqis at the centre of the controversy over the Government's anti-terror laws are supporters of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and were allegedly sent to Britain to carry out terror attacks, according to Whitehall sources. The men, detained last year and placed under highly restrictive control orders, arrived in Britain as asylum-seekers but were allegedly plotting attacks on civilians. Whitehall sources claim that the attacks would have involved bombs in which there would have been mass fatalities. The men, in their twenties and thirties, were detained in raids in Greater Manchester, London and the Midlands in November and December. They are being held under draconian conditions including having to remain in their homes for 18 hours a day. They are banned from using mobile telephones or having access to the internet. The men have either had their asylum claims rejected or are awaiting decisions. They say that they cannot be returned to Iraq because they fear ill-treatment. Mr Justice Sullivan, a High Court judge, quashed control orders made against the men, declaring the orders incompatible with their human rights. Former Palestinian Cabinet Minister Hanan Ashrawi said the Lebanese government had demonstrated "understanding about the importance of granting Palestinians some rights and dignity." Ashrawi understood that, as a host country for refugees, "Lebanon cannot bear all these burdens, but it can do whatever was within its reach to ease the pain of refugees and support their right to return to their homeland." Speaking after a meeting with Premier Fouad Siniora which was also attended by Palestinian Minister of State for Refugee Affairs Abbas Zaki, Ashrawi described the visit as "fruitful," expressing pride in her friendship with Siniora. Ashrawi also condemned Israel's "criminal escalation in Gaza". Israeli troops, along with tanks, armored vehicles, and helicopters, entered the Gaza Strip early Wednesday after Palestinian militants on Sunday killed two army soldiers and abducted a third. Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, with whom Ashrawi also met, said the UN Security Council had been asked to take a stand regarding the Israeli offensive and help find a solution to the conflict. Ashrawi accused Israel of "enforcing collective punishment by shelling Gaza, bombing the only source of electricity in Gaza, and imposing an embargo to drive the Palestinian people to hunger." |