CYPRUS: UN announces failure of unification talks

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced with regret the unsuccessful end of UN-led talks aimed at uniting the divided Cyprus on Tuesday morning at 5 a.m. (0400 GMT) in The Hague.

CYPRUS: UN announces failure of unification talks

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced with regret the unsuccessful end of UN-led talks aimed at uniting the divided Cyprus on Tuesday morning at 5 a.m. (0400 GMT) in The Hague.

QATAR: Oil minister chairs OPEC closed meeting

Qatar's Energy and Industry Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah, current OPEC chairman, chaired a closed meeting OPEC oil ministers and heads of delegations from non-OPEC oil producers held here on Tuesday to discuss the oil market situation and impact of possible future developments on it.

IRAQ: Russian official repeats readiness to wield UN veto

Russia on Tuesday affirmed its readiness to veto any new resolution submitted to the UN Security Council that would sanction the use of military force against Iraq.

TOURISM-MIDDLE EAST: Promotion of space travel

Tourism industry professionals in the Middle East are being given an opportunity to explore the next travel frontier through a seminar on space tourism scheduled for the Arabian Travel Market 2003, which will be held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in May.

OIL-IRAQ: Increase in production during war depends on war consequences,

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Obeid bin Saif Al Nasiri has said that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would discuss during its ordinary meeting here tomorrow the issue of meeting any shortfall in oil supply to the international market in case war erupts in the Gulf region.

IRAQ: US-French behind the scenes contest on war issue

A major United Arab Emirates (UAE) Arabic newspaper today commented on behind the scenes contest between the US and France over the Iraqi issue.

HEALTH-GULF: Oman and UAE excel in WHO survey

In the first ever analysis of national health care systems in the World Health Organization's 191 member countries, the Global Health Survey report places Oman at the 8th position, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 27th and Saudi Arabia and Morocco at 26th and 29th positions respectively.

INDIA: No problem in meeting oil bill, says Reserve Bank

Reserve Bank of India Governor Bimal Jalan Monday said there will be no problem in meeting the oil bill in the event of a war in Iraq but admitted that it could affect inflation temporarily.

NORTH KOREA: US urged to abandon idea of multilateral talks

North Korea urged the United States Monday to hold direct talks over the nuclear standoff and abandon efforts to resolve it through a multilateral framework.

MIDDLE EAST: Palestinian Legislators endorse the post of a prime minister

The Palestinian Legislative Council here today passed a government motion creating the post of a Prime Minister for the Palestinian National Authority.

IRAQ: Statues of Saddam Hussein destroyed in Erbil

Three statues of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were destroyed in Kirkuk, the oil-rich city north of Iraq, news reports quoted eyewitnesses as saying Monday.

IRAQ: Statues of Saddam Hussein destroyed in Erbil

Three statues of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein were destroyed in Kirkuk, the oil-rich city north of Iraq, news reports quoted eyewitnesses as saying Monday.

TURKEY: Government mulls second vote on US troop deployment

The Justice and Development (AK) Party is consulting with the government the viability of presenting another motion to the Parliament in the hope of winning a vote on the deployment of US troops in Turkish territories, Turkish Foreign Minister Yashar Yakish disclosed.

POLITICS-YEMEN: Election Crisis over Threat to Iraq

Yemen is looking outside to neighbouring Iraq as it prepares for general elections next month.

WOMEN-UAE: Workforce on the increase with rising education levels

Higher literacy levels among United Arab Emirates (UAE) women have meant that the number of women in the workforce and business arena in the country has increased considerably.

IRAQ: UAE Red Crescent Society ready to deal with any humanitarian emergency

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Red Crescent Society (RCS) is ready to deal with any humanitarian emergency in Iraq in the event of further escalation of the situation in that country, a senior RCS official has said.

IMMIGRATION-UAE: 10,000 illegals make use of amnesty

Nearly 10,000 illegal residents turned themselves in at naturalization departments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) halfway through the four-month amnesty, said an official from the Ministry of Interior.

IRAQ: US swims against world current, says UAE paper

A United Arab Emirates (UAE) paper today lambasted the United States and Britain for their warmongering and casting aside many positive steps made by Iraq and sticking to negatives.

POLITICS-IRAQ: Turkish Military Opens Doors to U.S.

Turkey's chief of military staff Gen Hilmi Ozkok has spoken of the "inevitability" of Turkish military involvement in a war on Iraq, despite the parliament vote against giving U.S. forces a foothold on Turkish soil.

POLITICS-IRAQ: Tribes May Hold the Key

Ahmed, a mild-mannered office worker in his sixties, had no hesitation in taking up the rifle when the chief called his tribesmen to arms last year. "To refuse would have been unthinkable," he says. "I would be less than a man."