CHECHNYA: Russia to withdraw more than 1,000 troops in March.

More than 1,000 servicemen and about 200 military engineer units will be withdrawn from Chechnya to their permanent-deployment bases in March, the Russian defense minister's press secretary Nikolai Deryabin told Itar-Tass on Monday.

IRAQ: GCC council supports UAE initiative

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Ministerial Council has voiced appreciation of United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's efforts to stave off harm and military action from the Iraqi people.

CULTURE-UAE: Famous Arab poet to speak at Zayed Center

Prominent Arab poet Mudhaffer Nawab will speak on poetry and freedom at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow-up (ZCCF) tomorrow.

CULTURE-UAE: Famous Arab poet to speak at Zayed Center

Prominent Arab poet Mudhaffer Nawab will speak on poetry and freedom at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow-up (ZCCF) tomorrow.

HEALTH-UAE: Dramatic fall seen in infant mortality rate

Infant mortality rate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has dropped dramatically over the past three years, according to an expert.

HEALTH-UAE: Dramatic fall seen in infant mortality rate

Infant mortality rate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has dropped dramatically over the past three years, according to an expert.

IRAQ: UAE initiative at Arab summit was mere advice

The initiative presented by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Arab Summit last Saturday was but an advice to the Iraqi leadership and was not an intervention in Iraq's internal affairs, Minister of Information and Culture Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has confirmed.

ISRAEL: Assassination attempt on Sharon’s life foiled

The Israeli security apparatus has announced that an assassination attempt on Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's life was foiled recently.

RIGHTS-IRAQ: New Campaign Against War Criminals

A demand by human rights campaigners to arrest Iraqi delegates at the Arab League summit over the weekend was inevitably rejected, but it has focused some attention on violations by Iraqi leaders.

POLITICS-IRAQ: Turkish Vote Set To Change War Plans

The U.S. military strategy to attack Iraq may have to be re-drawn after the stunning defeat of a move to permit U.S. troops on Turkish soil.

IRAQ: UAE contingent arrives in Kuwait

Batches of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) contingent in Dir-Al Jazeerah (Peninsula Shield) Forces today arrived in Kuwait as part of the country's obligation towards the sisterly Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member state of Kuwait, it was announced here today.

IRAQ: Arab leaders urge cooperation with UN

A pan-Arab summit convened here today amid looming US-led war on Iraq urged Baghdad to cooperate with the UN inspectors in order not to provide any pretext for war.

IRAQ: UAE proposes Saddam exile to avert war

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) called today on Iraqi leadership to step down to spare the region war, Abu Dhabi Satellite TV channel reported today.

IRAQ: The same fate as Afghanistan?

A local English daily has expressed fear that the fate of Iraq, after disposing of Saddam Hussein, may not differ so much from that of post-Taliban Afghanistan.

LEBANON: Bomb blast in Palestinian refugee camp

An Egyptian man reportedly linked to al-Qaeda network was killed Saturday in a powerful bomb explosion at Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp. Two others were injured in the blast.

MIDDLE EAST: Arafat sends message to Spanish prime minister

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has sent a letter to Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar in reply to a letter he received from him yesterday.

LEBANON: Hezbollah official assassinated

The assassination of Nimr Youssuf Noureddin, Hezbollah member in charge of mobilization, was announced today.

IRAQ: Pakistan denies signaling ‘yes’ to US-British war resolution

Pakistan Friday denied US media reports it "signaled" it would vote for the US-Britain-proposed resolution to the United Nations Security Council calling for war against Iraq.

POLITICS-IRAQ: In a League of Their Own

Now in its 58th year, the Arab League has come to be seen in the Arab world more for what it cannot do rather than what it can.

UAE: Celestial spectacle across Sharjah skies just a piece of space junk

A - meteor-like object" that was seen shooting across the Sharjah skies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday evening was not an astronomical phenomenon - just a piece of space junk, most probably from an old satellite, the ‘Gulf News' of Dubai reported today, quoting an astronomer as saying.

UAE: Celestial spectacle across Sharjah skies just a piece of space junk

A - meteor-like object" that was seen shooting across the Sharjah skies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday evening was not an astronomical phenomenon - just a piece of space junk, most probably from an old satellite, the ‘Gulf News' of Dubai reported today, quoting an astronomer as saying.