Damascus  - British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ivan Lewis said Tuesday that there was an "unprecedented opportunity" for a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"We believe that there is now an unprecedented opportunity to resolve one of the oldest and severe conflicts in the world, the Middle East conflict," Lewis told reporters after a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem in Damascus.

Lewis said that this "opportunity" came after US President Barack Obama's speech in Cairo last June.

Amman- Middle East stock markets rallied this week, deriving impetus from improving performance at global markets and emerging prospects for a nearing end of the world's recession, financial analysts said Friday.

"We believe that regional markets are deriving momentum from gains scored by world markets and expectations that the global downturn could be bottoming out," an Amman-based portfolio manager told German Press Agency dpa.

"Rising oil prices are also sending positive signals to investors particularly in the oil-rich Gulf region which suffered the brunt of losses in the Arab area as a result of the world slump," he said.

Beirut- Arab League chief Amr Mussa arrived in Beirut Saturday to discuss the crisis between Cairo and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah over an alleged cell linked to the group working to destabilize Egypt, a government source said. Mussa met with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, the source said.

Mussa said after meeting Seniora that he was following up the Lebanese elections, due on June 7, and "the issue of the alleged Hezbollah cell arrested in Egypt."

Amman - Arab stock markets extended gains this week, buoyed by the G20 summit, rallies on global bourses and oil prices edging upwards, financial analysts said Friday.

"We believe that the G20 summit in London and gains scored by the Wall Street and other world markets have a positive impact on regional stocks," Nizar Taher, head of brokerage at the Jordan Ahli Bank told the German Press Agency dpa.

Cairo  - Iraq's provincial elections, due to take place on January 31, may be a vote for new representatives in 14 of the country's 18 provinces, but - as with so much in Iraq - they are not just a local affair.

The effect of Iraq's neighbouring states on the outcome of the elections remains a factor that cannot be ignored, as all neighbours play out their cards using their individual connections to Iraqi domestic politics.

Revolutionary Shiite Iran continues to be perceived as the key external player in Iraq, where Shiites make up the majority of the population.

Dhabi, Nov 19th, 2008 : President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak asserted their keenness for activating the joint Arab work and coordination and mutual consultation on every issue concerning the Arabs and Muslims.

Holding official talks at the Al Mushrif Palace here today, the two leaders stressed the importance of achieving a joint vision regarding all issues of the Arab and the Muslim nations.

WASHINTON D. C, Nov. 18th, 2008: Founder and President of the Washington D. C.-based Arab American Institute (AAI) James Zogby said he is convinced that the U. S. President Elect Barack Obama truly wants to find a responsible way out of Iraq.

Beirut

 - A new Lebanese magazine that Focuses on body art, science and literature and aims to tackle subjects such as eroticism and fetishism, is due to hit the stands in the Arab world next month.

Joumana Haddad, editor-in-chief of Jasad (the Arabic word for body), said the publication aims to break taboos and will provide its writers, researchers and artists with the freedom they deserve.

Abu Dhabi - A high level meeting of a gathering dubbed "Friends of Pakistan" that aims to support Pakistani's stability and developmental process is to convene in Abu Dhabi on Monday, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

The gathering will be under joint chairmanship of the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.

"The Friends of Pakistan" is comprised of 16-nations which include among others Britain, France, Germany, the United States and China plus the United Nations and the European Union. It also includes multilateral financial agencies and world bodies.

Damascus - Arab League chief Amr Mussa arrived in Damascus Saturday, where he is expected to discuss with Syrian officials a recent broadcast on Syrian TV where prisoners alleged terrorist ties to Lebanon, Lebanese media reported.

The November 6 broadcast showed prisoners confessing to a September bomb blast in Damascus and claiming links exist between the Lebanese parliamentary majority leader and Fatah al-Islam, a militant, Lebanon-based group with ties to al-Qaeda.

The Arab League agreed Thursday to review the circumstances surrounding those confessions.

Amman - Arab stock markets suffered heavy losses this week as gloom engulfed the region amid fears of a global recession.

Thursday's suspension of trading on the Kuwait stock exchange appeared to send a negative message to other markets in the region, financial analysts said Friday.

"I believe the halting of trading in Kuwait by a judicial decision could aggravate the situation not only in Kuwait but also at other Gulf and Arab stock markets," a portfolio manager told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Amman - Arab stock markets plummeted across the board on Tuesday as global recession fears and falling oil prices helped to fuel already dwindling confidence and panic selling, financial analysts said.

The plunge was led by the Saudi and the United Arab Emirates stock exchanges where lack of cash and departure of foreign investors reportedly put enormous pressures on the psychology of investors, they added.

The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) of the Saudi stock exchange tumbled 5.21 per cent led by the petrochemical conglomerate, the Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), as well as the banking and construction sectors.

Cairo - The Palestinian-Israeli peace process will be the main topic of a meeting on Saturday of Arab foreign ministers with representatives of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Shiekh.

"This meeting is important as it can lead to deeper understanding between the Arab countries and the Quartet on how to proceed regionally and internationally to support negotiations between the two sides," said the spokesman of Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Hussam Zaki.

Dubai - The Ruler of the Gulf Arab Emirate of Dubai urged the new US government in a speech on Friday to focus on fixing its economy rather than wars.

"The financial crisis cannot be solved by going to war," said Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid al-Maktoum in a the World Economic Forum in Dubai. "We advise the US administration to focus on their economy rather than wars."

Dubai, part of the United Arab of Emirates, and other states in the Gulf Arab region, have opposed any military action against Iran.

Amman - Arab stock markets reacted positively but cautiously to the election of Barack Obama as next US president with investors trying to evaluate the choices open to the new administration to deal with the gruelling economic downturn, financial analysts said Friday.

"Markets sighed relief over the election of Obama, because markets have been under the impression that McCain's win could aggravate the global financial crisis," Nizar Taher, chief of brokerage at the Jordan Ahli Bank, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Damascus, Cairo - Officials across the Arab World reacted with shock and outrage Monday at a US military raid that reportedly killed eight people - allegedly including children - in a small Syrian town Sunday.

The United States made no immediate official comment. A helicopter-borne commando raid was reported to have attacked the Syrian town of Abu Kamal, eight kilometres from the Iraqi border.

The US silence was met with increasing outrage from regional leaders, with the strongest statements coming from Syria.

Amman - Arab stock markets tumbled this week as panicked investors dumped shares to avert worse repercussions of the global recession despite steps taken by financial authorities to replenish liquidity shortages, financial analysts said Friday.

"Investors in the region are still suffering from psychological pressures and indirect impact of the global financial turmoil," Nizar Taher, chief of brokerage at the Jordan Ahli Bank, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Amman - Arab stock markets fluctuated violently this week, reflecting turmoil on the world markets and lack of confidence that measures taken by the world's largest economies could succeed in handling the global financial crisis, financial analysts said Friday.

"We believe that the psychological impact of developments on world markets will continue to be felt in the Middle East bourses for some time to come," Wajdi Makhamreh, Chief Operating Officer at the Amman- based Sanabel International Holding told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Amman - Arab stock markets plummeted on Wednesday after two days of strong gains, apparently in response to declines at the Wall Street and Asian markets and fears that a world recession has already ushered in, financial analysts said.

The only exception was the Saudi stock exchange, which closed slightly in the green after violent fluctuations.

Amman - Arab stock markets rallied for the second day in a row Tuesday, buoyed by rebounds in global markets following the rescue plan adopted by major European countries.

Analysts attributed the jump to a "tangible improvement in investors' confidence" and steps taken by regional central banks and other financial authorities to cut interest rates and pump liquidity into commercial banks.

"We believe that the rise in oil prices is also shoring up confidence in regional markets," an Amman-based portfolio manager said.