Doha  - Arab League summits often go like a bad wedding party. Everything begins grandly, but then rapidly slides into farce. Either one erratic leader storms out at a perceived slight, or another bores everyone else to sleep. Now and then the guests call each other names.

But on Monday, when the two-day summit begins in the Sheraton Hotel in the Qatari capital of Doha, a little more interest should be expected. The summit promises to be one of the most crucial Arab League gatherings in recent years, and one of the most controversial.

Cairo  - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak will not attend the Arab summit in Doha scheduled on March 30-31, the State Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit as saying on Saturday.

Aboul-Gheit did not indicate the reason for Mubarak's non- attendance at the meeting, which was to review issues of reconciliation within the Arab camp, although a rift over Doha's diplomatic stances is believed to be behind the announcement.

Egypt is to send a lower-level delegation to Doha.

Hluboka Castle, Czech Republic - Neither Croatia, nor any other applicant country, will be able to join the European Union unless the bloc's reforming Lisbon Treaty is ratified, officials from France and Germany said Saturday.

"There will be no enlargement if there is no Lisbon Treaty," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Czech Republic.

Antananarivo  - Protests continued on the tropical island of Madagascar on Saturday, with the military using tear gas in the capital Antananarivo against a demonstration by nearly 30,000 supporters of ousted former president Marc Ravalomanana.

The protesters had earlier called for a general strike for Monday and a tax boycott to protest the new interim government led by Andry Rajoelina, who was brought to power after seven weeks of violence.

Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia  - Ole Einar Bjoerndalen narrowly missed out on a 90th World Cup win Saturday when he was pipped to victory by fellow Norwegian Emil Hegle Svendsen in a 12.5-kilometre pursuit race in Khanty-Mansiysk.

In the women's 10km race, six-time world champion Magdalena Neuner of Germany took the honours, leaving the battle for the overall World Cup to be decided between Kati Wilhelm of Germany and Sweden's Helena Jonsson in Sunday's mass start event.

Islamabad  - Pakistani troops on Saturday destroyed several Taliban hideouts in a restive tribal region and killed at least 26 militants, a day after a suicide bombing at a mosque left 53 people dead, including 15 security personnel, intelligence official said.

More than a dozen militants were also injured when gunship helicopters and artillery targeted insurgents' positions in the Yaka Ghonda area of Mohmand tribal district.