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.