Barak, Arafat agree on snap Middle East summit in Egypt
Israeli PM Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat agreed Saturday to attend a Middle East peace summit in Egypt, opening the way for an end to the violence of the past two weeks.



Key Muslim ally sets deadline for Sri Lanka coalition
Sri Lanka's main Muslim party Saturday issued a 100-day deadline to President Chandrika Kumaratunga to implement controversial constitutional reforms or risk a collapse of the country's shaky new coalition.



Philippine leader to end govt gambling
Philippine President Joseph Estrada announced the government's withdrawal from all gambling Saturday in his latest attempt to quells calls for his impeachment.



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