41.   Mubarak held discussions Wednesday with European Union security chief Javier Solana, among the many high-profile mediators in the region this week.

42.   On her tour of the region this week, Albright urged Arab leaders to attend the November conference in Qatar.

43.   Ross went to the region this week to try to spur the two sides toward the outline of a settlement.

44.   Russia troops and tanks poured into the breakaway region this week in a bid to force Chechnya to drop its claims of independence.

45.   Ross will travel through the region this week to try to stop the violence that has rocked the West Bank and to coax Israel and the Palestinians into negotiations.

46.   Solana briefed the EU leaders on his visit the region this week.

47.   Solana briefed the EU leaders on his visit to the region this week.

48.   Suspected right-wing gunmen rampaged through an isolated northern region this week, killing at least nine unarmed villagers but possibly many more, police said Friday.

49.   The border crossing was the latest in a series of rebel attempts to infiltrate the border region this week, Interfax and the ITAR-Tass news agency said.

50.   The near-record heat broiling the region this week will abate by the middle of next week, according to a medium-range National Weather forecast.