61.   The new defense minister told Congress that delaying peace talks with leftist rebels until a new president is elected next year could cost tens of thousands of lives.

62.   The minister also told al-Ahram he did not think Iraqi troops would attack Jordan for harboring of al-Majid.

63.   The minister told a news conference that the government plans to change its approach to unemployment by shifting the emphasis to new job, the Interfax news agency reported.

64.   The minister told a news conference, however, that the inspectors are deliberately seeking a confrontation.

65.   The proposal recently was blocked in parliament after the finance minister told the government there was no money in the state budget for such a measure.

66.   The minister earlier told coalition leaders that the government had to speed up privatization and restructure the public banking sector, private television NTV reported.

67.   The minister told Parliament that giving details of the fighting would compromise security.

68.   The minister told reporters at a preview that the government mines enterprise has reduced its floor prices this year in view of the severe financial crisis afflicting neighboring countries.

69.   The minister told state television Monday night that the government was discussing its options, but he did not elaborate.

70.   The peace process will collapse if Israel goes ahead with plans to confiscate Arab land in Jerusalem, a Palestinian Cabinet minister told the United States on Tuesday.