Egypt backs Saudi presence in G20 CAIRO – Egyptian Finance Minister Youssef Boutros-Ghali sought to quell a spat with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, saying that the Kingdom was a voice for the region in meetings of the Group of 20. Last week Boutros-Ghali, asked whether he was satisfied with Saudi Arabia's presence at the G20 meetings, told a CNN program: “I think representation should be through a country that understands the various issues being faced by a specific group of nations.” Boutros-Ghali's comments prompted a Saudi rebuke on Tuesday, with Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf telling Reuters: “If there's a country that understands better than anyone the issue of developing nations, it's Saudi Arabia.” “Traditionally we have always reflected the interest and the concerns of developing nations in general and of Arab nations in particular,” Assaf said. – Reuters Shoura studies ministry reports By Nawwaf Afit RIYADH – Sheikh Azib Aal Misbil, chairman of the Committee of Islamic and Judicial Affairs and Human Rights at the Shoura Council, said that new laws to combat human trafficking would improve the protection of human rights in the Kingdom. Aal Misbil said some individuals were guilty of unwanted practices but expected the law to contribute greatly in correcting the situation. The committee is currently studying reports from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Islamic Call and Guidance, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and the Ifta Supreme Council. – Okaz/SG Zoo gorrilla escapes; officials in blame game By Muhammed Al-Inzi DAMMAM – Officials from the mayoralty and the Ministry of Agriculture in Dammam have each blamed the other for the escape of a gorilla from a zoo in Al-Khobar which ended with authorities shooting the animal dead Monday. The mayoralty has said that while municipalities are responsible for the administration of zoos the Ministry of Agriculture was responsible for the animals. Abdul Jabar Muhammed, Director of Preventive Security at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the ministry was responsible for keeping watch over agricultural sites and animals outside residential areas, and has no responsibility for animals living inside residential areas. Some members of the public have voiced reservations over keeping wild animals in zoos in residential areas for fear of incidents such as that of the gorilla which escaped Monday.
