By Rhonda RoumaniSpecial to The Washington Post Saturday, November 26, 2005; Page A17  DAMASCUS, -- Syria said Friday it would allow five officials to be questioned at U.N. offices in Vienna about the February assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. The deal ends a month-long stalemate in which Syria faced possible U.N. sanctions. The date for the interviews will be determined in consultation with chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis, Syria's deputy foreign minister, Walid Mouallem, told reporters in the capital, Damascus. The agreement "aborts any justification for economic sanctions against Syria," Mouallem said.

The five will include Syria's chief of military intelligence, Brig. Gen. Asef Shawkat, brother-in-law of President Bashar Assad, according to a U.N. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Mehlis is scheduled to meet with Syria's top legal adviser over the weekend to prepare for the interviews. John R. Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, welcomed the Syrian move and attributed it to pressure from the Security Council. "We hope this Syrian cooperation continues and grows," Bolton said in a statement.

"Banking in the region is not achieving its real potential due to low level of corporate governance," said Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, Director General of Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, in a keynote speech delivered at the Annual Arab Banking Conference 2005 'Banking in a Risky World' in Lebanon.

The conference, which was held in association with the DIFC. The event witnessed a high level gathering of ministers, central bank governors and a number of very senior banking professionals. Those attending the conference included, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Khalfan bin Kharbash, UAE Minister of State for Finance and Industry along with numerous other dignitaries.

Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, speaking about 'Changing Risks into Opportunities', commented:  'The latest oil boom along with capital flow into the region post 9/11 has increased liquidity. Regional banks have to take an aggressive role in channelling the money into the region and funding investments However, in order to succeed in this, it is critical to build investor confidence. Greater emphasis is needed on corporate governance, market discipline, transparency and disclosure."

Lebanese film and TV production company, Darkside, recently undertook the production of a full length Lebanese feature film on High Definition. The musical comedy, titled L