The main demand is to bring forward the date when the government has the option to increase its 34% share in the project to 50%.

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Optimists will point out that 500bn euros of bailout money should be available for use reasonably quickly to prop up the likes of Italy and Spain, as a result of the leaders' decisions to expedite expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility and bring forward the launch date of the European Stability Mechanism.

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The ruling military - the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) - headed by Field Marshal Tantawi, has been under pressure to bring forward the election date to May.

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Does that bring forward the taxable date?

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But he is doing his best to bring the date forward.

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Indeed, he may well think he has silenced his critics and can afford to bring forward to a date this year the general election that must be held by April 2000.

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If Russia can now persuade Mr Hussein to take action to bring that date forward, so much the better.

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