Quds, Nov 24, SPA -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has cancelled all meetings with visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw because he has lost his voice through illness, officials said on Wednesday. Sharon had previously postponed talks with Straw by a day to Thursday. "The prime minister very much wanted to meet Foreign Secretary Straw, but unfortunately he has not regained his voice," said an official in Sharon's office, without elaborating on the illness. Straw is in the region for two days to explore ways of helping Palestinians elect a successor to Yasser Arafat. Straw met Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on Wednesday and planned to meet Palestinian leaders on Thursday.
