Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Millions call for an independent 9/11 investigation
Researchers who say the 9/11 Commission was a cover-up are often denounced as “conspiracy nuts. In reality, millions of people are calling for a new probe of disturbing unanswered questions. The Zogby International poll found that 66% of New Yorkers support a new investigation.1 While I don t expect everyone to agree on what happened …
The US in Baghdad: surge or scourge?
US President George W. Bush is working hard to achieve a wholesale transformation of Iraq and the Middle East into something more stable, productive and democratic, or so American officials tell us. Bush enjoys reading American history, but he would do well to check out some historical narratives from our own region, especially if he …
Democrats wait to pick up the pieces of Bush's war
Representative Rahm Emanuel, the architect of the Democratic victory in November’s congressional elections, watched President George W. Bush’s Iraq speech Wednesday night like the coach of an opposing debate team: “Tired, he said. “Too wooden. “Doesn’t fill the screen. The military consequences of Bush’s new policy in Baghdad aren’t knowable. But politically in Washington, it …
Overhaul the peace format for Palestine
It may already be too late for Israelis and Palestinians to be able to reach an agreement using the present format of negotiations – or rather non-negotiations. The methods attempted by the sides thus far, and which, for a moment, seemed as if they were about to succeed, have failed. The peace process that began …
Egypt state rights watchdog got more than 5,000 complaints in 2006
CAIRO: Egypt s official National Human Rights Council received more than 5,000 complaints from citizens during 2006, the state MENA news agency said Sunday. The complaints received by the council reached 5,826, these are the final figures, MENA said. Outgoing council member Bahey Eddin Hassan told AFP that the watchdog was receiving serious complaints but …
Cold temperature waves flow into Egypt
CAIRO: While colder regions have enjoyed warmer winters this year, fueling fears of global warming, Egypt will be entering the first of many cold spells Fawzy Ghoneimy, Director-General of the Center for Analysis and Forecasting told The Daily Star Egypt. December has been an unusually cold month and January will likely see temperatures dip closer …
OBITUARY: Nazre Dastgir
Member of the Board and Deputy Managing Director of Piraeus Bank, and Deputy Chairman of Delta Securities, Son of the late Mohamed Golam Dastgir, Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Bangladesh, and the late Mrs. Raushanara Dastgir, Husband of Mrs. Beverly Miller-Dastgir, Has passed on Friday, Jan. 12, 2007. He is survived by …
WORD ON THE STREET: Rumors of Maadi stabber continue to shock Cairo
CAIRO: Rumors still abound about the hooded Maadi attacker wielding a small knife, who has been targeting women and stabbing them in the back. Officials claim only three girls have been injured but no deaths have been reported. But the public is not convinced. The Daily Star Egypt spoke to some Cairo residents. “We live …
State Minister wraps up visit to China
Cairo: State Minister for Administrative Development Ahmed Darwish left China Friday, wrapping up a four-day visit. During his visit to China, which included Beijing and Shanghai, Darwish held talks with senior Chinese officials on means of promoting bilateral cooperation in the fields of human development, e-government and administrative development. In Beijing, Darwish met with Chinese …
Egypt teen finds his game squashing the best
CAIRO: Whether he has the potential to be the Tiger Woods or the Michael Jordan of squash is debatable. Right now, Ramy Ashour is just beating the sport’s top players like an old pro. The 19 year-old Egyptian won the Pace Canadian Squash Classic in Toronto on Friday, defeating the second-ranked player in the world …
Orascom Hotels to invest $491mln in budget housing
CAIRO: Egypt s Orascom Hotels and Development said on Sunday it would invest around LE 2.8 billion ($491 million) in budget housing projects associated with the government. The firm said it had set up a new budget housing company to develop 50,000 units on 8.4 million square meters of land it bought last month from …
Sports Talk: What handball was
Cairo: Football, football and always football. Isn’t there anything else to talk about around here? So as to not be accused of too much soccer bias, let’s talk team handball. We are, after all, playing in the World Championship in Germany starting Jan. 19. We’ll be making our seventh straight appearance in a World Championship, …
Interior Ministry accuses Al-Jazeera producer of harming public interest
CAIRO: The Ministry of Interior has charged and detained Howayda Taha, a producer in Al-Jazeera’s newly-launched Documentary Channel, for possession of 50 videotapes that allegedly include simulated torture scenes in Egyptian police stations. On Jan. 8, Cairo International Airport security prevented the Doha-based producer from boarding a plane for Qatar and confiscated 50 videotapes in …
A blessed union
Arab League initiative for Lebanon only 'serious' one: Seniora
CAIRO: Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora said Saturday that an Arab League initiative aimed at resolving the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon was the only serious one. It is the only serious initiative that currently exists, Seniora told reporters after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. We must continue to encourage this …
Muslim Brotherhood in final preparations to establish a political party
CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is in the final stages of forming a political party, said Mohamed Habib, deputy head of the banned-but-tolerated group. Habib told The Daily Star Egypt that the Brotherhood’s political committee is in the process of finalizing its charter, which will be announced in a matter of weeks. According to a …
World Bank president hails Egypt's economic reforms
Cairo: World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz voiced his appreciation of the economic reforms adopted by Egypt, confirming the bank s support for those reforms in the coming period, according to reports by the State Information Service Saturday. These remarks were made by Wolfowitz during his meeting with Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieddin in Washington last …
Marine insurance offers speedier service online
CAIRO: Companies which import and export goods in and out of Egypt can cut down on shipping times and step up their product flow, thanks to a new online service, insurance company Royal & SunAlliance announced yesterday. The company says that the “e-certificate program, which allows their customers to issue their marine insurance paperwork over …
Egypt concerned about Iraq disintegration
Cairo: President Hosni Mubarak’s warnings for Iran not to interfere in Iraq as the oil-rich Arab country continues its downward spiral to civil war is part and parcel of Egypt’s foreign policy, experts have said. Head of the International Relations Unit at Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies Hassan Abu Taleb told The …
Mortgage financing reaches LE 1 billion in 2006
Saleh: new mortgage refinancing company to lower interest rates CAIRO: Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) Chairman Osama Saleh said preliminary 2006 end-of-year figures show the total mortgage lending volume has reached LE 1 billion. If confirmed, the figure would mark a 54 percent increase over the LE 650 million reported by MFA in September. In a …
Israel appoints Arab minister
JERUSALEM: Defense Minister Amir Peretz, leader of Israel s Labor Party, has chosen Arab lawmaker Raleb Majadele to be a Cabinet minister, Israeli media reported Wednesday. Majadele would be the second Israeli Arab to serve in the Cabinet. Salah Tarif, a Druse leader, served nine months as a minister without portfolio before resigning in January …
Book that nearly cost Naguib Mahfouz his life resurfaces in Egypt
Associated Press CAIRO: The novel that almost cost Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz his life has finally been published in book form in Egypt, four months after his death, and has become a best seller. The first edition of Awlad Haretna, or Children of the Alley or Children of Gebelawi as it is known in English, …
Brotherhood plays down president's warning
CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood rebutted on Friday accusations by President Hosni Mubarak that the fundamentalist group poses a national security threat, saying his claims are aimed at stirring fears in the Egyptian public. The President warned in an interview that the Muslim Brotherhood could threaten foreign investment and isolate Egypt from the world if it …
The underground sounds of Egypt emerge
Ahmed Selim and partner Fahd El-Gammal can’t do anything right. The founders of the new, local Kawalis-Misr (Backstage Productions) will be launching the first-ever compilation CD of independent Egyptian musicians across Cairo on Jan. 15, making many mistakes along the way. First, they let the artists have free reign over which songs to record and …
Shura Council unanimously accepts Mubarak's constitutional amendments
CAIRO: The Shura Council (SC), the upper house of parliament, unanimously approved on Thursday the 34 constitutional amendments suggested by President Mubarak late last year. Safwat Al-Sherif, head of the SC, said after the voting: “I hereby announce the agreement of the Shura Council on the amendments which on President Mubarak asked parliament debate. He …
Move to the desert to contain impending disaster, says expert
CAIRO: The problems of unemployment and housing currently facing young people in Egypt should be resolved through expansion in the desert and building new settlements there, stressed a desert expert. Mostafa Saed, of the Desert Research Centre in Cairo, who has drafted plans to build several such settlements, underlined that to tackle the issues of …
Rice drumming support for US strategy in Iraq
Cairo: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s Mideast visit is an attempt to shore up support amongst Arab states for American policy in the region, analysts say. “She’s seeking help from countries of the region in solving American problems, Waheed Abdel-Meguid, head of Arab research at Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, told …
Zamalek romp to victory over ENPPI
Ismaili edges closer to AhlyCairo: Two goals from Abdul-Halim Ali and Osama Hassan in the first-half were enough for Zamalek to grab an easy 2-0 home victory over ENPPI in the Egyptian League on Thursday. The Cairo giants are still in third place of the league table with 33 points, five behind second-placed Ismaili and …
Divorce in Egypt: Why so many young couples are quitting so quickly
Getting married in Egypt is an arduous process. Many negotiations are settled, and arrangements solidified to ensure the couple’s compatibility. Finally, it all culminates in a beautiful day that ends with a night waited for since the first accidental glimpse of an R-rated movie. Still, marriages are just not working. They are getting increasingly fragile …
Egypt leads pack for African team, club of the year
CAIRO: In what will likely soften the blow that football hero Mohamed Aboutrika was not chosen as the African Footballer of the year, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has nominated Egypt and the Al-Ahly club for two prestigious awards. The Egyptian national team, which won the African Cup of Nations last year leads Ghana …