Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Syria's ruling party rejects Israeli invitation for President Assad to visit Jerusalem
DAMASCUS: Syria on Thursday rejected Israel s invitation for President Bashar Al-Assad to visit Jerusalem, saying the Israeli gesture reflected the country s weak position after its war with Lebanon. The rejection came in a front page editorial in the ruling party s Al-Baath newspaper, which said: Israel knows … that no Syrian citizen would …
'Air born' baby gets 18 years of free flights
KUWAIT CITY: A baby girl born aboard an Egypt-bound Jazeera Airways flight will be able to fly the Kuwait-based airline for free until the age of 18, the carrier said Thursday. The baby was delivered by a traveling doctor and two cabin crew members en route between Kuwait City and Alexandria, in northern Egypt, after …
Moody's downgrades Egypt's credit rating
Report praises accounting modifications for greater transparency CAIRO: Moody s Investors Service downgraded Egypt s government bond ratings to Baa3 with a negative outlook in local currency and Ba1 with a stable outlook in foreign currency, the organization reported earlier this week. The annual report, Egypt: 2006 Credit Analysis, rates the country on the risk …
Visa announces global restructuring
Intends to begin the IPO process and list its shares on a major stock exchange SAN FRANCISCO: Visa announced this week that it intends to restructure its organization in order to create a new public global corporation called Visa Inc. As a part of this restructuring, Visa Europe will remain a membership association, owned and …
Egypt shares up, CIB soars on acquisition optimism
CAIRO: Egyptian shares climbed higher on Thursday, with Commercial International Bank (CIB) soaring on optimism over its chances to win an auction for up to 80 percent of state-owned Bank of Alexandria, traders said. Shares in CIB, one of six candidates short-listed to buy the stake, jumped 6.6 percent to close at LE 49.80 ($8.68) …
Poll finds most Egyptians haven't heard of them
CAIRO: An Egyptian government opinion poll showed 61 percent of those surveyed had never heard of opinion polls, the official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported on Thursday. The poll, conducted by the Cabinet s Information and Decision Support Centre, also showed that only 10 percent of those surveyed had taken part in opinion polls …
Health clinic aims to educate
Volunteers confront myths, misconceptions and suspicions about sex Shebin El-Kom, Menufiya Governorate: When six teenage volunteers helped launch a sexual health center for youth in this conservative farming town three years ago, many of the locals were suspicious. Instead of lauding the teens’ efforts to educate young people and bust long-held myths about sex, some …
PRESS ROUND-UP: Brotherhood travel, dorm bans lead local press
CAIRO: The plans of the National Democratic Party for the country, the status of the Muslim Brotherhood in politics and within civil society and recollections of the October 6, 1973 victory dominated editorials this week. News about the Muslim Brotherhood led the front pages, consequently providing various topics for discussion in editorials. The security forces …
WORD ON THE STREET: Taking the court to the street
CAIRO: Though politics occupies a limited amount of people s interests during Ramadan, these days the case of Talaat El-Sadat, parliament member and nephew of slain President Anwar El-Sadat, has grabbed many people’s attention. El-Sadat, the nephew, lost his parliamentary immunity at the request of the military prosecutor after he implied on a TV program …
Barnum mummy
Masters of an ancient complex art
Calligraphy makes sweeping strokes at the El-Sawy CAIRO: For Ramadan, the El-Sawy Cultural Wheel highlights one of the most important forms of Islamic art: calligraphy. Featuring 32 contemporary artists from Egypt, this show contains a variety of types of calligraphy, ranging from the simple and traditional, to bright and modern. Artists use four of the …
Students lend a helping hand
Students hold charity activities during Ramadan CAIRO: Students at the American University in Cairo are collaborating their efforts to conduct various charity activities during the holy month of Ramadan. Students’ charity clubs such as Volunteers-in-Action, Help Club, Alashanek Ya Baladi and Resala participate in these activities. AUC students raise funds for the “Tamween Package which …
Artistic sohour
Egypt shares up, CIB soars on acquisition optimism
CAIRO: Egyptian shares climbed higher on Thursday, with Commercial International Bank (CIB) soaring on optimism over its chances to win an auction for up to 80 percent of state-owned Bank of Alexandria, traders said. Shares in CIB, one of six candidates short-listed to buy the stake, jumped 6.6 percent to close at LE 49.80 ($8.68) …
Hamas chief says Israel refusing prisoner exchange
CAIRO: The exiled political head of the Palestinian movement Hamas accused Israel of refusing to free Arab prisoners in exchange for the release of a captured soldier, according to remarks published Thursday. The idea is to free [Israeli soldier Gilad] Shalit and that Israel would then release detainees in a political context, Khaled Meshaal said …
Hamas suggests unity talks with Fatah in Cairo
GAZA CITY: A political advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday proposed holding a meeting in Egypt between Hamas and Fatah on the formation of a national unity government. The time has come for an expanded meeting in Cairo between the leaders of Hamas and Fatah … to discuss new attempts or to …
Egyptian court convicts outspoken tabloid editor of libeling a journalist
An Egyptian editor known for inflammatory comment has been sentenced to six months imprisonment for libeling a journalist, a court official said Thursday. A Cairo court rejected the appeal of Mustafa Bakri, editor-in-chief of the weekly tabloid Al-Osboa, and upheld the lower court s prison sentence but set aside its fine of LE 5,000 the …
Egypt's energy bill increased sevenfold in a decade, Fahmy admits
CAIRO: Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmy said on Wednesday that the cost of buying oil and natural gas from foreign partners has increased sevenfold over the past ten years, citing an international upsurge in energy prices as the main reason behind the increase. He pointed out that the government paid as much as $5.7 billion …
Al-Ahli face tough task against free-scoring ASEC
Reuters JOHANNESBURG: Al-Ahli face the prospect of determined rear guard action when they face Ivory coast side ASEC Abidjan, who have an enviable goal scoring record at home, in Sunday s African Champions League semi-final second leg tie. Al-Ahli won 2-0 in Cairo in the first encounter at the start of the month and are …
Syria's ruling party rejects Israeli invitation for President Assad to visit Jerusalem
DAMASCUS: Syria on Thursday rejected Israel s invitation for President Bashar Al-Assad to visit Jerusalem, saying the Israeli gesture reflected the country s weak position after its war with Lebanon. The rejection came in a front page editorial in the ruling party s Al-Baath newspaper, which said: Israel knows … that no Syrian citizen would …
'Air born' baby gets 18 years of free flights
KUWAIT CITY: A baby girl born aboard an Egypt-bound Jazeera Airways flight will be able to fly the Kuwait-based airline for free until the age of 18, the carrier said Thursday. The baby was delivered by a traveling doctor and two cabin crew members en route between Kuwait City and Alexandria, in northern Egypt, after …
Ramadan's cultural kaleidoscope of colors
Photographer Amr Nabil’s exhibit captures essence of local traditions Although Ramadan is a religious month shared by Muslims all around the world, it is observed differently in every Muslim country. AP Photographer Amr Nabil has put together a photography exhibition featuring several different cultural aspects of Ramadan here in Egypt. He has pulled out all …
Masters of an ancient complex art
Calligraphy makes sweeping strokes at the El-Sawy CAIRO: For Ramadan, the El-Sawy Cultural Wheel highlights one of the most important forms of Islamic art: calligraphy. Featuring 32 contemporary artists from Egypt, this show contains a variety of types of calligraphy, ranging from the simple and traditional, to bright and modern. Artists use four of the …
Barnum mummy
Health clinic aims to educate
Volunteers confront myths, misconceptions and suspicions about sex Shebin El-Kom, Menufiya Governorate: When six teenage volunteers helped launch a sexual health center for youth in this conservative farming town three years ago, many of the locals were suspicious. Instead of lauding the teens’ efforts to educate young people and bust long-held myths about sex, some …
Word on the Street
Taking the court to the street CAIRO: Though politics occupies a limited amount of people s interests during Ramadan, these days the case of Talaat El-Sadat, parliament member and nephew of slain President Anwar El-Sadat, has grabbed many people’s attention. El-Sadat, the nephew, lost his parliamentary immunity at the request of the military prosecutor after …
Brotherhood travel, dorm bans lead local press
CAIRO: The plans of the National Democratic Party for the country, the status of the Muslim Brotherhood in politics and within civil society and recollections of the October 6, 1973 victory dominated editorials this week. News about the Muslim Brotherhood led the front pages, consequently providing various topics for discussion in editorials. The security forces …
Poll finds most Egyptians haven't heard of opinion polls
CAIRO: An Egyptian government opinion poll showed 61 percent of those surveyed had never heard of opinion polls, the official Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported on Thursday. The poll, conducted by the Cabinet s Information and Decision Support Centre, also showed that only 10 percent of those surveyed had taken part in opinion polls …
Visa announces global restructuring
Intends to begin the IPO process and list its shares on a major stock exchange SAN FRANCISCO: Visa announced this week that it intends to restructure its organization in order to create a new public global corporation called Visa Inc. As a part of this restructuring, Visa Europe will remain a membership association, owned and …
Moody's downgrades Egypt's credit rating
Report praises accounting modifications for greater transparency CAIRO: Moody s Investors Service downgraded Egypt s government bond ratings to Baa3 with a negative outlook in local currency and Ba1 with a stable outlook in foreign currency, the organization reported earlier this week. The annual report, Egypt: 2006 Credit Analysis, rates the country on the risk …