Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
'Shaabola' sings out again
Crass singer capitalizes on Lebanese crisis CAIRO: During times of hardship, you can count on one Egyptian crooner to capitalize on the unrest in the Middle East. For this singer, the current Israeli attack on Lebanon is just one in a long list of atrocities to make use of. If you’re not familiar with the …
Pirates makes another large splash
Sequel offers audiences a couple of hours of waterlogged fun CAIRO: For many centuries people have been fascinated by fictional adventure tales about legendary pirates like Sinbad and Long John Silver. In 2003, someone brilliant at Disney decided to make their most popular ride, Pirates of the Caribbean into a film of the same title. …
Miss Beach
ŠΘ # # # The judges included musician Helmy Bakr, actress Hala Sidki, and writer Ikbal Baraka, here, Samo Zein and Nahla Zaki # # Photography by Hassan IbrahimThe winner was the beautiful Alexandrian Nahla Zaki. Guest of honor was singer Samo Zein who put on a great performance, here are the girls during …
Children exhibit their artistic expression
Rasha Soliman develops her students self-confidence through art CAIRO: As you enter the underground room at the Gezira Arts Center, you find yourself surrounded by an atmosphere that exudes liveliness, joy and creativity. Children are gathered around painting and sculpturing with their tiny hands, while Rasha Soliman supervises them with care. Soliman, who was always …
Misr Clearance to launch capital market financial information company
NOOZZ CAIRO: Misr Company for Settlement, Clearance and Central Depository (MSCD) signed evening a new contract with Atos-Euronext Company earlier this week to set up a new financial information operation for the first time in Egypt to provide its services to local security brokerage companies and banks. Hany Seri-Eddin, chairman of the Capital Market Authority, …
Egypt Invest 2006 will look at implementation, impact of investment
CAIRO: While there is no denying the success that Egypt has been enjoying in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country over the past two years, it is also understood that to continue with this upward curve that more investors, and more investment, has to be encouraged through making new opportunities available in many …
Loan expected to support reform
ADB continues participation in development CAIRO: Egypt has been awarded a loan of $500 million (LE 4.2 billion) from the African Development Bank (ADB), which will be used to support the country s structural and financial reform program, also known as the Financial Sector Reform Program. The program, launched in September 2006, constitutes part of …
Insurance holding company established
Move may be precursor to privatization CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak issued a decree yesterday to form a holding company for insurance, bringing the four main public insurance firms as well as the country s only reinsurance company under the Ministry of Investment s asset management program. The newly-formed entity complements the nine other holding companies …
Outpouring of private aid for war-torn Lebanon
NGOs, private corporations organize donation campaigns and transportation to Lebanon CAIRO: With the continuous escalation of violence in Lebanon and mounting frustration with official Arab responses to the Israeli aggression, civil society has decided to act on its own. By the second week of the war on Lebanon, reports indicated that the contributions of Arab …
Egypt hopes UN will call for Lebanon ceasefire in 48 hours
BEIRUT: Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit expressed hope Wednesday that the United Nations Security Council would issue an appeal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah within the next 48 hours. I hope that in the next 48 hours there will be an appeal from the UN Security Council for a ceasefire. This is an Arab, …
Germany: Mideast Quartet to help address Lebanon crisis
Egypt named as Arab candidate to be associated with Quartet Associated Press BERLIN: Germany suggested yesterday that the so-called Quartet of Middle East negotiators, be reactivated with help from Arab nations to address the current fighting in Lebanon. The Quartet – the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations – drafted the …
Weapons of War: Open Season on Journalists in the Middle East
After the carnage of this past weekend, they would seem to fade almost into insignificance – and that’s understandable, but they bear noting. The Israeli destruction of TV transmission towers in Lebanon and an attack on a media convoy in south Lebanon are emblematic of a grim fact: the media have become targets – and …
CBE names shortlist for Bank of Alexandria sale
CAIRO: The government said on Wednesday it had short-listed six candidates to buy a 75-80 percent stake in the state-owned Bank of Alexandria, and will allow them to carry out due diligence checks on the business. The central bank said in a joint statement with the investment ministry that it would take final financial and …
Navigating the transportation maze
Gas prices prompt people to consider other means of traveling around Cairo CAIRO: Whichever way you choose to travel through the city, taking transportation in Cairo is an adventure shared with a lot of strangers. Most people make their transportation choices based on calculating price, difficulty, time, and the final destination. With the hike in …
Public banks to receive $1 billion capital increase
CAIRO: Having recently been downgraded by the ratings agency Moody s, National Bank of Egypt (NBE) will share a capital injection of $1 billion (LE 5.7 billion) with the Banque Misr. Central Bank of Egypt Deputy Governor Tariq Amer announced the capital increase of the nation s two largest banks without specifying the proportion of …
Hussein Fahmy quits the UN over Lebanon situation
UNDP understand and regret Fahmy s decision, stresses allegations are incorrect CAIRO: Actor Hussein Fahmy quit his post as United Nations goodwill ambassador in objection to the organization s inability to hold Israel accountable Israel for its aggression towards Lebanon. Meanwhile, Cairo-based UN officials stress that the organization has an effective humanitarian role to play …
In Love of Photography
CAIRO: The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) is organizing a photo exhibit titled “In Love of Photography , by Moustafa Al-Shershaby, Sayed Al-Mahgoob, Ahmed Abdul Aziz and Mona Abdul Karim. The photos introduce Islamic Cairo. Its nights, people and folklore all conveyed through the artists’ eyes. The four artists are members of the …
Flamenca, a marriage between flamenco and oriental music
Local band produce unique music spontaneously, appealing to wide audience CAIRO: Flamenca’s performance at Al El-Sawy Cultural Center steamed evoked the audience’s senses to wild applauses and loud cheers from an enthusiastic audience. The three-year old band mixes between Spanish and oriental instruments to introduce a unique and novel style of their own. The crowded …
Shaaban Abdel Rahim releases a new song in protest of Israel
CAIRO: A populist crooner who won fame for his ditty I Hate Israel is releasing a new song in protest against Israel s attack on Hezbollah, his production manager announced Tuesday. Shaaban Abdel Rahim s For Only Two Soldiers, a reference to the two Israeli soldiers whose July 12 kidnapping by Hezbollah sparked the three-week-old …
Blissful night
ŠΘ # # # The beautiful wedding at the JW Marriot was attended by many ministers, businesspeople and celebrities, here, Mr. and Mrs. Sameh Fahmy (Minister of Petroleum) with his daughter Samar and her daughter Hana # # Hanan Tourk, Khaled Khatab, the couple and Mohammed Hamaky
Abraaj Capital makes offer on EFG Hermes shares
Move makes UAE company single largest shareholder in bank CAIRO: Thanks to an offer made by UAE-based Abraaj Capital Limited, a private equity firm, to buy a 25 percent in Egyptian investment bank EFG Hermes, Egyptian share prices witnessed a boost earlier this week. According to an EFG Hermes statement, EFG’s board met in Cairo …
Palestinians insult Egyptian leadership during march to support Hezbollah
RAMALLAH: More than 2,000 Palestinians denounced moderate Arab leaders in a march in support of Hezbollah yesterday. The protesters marched through Ramallah s main thoroughfare, carrying pictures of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah guerrillas, and waved Hezbollah s distinctive yellow flags. Protesters chanted insults about President Hosni Mubarak, a reference to the …
Camels for sale
Traders cater to tourists, trekkers, and those with an exotic palette CAIRO: Abdul Hakim has his camels to thank. After 40 years of buying and selling them, he was able to move from Said and buy a house in Cairo, support his family of five, and send one of his sons to Cairo University. “But …
MobiNil says defers applying for 3G license
CAIRO: Egyptian mobile phone service operator MobiNil said on Monday it would defer making a decision on whether to apply for a license for higher-bandwidth 3G technology for a year because conditions were unattractive . At this point the board has elected not to pursue such an endeavor, Chief Executive Alex Shalaby told analysts in …
Reopening the debate on Camp David
Recent aggression reexamines Egypt s normalization with Israel CAIRO: The Camp David Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty has had its supporters and denouncers among Egyptian politicians of late, but the debate has been reignited since Israel launched a massive air, land and sea assault on Lebanon following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah on July …
Stir of Saudi fatwa dissolves with Qana news
Rage and frustration mark local reaction to Qana massacre CAIRO: When the Saudi fatwa was issued last week denouncing support of Hezbollah on the grounds of the Shiite-Sunni differences, the general attitude was rejection. Nonetheless, the fatwa found supporters here and there. But a unified stance, at least among the Arab masses, was imminent; unfortunately, …
"Wesh Egram" Premiere
ŠΘ # # # The movie stars’ Boushra and Khaled Zaki in addition to director Wael Ihsan, producer Esaad Younes and fans attended the event, here, Esaad Younes and Wael Ihsan # # Khaled Zaki, Mohammed Heniedy and Boushra
The challenge of multilateralism
Egypt s future in light of the WTO stalemate CAIRO: The Doha Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) kicked off in Qatar five years ago in hopes of bridging the gap between industrialized nations and emerging economies. Having already given some concessions on tariffs for goods in previous negotiations, and with industrialized nations led …
Egypt disagrees with the US on intellectual property in pharmaceuticals
CAIRO: Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohammad Rachid has admitted that disagreements do exist with the United States over intellectual property rights on pharmaceutical products. In a statement released at the end of last week following his return from strategic dialogue meetings in Washington D.C., Rachid pointed out that the Egyptian Ministry of Health …
Celebrating Egyptian folklore
The First Folkloric Arts Festival honors its pioneers CAIRO: Egypt’s first Folkloric Arts Festival took place at El Sawy Cultural Center from Friday, July 28 until July 30, featuring performances by a number of folkloric troupes from all over the and honoring national icons of folklore. “It [the festival] is for reviving folkloric art in …