Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Experts fear fraud in upcoming union election
Sunday’s vote seen as opposition challenge to NDP CAIRO: On Sunday Egyptian workers begin the first round of voting in elections for the national basic union, electing new representatives to a number of worker organizations meant to represent their concerns to the state. But opposition figures and independent analysts warn that the voting process used …
China rising: is the emerging superpower colonizing Egypt and Africa?
Mubarak in Beijing for trade talks that could represent major policy shift CAIRO: While Egyptian leaders are keen on increasing Chinese investment, they should do so carefully, warns an economic expert. Samir Radwan, managing director of the Economic Research Forum in Cairo, says that relying too heavily on Chinese investment and technology could have serious …
Another Egyptian bank up for sale?
Bahraini bank says interested in Cairo bank CAIRO: Bahrain Islamic Bank has asked the Central Bank of Egypt for permission to conduct a due diligence study of Cairo-based Arab Investment Bank with a view to acquiring it, state news agency MENA said on Thursday. Arab Investment Bank is a small, mainly public-sector bank with 13 …
Dubai Based Al Futtaim Group Unveils LE 20 Billion Cairo Festival City Project
CAIRO: At Egypt Invest Conference Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate chief affirms Dubai-based real estate developer s long-term commitment to Egypt Dubai-based Al-Futtaim Group LE 20 Billion Cairo Festival City, the 700 fedan mixed-use, residential, commercial, hospitality and retail development under construction in New Cairo City on the Eastern Ring Road, just South of Murbarak Police …
Business Recap: Mortgage financing reaches LE 650 million
CAIRO: Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) Chairman Osama Saleh announced Monday total lending under the government s revised mortgage finance system had reached LE 650 million by the end of September. The figure is up from LE 514 million in June 2006 and just LE 15.8 million in June 2005. Saleh added he expects total lending …
Egypt coaxing Russia to set up shop in local industries
Associated Press MOSCOW: Egypt is offering incentives in an attempt to lure Russian companies to set up operations there in pharmaceuticals, energy and other industries, President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday on a visit to Moscow. The Egyptian leader met with President Vladimir Putin and told reporters afterward that he hoped the special economic zone for …
Efad Holding launches subsidiary in Egypt
CEO: company looking to duplicate Kuwaiti business model locally CAIRO: Kuwait s Efad Holding, a private company with 16 subsidiaries operating in the real estate, transportation and banking sectors in the gulf, announced the establishment of Efad Egypt Holding (EEH) during last week s Egypt Invest 2007 Conference. EEH is now the 17th subsidiary under …
One American's wish for a more peaceful world
My wish for my country is that we would stop being hypocrites and demand that the Bush administration ends the increasing cycle of violence and suffering in Iraq. If an honest assessment by President George W. Bush was accompanied by an ounce of courage, President Bush could say to the world: The time has come …
Scribo Ergo Sum
What do you have to say? CAIRO: Over the last few years, blogging has become more and more popular. Blogs, previously referred to as ‘web logs’ and eventually shortened to the current form – provide an expressive Internet-based outlet for millions of online users. Arguably, they are the key to true democratization of online content. …
Sports Talk: Paradigm of pride; icon gets a facelift
Renovation of Cairo Stadium on the block CAIRO: Cairo Stadium, one of Egypt’s grandest symbols of independence, will ironically soon fall into foreign hands. Like Marlon Brando before his death, the stadium is gray, huge and broke. We are told it will not be sold to the highest bidder but will instead go under the …
Bird flu to remain major threat for next decade: UN
CAIRO: Avian influenza is likely to remain a significant global threat for animals and humans for the next decade, top UN coordinator David Nabarro said Thursday. The virus is likely to be with us for the five or ten years to come, he told AFP in an interview. According to the UN s health agency, …
Fashion Focus: It's in the jeans for fashion-seekers or young punks alike
Denim has broken both class and national boundaries What would we do without jeans? That infinitely comfortable pair of pants that matches everything in our wardrobes is gradually becoming more and more acceptable for all occasion – it s called smart casual. This amazing garment has started to be worn globally with no race, ethnic, …
Start fighting off colds and flu before they appear
Some precautions to stave off a winter of misery ALEXANDRIA: Half the office is absent. The other half is walking around with a red nose and a tissue in hand. It’s that time of the year again when the common cold and influenza attack a majority of the population. Although people know it’s coming, most …
Sci-tech: A vote for WiMax is a vote for your future
What WiMax is, what it stands for, and what it can do for your country A seasoned taxi driver in Cairo can light his cigarette, change tapes on his cassette player, and adjust his rear-view mirror, all at the same time – while also rolling down the passenger-side window – and still avoid the bus …
Perched above Mohandiseen, a splendid evening in Kandahar
The restaurant s Asian offerings are expensive, but justifiably so most of the time CAIRO: Eating out in Cairo can be predictable, and sometimes downright boring. Many popular restaurants mimic each other’s menus, so that even a new idea quickly becomes passé. But high above the commotion of Sphinx Square sits a noteworthy duo to …
A feast fit for a King comes to Cairo
Ever wondered what the Queen of England eats for breakfast? What the King of Morocco serves at state dinners or whether Canada’s Prime Minister prefers tea or coffee? The select few who could possibly have answers to these questions can be found at the Club des Chefs des Chefs (Chefs of the heads of state) …
Present and Tense: Black crows
My phone was ringing off the hook. Marissa from the European Union, Kevin from the Foreign Office, and Shokomoga from the Council for the Defence of Minorities all requested my immediate attention. I was on a yacht in the Pacific, trying to put the final touches on my spring collection and stop my wife from …
Opening of Cleo Park
American VC company lauds potential of Egyptian IT industry
Mohamed Omran: MCIT studying offering WiMax operation license CAIRO: The Egyptian IT sector received strong acclaim Thursday from several representatives of local and international corporations including Vodafone Egypt, ITWorks, Xerox Egypt and Minah Ventures despite the absence of Minister of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) Tarek Kamel on the closing day of the fourth annual …
Sanpaolo to keep Bank of Alexandria management
CAIRO: Italy s Sanpaolo IMI will keep the current management of Bank of Alexandria, which it bought in an auction on Oct. 17 for $1.6 billion, the Italian bank said on Wednesday. Asked at an investment conference in Cairo if Sanpaolo would retain the current management, Giuseppe Cuccurese, the head of Sanpaolo IMI s foreign …
Revisiting historical policy of seeking arms from Russia
Egypt attempts to redress regional balance with Russia visit, says expert CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak’s visit to Russia is seen as a pivotal change in pace for Egyptian foreign policy and its ties with world powers, analysts have said. Although the agenda for the trip initially focused on economic cooperation, reports have since emerged that …
Highlights from the Global Forum on Health Research
Social vaccine, women s issues, and road traffic most relevant issues to Egypt’s health development CAIRO: Amid topics ranging from AIDS research to crisis preparedness, the most critical issues addressed by the Global Forum for Health Research, which concluded Nov. 2 in Cairo, were a proposed “social vaccine, women s issues and road traffic accidents. …
Ramadan saw rise in violent domestic crimes, media says
Social and economic stress combined with fasting makes for a dangerous mix In the past few years, Ramadan – a month usually reserved for pious contemplation and reverence – has been marred by an alarming rise in violent crime, experts have said. During this Ramadan season, the press reported, the Ministry of the Interior reported …
Word on the Street: Do women feel safe on Cairo's streets?
CAIRO: The city is abuzz with rumors and speculation concerning the alleged sexual harassment of women by a horde of men downtown on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. Everyone seems to have something to say about it. So The Daily Star Egypt posed the question: Is it still safe for a young woman to …
Dubai company to invest LE 20 billion in New Cairo
CAIRO: Dubai-based Al Futtaim Group will invest LE 20 billion Egyptian pounds ($3.5 billion) to build a new residential area on 1,750 hectares of New Cairo, state news agency MENA said on Thursday. MENA quoted Phil McArthur, managing director of Al Futtaim Group Real Estate, as saying the project would be built on land purchased …
Do we really hate Denmark?
Poll results indicate Egyptians hate Israel and Denmark, love Saudi CAIRO: The Information and Decision Support Center released yesterday the results of a poll identifying which countries Egyptians believe to be their worst enemies. And, yes, Shaaban Abdel Rehim got it right: The most hated country is Israel. Denmark came in second. Only two percent …
Egyptian journalist honored in Canada
TORONTO: An Egyptian journalist who endured a series of attacks by security officials for her reports on corruption and human-rights abuses was recognized in Canada on Wednesday for her courage and commitment to free speech. Abeer Al-Askary was one of two journalists in Toronto to pick up an International Press Freedom award. A third reporter, …
To be or not to be – is Egypt truly democratic?
Measuring the present by the past: we’ve come a long way The growth of opposition movements, the specter of multi-candidate presidential elections and the constitutional amendments proposed by the president have brought Egypt’s political processes to the fore. If we want to speak about Egypt s interior affairs, we should first examine our past. Egypt …
Sci-tech Scene: Travel websites give you wings
Net your travel plans to bypass the travel agent and the guidebook CAIRO: Now that our Eid Al-Fitr travels are behind us, let’s take a moment to recall the parts of the vacation that we really ought to smooth out for next time. You may have encountered, as a few dear friends of mine did, …
The sweet sounds of "Sugar Street"
BBC radio drama captures the essence of a literary masterpiece News of an English radio series about the late novelist Naguib Mafouz s “Cairo Trilogy came as an unexpected surprise to many of his fans. The idea of producing an English adaptation of a thoroughly Egyptian novel like the trilogy seemed dreadfully problematic, but what …