Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Annual party
ŠΘ # # # Hany Mahna, Farouk El Fishawy and Wahby Misheel # # Photography by Hassan IbrahimHazem Omran and Amr Balbaa
Present and Tense: Nellie's secret
Dan was back from Beirut’s southern suburb, where he was taking care of routine business. A little war always lifts his spirits, but he looked a bit preoccupied. “I don’t know how to break the news to you, he said. I knew immediately what was coming. Only two weeks ago, he told me that his …
Crisis escalates between NTRA and MobiNil over EDGE technology
Noozz CAIRO: Mobile phone service provider MobiNil announced on Thursday that the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) had officially notified the company that the introduction of the 2.75G, or EDGE, network would require a special license. The industry regulator regards EDGE as similar to 3G technology which requires obtaining a license before installation. MobiNil, meanwhile, …
More than just the land of Pharoahs
Egypt’s untapped tourism resources boundless CAIRO: Along with the Suez Canal and oil and gas revenues, tourism is one of Egypt’s main sources of foreign currency and, as the number of tourists increase every year, so does the importance of the money they pump into the national economy. Patterns, however, are shifting, with tourists looking …
Whether you are looking for an adventure or a quiet vacation, Bali offers royal treatment for all
BALI: The most famous Island in Indonesia is often referred to as an “exotic paradise. This is no exaggeration and may still not be doing it justice with the incredible sunsets, great food, beautiful beaches, rich culture and impeccable service that is all on offer. Once you get to Bali, you realize that there is …
The silence and beauty of the Western Desert
Trip to Bahariya Oasis uncovers some of the country s unknown attractions BAHARIYA, Western Desert: The oases of Egypt are like few other places on earth; an awesome range of geographical features, terrain and wildlife are concentrated on the outskirts of the Sahara. Used in ancient times by the Egyptians for agriculture, the beautiful scenery …
In Cairo, boom times for Arabic language schools
Demand for Arabic-speakers fuels surge in language school enrolments CAIRO: Tomader Rifaat has been in charge of the International Student Service Offices at AUC for 21 years, and she has never seen anything like this. “I remember 21 years ago, there were only 40 students in our study abroad program. And just a handful studied …
Mubarak takes fresh swipe at Syria over Lebanon
CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak has suggested that his detractors have lost their nerve, and asked God to calm them, in the latest verbal jab at Damascus over the Arab stance on the conflict in Lebanon. I hold my nerve and I am unflappable in the face of provocation. May God calm those who have lost …
Word on the Street: Rail system in the spotlight following crashes
CAIRO: Following the devastating crashes that took place this past week on Egypt’s railways and roads, the government suspended two of the major railway officials. The first crash resulted in at least 58 deaths, and was one of the worst transport disasters in the country’s history. The Daily Star Egypt gauged people’s views at Cairo’s …
Capital Market Authority to launch stock market for small companies
Lack of regulation left investors vulnerable to outside-market rumors CAIRO: Capital Market Authority (CMA) Chairman Hani Sarie El-Din announced yesterday efforts are underway to establish a separate stock market for small and medium companies now being traded on the sidelines of the CASE. The new market, he says, will help regulate what is commonly referred …
Protest figure on campaign against Israel
Agence France-Presse DAMIETTE: A leader of the protest movement Kefaya (enough) is campaigning to gather a million signatures in 100 days in favor of rescinding the country s peace treaty with Israel. I ask you to applaud the master Hassan Nasrallah, called out George Ishaq, 67, during a rally in Darmiette, an industrial port in …
Fourth Euro-Arab Film Caravan expands to Cairo
The 4th Caravan of the Euro-Arab Cinema has opened in Cairo after a successful run in Alexandria that ended last Tuesday. The festival is held at the Artistic Creativity Center of the Cairo Opera House, and is taking place from Aug. 22-29. The Caravan, which is organized by the independent film company SEMAT and funded …
Naguib Mahfouz's condition worsens
CAIRO: The condition of world renowned Egyptian writer and Nobel literature prize laureate Nagib Mahfouz has worsened again and he is now on an artificial respirator, the official daily Al-Ahram said Wednesday. Al-Ahram reported the news in its Thursday edition along with several articles on the 94-year-old writer and a chronology of his life. It …
Press Round-up: Press reacts to Qalyoub railway tragedy
CAIRO: Egypt has dedicated LE 8.5 billion to refurbishing the railway network, reports national newspapers. The restoration plan, according to Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, has been modified so that the railway lines would be “rescued in two years, instead of five. The decision comes three days after a train crash killed at least 58 people …
Omar Khayret concert in Marina
A move toward more Islamic-run governments
WASHINGTON: Other Western nations must come to grips with a new democratic Middle East, dominated by Islamic movements, even if the United States under President George W. Bush rejects the results of its promotion of democracy in the region, a prominent Egyptian democracy activist said Wednesday. Writing in The Washington Post, Saad Eddin Ibrahim said …
After deadly crash, transport minister admits grave problems on Eygpt's railway
CAIRO: The transportation minister acknowledged serious problems in Egypt s railway system Wednesday amid intensifying criticism after a train collision killed at least 58 people, the latest in a series of deadly tragedies the past year. The train collision came on the heels of the sinking of a Red Sea ferry on Feb. 3 that …
Miral Al-Tahawy speaks on Gazelle's Taps
Author draws on her Bedouin roots as well as her rich knowledge of the Arabic language CAIRO: Pursuing her quest for freedom, female author Miral Al-Tahawy, an offspring of Bedouin culture and a woman drenched in Arabic character, found both herself and her writing. During an evening dedicated to her literature at the Kotob Khan …
Diwan goes digital as owner announces new bookshop services
Diwan bookstore is taking its customer service to another level – home deliveries and a fully searchable Web site, replete with online book clubs and interactive discussion circles. Diwan owner Nadia Wassef said the Web site will be ready for customer use by the end of this year. In the meantime, Diwan will actually start …
Helping through song
Band’s message: Hold on to Arab identity CAIRO: Different groups choose different ways to express their solidarity with Lebanon. While some choose protesting in the streets, others choose to express themselves by organizing cultural events. The Li-Beirut (for Beirut) campaign organized a cultural event with the aim of providing aid to Lebanon on Wednesday. First …
Palestinian militants breach Egypt-Gaza border wall
Israel raids Gaza, civilian and two militants killed GAZA: Palestinian militants blew a three-meter hole in the Gaza-Egypt border wall on Thursday, in a bid to allow a crowd of about 5,000 Palestinians to enter Egypt, security and border sources said. The explosion was on the Palestinian side of the wall at the Salaheddin gate, …
Artists do their part for Lebanon
Li-Beirut campaign launches visual art exhibition showcasing local talent CAIRO: Showcasing local talent while expressing support for Lebanon, Li-Beirut launched their visual art exhibition Monday night at the Ebdaa Gallery in Mohandiseen. The three-week-old Cairo-based campaign to express solidarity with Lebanon has gathered together an impressively diverse array of artistic works, which have all been …
Egypt sets cement price ceiling below market level
CAIRO: Egypt has set the domestic price ceiling for bagged cement bought from the factory at LE 290 ($50.50) per ton, the trade and industry minister said, a level below recent market prices. Analysts said the new ceiling would cut cement company profits but might provide a boost to construction firms. We need to revise …
Ministry of Social Solidarity launches effort to control subsidized bread production
Bakers, millers protesting new contracts CAIRO: The ongoing conflict between government-subsidized bread bakeries and the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) has reached a new height this week with bread producers now threatening to take their case to the High Constitutional Court if the ministry does not agree to amend its new proposed contract. Hassan Mohammady, …
Human rights abuses in Egypt and Jordan
DUBAI: In the Middle East last week, senior Muslim Brotherhood officials suffered a setback in Egypt and poor prison conditions were highlighted in Jordan. In Egypt, an Aug. 14 court order to release Muslim Brotherhood politburo members Essam Al-Arian and Mohammed Morsi was reversed on Aug. 16 following an appeal by state prosecutors. Along with …
Muslim authorities disown fatwas on killing Jews
Agence France-Presse CAIRO: Muslim authorities have stepped in to keep a wave of anti-Semitic sentiment from getting out of control, disowning an edict by a firebrand cleric calling for Israeli Jews to be killed. On the eve of last week s truce in the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah, cleric Safwat Al-Higazi issued an …
Egypt bemoans sluggish mobilization of Lebanon UN force
CAIRO: Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit on Tuesday urged Europe to increase its participation in the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in south Lebanon. We need rapid action for European participation in this force. We are witnessing some level of sluggishness, which will have a negative impact on the ground, Abul-Gheit said after meeting his …
Star-studded wedding
ŠΘ # # # Many celebrities attended the wedding, including the grooms sister famous actress Somia El Khashab, here are Magda Nour El Din, Samy El Adl and Somaia El Kashab # # Photography by Hassan IbrahimSinging sensations Ihab Tawfik and Bahaa Sultan put on a great performance adding even more magnetism to the …
Eleven killed in wedding convoy crash
Egypt to invest $1.5 billion in rail network, Egyptian transport slammed by train and road crashes Agence France-Presse CAIRO: Eleven Egyptians died Wednesday when their minibus, part of a wedding convoy, overturned near the southern city of Aswan, police said. Eleven Egyptians, including three children and two women, were killed in the accident which occurred …
Syria committed "massacres" in Lebanon, says state-owned press
Head: Syria committed “massacres in Lebanon, says state-owned press By Joelle BassoulAgence France-Presse CAIRO: The state media on Wednesday accused Syria of committing massacres in Lebanon, lashing out at Damascus in response to President Bashar Al-Assad s recent criticism of Egypt. In an editorial addressed to the Syrian ambassador in Cairo, the Egyptian government daily …