42 Articles
CAIRO: Video footage of the crackdown on protesters by security forces suggests that military police were aiming to punish demonstrators rather maintain law and order, Amnesty International said Tuesday. “Available video footage, showing harsh and prolonged beatings, indicated that military police were using excessive force gratuitously,” Amnesty’s statement read. Violence has been raging in Cairo …
When Nizar Qabbani wrote poems like “Qare’at Al-Finjan” and “Kalemat,” it was only natural for them to be adopted by renowned artists, who added melody to the celebrated Syrian poet’s words. But to be turned into hip hop songs? Not even the most skilled fortuneteller could’ve foreseen that. Omar Chakaki is on a quest to …
All eyes were on the world’s decision-makers who gathered at the United Nations’ Climate Change summit in Copenhagen this month hoping to reach a viable climate treaty. In Egypt, a group of eco-conscious Egyptians worked behind the scenes, taking matters into their own hands. The year 2009 saw several sprouting initiatives bringing Egypt one step …
The year 2009 has seen its share of moral controversies which highlighted the conflict between Egypt’s so-called secular government and its age-old traditions. The debate took center stage when rumors surfaced of a crackdown on people seen eating, drinking or smoking before sunset during Ramadan. Human rights groups were up in arms before the news …
CAIRO: The Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned the Ministry of Interior for not discharging detained Coptic blogger Hani Nazeer, in accordance with a fourth court ruling ordering his release. A Supreme Emergency State Security Criminal Court issued its fourth verdict ordering Nazeer’s release Wednesday in response to a petition submitted by ANHRI. …
Iraq’s entry in the Cairo International Film Festival hit the right notes with Egyptian audiences, not for its plot or its script, but due to its employment of elements that were too close to home. “Dawn of the World, an Iraqi-French production, was shot in Egypt, using rising Egyptian artists in front as well as …
Being a major Hollywood actress, Lucy Liu must have attended her share of press conferences. But nothing could have prepared her for being serenaded with a happy birthday song by the moderator. Egyptian singer/actress Bushra, who was the press conference’s moderator, broke out into a Happy Birthday song when a member of the press pointed …
With a name like Salma Hayek, it is no surprise that the Hollywood actress’ press conference Wednesday was centered on her Middle Eastern background. “We are very proud of your Middle Eastern origins, Tunisian actress Hend Sabry, who was moderating the press conference, told Hayek as she introduced her to the media present at Sofitel …
The in-flight entertainment for Friday’s charter flights did a lot more than get passengers hyped up about their travel plans, it prepped them for their destination: Beyoncé. With monitors displaying a live Beyoncé show and her songs blaring through the speakers, concertgoers were jetted off to Marsa Alam for a night with their favorite superstar, …
Reviewing Ramadan sitcoms was every bit of the grueling task I’d expected it to be. While, in theory, the idea of switching off your brain and indulging in a 20-minute comedy show sounds appealing, Egyptian sitcoms beg to differ. Watching episodes of the 8+ sitcoms on television this Ramadan, I found myself maintaining a straight …
If I were ever to pick an ambassador to the Arab world; someone to represent us and show the world who we really are, it would be none other than Lebanese pop sensation Jad Shwery. Leave it to Shwery to stun audiences with jaw-dropping productions. You’ve got to hand it to him, if girls bathing …
As the world directs its attention to Mexico with the current outbreak of the swine flu, a small theatrical production arrives to put a face to the crisis, highlighting along the way the everyday hardships ordinary Mexicans are facing. The play, currently showing at Rawabet Theater, is “Hecho en Mexico (Made in Mexico) by Mexican …
I am not one to pass up a comedy show. But at a rate of two or more big shows every year, it is likely that I, along with other stand-up comedy enthusiasts, might soon grow weary of the trend. If last Friday’s Comedy Rumble should teach its organizers one thing, let it be this; …
In the spirit of Mother’s Day, I took my mother out for a fancy dinner. Because we are both picky eaters, we agreed on a cuisine that will satisfy all tastes; Italian. We headed down to the Cairo Marriott Hotel and Omar Khayyam Casino for a quiet dinner at the hotel’s popular Ristorante Tuscany. Our …
A burning spotlight shined at auditioners, one by one as they attempted to make a panel of professional comedians laugh. With an eye for talent and an ambition of unearthing stand-up comedy in the Middle East, the comedians of the Arabs Gone Wild comedy show, held last November in Cairo, gave the aspiring comedians the …
In an effort to encourage low-budget, independent films, the British Council in Cairo once again hosted its annual Independent Film Festival last week, showcasing movies by both young Egyptian and British filmmakers in two consecutive evenings. Although British filmmaker Mark Bishop planned to bring a diverse selection of short independent UK films to the fest, …
CAIRO: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Youth Association for Population and Development (YAPD) celebrated Thursday the completion of the media training of the first group of students as part of its Media Clubs Project. The project trains aspiring journalists on ethical reporting as well as technical multimedia skills. More importantly, it also …
CAIRO: Egypt poses a particular challenge on the fight against drug smuggling due to its “strategic location, Mohamed Abdul Aziz, regional representative in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said. At the United Nations Information Center last Thursday, Abdul Aziz announced the launch of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) Annual Report. …
As he crosses over the Nile every morning en route to work, Mohsen El Shaarani has to fight a strong urge – strapping on his wakeboard and riding the river’s waves. A wakeboarding pro, El Shaarani finds this habit hard to shake off. “It’s addictive, he says, “the first time I jumped over those waves …
Jaffar Mahmood learnt in graduate school that a good starting point to accomplish your first feature film is to write what you know. In “Shades of Ray, it is evident that Mahmood did just that. Mahmood – who wrote, directed and produced “Shades – and the film’s lead character Ray Rehman (played by Zachary Levi) …
Having participated in a panel discussion centering on human rights last week, Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino was apparently far from done addressing relevant concerns shot at her by “passionate reporters at a press conference last Thursday. Emotional and visibly flustered, Sorvino was diplomatic in responding to comments questioning her activism with regards to Gaza, Iraq …
CAIRO: “The marketing field [in the Middle East] is dominated by Egyptians, Hany Mwafy, managing director of ACNielsen Egypt said, “but we never came under one roof and interacted. This, according to Mwafy, is the main drive behind holding the first Consumer 360 conference in Cairo, bringing together marketeers and allowing them to exchange information, …
ARABS GONE WILD HAS AUDIENCES SHOOTING HUMMUS OUT THEIR NOSES “What’s up with these new cigarette packs? Are they collector’s items? asked comedian Dean Obeidallah, “I got the guy with the oxygen mask, do you have the one with the amputated arm? Commenting on the infamous pictures of a hospital patient now featured on the …
Had scholars sooner heard of the modern-day Atlantis, a 45-hecter resort on a man-made palm-shaped island, Plato’s theory of the sunken city that was dismissed as a myth would have been welcomed with open arms. Planning a trip to Dubai and planning a stay in its ‘underwater resort’ require two separate itineraries, each with its …
A summit at the pearl of the Mediterranean brought together delegates from Mexico, the United States, Japan, Italy and Bali; only at this summit, participants got along, contributed with fresh ideas, and found a common ground: good food. On Sunday June 15, the Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano launched a unique culinary event …
We all secretly want to be in a music video. We sing into our hairbrushes, we dance in front of our mirrors, all part of our fantasies that the cameras are rolling and all eyes are on us. For some of us, said music video is hip hop. The confidence and attitude that go hand-in-hand …
CAIRO: Amr Khaled is nervous. He is pacing up and down the studio set. He looks at his watch and smiles at the audience. “It’s 6:30 now; we were supposed to start shooting at 5. We sincerely apologize. He turns to his crew as they scramble around trying to overcome some technical difficulties. “Make sure …
The Egyptian dining experience is all about sharing. When you think of it you think of a group of people sitting around a table, sampling plates of succulent food. But I’ve come to notice that our giving natures are checked at the door of our favorite sushi bars. I had to hold those thoughts in …
CAIRO: Egyptian exhibitors are docking at the Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS) next month, showcasing their products among over 400 boats and yachts at the largest exhibition in the Middle East for the leisure marine industry. Organized by Dubai world Trade Center (DWTC) and running from March 11-15, visitors can expect to see an impressive …