656 Articles
CAIRO: More than 389,000 students all over Egypt will sit for the first of the feared thanawiya amma exams today at 9 am. Despite rumors circulating about a possible postponement due to the rising number of swine flu cases in Egypt, Cabinet spokesperson Magdy Rady said there are no plans to change the exam schedule. …
CAIRO: The Egyptian Ministry of Health reported three new cases of swine flu in Egypt, bringing the total to 15. “Three cases of swine flu were detected at Cairo Airport on Friday morning. One coming from the US, one from Canada and one from Sweden all tested positive for the H1N1 virus at the health …
CAIRO: In a relaxed setting on the banks of the River Nile in Aswan, Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak spoke openly to Abdel Latif El Menyawi in an interview for terrestrial TV’s Channel 1. Mubarak praised the performance of the People’s Assembly despite saying that altercations are only natural in parliaments. “In the Italian parliament …
CAIRO: “I have never heard of anyone who was asked to leave Egypt during President [Hosni] Mubarak’s rule, popular Muslim televangelist Amr Khaled told the daily Al-Dostour. Khaled, who has repeatedly told the media that he has not been banned from entering Egypt after a June 3 report alleged that State Security ordered him to …
CAIRO: A difference in opinion on whether to attend an exclusive press meeting with President Barack Obama or boycott the meeting in objection to the presence of an Israeli journalist has turned into a full-blown dispute between two of the country’s prominent journalists. Al-Masry Al-Youm chief editor Magdy El-Gallad and renowned Egyptian columnist and Islamic …
CAIRO: Expectations that President Barack Obama’s speech will improve US relations with the Muslim world rose to 77 percent after the address, according to a poll conducted by the Egyptian Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC). Before Thursday’s speech, another IDSC poll showed that only 65 percent expected the visit to improve relations. Despite …
CAIRO: Popular Muslim televangelist Amr Khaled said he is no longer allowed to give classes or lectures in Egypt, according to a letter published exclusively in Al-Masry Al-Youm daily as a response to a report they printed alleged that he was ordered to leave Egypt, In the letter published Saturday, Khaled denied allegations in a …
Zara, the high-street fashion brand made its debut in Cairo Thursday morning, opening its doors to hundreds of customers who gathered around the store waiting for the clock to strike 12 noon. US President Barack Obama’s historical visit to the capital and all the traffic detours didn’t stop some ardent fashionistas from showing up. Nothing …
CAIRO: In preparation for his long-awaited address to the Muslim world, US President Barack Obama turned to the White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships for pointers. Sitting on the board of the council is Dalia Mogahed, who highlighted three main points that should be included in Obama’s speech: the need to build …
CAIRO: Popular Islamic televangelist Amr Khaled was allegedly forced to leave the country by Egyptian State Security, according to local news reports. However, Khaled denied these allegations to the news portal Islam Online, saying that he has not received any orders or official requests from Egyptian security bodies to leave the country and go to …
CAIRO: As the Arab and Muslim world pricks up its ears for US President Barack Obama’s much-anticipated speech on June 4, Dalia Ziada, North Africa director of the American Islamic Congress (AIC), has expectations of her own. For Ziada, Obama’s attempt to improve the relationship between the US and the Muslim world will make for …
CAIRO: Backed by independents and Muslim Brotherhood members, Hamdy Khalifa was elected chairman of the Lawyers’ Syndicate, garnering 35,842 votes after months-long controversy and legal battles. Judge Farouk Sultan, head of the South Cairo Primary Court and head of the judicial committee supervising the elections, announced the results Sunday morning. However, the results for the …
As one of many Arab women fascinated by the invasion of Turkish soap operas, I couldn’t disregard an invitation to a jewelry show by a Turkish designer. Away from soap operas, Turks are known for their fine jewelry and intricate designs and Zeynep Hanif’s show featured just that: exquisite designs made with a variety of …
CAIRO: Following much debate, legal battles and an elections day with low turnout, the second round of the Egyptian Lawyers Syndicate elections take place today. The election was originally scheduled for last Saturday, May 23, but were postponed when more than 51 percent of its general assembly failed to show up. According to the law, …
CAIRO: The Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) fourth annual Arab World conference drew the region’s intelligentsia in the fields of finance, economics, education and the media, among others. Held in Cairo Thursday under the patronage of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, the Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros Ghali gave the keynote address. “While we, at HAA have …
New releases every week, glamorous Hollywood-like premieres and intense advertising have characterized the fiercely competitive summer season for Egypt’s cinema industry. For the past decade or so, summer has been the most lucrative season for Egyptian films, with more than one-third of annual productions released in June, July and August. But last year’s summer season …
CAIRO: Experts and officials from all over the Middle East, North Africa and Europe met in Cairo Tuesday to discuss the protection and optimization of public funds and ways to combat corruption and fraud. “The fight against fraud affecting EU external aid funds is one of our operational priorities, said Franz-Hermann Bruner, director general of …
CAIRO: Minister of Education Yousri El-Gamal issued a groundbreaking decree that will allow special needs students to be integrated into the mainstream schooling system. El-Gamal said the ministry aims at having full integration in 10 percent of public schools around the country, which will be implemented throughout several stages, reported the daily Al-Dostour. “It’s a …
CAIRO: Local press reported 63 murder cases among Egyptian families, out of 93 cases of domestic violence overall during the first quarter of 2009, a local NGO said. Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights has monitored and compiled the number of incidents of violence within the Egyptian family between January and the end of …
CAIRO: The Egyptian Lawyers’ Syndicate’s elections were postponed after more than 51 percent of its general assembly failed to show up on Saturday. According to the law, 50 percent plus one of the general assembly has to attend for the elections to take place. There are approximately 205,000 lawyers registered at the Syndicate. Less than …
The old tradition of the henna night has been a growing trend in recent years, and brides-to-be are now just as busy planning their henna night as they are planning their weddings. But why the sudden comeback? One lady can be held responsible for changing the cultural notion of the henna night with its old …
CAIRO: Amid the noisy, dilapidated buildings and garbage-filled streets in Old Cairo, at the squatter settlement of Ezbet Khairallah, a beacon of hope takes form in a community center, helping the area’s children and youth. The community center is built by Plan; one of the largest child-centered community development organizations in the world. Working in …
CAIRO: Seventy-three percent of a sample surveyed in Egypt said they identify themselves as Egyptian citizens, while 13 percent said they identify themselves as global citizens, with the remaining 13 percent seeing themselves as a balance between both. The World Public Opinion Organization, a collaborative research project involving research centers from around the world and …
CAIRO: Raghda El-Ebrashi, chairperson of Egyptian NGO Alashanek Ya Balady, received the King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement 2009. El-Ebrashi received the award during the closing ceremony of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East in Amman last weekend. “This award means a lot to me, because it is not just …
CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak’s eldest grandson, Mohamed, passed away Monday night after suffering severe health complications for two days, according to an official statement made on state-run television. Twelve-year-old Mohamed, the son of Mubarak’s eldest son Alaa, was transferred for treatment to a hospital in Paris, France where he passed away Monday night. The official …
CAIRO: The Administrative Court annulled Al-Azhar’s disciplinary committee’s decision to expel Ezzat Attiya, president of the hadith department at the university, after he issued a controversial fatwa concerning breastfeeding in 2007. “No one can argue with a court order .we respect the Administrative Court and follow its orders without thinking twice, said Sheikh Fawzy El-Zefzaf, …
CAIRO: The Ministry of Finance said that the Customs Authority is not responsible for allowing the shipment of Russian wheat into the country. The shipment has been seized from the Safaga Port and provinces in Upper Egypt, local press reported. Imported wheat is not bound to any tariffs or sales taxes, therefore the Customs Authority’s …
CAIRO: The family of an Egyptian student who was recently acquitted from criminal charges in the US, have sent a letter to US President Barack Obama and other federal officials asking them to release the 23 year-old Egyptian. Youssef Megahed was arrested in August 2007 and faced federal charges for owning explosives. After being acquitted …
CAIRO: The seizure Russian wheat in Egypt is a “temporary decision, a source inside the general prosecution office told the Middle East News Agency (MENA). Egypt’s state prosecution ordered Wednesday the seizure of all wheat imported from Russia because it may not be fit for human consumption. The decision is pending test results from a …