656 Articles
CAIRO: A new thanawiya amma (national high school certificate) system will be implemented starting the 2010-2011 academic year, said Education Minister Youssry El-Gamal. In a meeting with the Shoura Council’s education committee, the minister outlined the new system, where 50 percent of the grade will be based on the student’s activities and continuous assessment and …
CAIRO: One of the biggest misconceptions portrayed by the media during the War on Gaza is showing Hamas as the oppressor of Palestinians, according to Egyptian doctors who recently visited the area. “There is no Hamas versus the people. They were all united, all the differences dissolved once the war started and the only thing …
CAIRO: The Cairo Appeals Court overturned a one-year jail sentence and upheld a LE 20,000 fine for each of the four newspaper editors convicted for insulting President Hosni Mubarak and defaming government officials. The four editors of opposition and independent newspapers received a one-year jail sentences and a LE 20,000 fine in September 2007 after …
For the fourth consecutive year, the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development is focusing its efforts on developing the cultural scene in Egypt by recognizing literary and film writers. The Sawiris Foundation Prize for Literature and Film Scripts was recently awarded in a lavish celebration at the Cairo Opera House, and the ceremony was attended by …
CAIRO: Forty-seven MPs filed a report to Prosecutor General Mahmoud Abdel Meguid, demanding his intervention in a lawsuit against former Minister of Housing Mohamed Ibrahim Soliman, accusing him of the misappropriation of public funds. The suit also claims that he distributed public land to his family and acquaintances. MP Alaa El Deen Abdel Moneim filed …
You’ve probably seen him at a wedding or engagement party dancing, laughing and mingling with the older and younger crowds. When you ask who he is, the answer is always: “This is the wedding photographer. Fadi Gwanny is taking wedding photography in Egypt to another level. Born and raised in the United Arab Emirates to …
As you stroll down most high-end department stores on a trip abroad, it’s not uncommon to find the label marked “100% Egyptian Cotton in the linens section. It is also not uncommon to do a double-take when your eyes catch the shockingly high price tag. “The term Egyptian cotton refers to the extra long staple …
CAIRO: When Israel launched Operation Cast Lead on Gaza, it simultaneously launched a media war in an attempt to justify its offensive. But instead of limiting itself to conventional mainstream media, Israel utilized the relatively-new blogsphere and other popular websites such as YouTube. Maj. Avital Leibovich, head of the Israeli Defense Forces’ foreign press branch, …
CAIRO: In a landmark criminal court verdict, 10 men from the governorate of Kafr El-Sheikh received the death sentence after they were convicted of kidnapping and gang raping a woman. The court also sentenced a minor to 10 years in prison for participating in the crime. The crime was committed two years ago when the …
CAIRO: Local internet subscribers will have less to complain about after a recent study by the Arab Advisors Group revealed that Egypt offers the lowest rates for ADSL subscribers across the region. The study that examined 19 countries in the Arab world found that Egypt and Algeria charge the least as opposed to Iraq and …
For those who fear the fatal effects of smoking but can’t seem to give up their daily puff, Gamucci is the answer, giving smokers a half-way solution between quitting and keeping their nicotine addiction satisfied. Gamucci is an electric cigarette which provides a real smoking experience in which the smoker has their nicotine fix without …
CAIRO: Moustafa El-Fiqi, chairman of the People’s Assembly’s foreign relations committee withdrew from the opening session of the Arab Interim Parliament, in protest at other members’ attacks on Egypt and its stance on the assaults on Gaza. El-Fiqi was representing Egypt at the session that was held in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the Israeli …
CAIRO: Ayman Nour, the jailed founder of the opposition Al-Ghad Party, filed a lawsuit against Boutros Boutros-Ghali for failing to perform his role as chairman of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) and demanded LE 1 million in compensation from the council for not responding to any of his pleas. Nour had sent numerous …
CAIRO: Sameh Ashour, lawyer and candidate for the chairman position at the Lawyers’ Syndicate, announced that he sent a letter to Boutros Boutros-Ghali, head of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), heavily criticizing him for welcoming the Israeli ambassador in his office at the council’s headquarters. “We are sorry and we are shocked at …
CAIRO: Efforts to end the Israeli assault on Gaza continue with an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo on Wednesday discussing an action plan to resolve the issue. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa called on Wednesday for an immediate meeting of rival Palestinian factions, at the opening of an emergency session on …
CAIRO: Non-political protests, canceling the Agrium project and successfully negotiating the release of 19 European hostages held in Western Desert and the release of an Egyptian vessel seized by pirates off the Somali Coast were the top events highly appraised by the Egyptian public, a recent government report revealed. The Cabinet Information and Decision Support …
CAIRO: The Ministry of Interior suspended 280 policemen from duty for violations against citizens and discharged 1,164 lower-ranking policemen for misconduct and abuse of power, Hamid Rashid, deputy minister for legal affairs, said. Rashid’s announcement came at a meeting for the Human Rights Committee at the People’s Assembly Sunday, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) …
CAIRO: Egyptian author Farag Hussein Farag won Iran’s 2008 Book Prize, for his book “The Fatimide Inscriptions and Writings on the Architectural Monuments. Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which published the book, received an official letter from Iranian Affairs Office in Egypt announcing that the prize has gone to Farag, who will receive a trophy and a monetary …
CAIRO: On the fourth court session in the appeal of a verdict acquitting the owner of the sunken Al Salam 98 ferry, the defense committee on behalf of the victims’ families demanded the referral of the case to a criminal court. The legal team representing the victims demanded nullifying the verdict acquitting Mamdouh Ismail and …
The People’s Assembly, Egypt’s lower house of parliament, ended its 2007/2008 round by passing a number of controversial laws, heralding accusations by the opposition that the ruling National Democratic Party has rushed these laws to exclude them from the process. Passed during the months of May and June 2008, the amendments to the child, traffic, …
The success stories of Azza Fahmy and Dima Rachid are ones that inspire jewelry makers and are the reason behind the renaissance of jewelry design in Egypt; with more and more designers testing the industry waters with the new lines. Egypt’s own Fahmy was able to bring back attention to the fine craftsmanship and designing …
Strolling down the runways of prestigious international fashion weeks this year alongside the likes of Chanel, Burberry, Matthew Williamson and Stella McCartney were collections by Egyptian designers Marie Louis and the new kid on the block Heba Elawadi, both of whom lured in urban fashionistas and won the acknowledgement of the industry’s leading critics. Renowned …
They have continuously been slammed as corny, unrealistic and unreligious. But despite the negative reports, the raving success of Turkish soap operas this year has proven to be a phenomenon with substantial cultural impact that even the biggest naysayer can’t deny. The sudden invasion of Turkish soaps began last July with the one and only …
Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life . Sign up, it’s free and anyone can join, reads the homepage of the popular social networking website. Little did its founder Mark Zuckerberg know about the momentum his website would gain in Egypt. What started out as a forum for people to …
CAIRO: Seventy-five percent of Egyptians do not believe that the United States is serious about establishing democratic systems in the Middle East, according to a study by Gallup, a leading US research organization. This year s results saw a 12 percent increase from 2005 s poll, where only 63 percent were skeptical about the US …
CAIRO: Up to 80 percent of Egypt’s internet capacity was restored Sunday morning, two days after breaks in underwater cables in the Mediterranean brought the regional information highway to a standstill. The breaks, possibly caused by a ship’s anchor, also hit the internet and international telephone services in other parts of the Middle East and …
CAIRO: For the second time this year, Egypt’s information highway stood still due to a cut-off in the fiber optic cables south of Italy, halting internet access in the region, according to a press statement by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). The cut-off happened in three cables, Flag Global Network, SEA-ME-WE 3 …
CAIRO: Local press reported “a limited number of applicants to the Judges’ Club chairman position in this term’s elections, whose application deadline was last Wednesday. The overall number of candidates running for the different positions reached around 45 applicants. Only three candidates are running for the chairman position; Hisham Geneina, Ahmed El-Zand and Mohamed Mansy …
CAIRO: Controversy continues to loom over this year’s Lawyers’ Syndicate elections, as a request filed to Judge Farouk Sultan, head of the South Cairo Court that monitors the elections, called for the disqualification of incumbent chairman Sameh Ashour and Khaled Abou Kresha, running for chairman and board member respectively. Lawyer Makram Fahim filed a request …
If you want to stay alive after you die, write something that is worth reading, says an old Arabic proverb. While Mohamed Madbouli, known as “Hajj Madbouli, never wrote a book, his name will certainly not be forgotten: He established one of Egypt’s top publishing houses and opened a bookstore franchise with the most comprehensive …