Latest in Lifestyle Highlight
Latest in Lifestyle
Buttered Up: Half-browned rice – a family tradition
When my mother is in the kitchen, she likes to talk about my grandmother; I don’t think she realizes that it has become a pattern. As she stirs, today a creamy mushroom soup, tomorrow some strawberry jam thickening on the stove, she remembers her own mother’s hands, how they tailored dainty dresses and kneaded soft …
Kanye gets 7 Grammy noms; Adele, Mars, Foos get 6
Adele scored six Grammy nominations on Wednesday, including for record, song and album of the year, but the owner of the 2011’s best-selling album with "21" wasn’t the night’s top nominee — and that wasn’t the evening’s only surprise. Kanye West came away with a leading seven nominations, including a bid for song of the …
Fassbender fleshes out characters with physicality
By Jake Coyle / AP It may be three years since he played the hunger-striking Irish national Bobby Sands, but it’s still a relief to see Michael Fassbender eat. So strong is the memory of Fassbender’s performance in “Hunger,” for which he lost 50 pounds (22.6 kilograms), that the sight of him eagerly wolfing down a …
‘Afghan Elvis’ gets Kabul women all shook up
By Katherine Haddon / AFP Dubbed the Afghan Elvis, Farhad Darya may be the only man in the most conservative country on earth who can reduce an audience of women in headscarves to a screaming, waving, whistling throng. In a country where women enjoy few rights and music was banned under the Taliban until 10 years …
Buttered Up: Occupie – a movement beginning with pizza
I have placed my fingers on the keys, waiting for an idea to take control of my hands, to lead the way to thoughts that might hold some significance in light of our recent events. What can I say in a column based on food experiences, based on informing those who read that we Egyptians …
China’s Ai Weiwei says under investigation over porn
Chinese police are investigating Ai Weiwei on pornography charges, the artist said Friday, in the latest move against the outspoken government critic following his detention and a massive tax bill. The latest accusations center on old pictures posted online of the activist — who spent 81 days in secret police detention earlier this year and …
Buttered Up: Microcupcakes because Egypt loves gimmicks
When you visit a restaurant, what do you look for? The things that have me coming back are simple. Welcoming service and an attentive staff, palate-pleasing food and no conspicuous hygienic horrors – these are the only things I require. Pleasant lighting is a much loved added bonus. There is no need for a glassy-eyed …
Egypt team wins at Intel challenge for Hepatitis C detection
CAIRO: A team of entrepreneurs from Egypt came in third place at the seventh annual Intel Global Challenge at UC Berkeley, winning $10,000 for an innovation that can detect Hepatitis C. NanoDiagX of Egypt uses gold nanoparticles to develop a virus test that can detect Hepatitis C in less than an hour, and at one-tenth …
Berlusconi releases love songs on last day in office
Italy’s former prime minister and cruise-ship crooner Silvio Berlusconi released an album of love songs on his last day in office on Wednesday. The self-declared Latin lover, who often boasted that he single-handedly kept large groups entertained for hours on end with his charm and silky voice, wrote the lyrics for the album entitled …
Magazine’s 1st MAD men get a rare reunion
Think of them as the senior class of the "usual gang of idiots." Or the original MAD men perhaps. There’s Al Jaffee, who at 90 still draws the optical illusion fold-in gags for MAD magazine’s back page. And Sergio Aragones, still whipping out eye-straining and gut-busting miniature cartoons in the magazine’s margins after 48 years. …
Reality TV show lifts veil on Muslim Americans
WASHINGTON: It’s been a decade since the September 11 attacks and many Americans still don’t know quite what to make of their 2.75 million Muslim compatriots. Could a reality TV series help? "All-American Muslim," which premiered last week on the TLC cable channel, lifts the veil on five Arab American families in a suburb of …
Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor hotel still dazzles
By Heba Elkayal At the Winter Palace Luxor hotel’s gift shop, Gaddis, hangs an old sign that reads: “You are requested to consider yourself at home here. The staff will serve you cheerfully but is strictly forbidden to importune you to buy.” Mr. Gaddis first set up shop in the hotel’s arcades in 1902 to sell …
Oprah receives Oscar for humanitarian work
Actress and producer Oprah Winfrey, who has dominated the US television talk show scene for a quarter-century, was honored with an Oscar statuette late Saturday for her outstanding humanitarian work. The 57-year-old television megastar — nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar 25 years ago for her role in "The Color Purple" —received the Jean …
Buttered Up: A cherry and oat crumble on a cold morning
Some people prefer to turn their ovens on in the colder months. Come autumn, they start devoting hours, curled up in their most comfortable spot at home, researching recipes that require the warmth of a preheated oven. Food bloggers worldwide type in what I read to be loud voices, about the exciting winter recipes they …
Future development of Mecca aims to fit heritage
MECCA: Future development in the Muslim sacred city of Mecca will be more in tune with traditional architecture, the mayor says, but for now residents worry that Islam’s holiest sites are disappearing behind skyscrapers. The historic city, the birthplace of Islam, is studded with dozens of yellow and red cranes and metal scaffolding aimed at …
Cape Verde’s Pedro Pires wins 2011 Ibrahim African Leadership prize
CAIRO: Former Cape Verde President Pedro Pires will receive the 2011 Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership this Saturday in Tunis. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation said it chose Pires for his vision in transforming Cape Verde into a model of democracy, stability and increased prosperity. From March 2001 to September 2011, Pires served as …
Brains, guts, glitz are honored at Glamour fest
NEW YORK: His wife couldn’t be there herself to accept her honor. So Mark Kelly, husband of recovering congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, spoke on her behalf. But, he made clear, his wife was still running the show. "We went over my remarks very carefully," Kelly said at Glamour’s Women of the Year awards on Monday. "She’s …
Eddie Murphy follows Ratner and quits Oscar gig
Eddie Murphy has bowed out of his gig as host of the Academy Awards, following pal Brett Ratner’s decision to leave the show as producer because of an uproar over a gay slur. The news of Murphy’s departure came Wednesday, a day after Ratner quit as producer of the Feb. 26 show. Ratner left amid …
Discoverama mixes science and creativity for children
CAIRO: Sitting at a table with three containers filled with water in front of me, I was presented with a task, to turn each one over. The water spilled from the first, a mug, and the second, a bottle cap. I reached to the third, a tiny, bullet-shaped plastic container, and turned it over, but …
Saudi hails ‘success’ of this year’s hajj
MECCA: Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdel Aziz hailed the "success" of this year’s hajj despite fears of "chaos" in the wake of the Arab Spring, as remaining pilgrims continued final rites on Wednesday. "We thank God for the success of this year’s hajj, which was the best pilgrimage season to ever pass," Nayef told …
Pilgrims perform final hajj rituals
MINA: Nearly three million Muslim pilgrims were performing the final rituals of the hajj on Tuesday as the world’s largest annual gathering neared its close without major incident. The most dangerous rite of the annual hajj proceeded peacefully as pilgrims rushed to throw 21 stones at pillars that symbolize the devil in the village of …
Guilty verdict for Jackson doctor ends latest saga
The single word, "Guilty," brought a muffled shriek in the gallery of the packed courtroom and tears from Michael Jackson’s family, but no reaction from the doctor convicted of supplying the King of Pop with the drug he craved for sleep. With the snap of handcuffs, another chapter in the bizarre saga surrounding Jackson’s life …
Asteroid closes in on Earth fly-by
WASHINGTON: A big asteroid is set to make its closest flyby of Earth in 200 years on Tuesday, but there is no chance it will make a crash landing when it zips by our planet, NASA said. Astronomers have aimed their telescopes to catch a glimpse of the 2005 YU55 asteroid, which will not be …
Muslims gather on Arafat for peak hajj day
MOUNT ARAFAT: More than two million Muslims began massing Saturday on Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat and its surrounding plain, marking the peak day of the largest annual pilgrimage. Swarms of pilgrims who had spent the night in Mina, some 10 kilometers (six miles) northwest of Arafat surged through the roads leading to the mountain after …
Buttered Up: Zucchini fritter cakes for the simple gardener
I recently met the gardener taking care of our quaint patch of grass. Wanting to get into gardening for a year now and taking it upon myself to research what needed to be done, I could not wait to finally speak with him about what we could do to transform a sunny but lonely strip …
Cairo’s Fashion Nights: An affair to remember
For two consecutive nights, Cairo’s Fashion Night brought to the central Zamalek neighborhood the worldwide movement that was started in New York two years ago by Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. Over 36 stores and brands displayed their latest collection, opening their doors to guests and clients with extended hours to celebrate and promote the local …
Muslim pilgrims gather in Saudi Arabia for hajj
MECCA: Saudi authorities say nearly 2.5 million Muslims have gathered in this holy city ahead of the annual five-day hajj pilgrimage, seeking forgiveness for their sins and meditating on their faith. This year’s hajj takes place amid an unprecedented wave of anti-government protests in the Arab world that have so far toppled autocrats in Tunisia, …
Early detection help avert 90 pct of glaucoma-induced blindness cases
CAIRO: Early detection and treatment initiation can help prevent around 90 percent of cases of glaucoma-induced blindness, an ophthalmology doctor said Monday at a press conference held by the Egyptian Society for the Glaucomas (ESG). The Egyptian Society for the Glaucomas (ESG) held a press conference revealing highlights of its 11th annual meeting, during which …
Summer school aims to ‘revolutionize’ urban development
CAIRO: When Technische Universität Berlin received funds to hold short-term activities focusing on the transformation processes in Tunisia and Egypt, it opted for generating change from within. The university’s Habitat Unit and West Asia North Africa Cooperation Unit (WANACU) collaborated with Ain Shams University’s faculty of engineering, urban planning and design department, to organize “The …
Hollywood studio defends filming in Chinese city
A Hollywood studio on Monday defended its decision to film part of a buddy comedy in a Chinese city where a blind activist is being held under house arrest, saying it advocates human rights and that engaging China in business could bring positive results. Relativity Media is shooting part of the comedy, "21 and Over," …