The Golden Globes remain Hollywood’s second-biggest film honors. Yet they are not the weather vane they used to be for predicting which film might triumph at the Academy Awards. The 68th annual Globes, whose nominations come out Tuesday morning, will feature 10 best-picture nominees, five each in the dramatic category and the musical or comedy …

DUBAI: Diabetes is costing the United States up to $160 billion per year and might affect one-third of Americans by the middle of the century, former US President Bill Clinton said Sunday in Dubai. "By the middle of this century, the diabetes rate in the United States could be as high as one-third of our …

Michael Jackson fans will this week finally get their hands on the pop icon’s first record since he died, with huge sales expected despite lukewarm reviews and questions over its authenticity. "Michael," due out Tuesday in the United States, comprises 10 songs the King of Pop was at various stages of completing when he died …

Home favorite Nigerian artist 2Face swooped two main awards as South Africa’s legendary singer Miriam Makeba was posthumously honored at the MTV Africa Music Awards on Saturday in Lagos. South African anti-apartheid icon Makeba was posthumously awarded the "Mama Legend" prize after a career at the pinnacle of the continent’s musical scene. 2Face took the …

Cairo’s penchant for fine dining and gourmet cuisine is no secret; the trend has been given away by the rising number of online and catering venues springing up all over the capital in recent years. For those who melt at the mention of imported Gruyère cheeses, exotic spices, fresh herbs, berries and other fine ingredients; …

If you’re anything like this reviewer, the experience of a freshly ground, aromatic cup of coffee is something that brings utter joy to the morning, or any time of day for that matter. Sometimes, heading all the way to Alexandria for a decent cup of coffee is well worth the 200km-drive. Brazilian Coffee Shop in …

The grey pearls burst on the tongue to release their salty, marine aroma, lifted by notes of nut or fruit. Caviar remains the ultimate luxury food — except these days the Caspian delicacy likely comes from a farm near you. Exports of wild sturgeon eggs — culled to make caviar — have been severely restricted …

With a new facelift and new menu, Tamarai, Cairo’s most exciting nightspot, has once again opened its indoor space to the public, just a month shy of its two-year anniversary. Though the interiors are somewhat still the same — a few changes in furniture and the addition of some wood paneling have been made — …

I suspect that if I had an older sister, she would be much cooler than me. I have oft fantasized about a sister whose wisdom on both men and fashion would always steer me towards the best of choices and save me the embarrassment of relationship blunders and many a fashion faux pas. This sister …

Cycling in Cairo can be a tough concept; it’s no secret that our streets don’t look biker-friendly. Nonetheless, bike riders are growing increasingly enthusiastic about the idea, which is an ideal solution for many problems in Cairo, such as traffic and pollution. Let’s not forget the fitness benefits too: after a long day at work …

By Seth Borenstein/ AP WASHINGTON: Lately, a handful of new discoveries make it seem more likely that we are not alone — that there is life somewhere else in the universe. In the past several days, scientists have reported there are three times as many stars as they previously thought. Another group of researchers discovered a …

SHARM EL-SHEIKH: A top Egyptian official said Wednesday that he believes that one of two sharks involved in attacks on tourists in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh has been caught, while the other remains at large. Governor of South Sinai Mohammed Shousha said according to initial findings from US and Egyptian experts a …

SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Egypt kept most of the 30-mile coastline off the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh closed to swimmers after a spate of shark attacks killed one European tourist and maimed several others in the past week. Authorities diverted novice divers to the closest major resort, Dahab, about 50 miles (80 km) north of …

PARIS: Mummies decaying in Siberia. Pyramids vanishing under the sand in Sudan. Maya temples collapsing. Archaeologists are warning that climate change risks destroying countless treasures from our shared past. Melting ice can unlock ancient secrets from the ground, as with the discovery in 1991 of “Oetzi,” a 5,300-year-old warrior whose body had been preserved through …

Fans gathered in Liverpool on Wednesday for a vigil to mark the 30th anniversary of the murder of John Lennon. In the city which produced the Beatles, the focus of the memorials will be the Peace and Harmony monument unveiled earlier this year in memory of Lennon, who died when he was only 40. Fans …

Controversy can never be far from a film with a title like “El-Shouq” (Lust), especially in Egypt. This feature film — Egypt’s sole entry in the Cairo International Film Festival’s International Competition — serves up plenty of controversy, but also high drama, interesting characters and some outstanding acting. Directed by Khaled El-Hagar — his sixth …

WASHINGTON: Arabic was the fastest-growing foreign language for US university study last year, with enrollments growing by more than 46 percent compared to 2006, a study released Wednesday showed. Besides English, Arabic leapfrogged Latin and Russian to land in eighth place on the most studied language list, which has been compiled 22 times since 1958 …

CAIRO: A team of top shark experts from the US headed to Egypt Monday to help determine what is behind an unusual string of shark attacks that have killed one tourist, injured four others, and cleared the Red Sea beaches of swimmers. Shark attacks at Egypt’s Red Sea resorts, famous for their reef diving, are …

By Drew Storey After receiving an invitation to go to a place named Rithmo, I immediately began to imagine a grandiose multi-story dance complex filled with the same old garish nightclub gimmicks — overused smoke machines, lit torches, red curtains where doors should be, and maybe a few tribal dancers — that I’ve experienced far too …

By Youssef Faltas CAIRO: On Tuesday, Egyptian science enthusiasts were delighted to attend the launch of the Egyptian version of the FameLab competition in its second year. FameLab, originally created by and gained international popularity through the UK’s Cheltenham Science Festival, was introduced to Egypt last year by The British Council and the Research, Development and …

Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon has been saluted with a star on Hollywood Boulevard. The "Walk the Line" actress unveiled her Hollywood Walk of Fame honor on Wednesday outside the W Hollywood Hotel. It’s the 2,425th star dedicated on the celebrated avenue. The ceremony was designed to coincide with the Dec. 17 release of Witherspoon’s latest movie, …

Eminem earned 10 nominations Wednesday for the annual Grammy music awards, capping a comeback year for the once-troubled rap star, while Lady Gaga and Jay-Z also scored big. Eminem got a Best Album nod for his album "Recovery," as well Best Song nomination with Rihanna for "Love the Way You Lie," at the 53rd Grammys …

The first of December 2010 marked a record in Singapore cinema history as “Forever” became the country’s first film to take part in a double world premiere. The film debuted at Cairo’s legendary Opera House as part of the 34th annual Cairo International Film Festival, and concurrently at the Jakarta International Film Festival. “Forever” was …

Oscar-winning screenwriter, actor, director and now Africa advocate Ben Affleck wants to make a movie about the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo but has found no Hollywood taker yet. "I would love to make a movie about Congo, but unfortunately I’ve asked Hollywood folks and they always say, ah, nobody wants to see a …

Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks is to star in a new film by Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow which has sparked fury in Latin America, the movie’s producer was quoted as saying Wednesday. Argentina and Paraguay are refusing to cooperate in the production of the movie "Triple Frontier," which focuses on a border region between the two …

By Seth Borenstein/ AP WASHINGTON – The universe may glitter with far more stars than even Carl Sagan imagined when he rhapsodized about billions upon billions. A new study suggests there are a mind-blowing 300 sextillion of them, or three times as many as scientists previously calculated. That is a 3 followed by 23 zeros. Or …

CAIRO: Today, Dec. 1, Egypt will commemorate World AIDS Day for the sixth year, with activities and events aimed at raising awareness about the disease as well as removing the stigma associated with it. Under the slogan ‘What will you do to help?’ this year events’ main theme is a call for action. A number …

US director Irvin Kershner, who made "The Empire Strikes Back," has died at the age of 87, Star Wars creator George Lucas said Monday, praising him as a "mentor" and a "true gentleman." Kershner, who also directed Sean Connery as James Bond in "Never Say Never Again" (1983) and Peter Weller in "Robocop II" (1990), …

By AFP Peter Jackson’s troubled “Hobbit” project has become embroiled in a race row after a would-be extra was told she was too dark to play a one of the pint-sized Tolkien creatures, reports said Monday. Briton Naz Humphreys, who has Pakistani heritage, attended a casting session in the New Zealand city of Hamilton last …

By Sarah Daoud CAIRO: As part of Freedom to Create’s 2010 series of events in Cairo, a forum on female empowerment and creativity was held at the American University in Cairo’s campus in New Cairo. The forum, moderated by Femi Oke, former CNN broadcaster and journalist, brought together former first lady Jihan Sadat, Australian female entrepreneur …