Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Palestinian PM says "lots of movement" in talks on release of capture Israeli soldier
GAZA CITY: Diplomatic efforts were underway Sunday, with strong hints that a deal may soon be announced to secure the release of prisoners from both sides. The Palestinian prime minister said Saturday there is lots of movement in negotiations over the release of an Israeli soldier held by Hamas-allied militants. Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, of …
The American mind
Where would you expect conspiracy theories about 9/11 to be disseminated in Cairo? A coffee house in Sayeda Zeinab, Al-Azhar or any of the multitude of so-called “popular quarters of the city – filled with Shisha smoke, and permeated by the smell of molasses-soaked tobacco (otherwise known as me’assel) mixed, perhaps, with the subtle whiff …
Fourteen charged with negligence in Qalyoub train accident
CAIRO: Egypt s general prosecutor charged 14 railway officials Sunday with gross negligence in last month s train accident that killed 58 people outside of Cairo. The prosecutor s office said the officials ignored repairing some technical equipment that control train signals. No trial date was set for the officials Sunday. The crash occurred in …
Gaza's human calamity
While the world’s gaze remains focused on Lebanon, less than 200 km south in Gaza, there is a human time bomb is ticking away. Some 1.4 million people in Gaza – more than half of them children – are packed inside one of the world’s most densely populated areas with no freedom of movement and …
UN General Assembly urges bigger role for migration in development process
CAIRO: There is a link between migration and development, according to the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Dialogue on international migration. Held Sept 14-15, the meeting discussed the upsides and downsides of international immigration. With the participation of 120 countries, the first-of-its-kind dialogue reversed a previous trend in which immigration was too sensitive to be …
Leaders warn of looming Darfur crisis
CAIRO: As the Sept. 30 deadline for the withdrawal of African Union troops from Sudan’s Darfur region looms, world leaders and humanitarian organizations have begun to sound the alarm about the approaching potential for disaster. “The situation in Darfur is desperate, said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, at a New York press conference earlier this week. …
Reworked Othello falls short
The Temple Independent Theater Company s latest experiment is a lavish production of meek content CAIRO: In their reworking of the Othello parable, directors Ahmed El-Attar and Nevine El-Ibiary pose an interesting question: Is the Moor tragically doomed even without the interference of Iago? Unfortunately, their production is not fit to provide the answer. Few …
Sudanese family enters Israel through Egypt looking for asylum
EL ARISH, Egypt: Five members of a Sudanese family from war-torn Darfur were arrested early Saturday before illegally crossing from Egypt to Israel, where they sought asylum, police said. The refugees – a man, his wife and three children – told police they paid Bedouin smugglers $2,000 dollars to help them sneak into Israel through …
Pioneering Egyptian comedian Fouad El-Mohandes dies at 82
CAIRO: Fouad El-Mohandes, one of Egypt s most beloved comedians whose plays and movies made over a half century brought him fans across the Arab world, has died. He was 82. El-Mohandes suffered from liver problems during the past few years, according Egypt s state-run news agency MENA, which reported that he died Saturday in …
Crime scene: Explosives theft warrants swift action
Avian flu back in the news; woman tries to sneak gun into Egyptian Museum CAIRO: Crime journalists, over the past week, have had their work cut out for them. The crime pages of the local newspapers were packed with reports of various types of crimes. A quarry incident in Sinai warranted special attention, as explosives …
Pope says he is sorry over reaction to Islam speech
Brotherhood says apology is “sufficient, Egypt summons Vatican envoy over remarks CAIRO: Pope Benedict said on Sunday he was deeply sorry at the anger caused by his remarks on Islam and said a quote he used from a medieval text about holy wars did not reflect his personal thoughts. The Pope had been under pressure …
Imprisoned opposition leader Nour speaks out from prison
CAIRO: One year after President Hosni Mubarak was reelected president in Egypt s first multi-candidate elections, jailed politician Ayman Nour sent a letter from prison thanking those who elected me and those who imprisoned me. One year has passed since that day on September 7, 2005 when millions of Egyptians looked for their votes in …
Magical night
ŠΘ # # # Mr. and Mrs. Abdel Moneim Kamel, Ms. Sylvie Fernandez Delmau the wife of Cuban Ambassador to Egypt and Mr. Vladimir Ganzales Charger D’affaires for the Cuban Embassy, Jean Michel Casse all honoring Ms. Alicia Alonso prima ballerina and General director of National Ballet of Cuba # # Jean Michel Casse …
Recent studies highlight health benefits of nicotine but it doesn't mean that smoking is the new health trend
CAIRO: For a smoker, the plain view of the cigarette is always too tempting to pass. Heavy smokers, who think the idea of attempting to quit is simply ridiculous, have convinced themselves that their regular fix of nicotine and tobacco is actually good for them – it helps them concentrate, soothes them when they are …
Dreaming of indulgence
Dreamland s Spa offers a range of treatments Serene would be the best word to describe my first impression of Dreamland s Spa and Wellness Center. The moment you enter, you seem to escape from the chaotic city and the angst-ridden roads and highway you travel through to get to the spa at the Dreamland …
Sci-tech: From Doom to MMORPG
The re-evolution of the online gaming community and the subsequent rise in electronic games CAIRO: Before there was MSN Messenger, Google Talk or MySpace.com, there was Doom. In less than 20 years, the basic game evolved into a world of interactive visual realties, online board and card games, an array of differently themed online and …
Vatican says pope did not want to offend Muslim sensibilities
Egyptian Brotherhood leader cites misunderstanding of Islam VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI did not intend to offend Muslim sensibilities with remarks about holy war, the Vatican said Thursday night, scrambling to defend the pontiff as anger built in the Islamic world over some of his remarks during his pilgrimage in Germany. It certainly wasn t …
Ring it in
ŠΘ # # # Nancy with her friends # # The wedding was a lot of fun, with entertainment provided from the two pop icons Waleed Tawfik and Assy El Hiany, here are Hoda Naser, Colette Hilany and Nadia Zeitar
Museum project to be awarded soon
Two companies compete for the project management of the Grand Egyptian Museum CAIRO: Two international consortiums are now waiting for the final answer as to who will be responsible for the management of the construction and operation of the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The museum administration reviewed the presentations of the two companies on …
Sports Talk: Heart of the matter
CAIRO: Mohamed Abdel Wahab may have died but his story has not.Though it’s been more than two weeks since the 23-year-old left fullback for Ahli and Egypt collapsed in training and died within minutes, the Egyptian sports community – and indeed those who don’t follow sports and even those who never heard of him – …
Diwan Bestsellers List
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller for LE 79 Random House ISBN: 0099470462 Al-Waleed Businessman by Riz Khan for LE 199 Harper Collins ISBN: 0007215134 Dreams by Naguib Mahfouz for LE 70 AUC Press ISBN: 977424866X Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdi for L.E. 109 Fodor ISBN: 0679463356 End of the Beginning by Clayton LE 89 …
Magical Havana nights
Don’t miss your chance to watch the Cuban ballet troupe perform CAIRO: The debut by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba at the Cairo Opera House was spectacular. Performing “The Magic of Dance, the ballerinas captivated their audience with their masterful, seemingly effortless dancing. They played out scenes from some of the more popular ballets, a …
Amid anger over Lebanon war, activists turn from democracy campaign to bitterness at Israel, U.S.
Associated Press CAIRO: Egypt s best-known democracy movement has switched its cause, now focused on demanding an end to the country s peace treaty with Israel. The campaign by the moderate Kefaya group is a sign of how the war in Lebanon knocked momentum from democracy efforts and left many reform activists deeply resentful of …
Present and Tense: Inspect this!
Welcome back to the Martha Wood Show. Even after a costly and devastating war, the threat to Israel’s security from its neighbours remains as real as ever. Israel says it will have to fight again unless Hezbollah cedes all its weapons, including its arsenal of kitchen appliances. With me here is Mark Bernstein from the …
He's just not that into you
The ultimate, “no-excuses guide to deciphering men CAIRO: Are you considering asking him out? Do you spend too much time waiting for him to call? Is he avoiding making a commitment? Well, whether you re dating, divorced, or in any state open for relationships, there’s one phrase that will prevent you from enduring disappointment, heartache …
Seniora says no Lebanon-Israel contact possible during meeting in Egypt
CAIRO: Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora said Thursday that no contact was possible between Lebanon and Israel, which have had no relations since the creation of the Jewish state in 1948. There is no contact and no possibility at all for contact with Israel, he said after meeting with President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, a …
Egypt wants Palestinian borders first before Mideast talks
CAIRO: Egypt is to present the UN Security Council with a plan to reverse the timetable of the moribund roadmap for Middle East peace by fixing the borders of a Palestinian state before resuming talks. The roadmap, drafted in 2003 by the quartet of Middle East diplomatic players – United States, United Nations, European Union …
Egypt records $395 million surplus in trade with U.S.
QIZ credited with shift; possible movement in coming months on FTA CAIRO: The balance of Egyptian-American trade recorded a $395 million surplus after the first three quarters of 2006, U.S. Embassy Commercial Advisor Amer Kiyani told the Egyptian Businessmen s Association (EBA) Wednesday. Egypt has traditionally recorded annual deficits in trade with the U.S. In …
Experimental Theater Festival challenges boundaries
Groups come from all around the world to participate and sample other cultures’ theater The set erected at the entrance to the Dar El-Opera complex gives a flavor of what this year’s Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theater hopes to achieve. In the sedate setting of the complex’s modern buildings, the façade of an utterly …
Human rights lawyer discusses work of UNHCR and rise of legal aid programs at AUC seminar
CAIRO: Michael Kagan, an American human rights lawyer based in Cairo, led a seminar at the American University in Cairo on the work of the UN refugee agency, the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the rise of legal aid programs for asylum-seekers in Egypt. Kagan has worked with asylum-seekers in Egypt since 1998 and …