Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Arabs resume financial aid to Palestinians, $100 million sent to Abbas
Associated Press CAIRO: The Arab League has transferred some $50 million to the Palestinians, the first funding since international aid was cut off after the Hamas militant group won legislative elections, a top Palestinian official and the Arab League said Tuesday. Saudi Arabia was also expected to transfer another $50 million to the Palestinian Authority …
Church warns against dealing with rebel priest
CAIRO: Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Church on Wednesday refused to recognize a dissident priest who recently broke away to form his own church and warned against dealing with him, the official MENA news agency reported. Max Michel recently proclaimed himself Archbishop Maximus I when he broke from Egypt s official church, currently headed by 83 …
Recent report by Kefaya urges government to root out corruption
CAIRO: As part of its mission to accelerate social development and end corruption, the Kefaya movement has issued a report tackling various cases in Egypt under the name of “The Hidden Corruption. George Ishaq, head of Kefaya, said in a press conference yesterday that the report is composed of five main parts, each addressing different …
Judicial law passes over judges' objections
ACIJLP publishes report outlining the law’s shortcomings CAIRO: Members of the self-elected Judges Club have decided to stand firm in their protests against a recently amended draft of the judicial law, clinging hard to their independence, as parliament decided to pass the final draft of the law despite the club’s reservations and recently voiced objections …
Interbank rates rise to 8.25 percent
CAIRO: The median overnight interbank rate on the pound rose to 8.25 percent on Tuesday from 8.11 percent on Monday at the start of a new two-week period for calculating bank reserves. Four out of nine banks contacted by Reuters had traded overnight money at rates between 8.2 and 8.35 percent, compared with a range …
Analysis: Journalists as activists?
CAIRO: A current debate among journalists in the country is whether a reporter can be an activist as well as do their job. A journalist’s job is to report from the ground about what is happening. In Egypt, this is often about opposition-group demonstrations. Can a reporter be an active participant at demonstrations as well …
Gaza crisis tests limits of Egyptian mediation
Reuters JERUSALEM: A crisis in Gaza has tested Egypt s ability to mediate between the Palestinians and Israel, whose mutual refusal to give ground over a soldier captured by militants has upset Cairo s diplomatic efforts, analysts say. Egypt last year coaxed a unilateral halt to attacks on Israel from Palestinian factions. But difficulties persuading …
One out of seven Egyptians has hepatitis C
Changing personal habits essential in combating spread of disease PARIS: On the second day of the 12th International Symposium in Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease, hepatitis C (HCV) held center stage, with the symposium attempting to shed light on Egypt’s widespread problem with this form of hepatitis. Egypt currently possesses the highest reported prevalence of …
Mobile shares jump on reports of high bid
CAIRO: Shares in existing Egyptian mobile phone operators jumped sharply on Tuesday on reports of higher bids than expected for the country s third mobile license. Mobinil shares surged 31 percent to LE 170 pounds as news leaked out from the site of an auction for the license. Vodafone Egypt, the other existing operator, rose …
Israel warns of "long war" over captured soldier
Egypt, Saudi urge continued mediation efforts GAZA: Israel warned the governing Palestinian faction Hamas that the sky will fall on them if they harm a captured soldier after a deadline passed on Tuesday for the Jewish state to accept a prisoner exchange. While Israeli tanks and infantry massed along the Gaza Strip s northern border …
Etisalat wins third mobile license with LE 16.7 billion offer
CAIRO: The much-anticipated bid for the third mobile license was awarded to the Etisalat consortium, which offered LE 16.7 billion, plus six percent of annual revenues paid to the government as license fees. Besides the UAE telecom operator, the consortium includes Egyptian partners Egypt Post, National Bank of Egypt (NBE) and Commercial International Bank (CIB). …
Cultural adaptation
Ibrahim Al-Mazini’s “Ten Again And Other Stories takes us into early 20th century Egypt “Ten Again and other stories By Ibrahim Al-MazaniTranslated by William M. HutchinsThe American University in Cairo Press, 2006Hardback, 256 pages CAIRO: Ibrahim Al-Mazini’s works provide one of the best representations of the social life of early 20th century middle class Egypt, …
Charitable meeting
ŠΘ # # # President of the club, Awatef Serag El Deen, other Lions member, in addition to many of Egypt’s businesswomen, socialites and charity volunteers attended the meeting, here She is with Manal Mounir, Olfat El Etreby, Habiba and Hoda Hamada, Deen, Soad Khatab, Dina and Ghada Serag # # Nariman Seliman and …
MPs call for expulsion of Israel ambassador
CAIRO: Egyptian MPs called Monday for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and his Egyptian counterpart to be recalled from Tel Aviv in protest at Israel s offensive in the Gaza Strip. The official news agency MENA said several deputies supported the call from Ibrahim Al-Gugari, head of the house s constitutional committee. Some MPs …
Italian role investigated in CIA kidnapping of Egyptian cleric
Reuters ROME: A magistrate is investigating whether Italian officials helped CIA agents abduct a terrorism suspect who says he was flown from Milan to Egypt and tortured, Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said on Monday. An Italian court has issued arrest warrants for 22 suspected U.S. agents accused of kidnapping Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known …
Egypt's "poet of the people" is no fan of the government
Associated Press CAIRO: To hear Ahmed Fouad Negm talk, nothing riles Egypt s most popular poet more than President Hosni Mubarak. Compared with Mubarak, Gamal Abdel-Nasser was a prophet and Anwar Sadat was a very kind man, Negm says of the Egyptian leader s predecessors, who, between them, jailed the poet for 18 years. Abdel-Nasser …
Kuwait's MCT may pullout from competition over third mobile operation license in Egypt
Kuwait-based communication company MTC may pullout of the competition over the third mobile phone operation license in Egypt, which is due to start on Tuesday. The news has not been denied by Mohammed Eid, the company’s Cairo office manager who said the circumstances surrounding the deal perhaps would hike up auction prices to extreme levels …
HMS Bulwark ends security operation in the Red Sea
SUEZ, Egypt: The HMS Bulwark travelled through the Suez Canal on Sunday after having conducted patrol and security operations in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, encouraging maritime security. The amphibious flagship, the first of its kind employed in the region, was also called to assist the Al-Salam Ferry and the rescue the MV Ocean …
Militants issue ultimatum as Israel moves on Gaza
Egyptian delegation meets with captured corporal GAZA CITY: Palestinian militants holding an Israeli soldier captive issued an ultimatum Monday for Israel to free prisoners or face the consequences as the army kept up its military assault on the Gaza Strip. The 03:00 GMT Tuesday deadline was immediately rejected by Israel and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, …
Analysis: Egypt's mediation crucial in stopping Israel's retribution
CAIRO: Nearly 1 million people are currently being held responsible for the kidnapping of 19-year-old Corporal Gilad Shalit on Sunday, as Israel’s first incursion into the Gaza Strip since last autumn continues to escalate. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that “Israel will not hesitate to carry out extreme action to bring Corporal Shalit back …
Preserving Coptic heritage
A renovated Coptic Museum opens its doors to visitors CAIRO: Displaying over 15,000 precious old Coptic monuments gathered from various Egyptian governorates, the Coptic museum has recently been renovated to include a new tube uniting both wings for a better display of the artifacts of Coptic culture. The main entrance to the museum is across …
Strangers among us
Rached’s latest documentary highlights the trials of girls living on the streets CAIRO: A young girl stuffs a shirt up her blouse pretending to be pregnant. She and her friends playfully tease her that there are many possible candidates for the baby’s father. “He’s ibn el shaab (a son of the people), they jest. Though …
A summery celebration
ŠΘ # # # Tahani Halawa and Susan Hassan # # The bride and groom danced all night with friends and family and many of Egypt’s leading businesspeople and socialites attended the wedding
Press Round-up: Cathedral inaugurated, press law rejected
Orthodox Christians open first cathedral, while journalists sit in at the Press Syndicate CAIRO: Egypt has officially inaugurated the first cathedral church for Egyptian Orthodox Christians under the authority of Bishop Maximos and in the presence of high-profile National Democratic Party (NDP) members, reported Al-Masry Al-Youm on its front page, Monday. The Orthodox Cathedral Church …
Convening to study hepatitis
International symposium meets in Paris to share findings PARIS: For over a decade, the world’s medical experts on hepatitis have come together to discuss, share and present the causes, effects and treatment for this global disease at the International Symposium in Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease. Together, these world-renowned doctors are joining forces to bring …
Mobile license mania stimulates bourse
CAIRO: Wild speculation about the likely winner of an auction of Egypt s third mobile license stimulated trade on the stock exchange on Monday, but most of the companies competing in the auction ended the day down. The market as a whole closed slightly higher as an extension of what one broker called a technical …
Unfair media representation
People with disabilities need more attentive media CAIRO: In a park one child approaches another to play with him. Immediately the mother of the first child grabs him and tells him not to talk with the second child anymore. When asked why she did that, the mother answered that she s afraid the second child …
Goalkeepers make the difference
During the quarterfinals of the World Cup, teams relied on them to save the day The quarterfinals of the World Cup proved that quality goalkeeping can make the difference between two evenly-skilled teams. During the knock-out stages, a heart-breaking penalty-shoot may be the only way to decide on a winner. In the highly anticipated game …
Israeli aircrafts blast Palestinian premier's office
Hundreds protest in Egypt against Israeli incursion GAZA CITY: Israeli aircrafts blasted the office of the Palestinian prime minister on Sunday, in an unmistakable message to militants from his ruling Hamas party to release a captive Israeli soldier. Top Israeli officials, meanwhile, considered whether to escalate military operations in Gaza or give diplomatic efforts involving …
U.S. attorney general defends rendition of terror suspects
CAIRO: In his first visit to Egypt, the U.S. attorney general defended the transfer of terror suspects for incarceration and interrogation in other countries. Human rights groups have raised concerns about the so-called extraordinary rendition of terror suspects, some of whom have charged they were tortured in the countries where they were sent. The U.S. …