Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Life in the hot seat
Coaches of the Egyptian national football team have some things in common. They all make a lot of money, they don’t last too long on the job and they and their mothers are called all sorts of names when they string together a few losses. What brought up the subject was this week’s appointment of …
Aftermath of a wedding
Thank you all for coming to the thoroughly choreographed event that has announced to the world my union of four months with the sole heiress of the chocolate industry in Texas. Originally, when I started my gold digging career at the mature age of 50, I was told to go for the oil industry, but …
The rough road ahead
CAIRO: Privatization has become a bad word, a fellow journalist told me recently. No one wants to be associated with it. This reflects the popular sentiment following the sale of Egyptian American Bank and the ongoing bid for Omar Effendi. The latter, with some 6,000 workers, is said to be worth more with its assets …
A weekend of polo
CAIRO: To most people around the world, polo is a glamorous, classic sport, a rare commodity that has a car and a Ralph Lauren brand named after it. What people may not be aware of is that the sport has a strong international presence, with Egypt being no exception. Last weekend, Abu Seir in Sakara …
Egyptian, Israeli leaders announce plans to meet
JERUSALEM: Israel s Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Hosni Mubarak announced plans on Thursday to meet as soon as the Israeli leader puts together a new government, officials said. Mubarak called to congratulate Olmert on his being asked by the Israeli president on Thursday to head a government after winning a March 28 …
EFG eyes Jordan, hopes for Saudi license in 2006
Head: EFG eyes Jordan, hopes for Saudi license in 2006 DUBAI: Egypt s EFG-Hermes Holdings is looking at Jordan as the next step in its regional expansion drive and hopes to win a Saudi investment banking license this year, a senior company official said. The Cairo-based investment bank already has operations in the Gulf Arab …
Court gives the right for legal recognitions of Baha'I religion
CAIRO: Egyptians affiliated with the Baha i Faith are celebrating a legal victory after the country s Administrative Court ruled their religion can legally be recognized in official documents. The ruling stems from a 2004 lawsuit filed by an Egyptian Baha i couple after their children s documents were seized, allegedly by the Civil Status …
Egypt finds clue to ancient temple's secret
Head: Egypt finds clue to ancient temple s secret CAIRO: An Egyptian archeological team has discovered a series of structures in the southwestern town of Fayoum that could yield vital data as to how a Middle Kingdom temple was built, the culture minister said Thursday. Farouk Hosni said the structures included administrative buildings, granaries and …
Representing Egypt
CAIRO: As part of the ongoing effort to lure a record 16 million tourists by 2014, the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA) has paired up with private advertising companies to launch an aggressive domestic and international campaign showcasing Egypt as a leading destination. Under the auspices of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garranah …
Coherent vocational training agenda takes shape
CAIRO: The shortage of properly trained staff is the most common complaint of industrial businesses. Policymakers and economists also cite the mismatch in the supply and demand for skills as one of the biggest challenges to the nation s economic growth. To address this issue, parliament passed a law in 2003 creating the National Fund …
More blame placed on ferry captain
CAIRO: The government laid more blame on Wednesday on the captain of the ferry which sank in the Red Sea in February with the loss of more than 1,000 lives. A cabinet statement said analysis of the recording of the conversation on the bridge of the Salam 98 showed the captain did not take any …
Third Egyptian dies of bird flu as country struggles to combat spread of virus
CAIRO: An Egyptian girl died from bird flu on Thursday, taking to three the country s human death toll from the virus, the official MENA news agency reported. The latest death was a 16-year-old girl from a province north of Cairo, who was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday. Iman Mohamed Abdel Gawad, a 16-year-old …
Government's human rights body demands immediate end of emergency state
CAIRO: The government s human rights watchdog condemned police intimidation during parliamentary elections last year, saying in a report Wednesday that security forces closed off polling stations to voters. Egyptian reformers have criticized the National Council for Human Rights, formed in 2004, saying it gives only muted reports on government human rights violations. Elections in …
National debt, Al-Wafd conflict dominate headlines
CAIRO: As updates of the Al-Wafd party’s violent internal conflict continue to take prominent spots in local newspapers, related conspiracy theories were the topics for editorial discussion. The news regarding the judges club and their canceled meeting with Human Rights Watch, reports on the national debt and President Hosni Mubarak’s visit to Khartoum also received …
Median o/n interbank falls to 8.45 percent
CAIRO: The median overnight interbank rate on the Egyptian pound fell to 8.45 percent on Thursday from 8.538 percent on Wednesday, toward the end of a central bank reserve period to measure banks reserves, traders said. The two-week period ends on Monday and a new one begins the following day. Banks try to meet their …
Dealing with Egypt's infamous traffic dilemma
CAIRO: As far as most people are concerned, the traffic problem in Cairo is an unsolved dilemma. This idea may be changing as a result of efforts by traffic police over the past two months. Many people have credited this change to General Ismail Al Shaer, the Ministry of Interior’s assistant who was recently appointed …
Egypt needs higher gas prices, says Britain's BG
ALEXANDRIA: One of the biggest gas producers operating in Egypt urged the government on Tuesday to raise domestic prices and ease access to higher value markets to attract capital for exploration. Stuart Fysh, regional executive vice president of British gas and oil company BG Group Plc, said that without revenue increases exploration capital could dwindle …
Formulating the global agenda
CAIRO: Committed to improving the state of the world, goes the motto of the World Economic Forum. As with most slogans, it s catchy yet vague and difficult to contend with. Nevertheless, this annual gathering of the world s most influential people in Davos, followed by a number of regional meetings, is not without its …
Egypt reports ninth human case of bird flu
CAIRO: Egypt on Wednesday reported a new human case of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu, bringing to nine the number of human infections in the country, including two fatalities, an official said. The latest infection was detected in a 16-month-old child from the village of Dar Al-Salam in the southern province of Sohag, …
Demining for development
Since the end of World War II, some 8,000 people have died as a result of active landmines in Egypt s North Coast and Western Desert. Over the past 60 years, ordnance in both Sinai and the Western Desert have served as an impediment to developmental projects that might otherwise function as alleviation to Egypt …
Depicting hypocrisy and denial in Egyptian society
CAIRO: There is a considerable amount of humor and despondency in Walid Khairy’s collection of short stories, No One Saw You as You Walked by the Café. The stories contain a multitude of themes. Among them are family, religion, sex, fantasy, violence, social aspirations and hypocrisy. In its entirety, the book mocks and exposes the …
Cancelled rights talk shows up lack of judicial freedom, say activists
CAIRO: The last-minute cancellation of a scheduled meeting between representatives of international rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Cairo-based Judges’ Club exposed the judiciary’s lack of independence from the authorities, local activists said. “The decision reflects the grim reality faced by the judiciary in Egypt, said Nasser Amin, director of the Arab Center …
Overnight interbank steady at 8.55 percent
CAIRO: The median overnight interbank rate on the Egyptian pound was 8.55 percent on Wednesday, little changed from Tuesday s 8.58 percent, with few banks dealing, bankers said. Four of nine banks contacted by Reuters dealt overnight at rates of 8.45 to 8.65 percent. Only one bank contacted on Tuesday had dealt overnight at 8.65 …
Sharm to be permanent home for Arab summits
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will fund the construction of a permanent seat for Arab summits in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, an Arab diplomat said Wednesday. Egypt will offer the land for the building, the Riyadh-based diplomat told AFP, requesting anonymity. The decision comes after Saudi Arabia declined during the annual Arab summit …
Female journalist willing to apologize
CAIRO: After successfully appealing her indictment for libel in a Giza court, Amira Malash, a journalist with Al-Fajr, is making an attempt at reconciliation with her accuser to put “an end to this case. In Wednesday’s session, the Giza court reviewed the attorney’s request concerning the appeal and accepted a postponement of the case until …
Investments in Egypt jump 500 percent compared to same period last year
CAIRO: Investments in Egypt are skyrocketing, up 500 percent over last year, according to the minister of investment. During the 4th Economic roundtable meeting held in Egypt, Mahmoud Mohieddin, minister of investment, stated that investments in the petroleum sector amounted to $1.9 billion, and $2.5 billion in other sectors, at the mid-point of the 2005/06 …
Confessions on a dance floor
CAIRO: The queen of pop returns yet again with an album sounding a bit too familiar. Although Madonna is one of the few artists from a generation ago to still be on top, adapting to new trends doesn’t seem to have worked this time. While her new album, Confessions on a dance floor, features ultra …
Illegal organ trade thrives on poverty
Head: Illegal organ trade thrives on poverty CAIRO: On the back of dire poverty, legal shortcomings and religious conservatism, a new mafia is prospering in Egypt and turning the country into the regional hub for the human organs trade, experts say. There are no official statistics, but in a country where social inequality is high …
Three months after parliamentary elections, opposition in shambles
CAIRO: A gunfight that broke out at the headquarters of Egypt’s oldest opposition party on Saturday served to underscore the plight of Egypt’s political opposition, in a state of disarray since parliamentary elections were held three months ago. “The incident is proof that none of the secular opposition parties are capable of resolving their rapidly …
Intel signs agreement on wireless technology with four universities
CAIRO: Intel signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday with four universities covering wireless technology, entrepreneurship and academic forums. The world s largest microchip manufacturer selected three public universities (Cairo, Alexandria and Ain Shams) and the American University of Cairo after evaluating a number of educational institutions in Egypt. The universities join some 150 others …