Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Egypt threatens to sue U.S. museum over ancient mask
CAIRO: Egypt threatened Tuesday to take legal action against a U.S. museum unless it returns an ancient mask in its collection that the authorities claim was stolen from a warehouse, years ago. The St. Louis Art Museum has a week to turn over the 19th dynasty (1307-1196 BC) mask of Ka-nefer-nefer or face legal action, …
Smuggling illegal migrants in Slovakia
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia: Two men from Ukraine have been arrested in Slovakia after they helped to smuggle a group of 25 illegal migrants, believed to be Egyptians, over the Slovak border, an official said Monday. Spokesman for the prosecutor s office in the eastern Slovak town of Kosice, Milan Filocko, said the two were arrested late …
Gamal Mubarak strides more into the public's eye
CAIRO: Gamal Mubarak, son of Egypt s president and one of the country’s most influential politicians, took a stride further into the public eye this week, presenting himself as a man of the people but denying any desire to lead them. A two-hour interview on state television and a walkabout in a poor Cairo area …
Kefaya sees continued stifling of freedoms under anti-terrorism law
CAIRO: As the 25 year-old emergency laws are planning to be lifted by the government, opposition groups, especially Kefaya, have expressed their hesitancy in support such an action. They argue that when the emergency laws are gone, the new anti-terrorism bill proposed by the government will be even worse. “The emergency law should be repealed, …
Laying the technological base for development
CAIRO: Egypt’s national plan to build and develop the petrochemical industry in the country recently registered a hit with the start of a $1 billion investment for two large petrochemical projects, both being funded by the Egyptian private sector and Canada. The projects will produce a cumulative 1.65 million tons of methanol and polypropylene. The …
UN launches program seeking to aid human development
CAIRO: In keeping with this year s United Nations Human Development Report and the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations network launched the UN Development Assistant Framework (UNDAF) in partnership with the Egyptian government. A memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday between UN Resident Coordinator Antonio Vigilante and Egypt s Minister of International Cooperation, Fayza …
Australian education comes to Egypt
CAIRO: Studying for a bachelor s degree doesn t have to take four years and receiving quality international-level higher education shouldn t be limited to the rich. This is what is being said by the people bringing the Institute of Technology Australia (IOTA) to Egypt say. I see in Egypt a feeling that you need …
True authenticity in Aswan
CAIRO: “The city of radiance and luminosity, history, nature, purity and beauty, says Farghali Abdel Hafiz, his eyes lighting up as he describes the ancient city of Aswan, in the south of Egypt. The acclaimed artist chose Aswan as the theme of his latest exhibition for numerous reasons, which extend beyond the aesthetic. Aswan was …
Arab leaders donate six ferries to Egypt after sea disaster
CAIRO: Three Arab states have promised to donate two ferries each to Egypt, nearly two months after an Egyptian ferry sank in the Red Sea leaving some 1,000 people dead, the Egyptian press reported Monday. President Hosni Mubarak publicized the offers from the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Libya and Qatar in an exclusive interview with …
Thirteen new suspected militants stand trial for bombings
ISMAILIYA, Egypt: Terror attacks at several Sinai tourist resorts in the past two years were carried out by a militant group calling itself Tawhid and Jihad, a name used by Al-Qaeda associates elsewhere, Egyptian prosecutors said Sunday. The government has said the militants who carried out the suicide bombings were locals without international connections, though …
A chance to speak out
CAIRO: During Egypt’s Fourth Annual Cairo Conference, a meeting place for a diverse group of political parties and movements, delegates vowed on Sunday during its closing session to continue their struggle against imperialism, lack of press freedom, the ruling party’s monopoly and the powerlessness of the people. The conference, held on the grounds of the …
Press Roundup
CAIRO: The outcome of President Hosni Mubarak’s talks with visiting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas dominated the national newspaper headlines, along with other government-related news. Meanwhile, while the prime minister’s upcoming visit to Washington and the absence of Mubarak from the Khartoum-based Arab summit raised speculations in the independent press. The talks, held in the Red …
Intolerance runs high
CAIRO: Religious scholars are clear in their views on conversion and in fact, Egyptian laws don t penalize the process. Instead, administrative regulations are usually what stand in the way of conversion, mainly those who choose to leave Islam. In a predominantly Muslim community, the idea of converting to Islam doesn t sound repulsive to …
Approval sought for Orascom Telecom's increased stake in Israeli telco
CAIRO: Hutchison Telecommunications International will seek the Israeli government s consent for Orascom Telecom to increase its stake in Partner Communications above 10 percent, according to Israeli business daily Globes. Through its acquisition of 19.3 percent of Hutchison last December, Orascom became the ultimate owner of 9.99 percent of Partner, an Israeli mobile operator with …
Fifth suspected case found of bird flu in humans
CAIRO: Egypt said Monday a teenager hospitalized in the Nile delta governorate of Kafr Al-Sheikh with bird flu symptoms could be the fifth person in the country infected with the H5N1 strain of the virus. The 18-year-old girl was in stable condition, Nasser Kamel, spokesman for the government s anti-bird flu committee, told AFP. He …
Development using faith
CAIRO: The face of Islam has evolved over the past few years to keep up with growing antagonism and rapid globalization. With a presence in all four hemispheres, and a target audience of the fastest growing religion in the world with some 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide, preachers are struggling to find their niche in this …
U.N. agency urges Egypt to boost bird flu education
CAIRO: Egypt needs to raise public awareness of how to avoid bird flu, which the government says has killed one person and infected four others this month, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Monday. There was no sign of human-to-human transmission in Egypt, said Hassan Al-Bushra, WHO regional adviser for communicable diseases surveillance. …
Mohieddin speaks out on Omar Effendi controversy
CAIRO: After weeks of refusing to comment on the controversy surrounding the sale of Omar Effendi, Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieddin finally broke his silence in a meeting with journalists. The minister was visibly disturbed by the accusations against him in the press, which included some personal attacks by journalists. He defended his role in …
'Two-head' baby dies a year after operation
CAIRO: An Egyptian girl who had an operation more than a year ago to remove the head of her underdeveloped twin has died following an infection in her brain, her doctor said on Sunday. Egyptian doctors operated on Manar Maged in February 2005, when she was 10 months old, to remove the second head which …
Housing sector helps bourse move higher
CAIRO: Housing sector stocks, boosted by expected expansion in the sector, helped the bourse to a higher close on Sunday. Orascom Telecom, which is due to release its 2005 results on Monday, also climbed, along with EFG-Hermes. The benchmark Hermes index rose 803.81 points, or 1.4 percent, to 58,323.90 points. The broader CIBC index climbed …
Egypt set to expand the gas sector
CAIRO: Seeking to reduce its dependency on Russia, Bulgaria may start importing gas from Egypt via Turkey, according to the ministry of investment. The announcement was made after Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister, Rumen Ovcharov, met with his Turkish counterpart, Hilmi Guler, according to the Egyptian ministry. During the meeting, a number of key issues …
Mubarak, Abbas meet in Sharm El-Sheikh
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt: Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called Sunday on the next Israeli government to work with the Palestinians, who are set to be led by a Hamas-run cabinet from this week. Any Israeli government must cooperate with us and must not ignore the Palestinian side, Abbas said after talks with President Hosni Mubarak in …
Report blames technical failure for 2004 Flash Airlines crash
CAIRO: Egyptian investigators said Saturday that technical failures likely caused a January 2004 crash of a passenger jet carrying French tourists from a Red Sea resort that killed all 148 on board, but a French team blamed the Egyptian crew, saying they failed to react quickly enough. Transcripts from the cabin of Flash Airlines flight …
Land dispute ends in bloodshed
CAIRO: Members of two families in a southern Egyptian village battled with automatic weapons Saturday in a dispute over land, killing four people, police said. Three brothers of the El-Dor family and one man from the rival Glindi clan died in the fighting in the village of Bani Smea, outside the city of Assiut, 320 …
Arab League chief Moussa poised for second term
CAIRO: A popular figure in his native Egypt, Amr Moussa is standing unopposed for a second five-year term as Arab League secretary general at the organization s summit on Tuesday in Khartoum. Arab diplomats say 21 of the League s 22 members are likely to support Moussa, 70, at the March 28-29 summit. The United …
Islamist leader barred from entering Egypt
CAIRO: Egyptian immigration officials prevented the leader of the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and four others from entering the country on Thursday, conference organizers said. The five were due to attend a conference in Egypt on Iraq and the Palestinian territories. The group included Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdul Majid Thunaibat, as well …
Achieving a balance in life
CAIRO: Many of today’s career-minded individuals are hampered by personal problems, such as worry over their job, relationships and life choices. Most likely, they are experiencing a problem in another aspect of life that is indirectly affecting either their career or relationship. A life coach can help you in locating the original problem. By asking …
DINING
CAIRO: Tuesday’s for the most part are not the busiest days for restaurants. Not so with Aqua, however, which is attracting more and more of Egypt’s sushi fans with it’s Tuesday all-you-can-eat Sushi buffet that requires diligent planning; in order to secure a table, book a week in advance. Located in the Four Seasons Nile …
Concerns over the looming expiration of the Emergency Law
CAIRO: Egypt’s opposition groups are responding skeptically to an announcement made by Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif this week that the government will lift the 25-year-old Emergency Law. Highly condemned for its authorization of sweeping arrests and detentions by Egyptian national security, the legislation came in force following the assassination of President Anwar El-Sadat. Nazif says …
Viagra for the young
CAIRO: Initially advertised by pharmaceutical companies as the drug to rev-up the love life of mature adults, Viagra has recently become the drug of choice for youth, who buy it over the counter. “(This is) definitely a phenomenon. The problem is that drugs like Viagra have become recreational drugs, says Dr. Kamal Shorobime, consultant of …