Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
France issues travel warning to nine Arab countries
CAIRO: France is the latest European country to issue a travel warning to the region in the wake of uprisings over a cartoon depiction of the Prophet Mohammed. French citizens have been advised to be extremely vigilant if traveling to Egypt, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Lebanon, Syria or the Palestinian territories. Denmark, …
Mubarak thinks Hamas will recognize Israel, Israeli defense minister says
CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak believes that after Hamas becomes the Palestinian government, it will succumb to international pressure, renounce violence and recognize Israel, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Tuesday. Hamas, whose suicide bombers have killed hundreds of Israelis, won a landslide victory in the Palestinian elections last month and is set to take over …
Choosing an alternative
CAIRO: Homeopaths in Egypt not only meet patients, diagnose them and prescribe remedies, but they also face a struggle for recognition and fight a battle to acquire the legal status their counterparts abroad enjoy. With a great deal of passion for her job, along with strong convictions about the effect of homeopathy, Nazli Shafik is …
Poverty rampant in rural areas, says new report
CAIRO: The rich-poor divide in Egypt remains significant, especially in rural areas, according to the UN and government ministries. “Improvements in the gap between rich and poor are marginal, noted Khaled Abdel Kader of the Cairo Institute for National Planning, speaking at the release of the UNDP s latest human development report on Sunday. “Poverty, …
IT sector set for growth but inhibited by lack of investment
CAIRO: The software industry in Egypt has been on the rise since the establishment of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in 1999. While the country has long been a center for Arabization and localization of software for the region, the liberalization of telecommunications, along with e-government initiatives, have stimulated information technology (IT) and …
Egypt median o/n interbank rate steady at 8.45 pct
CAIRO: The median overnight interbank rate on the pound rose to 8.45 percent on Tuesday from Monday s 8.365 percent with pound demand stronger at the start of a new central bank reserve ratio period, bankers said. Four of seven banks contacted by Reuters had dealt overnight at rates of between 8.3 to 8.65 percent. …
Big Egyptian stocks recover some losses
CAIRO: Big Egyptian stocks recovered some of their recent losses on Tuesday, led upwards by investment bank EFG-Hermes and Orascom Construction Industries, which announced it had a stake in a large wastewater project in the Gulf emirate of Ajman. EFG-Hermes, which peaked at LE 285 ($49.74) in late January, gained 5.4 percent to last trade …
Taking back the roads
CAIRO: Proving that saving lives is a serious part of their business, British Gas (BG), one of the leading gas companies in Egypt with over $4 billion worth of investments, is once again sponsoring the second International Road Safety and Traffic Management Exhibition that will take place at the Cairo International Conference Center (ICCC) beginning …
Be a doll, won't you?
CAIRO: “What I always love about Huda’s work is that there is a lot of intelligence because she has the background and knowledge of all religions and of the local culture . But not in a stiff way, it is extremely creative and artistic, says young artist Malak Helmy while admiring Huda Lutfi’s new exhibition …
Egypt warns against clash of civilizations over cartoons
CAIRO: Egypt called Monday for urgent dialogue between the West and Muslim countries to avert a clash of civilizations over the world crisis about cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. “We are witnessing the early signs of a campaign and a clash between the West and Islam, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit said at the opening of …
BBC reaches out to Arab youth
CAIRO: “Your future . Who decides it? is a question on the minds of many Arab youths. While it is troublesome for youngsters, it is also an intriguing question for the older generation, who find it difficult to come up with an informative or satisfactory answer. BBC Arabic will try its hand at providing an …
Retail panic pulls down stocks
CAIRO: Small investors panicked by falling Egyptian stock prices pulled the market lower still on Monday in a bout of selling, traders said. “A lot of the prices are being broken too easily. There are no support levels, Yasser Hassanein of Dynamic Securities said. The benchmark Hermes index dipped 2,160.97 points, or 3.3 percent, to …
Egypt to offer 20 pct of Bank of Alexandria on bourse
CAIRO: Egypt will sell 20 percent of Bank of Alexandria on the stock exchange, 5 percent to employees and the rest to a strategic investor, the bank s head said in remarks published on Sunday. Mahmoud Abd Ellatif, Bank of Alexandria chairman, told Al Alam Al Youm newspaper, large investors would within two weeks be …
The Arab world's love-hate relationship with St. Valentine
CAIRO: Whether you’ve chosen to run through the streets professing your joy, or lock yourself in a closet, Valentine’s Day is once again upon us. Viewed by many as a “Hallmark Holiday, as it is called in the United States, named after the country’s largest greeting card maker, cupid has made his mark on lovebirds …
What the newspapers are saying
CAIRO: The continuously unfolding events regarding Egypt’s ferry accident still dominate the headlines of national and independent newspapers. In response to the tragedy, the government promises a thorough investigation supervised by a Parliamentary committee. More than 1,000 Egyptians are dead or missing in a Red Sea ferry accident that occurred less than 10 days ago. …
Students at Al-Azhar University protest cartoons lampooning prophet
CAIRO: Thousands of Al-Azhar University students demonstrated Monday at their campuses in Cairo and the southern city of Assiut, denouncing the caricatures of Islam s prophet and warning that those who published the drawings have opened the gates of hell on themselves. The protests at Al-Azhar University, the oldest and most important seat of Sunni …
Credit where credit is due
CAIRO: At approximately 9:00 pm Friday night, Mohamed Aboutrika sent his penalty shot into the back of the net, bringing Egypt the African Cup of Nations title. Egyptian goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari raced after Aboutrika immediately following the goal, and the celebrations began. At the stadium, across Cairo and throughout Egypt, people came together in …
Egypt delays local elections, Islamists cry foul
CAIRO: Egyptian authorities have postponed local elections for two years in a move opposition Islamists said on Monday was designed to maintain the ruling party s monopoly over presidential nominations. The delay means that if current President Hosni Mubarak, 77, were to die or step down, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) would be the …
AUC grants El Baradei honorary doctorate
CAIRO: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohammad El Baradei left Cairo Friday for the Austrian capital Vienna after a several days visit to Egypt. President Hosni Mubarak held a ceremony to honor El Baradei, who won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. El-Baradei is the fourth Egyptian to win a Nobel Prize, after late …
My ticket, my seat
CAIRO: After a troublesome journey to get tickets for the African Cup of Nations final, I arrived at the stadium last Friday holding my ticket. Standing amid hundreds of others . Just holding our tickets. We were denied entrance on the grounds that the stadium was full. They were right; the stadium was packed. In …
Rights groups slam interior ministers' call to close websites
CAIRO: Human rights groups have condemned a recent proposal by the Council of Arab Interior Ministers aimed at giving member governments wide scope to ban websites suspected of supporting terrorism . Activists say legislation permitting such bans will be used as an excuse to clamp down on websites not favored by authorities. This development is …
The textile projection
CAIRO: Textiles, garments and cotton cultivation employ a substantial portion of the Egyptian labor force. These sectors have benefited substantially from the Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ) protocol under which Egyptian goods with a minimum level of inputs from Israel are allowed tariff-free access to the United States. It stands to gain further from last December …
Egypt frees last remaining Sudanese protestors
CAIRO: Egypt said Sunday it had freed the last 156 Sudanese who had been detained and threatened with expulsion after police brutally broke up a Cairo sit-in demanding resettlement. The foreign ministry said in a statement that the Sudanese in the last batch to be released were not entitled to refugee status and were technically …
European Union envoys tour Toshka
CAIRO: Thirty envoys from the European Union concluded a two-day tour of the Toshka Project. The envoys, representing a range of countries, from Russia to Japan, were invited to tour the project courtesy of the Holding Trade Company in cooperation with the Egyptian Business Counsel, the Minster of Investment and the Chairman of the Egyptian …
The Struggle for a new social contract
CAIRO: Business as usual just isn’t going to cut it anymore. That is the core message of Egypt’s Human Development Report for 2005. The in-depth study released yesterday by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in collaboration with Egypt’s Institute of National Planning, calls for the intense modernization of social services and utilities for ensuring …
Egypt poised to delay local polls, Islamists cry foul
CAIRO: Egypt s consultative council on Sunday approved the two-year postponement of municipal polls that had been due within two months, in a move slammed by the opposition Muslim Brotherhood. The postponement now has to be approved by parliament to take effect. The Shura council, the country s upper chamber of parliament, approved a proposal …
Egyptian president suggests amending law to speed benefits for families of sunken ferry victims
CAIRO: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday asked his Cabinet to modify the personal status law so the families of the victims of disasters such as last week s ferry sinking can more quickly receive death certificates and government aid. Mubarak s measure was aimed at easing the suffering of families who have loudly condemned …
Football fever
CAIRO: The only thing people are able to talk about these days is Egypt’s fantastic defeat over the African nations. “Our land, Our Cup, said one of the artistic banners at the very first match, which is one of many creative slogans that people came up with to support our team during the African Cup …
Mummies found at Egypt's Valley of the Kings
CAIRO: Five mummies in wooden sarcophagi and colored funeral masks from the 18th Pharaonic dynasty were discovered by a US team from the University of Memphis, in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt on Friday. This is the first such discovery since the grave of Pharaoh Tutankhamen was uncovered in 1922. The mummies were …
One to remember
CAIRO: The 25th African Cup of Nations produced many memorable moments throughout three weeks of highly-competitive football, with Egypt winning the prestigious title for the fifth time and setting a new record of winning the title. Backed by an eager crowd of 74,100 at Cairo International Stadium, the pharaohs faced Ivory Coast; a young vigorous …
