Latest in Politics Highlight
Latest in Politics
Talk turns to election evaluation and reform
CAIRO: Preliminary results from Wednesday’s third-round run-off election for the People’s Assembly will bring the banned Muslim Brotherhood an additional 12 seats, according to estimates released by the group, earning them a total 88 places in the 454-member parliament. President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party (NDP) walked away with a total 333 seats, or 73 …
Islamists draw strength from Egyptian elections
CAIRO: Islamists across the Arab world have taken heart from the Muslim Brotherhood’s strongest ever showing in the Egyptian elections, saying this could weaken the appeal of violent ideologies. Islamists from Tunisia to Syria see the gains in the elections as a victory for the Brotherhood’s strategy of gradual and peaceful steps toward their view …
Ayman Nour trial continues
CAIRO: The decision by the presiding judge to jail the Egyptian opposition party leader Ayman Nour and other defendants during their trial on Monday underscores the highly politicized conduct of the case, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. Nour, a member of parliament who ran against President Hosni Mubarak in September’s presidential election, faces criminal charges …
Brotherhood agenda remains a mystery
CAIRO: It was one of the most detailed pieces of legislation ever proposed by the Muslim Brotherhood: A ban on alcohol in Egypt, setting down a punishment of 30 lashes and tough fines for importers or producers and 20 lashes for those who operate drinking establishments. The bill, put forward by Brotherhood lawmaker Hussein Mohammed …
Shining the spotlight on the film festival
CAIRO: Whether your tastes run to the life story of a real-life artist and national hero,a man’s journey of spiritual revelations or a group of European 20- somethings discovering love and life, the Cairo International Film Festival is serving up an artistic meal fit for all tastes. Over the past eight days, the festival has …
CIB and NBD executives discuss merger experience
CAIRO: With Commercial International Bank’s (CIB) due diligence period for its acquisition of National Bank for Development (NBD) under way, executives from both banks discussed success factors and pitfalls related to bank mergers and acquisitions. CIB Chairman and Managing Director Hisham Ezz El Arab and NBD Chairman and Managing Director Aly Shaker shared their views …
A tale of some Egyptians
CAIRO: With a smile on his face, his lab coat buttoned to the top, dentist and award-winning novelist Alaa Al-Aswany describes a scenario he envisions for Egypt some 50 years from now. “After living away, I go back to Egypt . after praying at the mosque, people spill out onto the streets to protest. I …
New El Gouna marina set to attract visitors
CAIRO: El Gouna,commonly referred to as the Red Sea’s premier leisure destination,is home to the new Abu Tig marina, one of the premier marina locations in Egypt. Located in the Northern Red Sea of Egypt, 200 NM south of Suez,the marina is designed by Italian architect Alfredo Freda. Facilities include a number of hotels, restaurants, …
Deaths and violence overshadow third round run-offs
BADAWAY, Egypt: Tear gas filled the air and the sound of gun shots echoed throughout a number of normally subdued Delta villages as the third round run-offs for the people’s assembly took place, concluding a month of parliamentary elections. Riot police formed human barricades outside polling stations and angry would-be voters, many of them Muslim …
Winners and losers in Egypt's elections
The 2005 Egyptian parliamentary elections have been remarkable primarily because of the Muslim Brotherhood’s performance. The banned-but-tolerated group, which held only 17 seats in the last parliament, has already secured 76 slots, with results from the run-offs in the final round of voting yet to be determined. Regardless of how many more seats the Brotherhood …
Nation prepares for final day of voting
CAIRO: Voters in eight Egyptian governorates are set to head back to the polls one final time for run-offs in the third round of the People’s Assembly elections. Those candidates elected today will finalize the remaining 136 of the parliament’s 444 elected seats. The National Democratic Party has secured 222 seats and analysts say the …
World of controversy
CAIRO: Three years ago, Lebanese director Jocelyne Saab submitted a script to Egyptian censorship. After an initial ban, constant struggle and a great deal of perseverance, Saab was able to turn her dream of creating a film in Egypt into a reality, and “Donia’ was released. The all-star cast includes Mohamed Mounir and Hanan Turk. …
Group calls for government resignations
CAIRO: With the outcry resulting from the extent of violence and violations taking place during the parliamentary elections, and the inability to secure a free and fair atmosphere, a civil society and elections monitor group has called for the Egyptian government to resign The National Campaign for Monitoring the Elections, a coalition of four civil …
Islamic group says 1,250 supporters detained during elections; press watchdog criticizes police attacks on TV crews
CAIRO: Egypt’s leading opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, accused the government Monday of detaining more than 1,250 supporters during ongoing legislative elections, while a press watchdog claimed police stopped film crews – including a U.S.-funded TV station – covering the polls. The criticisms are the latest in a series of complaints against Egypt’s government for …
Visitors to Egypt down after July bombings
CAIRO: Egypt said the number of visitors to the country fell 15 percent in August compared to the same time last year, a drop analysts said was short-term following bombings at the resort of Sharm El-Sheikh in July. The central bank said 743,000 people visited Egypt in August 2005, compared to 877,000 in August 2004.The …
AUC names scholarship in honor of first lady
CAIRO: The American University in Cairo (AUC) announced that it is establishing a scholarship for public school students in honor of First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, an alumna of AUC.The scholarship, which was announced by AUC President David D.Arnold at the university’s annual Alumni Gala, is a tribute to Mrs. Mubarak’s accomplishments as a leader for …
Egyptian wins World Open squash title
Malaysia’s Nicol David made history for the fourth time this year when victory over top-seeded Rachael Grinham of Australia on Sunday made her the first Asian woman to win the World Open squash title. The men’s tournament was clinched by Egypt’s Shabana, who swept aside Australia’s David Palmer 11-6 11-7 11-8. David, 22, secured an …
Stop whining and do something about it
I don’t have a voting card. I need to confess that up front. I am, however, getting one. I’m very much a product of my generation and social strata. We tend to be well-educated, well-meaning, and largely apathetic. We have opinions and ideas. We have no shortages of those. We just don’t do anything about …
Judge orders detention of Ayman Nour, fellow defendants, in forgery trial
Judge Abdel Salam Gomaa gave no reason for ruling that Nour and his co-accused should be held in prison, but Egyptian judges often make such orders when a guilty verdict is looming.
Cutting it
CAIRO: Achieving recognition in Hollywood is simply nothing more than a dream for many. Except for a handful, most Arabs have always looked at that dream as unattainable, coupled with the added difficulty of coming from the Middle East. Omar Naim proved them wrong. Naim, a Lebanese-born director/scriptwriter, made his cinematic debut with “The Final …
U.S. government ignores election violence
CAIRO: A U.S.-based human rights organization criticized the United States government for its claims that the Egyptian government was dedicated to having free and fair elections, and accuses it of ignoring reports of violence on polling days. Human Rights Watch sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Dec. 2, in response …
Picket fences
CAIRO: In an effort to combat the acute shortages of economy housing units, the government has launched a number of initiatives aimed at dealing with the situation. President Hosni Mubarak, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, Mohamed Ibrahim Suleiman and the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) have proposed a six year plan for 2005-2011 …
The opiate of the masses
CAIRO: As parents of a young child, we are faced everyday with new and troubling decisions. This morning’s crise de jour: How much television should she watch? It’s a difficult moral problem, one that leads to many sleepless nights, especially when Al-Qahira Al-Youm goes off the air. When that happens, once the talking heads are …
Lebanese delights
As you can probably guess from the name, Fayruz is a Lebanese restaurant, and it is also the pride and joy of the InterContinental Hotel CityStars. The architecture is defined by its arches and high ceilings. Fayruz is a spacious dining area with a stage for oriental live music and belly dancing which starts as …
Paradise Now
CAIRO: The joy of the Cairo film festival, on the cusp of its 30th anniversary and still an all-round model of mediocrity, is that it invariably houses the rare gem. The enervating and specious opening ceremony saw Omar El Sherif, still slick as an unrepentant lothario, accepting verbal adoration from host Safa’a Abu El So’oud …
Girls will be boys
The offside law is one of the game s hardest to comprehend, especially after it was changed. The law says that offside occurs when there are fewer than two defenders between an attacker and the goal line. Once, players were judged offside the moment the ball was passed forward by their team. Now they must …
Sowing seeds of doubt
CAIRO: “Daddy,Are you a terrorist? A simple enough question coming from a 7-year-old boy, one that seems harmless and perhaps even funny – but for the father, the question was destructive. Not just this question, but also the doubtful eyes of his German wife of eight years. In a post September 11 saga of a …
Present and tense: A woman's quest
We pick cold cuts with our unwashed fingers from styrofoam plates My wife and I now live in Zamalek, in a flat with a terrific Nile view, a small kitchen and a limited storage space.We own two armoires, one chest of drawers and one side cabinet. Since we moved there from our separate abodes, my …
Gearing up for the run-off
CAIRO: While the Muslim Brotherhood, which has enjoyed unprecedented success during Egypt’s parliamentary elections, gained no seats outright in the Dec. 1 vote, some 30 of their 49 candidates running in the third stage will take part in the run-offs. The Brotherhood candidates, who are running as independents given that their organization is currently outlawed, …
UNICEF and Al-Azhar University present new manualdesigned to underscore importance of children in Islam
Children are a gift from Allah Almighty; they are a trust in our custody