In the early 1980s, after Muhammad Ali retired, boxing was losing its mojo. It took two larger-than-life brawlers to bring star power back to the ring: Mike Tyson and Little Mac. They were the stars of the 1987 Nintendo game “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! If you had a Nintendo Entertainment System back then, odds are that …

When it comes to high-speed driving on Nintendo consoles, the action pretty much begins and ends with one name: “Mario Kart. The Wii version was last year’s bestselling game worldwide, and no one has made a serious effort to challenge its dominance in the genre. Take a look at some other Wii racing titles. Games …

Men who were grossly overweight at the age of 18 had nearly 50 percent less chance of being married by their 30s and 40s, an international conference on obesity heard in Amsterdam on Thursday. The findings, which held true regardless of the men’s intellectual performance or socio-economic position, could suggest that women rank a man’s …

On a road trip through the south of France last summer, I hoped to find the place I’d come to love from reading Peter Mayle’s “A Year in Provence and his other books. But I worried that the Provence of my dreams might be over-commercialized and overrun by tourists. Happily I did find what I …

On the corner of Canal Street and Road 83 in Maadi, one gets to see biodiversity at its best with an array of different trees. It is here where the Tree Lovers Association, a local environmental NGO, took its 25th annual walk to discuss the amazing diversity of trees in the suburban Maadi neighborhood. Though …

Alexandria is home to many things, literary and historical characters, wonderful seafood and ancient ruins. This once glamorous seaside city is slowly but surely reviving its luster. Today, Alexandria offers a retreat from the chaos of Cairo, particularly during the winter and spring seasons when the throngs of tourists leave the city. The Four Seasons …

The secret of staying thin could be at least partly down to a good night’s rest, an international conference on obesity heard in Amsterdam on Thursday. “After a bad night’s sleep, people ate 550 calories (22 percent) more than normal, said the findings of a study by the European Centre of Taste Science in Dijon …

While Russia’s two-legged population feels the financial pinch, designer lines from sportswear to mink coats, evening gowns to bootees are being snapped up… for the nation’s dogs. For mankind’s four-legged friends the rigors of the Russian winter have long required some extra layers to keep out the cold. But the jewel-encrusted, over-the-top creations on offer …

Carnivore restaurant, on the Trianon boat in Giza, has been pleasing Cairenes to no end. With an all-you-can-eat red and white meat buffet for around LE 150, it seems like a great deal. With a large seating area divided into various outdoor and indoor sections, an extensive drinks menu, and professional carvers slicing large skewers …

Elvis is shaking up Apple’s iPhone. Elvis Presley Enterprises announced on Wednesday it was releasing a free iPhone application which will allow fans to view newly released pictures and videos of the “The King and listen to podcasts from Elvis Radio. Fans can also use “Elvis Mobile to “report Elvis sightings around the world to …

Amsterdam is defined by its canals. Built 400 years ago in concentric horseshoes, they are the rib cage of the city. Coasting their waters on a canal boat opens windows onto a history of vast wealth and global power. The cobbled streets alongside the canals are scenic urban pathways for walking or biking. And they …

When Angelina Jolie was expecting twins last year, she announced her pregnancy without saying a word. She simply walked one of Hollywood s red carpets in a slim-fitting black sheath that showed off a burgeoning baby bump beneath. Gwen Stefani didn t miss a fashion beat when she was expecting her first child. The singer …

The spring and summer seasons are breeding grounds for wedding celebrations and the usual little black dress won’t do. Summer weddings are opportunities to experiment with and enjoy bright colors and sartorial flair. The attendees of this year’s Metropolitan Costume Gala exhibited new evening trends that have a little something for every woman and setting …

People with Type 2 diabetes may soon get a very different treatment approach: A drug that helps control blood sugar via the brain – an idea sparked, surprisingly, by the metabolism of migrating birds. The Food and Drug Administration in the United States approved Cycloset, maker VeroScience Inc. announced Wednesday. It s a new version …

I can’t say that I really know my way around the kitchen, and attempts on my part to venture inside require courage of which I have very little. Fears of gas ovens exploding or hot water scalds are magnified in my mind by my own personal neuroses. Cooking was like high school math, all Greek …

Gladiators were tough, but spring s towering, leather-covered, often-studded sandals are an even bigger kick in the aggressive-shoe trend. The two must-have styles are clearly cousins, but there s been an evolution, thanks in part to chunky platforms, woven textures and more sex appeal. The it bag has been replaced by the it shoe, says …

As soon as I received an invitation to attend the weekly fish buffet at Omar’s Café in the Cairo Marriott, my stomach was dancing on the inside and my taste buds were tingling in anticipation of a savory dinner. On regular days, Omar’s Café serves an array of tantalizing dishes, from clear lobster soup and …

Menswear trends are often harder to spot than women’s trends, but to make life a little easier, here’s a break down to keep our gentlemen look fabulous this summer. Snow white for spring: Christopher Bailey, as head designer of Burberry, is proving that old and established doesn’t need to be stuffy. Burberry brought back white …

The Bedouin have a collective attitude to just about everything. Work, money, family, feuds; you name it and the Bedouin will take a collective position. They have a highly developed sense of community and tribal loyalties and for them blood is definitely thicker than water. Family comes first, second and third and if the phrase …

The struggle to understand French food on my part has recently been resolved. I have come to grips with their philosophy of using only the finest, and oftentimes the most obscurely, unfamiliar ingredients such as tapioca pearls. I have also resigned myself to small delicate portions. I have consented to having my taste buds teased …

The hip-hop world is a less bling-bling place these days. The music genre has been defined as much by diamond-encrusted watches and platinum chains as its gritty urban lyrics. But in the last couple of years, it has scaled down its flash, a trend insiders say has become more pronounced during the recent recession. Make …

On Damascus Street in Heliopolis, the crowds of people are already getting ready for the spring feast, known in Egypt as Sham El-Nessim. The gait of the pedestrians walking on the street seems to accelerate as the holiday approaches. Crowds of cars surrounded the nearby St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church. Workers from the church were …

Toddlers of moms who took the epilepsy drug valproate during pregnancy had lower IQs than the children of women who used other anti-seizure medicines, according to a new study. The valproate children had IQ scores six to nine points lower by age 3, said the study s lead author, Dr Kimford Meador of Emory University. …

Haute couture is the preserve of the elite, clothes with astronomical price tags that can only be afforded by the world s wealthiest people – or so the received wisdom goes. Everybody has heard of the big players – Chanel, Dior, Givenchy – but few outside the business will have heard of Franck Sorbier, who …

Art Deco was so ahead of its time that its practitioners were accused of being too modern and their work looks contemporary today, even though it is more than 80 years old. The Musee des Art Decoratifs in Paris has mounted a major retrospective to celebrate Jean Despres, one of the fathers of modern jewellery, …

US officials are on the warpath against a new plague pouncing on unsuspecting people from cellphones, keyboards and mattresses – the humble bed bug now staging a comeback after two decades. The tiny blood-suckers had all but vanished over the past 20 years, but now pose the most difficult, challenging pest problem of our generation, …

Lebanon s environment minister on Thursday shunned a call to give up kebabs and live on the country s wide range of vegetarian dishes. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) appealed to minister Antoine Karam to lead Lebanon and the world in the charge against climate change and environmental destruction by going vegetarian …

A pill used for thyroid disease can cause fatal liver failure in children and should no longer be used to treat them, two doctors warn. Doctors usually first try either propylthiouracil or methimazole to treat children with Graves disease, the most common cause of an overactive thyroid. Other treatments are surgery and radioactive iodine. But …

In the market for a Bentley sports car, a Jean Paul Gaultier dress or a cell phone, but don t feel like dealing with a pesky salesperson? Literally at the touch of a button, visitors to the Mondrian South Beach can buy those items – as well as more prosaic hotel gift-shop staples like toothbrushes …

It s been billed as one of the major face-offs of the NATO summit, and it had nothing to do with troops in Afghanistan or relations with Russia. No, it was the breathlessly anticipated moment last Friday when two of the most scrutinized women on the planet – Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy – finally …