Four top ex-officials banned from travel
CAIRO: Deputy Justice Minister for Graft Affairs Assem El-Gohary imposed a travel ban on four former top officials, press reports said Thursday. The decision was issued against People’s Assembly Speaker…
Assad under pressure as new Syria protests called
DAMASCUS: Protesters have called for rallies across Syria after weekly Muslim prayers on Friday, upping the pressure on President Bashar Al-Assad after he dashed hopes of an end to decades…
UK: No immunity for Libyan minister
LONDON: Britain refused Thursday to offer Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa immunity from prosecution after his apparent defection, but said his departure would hearten rebels fighting to topple Moammar Gadhafi's…
Snatched Gaza engineer appears in Israeli court
PETAH TIKVAH: A Gazan engineer who was snatched from the Ukraine appeared on Thursday before an Israeli court as officials confirmed he was interrogated over the missing soldier Gilad Shalit.…
Kuwaiti cabinet resigns amid new political crisis
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait's government handed in its resignation on Thursday, as a fresh political crisis brewed in the oil-rich emirate, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Rudhan Al-Rudhan announced. In a…
‘Star Wars’ creator Lucas says 3-D will rule films
"Star Wars" creator George Lucas predicts 3-D filmmaking eventually will take over at the movies the way color replaced black and white. But Lucas and fellow technology pioneers James Cameron,…
Depp has more ‘Pirates’ adventures on the horizon
LAS VEGAS: Johnny Depp's tour guide on his "Pirates of the Caribbean" voyages is plotting the course for a fifth installment even before the fourth movie sails into theaters. Producer…
Lecico plans one-for-three bonus share issue
CAIRO: Egyptian ceramics company Lecico will issue one new share for every three held in a LE 100 million ($17 million) capital increase funded by retained earnings, the company said.…
EFG-Hermes Q4 net tumbles 62.2 pct
CAIRO: EFG-Hermes, Egypt's biggest investment bank, said on Wednesday fourth-quarter net profit tumbled 62.2 percent from a year earlier, as market conditions slumped further and 2011 would be difficult. Fourth…
On the State of Egypt: Local insight for an international audience
By Caroline Curran Lauded for his novels, infamous for his sometimes caustic, often overtly political writings, things are never dull with Alaa Al-Aswany — especially when so-called tyrants and hypocrites are…