Pyramids deserted as tourists still avoid Egypt
CAIRO: Tourists are staying away from Egypt two months after the start of a popular revolution that removed longtime president Hosni Mubarak. Their absence is dealing another blow to…
In new Egypt and Tunisia, some buyers return
LONDON: Stock markets in Egypt and Tunisia are starting to lure back foreign investors after the ousting of decades-old autocratic regimes, but some blue-chip shares could struggle because of links…
Higher deficit forecast brings subsidies into focus
CAIRO: Minister of Finance Samir Radwan raised the forecast for Egypt’s budget deficit to 9.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) for fiscal year 2011/12, from a previous 8.5 percent.…
Which side is the world on?
By Mai Yamani The revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen — and protests in Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria — will all eventually result in a political solution.…
Egypt’s referendum, reason for guarded optimism
By Jason Petrucci COLLEGE PARK, Maryland: On 19 March, Egyptian voters approved a package of constitutional amendments recommended by a committee that was appointed by the transitional military government. With the…
Limitations of foreign intervention
By Gamal Soltan Revolutions in the modern age are never only a domestic development, and Arab revolutions are no exception. The state is one of several building blocks in an international…
Newspaper publishers launch independent federation
CAIRO: A number of prominent publishers announced Wednesday the launch of the Egyptian Federation of Newspaper Publishers, with the aim to defend the interests of print media and rid the…
Mideast regimes fear Friday as prayer turns to protest
By AFP CAIRO: Fridays in the Middle East are notable for the mass observance of midday prayers, but street protests have become just as common since the wave of uprisings began…
The false promise of green jobs
By Bjørn Lomborg COPENHAGEN: Political rhetoric has shifted away from the need to respond to the “generational challenge” of climate change. Investment in alternative energy technologies like solar and wind is…
Detained blogger’s trial adjourned to Sunday
CAIRO: A military court adjourned Thursday the trial of blogger Maikel Nabil until next Sunday to give lawyers enough time to examine the case documents, in a clear shift in…