YEAREND SPECIAL: Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem a real threat to peace
JERUSALEM: In the last few weeks, six more Palestinian families received notices that they are to be evicted from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. And…
YEAREND SPECIAL: Free trade can free Palestinians
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is seeking membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as part of an effort to build prosperity and the foundations of statehood but the Obama Administration…
YEAREND SPECIAL: Editorial: Egypt 2009: Security, succession and stimulus packages
CAIRO: It seems we've come full circle - 2009 is winding down on much the same note as its predecessor with a focus on the blighted Gaza Strip. Almost a…
YEAREND SPECIAL: Morals called into question in 2009
The year 2009 has seen its share of moral controversies which highlighted the conflict between Egypt's so-called secular government and its age-old traditions. The debate took center stage when rumors…
YEAREND SPECIAL: Normalization with Israel takes a hit
Despite Egypt's peace treaty with Israel, the concept of "normalization is still frowned upon by the majority of politicians and intellectuals. Any collaboration between the two countries, whether on the…
YEAREND SPECIAL: Human rights in the dock
That nothing had changed about Egyptian authorities' attitude towards political protest was clear from the very start of 2009, and was experienced first-hand by demonstrators and journalists attacked and arrested…
YEAREND SPECIAL: Prison sentences mar freedom of expression; significant progress in right of belief
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's 2005 promise that custodial sentences for journalists who commit publishing crimes would be abolished remained unfulfilled in 2009.Freedom of expressionIn October, Al-Shorouk editor Salama Ahmed Salama…
YEAREND SPECIAL: Hot court cases closed in 2009, others suspended
Court cases that caught public attention over the past year have been nothing short of dramatic, with many verdicts taking an unexpected, but generally accepted, twist. The biggest case in…
YEAREND SPECIAL: Swine flu pandemic takes its toll on academic year
After more than three months of summer vacation and the postponement of the first day of school for a whole month, students around Egypt headed to schools and universities on…
YEAREND SPECIAL: International achievements of Egyptian athletes remain unnoticed
Egyptian athletes continued their impressive winning streaks in most sports with volleyball, handball, squash and modern pentathlon achieving high rankings on the regional and international levels.2009 witnessed successful Egyptian participation…