Arab leaders: caught between emotionalism and realism
CAIRO: Last week it seemed obvious that Arabs had split into two camps. On one side were the radicals meeting in Doha, surprisingly headed by Qatar and joined by countries…
South Asia at war
CAMBRIDGE: Last month's terrorist assault in Mumbai targeted not only India's economy and sense of security. Its broader goal was to smash the India-Pakistan détente that has been taking shape…
Decoding Egypt: The decline of Egypt's soft power
CAIRO: Amidst Israel's war on Gaza, top Egyptian officials were busy with what they considered to be another more important war waged on their regime by a number of Arab…
Fuddle at Sakia's first electronic fest
Two consecutive evenings earlier this week marked the premiere of El-Sawy Culture Wheel's first Electronic Music Festival. As the independent music scene attempts to reinvent itself and seek diversity, such…
Yusuf Islam, once Cat Stevens, releases song for Gaza
Singer-songwriter Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, released on Sunday a charity song whose proceeds will go towards assisting Palestinians in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.The new recording of the…
BUSINESS BEAT: Crisis may hinder development of SME, bank relationship
As the global economic crisis roars into 2009, there are indications that financial woes threaten not only Egypt's economy but also a new culture of finance that bankers throughout the…
Davos 'rock stars'
DAVOS: If Angelina or Brad had been at Davos this year, they would have been given the treatment 'Royal celebs' deserve. But they are not here, so in the absence…
ONE ON ONE: 'Pent-up demand' for Islamic finance in Egypt, says expert
Amid the gloom of the global economic crisis, many are hopeful that investors will turn to Islamic finance as the less risky option. Meanwhile, the relatively nascent market needs to…
In depth: Fraud: The downside of plastic money
Credit cards have many benefits for the savvy consumer, but they also come with a serious risk: fraud. Despite the best efforts of international financial institutions to reduce the risks…
Israel bombs border tunnels, Egypt warns EU against patrolling coastal waters
CAIRO: Israel conducted another aerial strike aimed at the tunnels beneath the Egypt-Gaza border at the town of Rafah in the early hours of Wednesday.Sources in the area said that…
