Islamic banks can charge for guarantees, says scholar
KUALA LUMPUR: Sharia banks should be allowed to charge a fee for giving guarantees, a top religious scholar said on Wednesday, issuing an opinion on an issue that has so…
Egypt shares rise with global markets, small caps up
CAIRO: Main Egyptian stock indexes gained more than 1 percent on Wednesday, led by small cap shares, as investors seeking bargains lifted global markets from multi-year lows. Shares in El…
Cement industry faring well, says analyst
CAIRO: As the global recession drags on, shifting market dynamics indicate that the cement industry, despite mixed performances by industry companies on the stock exchange, may fare better than many…
Donors to Palestinians to meet on April 1
CAIRO: International donors to the Palestinians will meet on April to follow up on commitments made at the meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, a Norwegian diplomat told AFP.Egypt said…
ANALYSIS: Gaza conference raises questions alongside money
SHARM EL SHEIKH: The Gaza reconstruction conference that was held in Sharm El-Sheikh Monday, though trumpeted as a success, was overcast by doubts regarding the implementation of the $4.5 billion…
PA debate continues over auditing agency's annual report
CAIRO: While the Central Auditing Agency's (CAA) annual report listed 21 achievements made by the government over the 2007-2008 year, it also pointed to major shortcomings.According to the report -…
Egypt urges suspension of Al-Beshir warrant
CAIRO: Egypt called on Wednesday for International Criminal Court to delay its arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al-Beshir for war crimes in Darfur, the official MENA news agency said.Foreign…
Bird flu cases have little effect on poultry industry
CAIRO: Even as word spread that a child in Fayoum had contracted a case of avian influenza, the poultry market appeared to remain stable.Prices per kilo now average between LE…
A sanctuary for Egyptian caricature opens in Fayoum
By the shores of Lake Qarun in Fayoum, a bus full of artists, journalists, and fans arrived from Cairo to attend the opening of Egypt and the Arab World's first…
US national security and the layers of its impact
WASHINGTON, DC: On Jan. 26, my office received a call from an immigration agent at Dulles International Airport, who said that my colleague Rashad Bukhari had been refused entry to…