Egypt's economy underlined by "delicate balance," says report
CAIRO: Characterized by the wild fluctuation of commodity prices, a financial meltdown and the ongoing conflicts of globalization with economic nationalism, 2008 was a turbulent economic year by any yardstick.…
Crisis takes toll on Suez Canal revenues
CAIRO: Suez Canal revenues fell 20 percent to $332.4 million in January, compared to $414.2 million in the same month last year, according to government figures released Sunday. Revenues were…
Twenty years on, Salman Rushdie still in shadow of fatwa
Salman Rushdie marks the 20th anniversary of his Islamic death sentence this week having long escaped hiding and garlanded with awards and honors, but the fatwa still casts a long…
Interactive theater experiment lost in execution
Egyptian artist Nora Amin is "one of those rare and omnipresent cultural figures that change the thought landscapes of societies, according to one of many internet profiles recounting her impressive…
Tears, jeers and cross-dressing: Oscar night drama in store
From winners sobbing uncontrollably to shocking political outbursts, bizarre snubs and streakers, the Oscars have seen it all, and Sunday s Academy Awards will likely provide fresh drama of its…
Why do smart people live longer?
EDINBURGH: People with higher intelligence test scores in childhood and early adulthood tend to live longer. This result has been found among people from Australia, Denmark, England and Wales, Scotland,…
The Bosnian example of coexistence
SARAJEVO: No Westerner can erase the Islamic influences in Bosnia, and no Easterner can impose their own influences on our way of life. This statement, overheard at a Sarajevo coffee…
The morning after Israel's vote
TEL AVIV: "The voters , said Binyamin Netanyahu in his strange victory speech, during Israel's bizarre post-election night, "have spoken. And so they have, in a multiplicity of self-contradictory voices.…
Workers wary of slump in Sharm tourism
SHARM EL-SHEIKH: A sharp slump in the posh Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh's tourism sector has left industry professionals and workers living there with anxieties about the upcoming season…
Britain refuses entry to far-right Dutch MP
LONDON: Britain refused entry Thursday to a far-right Dutch politician accused of inciting anti-Islamic hatred, drawing an expression of regret from the Dutch government.Geert Wilders, who has sparked a firestorm…