Growing trees from olive branches
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: Last month the United States Congress passed a resolution to: (1) Acknowledge the religion of Islam as one of the great religions of the world. (2) Express…
Middle East families united by grief
ARAM, West Bank-Bassam Aramin does not look like a militant who spent seven years in an Israeli jail for his involvement in the first intifada (uprising). He is a polite,…
"The Nightingale" prays again in theater
One-act plays have become a fixture of every theatrical season in Egypt. Over the past few years, few have succeeded in striking a chord with theater-buffs who are more accustomed…
Developing franchise businesses can spur market growth
CAIRO: Why start a business from scratch when you can franchise? Franchising has over 90 percent chance of success - unlike starting one's own business - according to speakers at…
The sun rises on Egypt's energy future
CAIRO: Egypt's recent announcement that it will kick-start its nuclear energy program, which had been shelved after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, raises questions about the future of the country's…
Gamal downplays inheritance talk in party congress
CAIRO: The son of the President and head of the policy secretariat at the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) Gamal Mubarak underplayed talk of the inheritance of power after his…
Kefaya holds short, lackluster protest against NDP conference
CAIRO: Members of the Kefaya Movement for Change demonstrated on the steps of the Press Syndicate on Sunday afternoon against the annual conference of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP),…
Film festival reflects present-day Cuba
Unlike the majority of Latin America s cinemas, the Cuban film industry has continuously kept a low profile since the end of its golden age set between 1959 and 1969.The…
Dar Al-Ifta issues anti-pollution fatwa
CAIRO: Religious authorities have issued a religious edict, or fatwa, banning farmers from burning rice stubble, an annual practice that is partly responsible for the black cloud of pollution over…
Saudi scholars in stormy debate over Quran ringtones
RIYADH: A top Islamic body in Saudi Arabia has hosted a stormy debate on controversial issues including the use of Quranic verses as mobile phone ringtones, newspapers reported on Monday.…
