Steel, real estate giants price hikes spat escalates
CAIRO: In the heat of escalating steel prices and their resonance on the housing market, this week saw steel giant Ahmed Ezz and real estate developer Hisham Talaat Moustafa exchanging…
An Indian in Egypt
Aplatypus. A creature out of place. A worshipper of cows. An oracle of water-pumps. With such amusing comparisons, Amitav Ghosh evoked the puzzlement with which he was received in 1980…
Geert gone wild
The best that can be said about Geert Wilders' production, Fitna, is that it is aptly named. Fitna, which translates as strife or unrest, is exactly what Wilders seems to…
NATO's Dangerous Signals
Two dangerous signals were sent from NATO's Bucharest summit. The first was that Russia has reestablished a "sphere of interest in Europe, where countries are no longer allowed to pursue…
Arab Leaders: Approach the public
The League of Arab States has re-adopted its six-year-old peace initiative, offering comprehensive peace and normal relations with Israel by all its members in return for an Israeli withdrawal to…
De-mining goes hand-in-hand with development, say experts
CAIRO: The Untied Nations Information Center (UNIC) in Cairo celebrated the International day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action this week, emphasizing in the process the importance of…
UN humanitarian official warns of global food crisis, security threats
DUBAI: The UN's top humanitarian official warned that continuing rising food prices could cause unrest and political instability worldwide.John Holmes, the undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator,…
Court sentences 4 HIV-positive men to 3 years in prison for 'debauchery'
CAIRO: A judicial official says four HIV-positive men have been convicted of being homosexual and sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of close police supervision.The official…
New dispute settlement offices to provide free legal aid
CAIRO: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) signed an agreement with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice launching a project that will introduce legal aid services for citizens as…