Egypt opens border to sick and wounded Gazans
RAFAH: Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing with the besieged Gaza Strip on Saturday to allow hundreds of Palestinians to leave the Hamas-ruled territory for advanced medical treatment. We will…
Sudan cuts Chad ties after Darfur rebel attack
KHARTOUM: Sudan on Sunday cut diplomatic ties with Chad, accusing its neighbor of supporting a first ever Darfur rebel attack on Khartoum where a curfew was extended indefinitely to capture…
Tense calm keeps Lebanon under siege
BEIRUT: It's been four days since the Lebanese opposition took over West Beirut. An uneasy calm has settled over the city. The masked gunmen and rocket launchers have disappeared from…
Exported gas prices to be reviewed, says ministry
CAIRO: The prices of exported Egyptian gas will be reviewed, including the price of gas to Israel, the Ministry of Petroleum said.Assistant Minister for Natural Gas Ismail Karrara reportedly told…
Finance Ministry considers removing tax exemption on state bonds
CAIRO: Government bonds could lose their tax-exempt status as part of a revised budget law scheduled to go into effect this July, said Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros-Ghali at a…
A not so big night
When one of Egypt's foremost colloquial poets, Salah Jahin, introduced his puppet operetta depicting a night at the moulid, it became an instant hit and quickly earned a place in…
A KHAWAGA'S TALE: Taxi fares and fights, on the rise
Cairo expatriates have reported an alarmingly high rate of TSIs - Taxi Shouting Incidents - this week, as they come face to face with the frustration felt by Black 'n'…
The rape of Burma
Burma, once the richest country in Southeast Asia, today is mired in deep poverty. Its economy ruined by nearly 50 years of economic mismanagement under military rule, the only international…
John McCain and the decline of America
Back in 1981, America's Republican Party gave up all belief that the government's budget ought to be balanced. The idea took hold that tax cuts should be undertaken all the…
Hezbollah going it alone
The situation in Lebanon is very sophisticated. During the 17-month internal dispute both the loyalists and opponents have made mistakes, and taken provocative action. Although the discussion of these shortcomings…