Lebanon's justice system on trial
During my visit to Lebanon in early December, I was struck by the display of freedom of expression represented by peaceful anti-government demonstrations in Beirut, a rare event in the…
The Arab lion bares its head in Darfur's ongoing war
In the final weeks of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Mohamed Issa, the chairman of the Rizeigat Advocacy Council and the most prominent independent Arab observer at the talks,…
Boxing Day a good day to reflect
BOXING DAY: I missed the Queen's Christmas speech from Buckingham Palace, so I thought I might try and summarise some mysteries of my own that have crossed my path this…
James Brown, Hakim's soul brother, dead at 73
CAIRO: Legendary African-American singer James Brown died yesterday at Emory Crawford Long Hospital at the age of 73, suffering from pneumonia.With a career spanning more than 50 years, Brown s…
Tri-party coalition seek curb on presidential terms
CAIRO: Three opposition parties - Al Wafd, Al Tagmouh, and Al Nasary (Nasserist) - have compiled a shared vision for constitutional amendments, which in theory doesn't deviate from the guidelines…
Egypt concerned over Chad-Sudan conflict
CAIRO: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit met with Chadian counterpart Ahmat Allami Saturday to discuss the Darfur crisis' growing regional implications.Thousands of Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad to…
Police detain 5 members of the Muslim Brotherhood
Police detained five members of the main opposition Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo Sunday, along with 20 staff of a construction company owned by one of them, security sources said. It…
Pope calls for Middle East peace
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI on Monday made a fresh appeal for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, where he said he hopes to pay a pilgrimage…
Egyptian bourse quiet in pre-holiday lull
CAIRO: Egyptian share indexes were barely changed on Sunday after a day of quiet trade as foreign investors began their holidays and local and Arab investors adjusted their portfolios ahead…
Export Development Bank to increase facilitated loans
The Egyptian Export Development Bank is mulling over a proposal to increase its facilitated credit to exporters and to cut interest rates in order to encourage export-oriented industries, said the…
