Hala Gorani's diary from the Middle East
Was the destruction bad in Beirut? asked the driver on the way to Tel Aviv s Ben Gurion airport. Some parts weren t touched, I answered. Others, in the southern…
Somalia, the Middle East's latest African game board
After years of warlord control over Mogadishu and southern Somalia in general, in 2006 the so called "Islamic courts conquered all the center-south territories of the former Italian colony. Defeated…
In Russia, good times also mean political apathy
Usually at this time of year, people are obsessed with what the coming year will bring. But in Russia, the real uncertainty concerns 2008, not 2007. Indeed, one can boil…
What lies ahead in the Democrat-controlled Congress?
Democratic victories in the US House of Representatives and Senate in November are causing an earthquake in US Middle East policy. While it is clear that the White House is…
Boycotting campaign to resurface with Starbucks opening
CAIRO: An unlikely coalition of Islamists, reformists, youths and Socialists are uniting against the overwhelming powers of a cup of coffee. Starbucks, however, is not just any cup of coffee.…
Cilantro café on fire
CAIRO: A small fire erupted at Cilantro's large Mohandiseen location Monday, at about 11 pm, causing some damage but no major injuries.Office manager Abdel-Latif Farahat told The Daily Star Egypt…
Truck confiscation blamed for garbage collection protest
CAIRO: Approximately 300 garbage collectors protested Sunday against having more than 15 of their cars and licenses confiscated by their employers, the Garbage Trucks Authority, the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper…
Prince of Egypt endures for 47 years
HANCOCK, Michigan: Robert Nuranen handed the local librarian a book he d checked out for a ninth-grade assignment - along with a check for 47 years worth of late fees.Nuranen…
Misr Insurance wins $332 mln oil deal
Cairo: State-owned Misr Insurance Company has won a bid offered by a consortium of four oil companies for underwriting a new $332 million project.Ahmad Morsi, oil and engineering insurance officer…