Formulating the global agenda
CAIRO: Committed to improving the state of the world, goes the motto of the World Economic Forum. As with most slogans, it s catchy yet vague and difficult to contend…
Cancelled rights talk shows up lack of judicial freedom, say activists
CAIRO: The last-minute cancellation of a scheduled meeting between representatives of international rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the Cairo-based Judges' Club exposed the judiciary's lack of independence from…
Sharm to be permanent home for Arab summits
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will fund the construction of a permanent seat for Arab summits in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, an Arab diplomat said Wednesday.Egypt will offer…
Overnight interbank steady at 8.55 percent
CAIRO: The median overnight interbank rate on the Egyptian pound was 8.55 percent on Wednesday, little changed from Tuesday s 8.58 percent, with few banks dealing, bankers said. Four of…
Confessions on a dance floor
CAIRO: The queen of pop returns yet again with an album sounding a bit too familiar. Although Madonna is one of the few artists from a generation ago to still…
Third license bid heats up as joint Telenor-NTC bid announced
CAIRO: In yet another fresh round of bids, Telenor, a Norwegian mobile operator, and the National Telecommunications Holding Corporation (NTC), announced yesterday during a press conference that they are partnering…
Profile of key players
President Hosni MubarakIn 1981, Mubarak, then Vice-President, became president of Egypt following the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. Mubarak declared on his inauguration that he would follow the political direction…
License for aspiring party delayed
CAIRO: In yet another setback for opposition groups, the Egyptian Political Parties Court has once again postponed a request by the Al-Karama (Dignity) group to officially form a party. "We…
Egyptian media and the road to democracy
CAIRO: Since the dawn of satellite television across the Arab world, the media has taken on a more combative role in its review of government, once the absolute force behind…
Three months after parliamentary elections, opposition in shambles
CAIRO: A gunfight that broke out at the headquarters of Egypt's oldest opposition party on Saturday served to underscore the plight of Egypt's political opposition, in a state of disarray…
