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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Tragic timing
YET another building has collapsed. In a horrible irony, a condemned six-story building in Alexandria fell on the very day it was ordered torn down. Six of its remaining residents were found dead in the rubble. Of those who made it to safety, three sustained injuries, including a young man who was hurt while rescuing some of the residents.Two years ago, the building had been deemed unsafe due to the addition of two floors to the structure. The work was conducted without the proper permits. On Sunday, a demolition order was issued. Unfortunately, the action came too late to avert a tragedy.
Quitting time
A GROUP of Islamists attempting to form a political party under the name of Shari'a (Islamic Law) suddenly decided earlier this week to suspend their bid.The party's would-be founder, Mamdouh Ismail, a former member of the clandestine anti-government organisation, Jihad, said that the political environment in Egypt does not allow the Islamists' voice to be heard.
The Shari'a group had been engaged in a lengthy legal struggle since its initial application to form a party was turned down by the Political Parties Committee last October.
Timely talks
EGYPT promised Bulgaria that it would mediate to help contain a potential crisis over six Bulgarian doctors who face charges in Tripoli for allegedly transmitting HIV/AIDS to a number of Libyan children via infected needles.Following talks with the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nadezhda Mihailova in Cairo last Thursday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa told a joint press conference that Egypt "will do whatever we can to help both parties reach an amicable solution, bearing in mind the seriousness of the accusation and the right of the accused to be heard."
The Bulgarian Foreign Minister said that her country is seeking "the participation of international experts" to secure "a fair trial" for the Bulgarian doctors. The Bulgarian official also said that Sofia continues to have good relations with Tripoli and would like to strengthen these ties once this issue is "removed from the agenda of bilateral relations."
Marching in time
ON SUNDAY, the final stage of a joint naval exercise with the French navy took place in the Red Sea near Safaga. An Egyptian frigate and a French VAR class vessel coordinated manoeuvres with a force of helicopters. The exercises included a refuelling operation, an emergency evacuation operation and a search and rescue operation.Meanwhile, Egyptian and Saudi jet fighters are conducting a joint exercise. Operation 'Faisal-1' started late last week and is due to end early next week. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are deploying a number of F-16, F-15, E-2C and C-130 aircraft in the exercise, which takes place within Egyptian airspace. The head of the Egyptian Air Force Training Sector said that the exercise is intended to advance joint military coordination.
Time to go
THREE years after a ministerial decree ordering the removal of bungalows in the garden of the Manial Palace belonging to the Egyptian General Organisation for Tourism and Hotels went into effect, the bungalows are finally set to go.The action is being taken in response to the Ministry of Culture's plans to restore the palace. According to the Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary-General Gaballah Ali Gaballah, the 18 bungalows will be replaced by a landscaped garden featuring exotic species of trees.
Time's past
THE LONG-AWAITED museums commemorating musical giants Umm Kulthum and Mohamed Abdel-Wahab may finally open their doors by next year. The Umm Kulthum museum will be located in the Manasterly Palace on the Nile at Roda, while the Abdel-Wahab museum will have as its home the Arabic Music Institute on Ramsis Street downtown.The renovation and restoration of both buildings are in full swing, with new lighting and air-conditioning systems being installed in both museums. The surrounding areas are being beautified. Visitors to both museums will enjoy multi-media presentations of the two stars' lives. Plans are in the works for exhibits that allow the visitors to experience both the genius and personality of these two creative giants. The museums are also meant to host cultural events such as live musical performances and contests designed to discover and promote new talent.
The museums are being built within the framework of a new Ministry of Culture plan to establish ten such museums celebrating Egyptian artists.
