Pack of cards

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* This week, under the auspices of Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, the one day Egyptian-Lebanese charity bazaar was organised at the celebrated Le Pasha floating restaurant. The wife of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, together with women from the diplomatic corps, representatives of Egyptian and Lebanese charities and welfare organisations were also in attendance. Among other participants were the head of Women Committee at the Egyptian- Lebanese Friendship Association Nour Kharma ; wife of former foreign minister Leila Maher ; and luminary society figures Samia Abul-Fotouh and Magda Moussa.

* On the occasion of the 37th Cairo International Book Fair, Al-Ahram Organisation General Manager and Deputy Chairman of the Board Ali Ghoneim, who was deputising for Al-Ahram Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of the Board Ibrahim Nafie, and General Manager of Al-Ahram Book and Exhibitions Department Hani Tolba handed over prizes to the winners of Al-Ahram Organisation Book Club competition for the year 2004. At a reception party held in Al- Ahram Grand Conferences Hall, they also surveyed the different pavilions of Al- Ahram at this year's book fair.

* I am so proud, my dears, to hear that next Tuesday will witness the unveiling of the bust of late Egyptian president and Arab leader Gamal Abdel-Nasser at the Leaders Garden located in the heart of the Cuban capital Havana. Cuban President Fidel Castro, members of the Cuban government and Shadiya Farrag, assistant foreign minister for American Affairs, and Egypt's Ambassador to Cuba Mohamed El-Shazli are scheduled to attend the ceremony.

* The Cultural Heritage department at Senghor University in Alexandria will hold an exhibition of Egyptian traditional handicrafts from 6-10 February. The opening day, widely regarded as a celebration for the Francophonic communities in Egypt, is expected to attract visitors and participants from many countries. In collaboration with Egypt's Centre for Traditional Handicrafts and Cosby (the Italian Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development), the idea behind holding the exhibition aims at preserving different aspects of the African communities cultural heritage.

* What thrilling news, my dears! It was announced that Dubai will stage a pan-Arab version of global TV hit "The Apprentice". Plans to launch a pan-Arab version of NBC's smash hit business TV show "The Apprentice", with Dubai offering the bustling big city backdrop in a straight replacement for New York, were unveiled last month. In a further startling departure from the original show Chairman of the Board of Emmar Companies Mohamed Ali Alabbar, will take the title role given such as a high profile by US real estate mogul Donald Trump. "The Apprentice" is scheduled to be broadcast weekly on LBC satellite channel for a 15-week period starting in October. Alabbar, who combines the chairmanship of Emmar with running real estate, hospitality, fashion and financial service businesses across three continents, will have the final say on who is finally hired and fired from the show.

* And, my sweeties, it's better late than never to congratulate my dear friends Ezzat Hezqial from Nile News TV channel and the lovely Mariam Riyad who recently exchanged nuptial vows. Basking in brilliant sunshine and in a classical modelled car dating from the 1930s, the couple chose to celebrate their wedding in an exceptionally original way. Their friends and relatives gathered at Virgin Mary Church in Heliopolis for a dignified and solemn Coptic wedding followed by a sumptuous wedding party at the Mena House Hotel in the vicinity of the great Giza Pyramids. Among the attendees were Al-Ahram Deputy Editor-in- Chief Amr Abdel-Sami'a, our very own caricaturist George Bahgoury, Al-Ahram Weekly Managing Editor Galal Nassar, the Weekly 's assistant editor-in-chiefs Gamal Nkrumah and Hani Mustafa, assistant director of the Al-Ahram Political and Strategic Studies Centre Nabil Abdel-Fatah and head of the Nile News TV channel Samiha Dahroug.

* It seems, my dears, that people of Port Said city flocked to see Hani Ramzi 's new blockbustre, Al-Sayed Abul-Arabi Made It. It tells the story of a very popular Port Saidi man who, alas, is a notorious liar. Port Said Governor Mustafa Kamel feted film crew with flowers. He honoured the film members including the filmmaker Mohsen Ahmed, the script writer Tareq Abdel-Karim, actor Abdallah Musharraf and producer Kamel Abu Ali.

* Yesterday, a senior state delegation from the German parliament paid a visit to Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Led by the library's Foreign Relations Sector head Taher Khalifa, they toured the library's numerous halls, research centres and museums.