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Give blood

MRS SUZANNE Mubarak this week extended an appeal to the public to donate more blood. Without such donations, Mrs Mubarak said during an address to a Red Cross and Red Crescent Committee in Cairo, hospitals will suffer shortages that are bound to undermine the quality of their service.

The call for a nationwide campaign for blood donations was part of a wider request for engagement and solidarity that Mrs Mubarak echoed several times this week. On other occasions, including the annual celebration of International Inner-Wheel Day and the inauguration of a series of Swiss musical performances at the Cairo Opera House with visiting president of the Swiss Federation, Pascal Couchepin, Mrs Mubarak underlined the need for civil society to face the socio-economic challenges confronting the nation and stressed the value of cross cultural engagement in this respect.

Tanzania help

FOREIGN Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit declared this week that Egypt was extending immediate relief aid to Tanzania to help the African country following the eruption of violence in neighbouring Kenya in the wake of a political showdown between the two biggest political blocs in the country over the results of recent presidential elections in Kenya.

According to press statements issued by Abul-Gheit's office, the objective of the assistance was to help provide shelter and medical care for thousands of refugees who have arrived in Tanzania.

Egypt's prompt reaction to the humanitarian crisis is part of an attempt by Cairo during the past year to re-consolidate ties with African states, especially in the eastern part of the continent. The effort, Egyptian diplomats say, is designed to dispel all "unfair allegations" suggesting a declining Egyptian interest in the black continent.

Reliquary back home

A RELIQUARY of a cat dating from the Ptolemaic era is on its way home, writes Nevine El-Aref.

Eleven years after being placed in the storehouse of the University Museum at Southern Illinois University in the US, the bronze reliquary, which is surmounted by a statue of two cats seated side by side, is to be flown back to Egypt.

Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni described the recovery as another success story by the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the Ministry of Culture to bring stolen and illegally smuggled antiquities home to Egypt.

Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the SCA, said the story of the reliquary's return began three months ago when Donna Bachman, the museum's current director, sent a letter to the SCA asking for approval to exhibit the piece as part of the museum's collection, and asking for more details about it and the archaeological site where it was unearthed.

The University Museum acquired the object in 1996 when James Diefenbeck, the then director, bought it from a private collector in Paris.

Hawass immediately realised the reliquary had been smuggled out of the country and asked the museum director to return it. Bachman accepted Hawass's request and handed the piece over to the Egyptian consulate in New York which in turn will bring the reliquary to Egypt by diplomatic pouch.

A committee led by Ahmed Mustafa, director of the SCA's department for the return of stolen antiquities, was formed to inspect the object, verify its authenticity and determine the archaeological site in which it was found.

Since 2002, Egypt has recovered more than 5,000 artefacts smuggled out of the country. In addition, a number of international museums, private collectors and individuals have voluntarily handed over to the government ancient Egyptian collections as a contribution to helping Egypt recover its precious heritage.

See the Pyramids

THE GIZA Pyramids have been chosen as one of the world's leading attractions in 2007.

At a glitzy gala in the Caribbean resort of Turks and Caicos, 330 VIPs, representatives of the travel trade, and local and international media from 30 countries attended the 14th annual World Travel Awards (WTA) to crown the 2007 winners. During the event the Giza Pyramids were chosen as one of the world's leading attractions of the year.

The award is the most prestigious in the travel world and is the industry's equivalent of the Oscars. Sharm El-Sheikh was chosen as the world's leading resort for diving and for its hotels. A total of 167,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies, in addition to tourism organisations in 160 countries, voted for the Pyramids of Giza on the WTA's website.

The awards were conceived in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence in the world's travel and tourism industry. They are especially coveted as the votes are cast globally by fellow professionals. WTA is undoubtedly the world's most comprehensive awards ceremony, with trophies given in more than 1,000 categories. Attended by top executives from well known companies, the event is highly regarded and well established as a forum for bringing together many different aspects of travel and tourism and to recognise achievements.

Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasised that the award was a strong response to claims by some that the Giza Pyramids should not be included in the new Seven Wonders of the World, a competition that was held in July and caused much controversy in Egypt.

Terrorism meeting

THE CAIRO Judges Club has decided to meet within the next few days to discuss the terrorism draft law currently being prepared by the government, reports Mona El-Nahhas.

The meeting comes in response to recommendations passed during the recent general assembly of the club in November.

Professors of criminal law are expected to present papers at the meeting. The club has also invited several state officials, led by State Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mufid Shehab, to review the draft law's main articles.