23 - 29 January 2003 [622]
Graphic version | Current issue | Previous issue
Exit scenarios
The last Abbasid Caliph, Gilgamesh or Samson? Which, if any, will Saddam emulate, asks Salah Hemeid
By Salah HemeidUnited they stand
Ariel Sharon is perhaps the worst prime minister in Israel's history, yet he is almost certain to be re-elected, reports Graham Usher from Jerusalem
By Graham Usher
Trying to avoid a war
Today's Istanbul summit will involve regional players aiming to achieve a most difficult task -- trying to prevent a war in Iraq. Nevine Khalil and Soha Abdelaty reportEfforts push on
While most of Egypt's diplomatic efforts focussed on the six-way Istanbul meeting on Iraq, Cairo also remained engaged on the Palestinian-Israeli front by encouraging continued dialogue among Palestinian factions, reports Soha Abdelaty...'A real crisis'
Is Israel violating international laws and causing a potential health crisis with its dumping of untreated sewage in the Mediterranean? Gihan Shahine gauges reactions in Rafah, the Egyptian border town most affected by the pollutionHumanising globalisation
Participants at a Cairo globalisation conference emphasised the need for a more equitable world. Dahlia Hammouda listened inOpposition MPs intensify their fire
Opposition and independent MPs are intensifying their barrage of 'questions' directed at government ministers. Gamal Essam El-Din reportsA continuing confrontation
Just back from a pan-Arab conference of his peers, Interior Minister Habib El-Adli asserted that the state security bodies were fully capable of aborting any terrorist plans. Jailan Halawi writes'Home of the nation' open to the public
A historic house belonging to legendary nationalist leader Saad Zaghloul has been restored and opened as a touristic venue. Nevine El-Aref attended the inaugurationA tale of two banks
Investigations of corruption in the banking sector have revealed that Banque Du Caire and Misr Exterior Bank are the biggest offenders by far. Gamal Essam El-Din reports
On the brink
A major fire at Abul-Reesh Hospital last week resulted in the death of two children. It could have been much worse, reports Dena RashedNewsreel
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammad, who is on a three- day visit to Egypt, met President Hosni Mubarak yesterday...Palestinians seek unity in Cairo
What can be achieved by the Palestinian factions in Cairo? Khaled Amayreh , in occupied Jerusalem, seeks answersTightening the noose
Residents of the villages near Qalqilya fear that Israel's wall around the West Bank will force them to abandon their homes, Talal Jabari investigatesDialogue or dead end?
Peace talks resume in Kenya as Washington urges fresh negotiations between Sudanese forces, writes Gamal NkrumahMany ways to communicate
Since 9/11, Arabs have faced no end of problems resulting from their negative image internationally. Aicha Abdel-Ghaffar talks to a man who's trying to turn things around
Battles of the mind
One man's dream is another man's nightmare. Philip Taylor looks for a voice of reason in the world of propaganda warsSpreading the news
Nyier Abdou talks to the International Action Centre's Sara Flounders about resistance in the information ageGetting there
I drove down [to Washington] by car with four friends for the rally and march. We left at 3:30 in the morning, and got to DC by 11am...In solidarity
Saturday, 18 January, was a day of international protest, with large-scale demonstrations in the US and elsewhere in the world...In search of Iraqi credibility
What goes on behind the scenes in the search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction? Michael Jansen in Baghdad follows the inspectorsHopes and dreams
Pernille Bramming finds that Iraqis reminisce about the past and dream of the future. Anything to forget the presentBraced for war
Most Kuwaitis have become comfortable with the US military presence in their country as they prepare themselves for a war in Iraq. James Martone reports from Kuwait CityOn record
Against the backdrop of current events, the war on Iraq is starting to seem inevitable...Many birds, few stones
Although Turkey has yet to respond to the US's request for support in a war on Iraq, as Gareth Jenkins writes, the country's new government is busy manoeuvring on the domestic, regional and international frontsBlack gold
Many believe that oil would be the motivation behind any future war in the Gulf. John Sfakianakis investigates the significance of Iraq's oilStepping into a burgeoning gap
Does anyone really know, asks Amira Howeidy , how a war on Iraq will resonate in Egypt?Massive "No War" protests in Washington
Defying arctic conditions and a war-mongering administration, 200,000 protestors marched in Washington chanting "No war in Iraq." Khaled Dawoud reportsHe said, they said
Concessions offered by Iraq in talks with UN inspectors seem unlikely to deter the United States from going ahead with its plans for war, Khaled Dawoud reports from WashingtonFrom Arabism to regionalism
Does the Istanbul meeting on Iraq mean the end of Arabism and the beginning of regionalism? Dina Ezzat looks for an answerBank nods to the left
Improving basic services will depend on the degree to which the poor participate in policy making, says a new World Bank draft report. Sherine Abdel-Razek takes a lookKeeping our millennium promises
Much needs to be done for Egypt to reach its development goals, write Michele Ribotta and Christopher LouiseFingers crossed
Will a reduction in interest rates pull the market out of recession? Yasser Sobhi asks the expertsReady for take-off
EgyptAir's management is embarking on a massive programme of overhaul and renovation. The airline's chairman, Ahmed El-Nadi spoke with Amira IbrahimAutonomy, not independence
The new draft banking law will not compromise the Central Bank of Egypt's autonomy argues Sherif Delawer in this response to comments by CBE board member, Mahmoud Fahmy, expressed in an Al-Ahram Weekly interviewAnother break for Uncle Sam
Once again OPEC is rescuing the flailing economy of the world's biggest oil importer, writes Gamal NkrumahTurbulent telecoms
Playing in the big league comes at a price, as market leader Orascom Telecom is finding out. Wael Gamal reportsFruitful partnerships
Egypt bid farewell to USAID's outgoing director in Alexandria, where the agency's projects have helped to change the city's face. Sherine Nasr reportsBriefs
Peace, at a price
World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi was in Cairo this week to inaugurate a training seminar, reports Soha Abdelaty..
A new deal struck between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement means different things to different people, writes Nyier AbdouLife and default
The worst of Argentina's economic crisis seems to be over. Hisham El-Naggar , in Buenos Aires, writes'Soaked in blood'
The Kimberley Process, a certification system for rough diamonds, came into effect on 1 January. Tamam Ahmed Jama explores the role illicit trade in diamonds plays in perpetuating conflicts in AfricaTo nuke or not to nuke?
North Korea's survival as a sovereign nation may hinge on the reactivation of its nuclear programme, writes Faiza RadyPolishing up Libya's image
Libya's election as chair of the UN Human Rights Commission troubles Western human rights groups, writes Gamal NkrumahFacing death
An Illinois governor's pardon of four death row inmates has highlighted the United States appalling human rights record, writes Negar Azimi
Recipe for disaster
For once in his life Saddam Hussein must engage with reality, writes Ibrahim Nafie'With Asian hands'
Anouar Abdel-Malek advocates the strengthening of ties with South East Asia as an antidote to a West in declineBefore war is declared
Is there still time to avoid the worst-case scenario, not only for Iraq, but also for Palestine, asks Mohamed Sid-AhmedShifting policies
Changes in the influence of extremists over the US administration will have manifold implications for the domestic political maps of several countries in the Middle East, Gamil Mattar arguesRequisites of reform
There is much more to reform than merely replacing the horse that is pulling the cart, cautions Mustafa El-FekiTerrorists and cowboys
The images that Arabs and Americans have of each other hamper their mutual understanding, Abdel-Moneim Said arguesThe burden of truth
Who's to produce the smoking gun? Ayman El-Amir explains how Iraq is guilty until proven guiltyBahgory One-line: HASSAN SHEHATA
Editorial: Demonstrative action
Across the world, and especially in the big cities of the United States, anti-war demonstrators are striving to get their views across to US President George W Bush. People are tired of all this talk of war...Close up
Summit of six
In appraising the Turkish initiative to convene a six-man summit, the goal of which is to produce a formula to end the Iraqi crisis peacefully, Arab states are taking one step forward and two back...
By Salama A SalamaSoapbox
Kicking and screaming
In a Youssef Idris story a wretched man stands naked in the middle of the village calling out that he is hungry and can find no food...
By Shawqi 'AqlHospital talk
My health is better, thank God. But the dreams, the dreams I used to have when recuperating, which were an unexpected source of inspiration for my writing, seem to have gone forever...
By Naguib Mahfouz
Impossible admissions
A new round of the book fair has Samir Sarhan almost at the end of his tether, find Youssef Rakha. But what does the seasoned publisher have to say?In progress: Job hunting
Angiolamaria Conti Guglia first arrived in Cairo on a three-months scholarship to undertake a comparative study of European hand-made paper and papyrus in 2000...Plain Talk
The Aswan International Sculpture symposium is with us once more...
By Mursi Saad El-DinDescending the ivory tower
As the academic and cultural boycott of Israel gains momentum Amina Elbendary meets Mona Baker, one supporter whose position has excited vitriolic attacksBriefs
Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz, 91, was hospitalised last week after succumbing to a bout of influenza..
Green desert -- at what cost?
Last week saw the inauguration of the Mubarak Water Pump Station at Toshka. Fatemah Farag steps back from the festivities and considers the ramificationsIdeology vs common sense
Nicolos Hopkins contemplates the relationship between irrigation, water conservation and development in Egypt
Sinai's treasure
The Greek Orthodox fathers of Saint Catherine Monastery have opened its Treasury to the public. Samir Naoum reportsCoptic courses at AUC
Next week the American University in Cairo will be offering one-year courses on Coptic Monasticism. Jill Kamil discusses the syllabus with Gawdat GabraFamous lives
The Saqqara tomb of a scribe in Akhenaten's reign and a colossal statue of one of Ramses II's wives at Zagazig have shed more light on two famous Pharaohs, as Nevine El-Aref reports
Toilet training
Last year was International Eco-Tourism Year, an event which, like so many other ideas which sprout in the UN, was widely ignored...
By Jenny JobbinsRaspberry? Is this a joke?
Injy El-Kashef is one of two little piggiesQuick Mushroom Soup
Weekly recipe
By Moushira Abdel-MalekComedy of manners
Modern Egyptian men may not exactly fit the Western image of the gentleman, writes Amina Elbendary -- they have created their own
Getting foxed
These are the best months to see the Western Desert. Jenny Jobbins gets close to the wildlife on a winter nightGetting about
This is a good time of year to visit Upper Egypt and the Western Desert oases. Here is the lowdown on getting from A to B.
Turks delight
Egypt tied with Turkish giants Galatasaray in one of the more faster-paced games Cairo Stadium has seen in some time. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab covered the go-go gameDrop out
Younes Al-Aynaoui figured to have only a slugger's chance against top-ranked Lleyton Hewitt. He ended up knocking him out of the Australian OpenAjax in town
Three-time European champions Ajax Amsterdam take on top Egyptian squad Ahli in another exhibition showdown.Little big men
The junior Pharaohs have been crowned 2003 African Nations Cup football champions. Abeer Anwar reports on a group of teenagers who came up bigCan handball be football?
There could not have been a better way to usher in the new year than by the victory of the under-20 Egyptian football team at the African Youth Championships in Burkina Faso...Al-Ahram: A Diwan of contemporary life (478) Death of 'Demolition Devil'
From the outset of their occupation of Egypt, the British realised how important it was to control the Nile if they were to control Egypt. Thus, in 1930, there was intense rivalry among British companies to see which would win the right to increase the height of the Aswan reservoir. A company owned by Sir John Norton Griffith ultimately won the tender but that same year Griffith killed himself on an Alexandria beach. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the suicide of 'Demolition Devil' are presented by Professor Yunan Labib Rizk
By Yunan Labib RizkMourid El-Barghouti: Shades of green
You can be yourself, and it works
By Amina Elbendary
Pack of Cards
By Madame SosostrisLimelight
By Lubna Abdel-Aziz