1 - 7 May 2003 [636]
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Neighbours in deed
President Mubarak went south yesterday, signalling that relations with Sudan have improved dramatically since a decade ago, writes Mahmoud MuradShameful conquest
As the US-led war on Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein's regime comes to an end, many questions remain about the future of one of the world's oldest civilisations, writes Salah Hemeid
Eye on the economy
In a speech marking May Day yesterday, President Hosni Mubarak addressed a number of pressing domestic, regional and international issues...Democratisation debate
The ruling National Democratic Party's initiatives aimed at democratising the political system are being criticised by the opposition as more window-dressing. Gamal Essam El-Din reportsRoadmaps and roadblocks
The region is almost on the cusp of a new order, but is not quite there. Nevine Khalil and Soha Abdelaty report on the latest developmentsReforming the message
Will a thought-provoking parliamentary report about the dangers of extremism make a difference on the ground?Fish over reason
Fatemah Farag celebrates spring the traditional wayCarrots and sticks
What prompted the most recent government crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood? Jailan Halawi seeks answers from the banned group's leadersCulture via satellite
Yet another culture-focussed satellite TV channel is in the works. Nevine El-Aref reportsCaption
Hhundreds of Coptic Christians attended the Easter mass service conducted by Pope Shenouda III early Sunday at Cairo's Abbasiya Cathedral...Newsreel
Brazilian medical officials on Tuesday ruled out anthrax as the cause of death of an Egyptian sailor, easing concerns about a merchant ship that had been quarantined in Canada after one of its crewmembers died as a result of what was believed to be contact with anthrax...Abu Mazen's enormous task
Mahmoud Abbas this week unveiled to the Palestinian parliament his roadmap to independence. It received the bloodiest of welcomes, writes Graham Usher in JerusalemDina Ezzat takes a closer look at the current state of the debate on the Arab League and its secretary-general
The blame game
'It's all about political will'Constructive ambivalence
Though sceptical, the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, is careful to avoid civil war with the new PA government, reports Khaled Amayreh from JerusalemWinning the west
Western Sudan has become a battleground as a cease-fire agreement between the Sudanese government and armed opposition broke down, writes Gamal NkrumahJordan Islamists change tactics
Jordan's influential Islamist opposition will take part in the coming parliamentary elections after nearly five years in the political wilderness. Lola Keilani reports from AmmanKilling time
As tension grows in Turkey's Kurdish southeast, many are wondering if the war in Iraq will shatter the calm that had begun to settle on this troubled region. In Diyarbakir, Nyier Abdou looks at the legacy of almost two decades of civil war
And now the ripples
While Iraq remained the centre of attention in Egyptian and Arab newspapers this week, some of the limelight was also given to other hot topics of the day, finds Amina ElbendaryAll the king's horses
After the fall of Saddam Hussein, who will put Iraq back togerther again? Nermeen Al-Mufti reports from BaghdadAfter the fact
With the war in Iraq drawing to a close, attention has turned to the thousands of Iraqis detained during the conflict. Nyier Abdou looks at the legal status of Iraqi prisoners of warTouring the road to peace
Whether on Iraq or Palestine, the US has made it clear that it alone will name the rules of the game, Khaled Dawoud reports from WashingtonGoodbye Saudi, hello Qatar
Qatar's importance in US strategic planning for the Gulf region is set to soar as the US announces the end of its military presence in Saudi Arabia, reports Iason Athanasiadis in DohaUS to 'punish' France
With French diplomatic initiatives multiplying in the wake of the US-led war on Iraq and occupation of the country, Washington has declared that it will "punish" France for its anti-war role, writes David Tresilian in Paris
An American effort
Reconstruction efforts are already underway in Iraq with US companies grabbing the lion's share of the contracts. Sherine Nasr reportsThree's a crowd
Postponing the launch of Egypt's third mobile company may have the country's two incumbent players rejoicing, but it may also jeopardise the future of Telecom Egypt's privatisation. Niveen Wahish writesFDIs to the rescue
Foreign direct investment and remittances outpace debt as the main sources of finance for developing countries, said a World Bank report. Mona El-Fiqi reviews the documentBriefs
EGYPT joined the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) this week, which commits signatory countries to remove all tariff barriers to information technology (IT) products, such as personal computers and telecommunications equipment...
A shocking response
There was astonishment and jubilation as the Green Line that divides Greek and Turkish Cyprus began to crumble. Michael Jansen reports from Nicosia on Cypriot history in the makingAfghanistan on the boil
Anti-US sentiment in Afghanistan is growing in spite of renewed US attempts to assure Afghans of Washington's commitment to their country's reconstruction, writes Negar AzimiKeep them out
The contradictions of international migration and the ascendant role of organised crime in moving people across borders is explored by Tamam Ahmed JamaA threat to us all
Hala Sakr examines the causes and international ramifications of the SARS epidemic
A glimmer of hope
Ibrahim Nafie believes that now is the time to push for a comprehensive settlement in Palestine
A meeting of minds
Proxy wars used to be fought by minor states on behalf of their masters. The war on Iraq was the first of a different genre, Hassan Nafaa writesAmbiguities in America's democracy
Mohamed Sid-Ahmed questions the validity of the notion that democracy can be imported from abroadThe home front
Pan-Arab questions have long been used as a smokescreen for domestic failures. Azmi Bishara tells Arab nationalists to reorder their prioritiesReforming the Arab world
The US-British war in Iraq has liberated the country's people, argues John Sawers, British ambassador to EgyptBreaking the closed circle
There is a pressing need for self-criticism in Arab societies, Hala Mustafa argues, drawing particular attention to political IslamThe two Americas
There is plenty of opposition to the US's actions in Iraq -- some of it quite close to the corridors of power, writes Mohamed HakkiThe burning of Baghdad
The looting of Baghdad was a preview of what's in store for the region. Anouar Abdel-Malek writesBreaking the Gordian knot
Only through brokering a lasting and just settlement of the Palestinian question can the US avoid catastrophe for its Middle East police, says Ziad J AsaliBahgory One-line: TAREQ AZIZ
Editorial: Falluja speaks volumes
United States President George W Bush ought to take heed of the unfortunate incident which took place in the Iraqi town of Falluja where US troops opened fire on unarmed demonstrators...Democracy's prospects
What's next in the Middle East, now that the first phase of the US-UK campaign against Iraq is over?
By Salama A SalamaSoapbox
When to reject
After a half a century of setbacks on the Palestinian front, the Arabs have resolved to take a pragmatic stance, summed up as, "We accept what the Palestinians accept..
By Anwar El-HawariResisting American policy
If Washington's war on Iraq was intended to extend American hegemony across the entire world and demonstrate that no one can oppose the US's will, then the war was a failure...
By Naguib Mahfouz
Strangers in the night
Nehad Selaiha chases after a fugitive melodyIn progress: Slowly but surely
Ezzat Abu Auf, a well-known performer with eight awards to his name, began his acting career in 1991.Plain Talk
History seems to have this habit of repeating itself...Inside out
Rania Gaafar goes GoetheRequiems of spring
Amal Choucri Catta counters the Easter blues
Jobs on the brink
The war on Iraq and regional instability have dealt a devastating blow to an industry already on the ropes. Rehab Saad investigates working conditions in the tourism sectorIn search of the system
Has the time come to launch a new policy addressing the plight of disabled children in Egypt? Hannah Rashdan explores some of the answers discussed last week'Something must break'
Is the Egyptian labour movement ready to assume the role of an agent for political change? In these times of war, recession and unemployment, writes Fatemah Farag , it might still be possibleSummertime, and the living is... easy?
It wasn't until after adjusting the clocks for the summer that the weather cooled following a few days of intense heat...
By Youssef RakhaFast but not furious
Injy El-Kashef seeks the Saudi solutionCoffee, Pear and Chocolate Cake
Weekly recipe
By Moushira Abdel-MalekTake a pew
Many Sudanese Christians celebrated Easter with their Coptic co-religionists on 27 April but with a difference, as Gamal Nkrumah finds outThree-piece win
Egypt's three football clubs played away from home in African events but it didn't matter, reports Abeer AnwarEarly again
Bayern Munich sealed their 18th Bundesliga title when they beat Wolfsburg 2-0 on second-half goals by Giovane Elber and Claudio Pizarro...From the Sidelines: Americans know what they're missing
I have not seen Bend it Like Beckham but if the reviews are true, then perhaps I should...Briefs
FORMER Olympic athlete Steve Cram says he cannot believe that Carl Lewis took a cold remedy which caused him to fail a drugs test in the 1980s by mistake...
When an escape is an escape
Once it was hard to book a hotel room in March or April, Egypt's peak tourist season. Now it's tourists who are scarce. Jenny Jobbins has been enjoying the empty streets of Luxor and HurghadaTerrestrial or submarine?
Photographer Farid Atiya captured this face looking sternly into his camera...
Pilot study
Egypt's geographical location had always allowed it to be a natural aerial gateway. The country's interest in joining the world of civil aviation, which began in 1924, was, therefore, only natural. Professor Yunan Labib Rizk sees what Egypt hoped to achieve in order to succeed in the "great project"
Mohamed El-Makhzangi: A restless serenity
"There will be time to murder and create...", TS Eliot
By Youssef RakhaPack of Cards
By Madame SosostrisLimelight
By Lubna Abdel-Aziz