23 - 29 October 2003 [661]
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Against the wall
The Palestinians need far more practical support than Tuesday's non-binding UN General Assembly vote condemning Israel's construction of the West Bank barrier, writes Graham Usher in JerusalemGearing up for dialogue
In an attempt to turn recent calls for national dialogue into reality opposition parties and the ruling NDP have begun a series of preparatory meetings, reports Gamal Essam El-Din
The view from Cairo
Egyptian diplomacy continues as a volatile region yearns for stability, writes Nevine KhalilModest dreams
Already a popular tourist destination, Egypt's southernmost governorate is looking for even more of a boost from Toshka, peace in Sudan, and a slew of infrastructure improvements. Fatemah Farag talks to Aswan Governor Samir YoussefVictory 36
The Navy celebrated its 36th anniversary this week with its biggest ever exercise. Amira Ibrahim reportsAll quiet at Abdeen
A planned assembly at Abdeen Palace to present the president with an opposition reform agenda was banned. Amira Howeidy examines the symbolic significance of the defunct eventA challenging report
Continuing intransigence on the part of both the opposition and the government will undermine Egypt's plans for political reform, argues a recent high-profile report. Omayma Abdel-Latif investigatesCairo cleanup conundrums
Two new foreign waste management companies have joined the Cairo cleanup bandwagon. Dena Rashed provides a progress reportLabour market blues
Past efforts to combat unemployment have failed, but will new labour market policies be enough? Gihan Shahine searches for answers at an ILO workshopHistory versus people?
Cairo Governorate's plan to move thousands of fabric merchants out of the Al-Azhar area is already generating controversy. Reem Nafie investigatesNewsreel
Mrs Suzanne Mubarak has renewed her campaign for world peace on both the domestic and international stages, with a fresh attempt to promote both governmental and non-governmental efforts serving the goals of peace and development in the Middle East...
Carnage in Gaza
The end of a bloody week of destruction and terror in Gaza has left people dead, maimed and homeless, writes Khaled AmayrehFlirting with freedom
Last week Saudi Arabia announced its first elections, broke up its firstever peaceful demonstration and hosted a three-day Human Rights Conference, writes John R Bradley in JeddahNew US diplomatic tangle
Beirut and Washington bicker over Hizbullah and tense relations with Syria. Mohalhel Fakih reports from BeirutReconsidering reconstruction
Congress ironed out the financing of Iraqi reconstruction as US officials hopefully awaited the Madrid donors conference, reports Khaled Dawoud from WashingtonResolution on the cheap
Washington wins a new resolution on Iraq but few countries are willing to provide cash or troops, writes Salah HemeidUnited nation?
A senior member of the IGC downplayed fears of a schism between Iraqi Shi'ites. Omayma Abdel-Latif reports
Economic reform, NDP style
Mahmoud Mohieddin speaks to Niveen Wahish about the challenges facing the NDP's policy recommendations'Subsidise or die'
Although subsidisation is mainly to blame for the growth of the budget deficit in recent years, food subsidies will be increased substantially this year. Gamal Essam El-Din reportsCutting the fat out
Reforming public service employment policy and social expenditure may be the recipe for rationalising budget allocations and systematising efficiency
Our present, their future
While world elites get richer, hunger is on the increase, Samia Nkrumah writes from RomePolish overtures
On a visit to Warsaw, Aicha Abdel-Ghaffar interviewed Polish Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Wlodzimierz Cimoszewiez, ahead of the Polish prime minister's visit to Iraq next monthTurfed out to Florida
The forced resignation of Bolivia's president, an attempt by the local establishment to defuse tensions, temporarily rescued the country from political chaos. Hisham El-Naggar in South America and Jaideep Mukerji in Cairo review the situationPrimary concerns
Democratic presidential candidates are courting Arab-Americans, in some cases unsuccessfully, reports Khaled Dawoud from Dearborn, MichiganA trendy Satan
Demonising Islam and Arabs is commonplace in the United States, reports Anayat Durrani from Los AngelesSyria on the dock
Congress boldly responded to the Israeli attack by moving forward with unilateral sanctions on Syria, writes David Dumke from Washington
And on the eighth day
Ibrahim Nafie examines the implications of the so-called Swiss AgreementA glimmer of nothing
The Geneva Declaration, borne of petty struggles internal to Israeli politics, lowers Palestinian expectations without offering much in return, writes Azmi BisharaCan you trust a liar?
Iran agrees to US demands over nuclear inspections, but this leap of faith may fall on stony ground in Washington, writes Curtis DoebblerWagging which way
Between Bush and Sharon, David Hirst asks which is the tail and which is the dogBridges over troubled waters
Gamal El-Shaer reflects on the highs and lows of the US-Arab Economic Forum hosted in America's Motor City earlier this monthIt's Palestine, stupid
Mohamed Hakki laments, and finds reasons for, the lack of American interest as Israeli violence in the occupied territories intensifiesIncompatible world-views
Can politics and religion meet and make peace? Hassan Nafaa deliberates the prospectsThe Geneva Accord
Can hope be pinned on a new round of secret Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, asks Mohamed Sid-AhmedThe task ahead
Edward Said is irreplaceable, but a meaningful sequel to his work is both possible and necessary, writes George NaggiarEditorial:
Beyond disaster
How much worse does the situation have to become before the Arab world takes the steps necessary to effect a remedy?Close up
Arab-Americans close ranks
When Joseph Lieberman, one of several Democrat candidates in the US presidential race, addressed a gathering of Arab Americans in the state of Michigan he faced strong opposition and several interruptions by the audience...
By Salama A SalamaSoapbox
Ballot box democracy
Democracy is a good thing, we all agree. And it requires certain measures to be credible and effective...
By Amin IskandarThe future of the novel
The occasion of the second conference of Arab novelists is an appropriate time, perhaps, to revise our views of the form...
By Naguib MahfouzBahgory One-line: POPE JOHN PAUL II
The intention is clear
The Egyptian press this week offered little cause for optimism at both the regional and domestic level. Shaden Shehab looks at the reasons whyTo be Arab
From the Arab press, Dina Ezzat learns much about the price of being an Arab and a Muslim in today's worldBottom Lines
Quotes from the Arab press
Demanding yet more lawsuits
The Egyptian entry in the Cairo Film Festival's official competition has been the subject of increasing controversy, writes Hani MustafaA family business
Italian film producer Renzo Rossellini, Cairo Film Festival jury member, tells Mohamed El-Assyouti about art and politicsPlain Talk
The recent publication by the Egyptian Book Organisation of eight volumes of Al-Kateb Al-Massry (The Egyptian Writer), a literary magazine published between 1945 to 1947, has brought back some pleasant memories...
By Mursi Saad El-DinAn African context
A group of Egyptian photographers are represented for the first time at the Fifth Festival of African Photography, reports Teri WangMore feathered migrants
Those big white birds, and a few blacks ones, are back. Amal Choucri Catta turns ornithologistAn image from the show
Street noise, the silence of the desert, and a pick-up truck as confessional: Colette Kinsella wanders through installations at the Goethe Institut
Reclaiming the initiative
What do we know about ourselves and the world? Fatemah Farag considers the answers offered in the second Arab Human Development Report released this weekStruggles over the vision of Cairo
The annulment of the military decree protecting the country's older buildings and villas leaves Egypt's architectural heritage at risk. Yasmine El-Rashidi investigatesRemember # 57357
Festivities again help in the effort to build the first free-of-charge cancer hospital for children. Amira El-Noshokaty reportsRe-defining collateral damage
Children's mental well-being under occupation and in conflict remains a grave problem, writes Hala Sakr
Topping the table
Nigeria was declared the winner as the eighth All-Africa Games came to an end in Abuja. Eric Asmougha reports from NigeriaHeroes of Heliopolis
Heliopolis won in water polo in a championship which has made it famous, writes Mohamed El-SayedNo time to lose
Ismaili might regret their surprising upset loss to Enyimba in the African Champions League. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab looks at the consequencesWho won?
The eighth All-Africa Games that ended in Abuja, Nigeria has ended in confusion as to who really won the most medals.
Thebes revisited
Since the ancient Greeks made their first journey to Thebes, Luxor has always been an unforgettable experience. Rehab Saad and photographer Ayman Ibrahim walk you through their own three-day ventureTraveller's notes
Today's Luxor is actually three distinct areas nestled into one nook of the Nile Valley -- the town of Luxor itself, the village of Karnak...A class of their own
The small non-star family-run hotels of old Gurna have always been the choice of travellers, mostly those on a tight budget, who like to spend an untraditional vacation in the midst of the Theban necropolis surrounded by authentic rural life, lush green fields and mountainsA fabulous oasis
From swimming, rowing and fishing, to desert hiking, birdwatching and sightseeing, Rasha Sadek discovers that Fayoum's richness of activities makes it the perfect place for an unforgettable winter escapeHoliday FAQ's
Q: We are planning to visit Egypt from late December to January -- about 17 days. What is the best way to arrange our travel? Should we contact a travel agency in Egypt or could we arrange the tour ourselves?Guidelines
Travel information
Lloyd's account
Lord George Lloyd, the fourth of Britain's high commissioners in Egypt, was arguably the most controversial. Known for his hard-line policies, Lloyd's running feuds with his superiors ultimately led to an unprecedented dismissal. It was, therefore, no surprise that Al-Ahram jumped at the chance to publish excerpts from his book Egypt Since Cromer which offered insights into Lloyd's own performance as high commissioner. Professor Yunan Labib Rizk reviews the commissioner's work
Labib Moawad: Keeper of secrets
He put his case judiciously
Profile by Gamal Nkrumah
Pack of Cards
By Madame SosostrisLimelight
By Lubna Abdel-Aziz