27 November - 3 December 2003 [666]
Graphic version | Current issue | Previous issue
Matters of principle
Ariel Sharon suggested this week he might remove some Jewish settlements. It indicates how he intends to preserve most, writes Graham Usher in JerusalemA bag full of values
It may have annoyed many, but Ramadan's most-talked about TV series attracted viewers in their millions. Tarek Atia examines the pulling power of Auntie NourPhoto Caption
BACK TO BUSINESS: President Mubarak may have curtailed his schedule since 19 November, when he interrupted his inaugural speech to parliament, but the week of rest advised in the wake of a severe bout of flu is now over, reports Gamal Essam El-Din
Back to business
Gradually recovering from a bad cold, President Mubarak will be back in his office next week, reports Nevine KhalilReady for controversy
Economic woes, strained American ties, and political dialogue are likely to top the current People's Assembly session's agenda. Gamal Essam El-Din reportsAgainst empire
Egyptian and international anti-war organisations will meet in Cairo next month to voice strong opposition to the US imperial project. Amira Howeidy reportsExperimental education
Endless adjustments to the primary school system have left parents wondering if their children are the Education Ministry's "guinea pigs". Reem Nafie investigatesFlimsy on facts
As Jailan Halawi finds out, the new press campaign against Saadeddin Ibrahim has been as flimsy on evidence as previous allegations against the prominent democracy activistPress battles
The new liberal newspaper Nahdet Misr has been subjected to a wave of attacks claiming it is the first example of US "infiltration" of the Egyptian press. Shaden Shehab investigates
Academic controversy
Despite reported polls, Palestinians and Israelis remain sharply divided over the detail of the so-called Geneva Accords, Khaled Amayreh reportsHush, hush about Israel's bomb
A recent attack on a Knesset member underscores the country's hostility towards calls for transparency in Israel's weapons of mass destruction programme, Jonathan Cook reportsThe enemy within
Two more massive bombs exploded in Istanbul last Thursday, leaving the entire city looking apprehensively over its shoulder for the next attack, Gareth Jenkins writes from IstanbulShock and awe v2.0
Despite the recent introduction of Operation Iron Hammer by US forces, Iraqi insurgents are adapting and looking for new ways to exploit an American occupation that is in disarray, writes Salah HemeidThe homecoming
The bittersweet Kurdish return to Kirkuk is keyed into the politics of demography and humanitarian aid, writes Judit Neurink from KirkukFit to print?
With Al-Jazeera's critique of American foreign policy and the internal politics of many Arab states making powerful enemies, pressure is building to silence its voice. John R Bradley reports from Riyadh
Taking stock of 100 years
As the Cairo Stock Exchange celebrates its centenary, Sameh El-Torgman, the chairman of the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchange, writes about its past and the challenges it faces in a changing worldHand-in-hand
Despite a flurry of activity between Egypt and India, experts say more needs to be done to significantly boost bilateral trade relations. Eman Youssef reportsBriefs
Revolutionary deepwater drilling technology will soon be brought to Egypt by Shell...
The 40th anniversary of Kennedy's assassination
A man pays tribute at a make-shift memorial to the late US President John F Kennedy in Dallas, Texas...Down the rabbit hole
Obsessive secrecy about suspected security breaches at Guantanamo Bay has made a farce of due process, military lawyers say. Nyier Abdou peers into the Camp Delta abyssOut of Italy
After the slaying of its soldiers in Baghdad the Italian government is cracking down on foreigners, writes Samia Nkrumah from RomeContaining Cuba
Opposition to the US embargo against Cuba is growing, but ending the blockade soon is not in the cards, Hisham El-Naggar writes from Buenos AiresBy George
The demise of Eduard Shevardnadze is sanguine food for thought for ideologues who believe that democracy has ended History, writes Gamal NkrumahFrance acts against anti-Semitism
Following an arson attack against a Jewish school outside Paris, the French government has announced a new programme to combat growing anti-Semitism in the country, writes David Tresilian from ParisLess than royal Bush
If any Londoner had any doubts about the true purpose of President Bush's visit to Britain, a quick stroll around Buckingham Palace last week would have surely erased them, reports Alistair Alexander from London
World Domination, Inc.
Sherif Hetata analyses the forces -- religious, corporatist and militarist -- that are busily earmarking funds to buy George W Bush a second term and underwrite an emerging "Pax Israelica"
Spoiling for a fight
US forces, and the Iraqi people, will pay an ever greater price for Washington's current policies, writes Ibrahim NafiePlaying the popularity game
Arafat must understand that he doesn't have to be the most popular guy in town to get his job done, writes Sami MoubayedCourting trouble to buy votes
As Washington becomes increasingly mired in Iraq and US elections approach, a strike at a neighbouring state becomes increasingly likely, writes Hassan NafaaOn the Blair-Bush relationship
Mohamed Sid-Ahmed questions to what extent Blair is able to affect Bush's policies revival in EgyptWinning with hearts and minds
As the distance between life and death constantly narrows, fear no longer finds its way to the hearts of the Palestinians. Still, writes Mustafa El-Feki, courage needs to be guided by reasonLessons of history
Israelis need to realise that America is leading them nowhere, writes Jonathan CookWhat went wrong?
We are no longer the region's best in industry, science or even sports. Mamdouh Hamza suggests a formula for pulling the nation back up by the bootstrapsOne world is possible
The quest for a global culture is at the core of the quest for enlightenment and tolerance, writes Hazem Kandil , in tribute to Edward SaidEditorial: This must end
The monstrous terrorist attacks in Turkey this week, followed by the bombing of an Iraqi oil pipeline, corroborates...Close up
Slow motion
Following the National Democratic Party's (NDP) promise of a national dialogue on political, economic and social reform the public has taken a keen interest in the matter...
By Salama A SalamaSoapbox
Look who's talking
One should not invest too much optimism in the much trailed dialogue between the government and opposition parties...
By Bahaa AlieddinWithout joy
I am saddened when I think of the ordeals faced by Palestinian children, and especially during the Eid...
By Naguib MahfouzBahgory One-line: NINO BURDZHANADZE
The smell of dissent
Sonallah Ibrahim's elaborately staged refusal of an award presented at the second Novelists Conference overshadowed the appearance of his latest novel, Amrikanli. Ibrahim speaks to Youssef Rakha about fiction, politics and what it means to be an Arab writerA flapping of wings
Fish, flesh and fowl: well, only the latter on Saturdays, finds Amal Choucri CattaPlain Talk
The Adventure of English: Biography of a Language, a new book by Melvin Bragg, has just appeared in London...
By Mursi Saad El-DinMulticoloured blueprints
Sonali Pahwa attends an exhibition that intends to help its young refugee participants adjust to life in Egypt
From palm to plate
Soft, succulent and rich, agwa is to die for. Lina Mahmoud and photographer Sawsan Amer trace the treat's production
Identity crisis
Nyier Abdou dines with Chairman MaoDate "Agwa" Pudding
Weekly recipe
By Moushira Abdel-MalekLand your hawk on it
Fame comes in many shapes, and one of these is upwardly pointed, gelled and blow-dried. Khaled Abdel-Rasul recounts a hairy experienceMood food
Reem Leila considers the rights and wrongs of comfort foodA leap of faith
Early Muslims looked beseechingly to Ethiopia and sought refuge in its territory from their persecutors, the polytheist Arabians. But the Christian kingdom, besieged for 15 centuries by Islamic states that formed a formidable ring around it, refused to succumb to the new religion. Gamal Nkrumah explores the often contentious connection between Ethiopia and IslamDig Days: A tribute to Mrs Mubarak
In 1993, I was contacted by Dr Farkhunda Hassan and asked if I would put together a book about the role of women in Ancient Egypt...
By Zahi HawassCall of the wild
Nyier Abdou goes in search of the big fishTraveller's notes
Arriving in Aswan, our group was collected by the easy mannered, but brutally efficient Yasser...Fishermen's guide
Although fishing is not widely promoted in Egypt like other tourist activities, such as diving or snorkelling, Egypt offers those interested in fishing a memorable experience...It came from the deep
Youssef Rakha all but balks at the sight of huge, bleeding denizens of the deep flapping their last breaths at his feetTraveller's notes
-The Egyptian coast of the Red Sea (or Mare Rostrum, as ancient mariners called it after the red mountain ranges) extends from the Gulf of Suez to the Sudanese frontier...Weekend retreats: The beach within reach
Attracted by its long stretch of beach, crystal blue waters and richly coloured mountains running along the Gulf of Suez, Rasha Sadek chose Ain Al-Sukhna for her weekend getawayGuidelines
Travel in EgyptHoliday FAQ's
Q: I am looking for information on how Europeans could spend holidays in Arab countries, including Egypt...
Silence of the fans
Zamalek beat arch-rivals Ahli in week nine of the Egyptian football league. Eric Asomugha reportsBack in town
Desperate for help, Ahli have turned to a familiar face to help stop their slide. Inas Mazhar reportsIt doesn't get easier
Awaiting Egypt's national football team is the African Nations Cup. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab sees what coach Saleh is expectingEngland wins rugby World Cup
Onny Wilkinson kicked a drop goal seconds from the end of extra time to give England a dramatic 20-17 victory over Australia in the World Cup final on Saturday...
Shot in Badari
The shooting of a district police chief in Egypt in 1932 made news, but not just on the crime pages. Not only did an appeals court overturn a death sentence handed down to one of the assailants but, at a level extraordinarily extreme, the political climate was such that the prime minister was ultimately forced to form a new cabinet. Professor Yunan Labib Rizk writes on the huge repercussions that followed a cold-blooded murder
Nadia Sarhan: Listening and learning
Development is sustainable only when people can be heard
Profile by Yasmine El-RashidiPack of Cards
By Madame SosostrisLimelight
By Lubna Abdel-Aziz