By Madame Sosostris � The Faculty of Economics and Political Science Alumni Association, very ably directed by my friend Taha Khalil, sweets, honoured the newly appointed dean Mona El-Baradei at a Diplomatic Club party this week. An amazing intellect -- need I say a dear friend -- El-Baradei is the first woman to assume position since the faculty was founded. Present at that beloved venue were many good friends, too, so many I actually shed tears of joy on arrival: former Minister of Youth and senior member of the Policies Committee at the National Democratic Party (NDP) Alieddin Helal, Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Nihad Abdel-Latif, Vice Dean of the faculty Heba Nassar and media figure Hassan Hamed. Congratulations, my lovelies: my admirably selfless friend former Education Minister Hussein Kamel Bahaaeddin was elected man of the year 2005 by the Board of Trustees of the International Centre For Encyclopaedias in Edinburgh. Have I or have I not told you about his outstanding efforts to spread intercultural tolerance through education. font size =-3� Last Tuesday in Cairo, honey bunnies, under the auspices of the good people of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), the Italian Embassy and Cultural Institute celebrated the Arabic release of Protezione Internazionale dei Diritti Umani (International Defence of Human Rights). A delightful celebration, dears, at the NCHR headquarters, at which my ever diligent envoy Ghada Abd El-Kader found out the book was written by Rome University law professor Claudio Zanghi and translated -- what joy -- by yet another treasured friend of mine, Fawzi Issa. Among the dignitaries she swooned over there were NCHR President Boutros Boutros Ghali, Italian Ambassador to Egypt Antonio Badini, Zanghi, and Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Bedjaoui, who wrote the introduction of the Arabic edition. Zanghi 's book is a comprehensive geographical study of the different standards of human rights all across the world, with a particular focus on Islamic and Asian countries -- an invaluable contribution to the field. � A beautiful confluence of class and academia, dears -- and what a display the Inner Wheel and Rotary Clubs Charity Clothes Exhibition held for Cairo University students until 20 December. Inaugurated by, among others, my friend Minister of Education Amr Salama, my very good friend Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Moufid Shehab and the intriguing President of Cairo University Ali Abdel-Hamid, not to mention the Inner Wheel's Samia Abul-Fotouh and Amal Nameq, dears -- such lovely, energetic, astounding women I wondered whether they were forgotten friends. � I was so touched, my dears, to know that last week's book presentation by Mexican Ambassador to Egypt Miguel Orozco was his last official feat in Egypt before saying good-bye. At the Cervantes Institute, the presentation of Orozco 's book One Thousand and One Days in Egypt, The Moon Eclipses the Sun was attended by Hispanic-speaking diplomats and the Latin American community who followed the explanations of the Institute Director Luis Moratinos and other academics. � Much to talk about in the realm of song, dears, for Lebanese singer Nawal El-Zoughbi has announced her refusal to participate in music awards festivals due to the "dishonest manner" in which the winners are chosen. Nawal refused to accept the "Music Award Trophy", despite the eagerness of most singers to receive such an award. At the same time singer Iwan, another Lebanese, is working on a New Year's Eve song, Not in my dreams, composed by Zaher Al-Papa with lyrics by Amir Ta'ama ; while my old friend Ragheb Alama, yet another man of the Mount, will celebrate Christmas in Dubai, along with the Gypsy Kings, apparently. That said, it is the arrival into the world of Angham 's firstborn Abdel-Rahman, a boy, that makes for the happiest news. An angelic voice of Egypt, Angham will be on maternity leave away from the stage for a while. Heartthrob Hala Shiha bid 2005 farewell by taking the veil and announcing a premature end to her acting career. Ah, well. A beautiful friend of mine Hala may be, but rumours about her having an affair with footballer Emad Mit'eb must have taken their toll. And is it something one can really object to? More cause for celebration, dears, as EgyptAir flight attendant Ranim Adel -- the sister of Reham Adel, our lovely Al-Ahram Weekly colleague -- embarks on a long journey of matrimonial bliss with Hisham Salah, sales manager at Phonezone Company, Australia. The wedding at CityStars InterContinental Hotel in Nasr City was all joy and style. After the wedding the couple flew to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia for their honeymoon. � Bahrain, literature and youth, my loved ones: to my delight I've found out that my very favourite Libyan, the New York- based poet Khaled El-Motawea, is coordinating "A New Page", a forum organised jointly by the Bahrain Culture Resource, Al-Ruwaq Gallery and Al-Watan newspaper, from 20-26 this month. It's an all-young event of many genres with 22 participants from across the Arab world including my journalist-writer friends Sahar El-Mogui and Sayed Mahmoud as well as Bahrain's foremost critic, dears, Mohamed El-Banky. � Let your hearts flutter as you welcome the veteran Algerian singer Warda back onto the scene -- a New Year album to melt the heart with music by my very valued friend Salah El-Sharnoubi and, well, the man I love: Kazem El-Saher. � Let your hearts flutter as you welcome the veteran Algerian singer Warda back onto the scene -- a New Year album to melt the heart with music by my very valued friend Salah El-Sharnoubi and, well, the man I love: Kazem El-Saher.
