Meeting of minds A NATIONAL conference that will include all political forces, movements and intellectuals, is scheduled to convene on 7 May to discuss post-revolution Egypt. The conference is organised by the coalition of revolutionary youth and political groups. Its four objectives include discussing the basic principles of the forthcoming constitution; a vision for the future; establishing unity among the various forces ahead of parliamentary elections; and setting up a national council to coordinate with the Higher Council of the Armed Forces to ensure the achievement of these objectives. The conference will be held in Cairo's International Conference Centre. Party support THE MUSLIM Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie visited the Upper Egyptian governorate of Minya on Tuesday where he inaugurated the Brotherhood's headquarters and held a public rally. Observers believe the visit aims to gain support for the group's new Justice and Freedom Party. Smuggling foiled EGYPTIAN tycoon Hussein Salem allegedly tried to smuggle 100 parcels of antiques, paintings, gold statutes and other priceless items out of the country. Airport customs stopped a suspect holding a Palestinian passport who was in possession of the parcels, from leaving to Saudi Arabia. Officials became suspicious of what the packages, which weighed three tonnes in total, contained. The parcels were found to belong to an export company and included papers linked to a Saudi prince. It was then established that the items belong to a businessman linked to Salem because they included photos of him with Arab leaders and kings, including Hosni Mubarak. A carpet was also found which had Salem's name embroidered on it. Salem is a close friend of Mubarak's and owns a number of tourist companies. On 10 March, the Cairo Criminal Court confirmed a freeze of all of Salem's personal and family assets. Salem fled the country on 26 January, a day after the demonstrations which eventually ousted Mubarak began. 6 April out THE 6 APRIL Youth Movement has withdrawn from the Revolutionary Youth Coalition (RYC), saying it rejected what it called interference in its internal affairs by coalition members. The RYC denied the accusation. 6 April also claimed that the coalition had failed in being effective, using the referendum on the constitution as an example. The coalition had campaigned for a "No" vote to the constitutional amendments. Those who voted in favour of the amendments won handily. 6 April is expected to be part of a new coalition which it hopes will be capable of "effectively participating" in the parliamentary elections scheduled in September. Help for diabetics A NEW form of insulin treatment has been launched, reports Ahmed Qotb. Humalog Mix50 helps control post-meal glucose levels. Fast and long-acting, it was designed for the eating habits of diabetic patients in the Middle East, particularly in Egypt. It includes more carbohydrates in a three, heavy meal routine. The new treatment was unveiled last week along with the Humalog Kwikpen, a prefilled easy-to-use pen that simplifies insulin injection. Both treatments are created by Lilly, a global leader in innovative pharmaceutical products. "The Humalog Mix50 is the only drug of its kind on the market that is suitable for controlling post-meal glucose levels of diabetic patients," said Sherif Rashed, country manager of Lilly Egypt. Rashed said the new product had 50 per cent short-acting insulin to control post-meal glucose levels and 50 per cent basal insulin to control it during the rest of the day. Humalog Mix 50 can be taken just before a meal or during it, he added. "Almost 33 per cent of children born in Egypt after the year 2000 will suffer from type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives," said Inas Shaltout, head of the Arabic Association for Diabetes Studies. Shaltout added that poor eating habits of the majority of Egyptians was the main reason behind the growing number of patients. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that the number of people suffering from diabetes worldwide will rise from 285 million in 2010 to 438 million in 2030. There are currently more than five million diabetics in Egypt. The WHO identified diabetes as one of four chronic, non-communicable diseases responsible for more than half of all deaths in the Middle East and North Africa region.
