As Al-Masry Al Youm English Edition on the web moves into Phase II of its development I am happy to draw readers' attention to a number of significant new features. Before I do, however, let me recap some background, especially for the benefit of those of you who have only recently come to the site. Al-Masy Al-Youm is an independent, daily newspaper, which entered publication in Egypt over five years ago, soon establishing itself as the leading local independent daily newspaper. This web-based Al-Masry Al-Youm English Edition was launched in June of this year, concomitant to the fifth anniversary of its Arabic-language mother paper. In taking this step, we hope to attract an ever larger readership by providing English-language readers with objective, in-depth coverage of the Egyptian scene: politics, economy, culture and society. As such we strive to offer insight into the manifold ideological, political and cultural currents that characterize Egyptian reality today. The challenge we have set for ourselves is to explain our complex reality from an Egyptian perspective; provide objective and truthful news coverage; create a forum for debate and discussion; and uphold the highest standards of modern journalism. As we enter a new phase of what we still consider a soft-launch, we bring you top stories and opinion articles from the Arabic edition of Al-Masry Al-Youm, plus our very own in-depth news features, press reviews, comprehensive up to date insights into the worlds of business and economy, society and culture, travel, entertainment and food, not to mention comprehensive guides to the local culture and entertainment scene. This week we are particularly excited to be launching two new sections: Environment and Dispatches. At a time when climate change has emerged as one of foremost items on the global agenda, one upon which the very survival of humanity depends, we have set up our new Environment section as a focal point connecting the environmental issues affecting the daily lives of people living in the remotest hamlets of the country to the global conversation and international decision making bodies. Dispatches will bring to you features and investigative reports from across the globe, with special emphasis given to the region. This section is the first of several developments that will expand the English Edition's mandate as a regional and international news provider and platform for debate. We are strong believers in the commitment of journalism to its readership and your feedback, on both the content and the form of our web edition, will be invaluable in maintaining and developing the standards of our work. We invite your comments and look forward to creating an interactive community around Al-Masry Al-Youm English Edition. Fatemah Farag Chief Editor
