Cairo s bikyeah sellers battle traffic, cops and cheapskates
CAIRO: Khaled Hussein spends 56 hours a week hunting the streets and alleys of Cairo in a never-ending pursuit of junk.
On a good day, Hussein can make up to LE 100 collecting and (...)
Hala Gorani's show favors color and insight over headlines
CAIRO: While more reporters and journalists flock to the Middle East than any other region in the world, much of the voluminous amounts of coverage beamed across the globe focuses on (...)
Several years ago, artist and lecturer Shady El Noshokaty realized something about Helwan University's art education curriculum: it was old-fashioned, restrictive and plagued by a scatter-shot approach that did little to foster creative (...)
As major record labels try to figure out a way to stop their hemorrhaging profits, the amount of music being downloaded and streamed across the Internet continues to proliferate like bed bugs in Britney's sheets.
For Egyptian music fans who have (...)
Show combines ancient styles into a cacophonous brew of mystical chants and rhythms
If the ritualistic music of the zar could be compared to an animal, it would be the equivalent of a deep sea shark: mysterious, rare and endangered.
This (...)
Cash to support "Egypt's own political reform agenda, says EU
CAIRO: In the name of promoting democratic reforms in Egypt, the European Union is providing the Mubarak government with a massive new aid package worth ?558 million.
The cash, (...)
Crackdowns are being enforced to preserve public space, says lawyer
CAIRO: Vendors in the historic Wakalit Al-Balah market say that government harassment is damaging their livelihood after three days of crackdowns by riot police.
Armed riot (...)
Jordan's tiny kingdom offers a wealth of treats for visitors
AMMAN: For centuries, the sick, the poor and the pale have flocked to the Dead Sea to soak up the mythical vibe and marinate in its salty waters, which are said to have healing (...)
Back in high school, I had a math teacher who knew nothing about math.
The guy would stand in front of our class clutching a piece of chalk and use it to scribble equations violently on the blackboard.
At best, his lessons were mildly (...)
CAIRO: As Egypt liberalizes its economy and moves closer to the European economic sphere, it could be doing so at the expense of its trade relationship with the US, warns an Egyptian business leader.
The growing ties behind the EU-Egypt economic (...)
Artist employs the photo faux-pas as inspiration for his latest collection
Blurred images and warped colors are two of the photo world's biggest sins.
However, for Cairo-based photographer Paul Ayoub-Geday, a photo faux pas can be re-imagined (...)
Mahmoud Aboudoma, the man behind one of the country's most vital creative gatherings, doesn't have a very high opinion of the government's cultural mandate.
"I don't believe in the official culture ministry, he tells The Daily Star (...)
Alternative renewable energy should be developed instead
CAIRO: Contradicting US policy, the European Union (EU) will not fully support Egypt's ambitions to create a nuclear program for peaceful energy purposes, a top EU diplomat said (...)
At first glance, a play featuring six women performing surreal modern dances while wearing colorful tents might not appear to be an overtly political statement.
Indeed, for the casual viewer, the frantic and energetic performances in "Letters (...)
Drinkers who dry out for over a month experience brain growth
CAIRO: Boozehounds, who jump started the year with alcohol-fueled revelry still have a chance to re-grow parts of their brain. A new study says that alcoholics who quit drinking can (...)
CAIRO: Earlier this week, at a wine and shrimp-fuelled soiree packed with British literati, Egyptian novelist Miral El Tahawi was on the prowl.
This was her chance to swap business cards with a group of influential publishers who have the power (...)
Merkel visit also aims to strengthen business ties
CAIRO: Underlining her country's commitment to the Middle East peace process, German chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in Egypt for talks with President Mubarak later this week - the fifth visit (...)
Stars and media pack into Farouk Hosni's latest gallery showing
Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni unleashed his latest collection of abstract paintings to a celebrity-jammed crowd at the Zamalek Art Gallery earlier this week.
Accompanied by a (...)
Program aims to get science and technology back on track
CAIRO: While the past decades have been marked by a gradual shrinking of Egypt's research and development muscle, a new program launched by the country's biggest research center is working (...)
New school aims to educate banking sector
CAIRO: Underlining the financial sector's interest in pushing bank payment cards into the domestic marketplace, credit giant Visa will launch a certification program for Egypt's banking sector this (...)
Doctors and researchers are cut off from the world - and each other
CAIRO: Dr. Hala Badawi is the president of one of the country's largest research institutes, and yet, her office doesn't have a computer.
If she wants to send an email, (...)
Cairo is hard work.
Given the smog, the traffic and the crushing weight of bureaucracy which seeps into all aspects of life, just going about your daily routine feels like a Herculean ordeal.
While this tense, crowded environment usually (...)
Nationalities and ideas mix in artistic exchange
In a city where studio space for young painters is a prized commodity, the Townhouse Gallery is running an innovative program which aims to give every artist a place to get creative.
The idea is (...)
Cooperation key in getting Egyptian scientists back on track
CAIRO: Beset by brain drain, funding shortages and weak international networks, Egypt's scientific community is falling behind in key scientific sectors, warns a top researcher.
In (...)
Local artist Nagla Ezzat has just opened the largest show of her career and thankfully, you can check it out without leaving the comfort of your home.
Like many ambitious young artists, Ezzat has skipped the judicious eyes of gallery owners and (...)