CAIRO: News of the death of modern Egypt's greatest author Naguib Mahfouz, 94, the first Egyptian to win a Nobel Prize, dominates headlines in national and independent newspapers alike. Inside pages were dedicated to extensive coverage of the author's biography and achievements. Mahfouz was hospitalized in July due to a fall. His death is attributed to a bleeding ulcer. His death sent shockwaves through the Egyptian community, who regard him in considerably high esteem, especially since his books have been the inspiration for some of Egypt's greatest motion pictures. The author, during his writing career, explored the struggles of ordinary men in the heart of Cairo, in its old and modern streets, bringing them to life through his words. "Mahfouz is a genius, a creative novelist, President Hosni Mubarak was quoted by Al-Ahram Thursday as saying. "He was [passionate] towards the people of Egypt and he spread the values of enlightenment and forgiveness among the people. Mahfouz was arguably one of the best and most acclaimed writers of the Middle East. During his life, Mahfouz was known for his simple life and brave spirit. After surviving an assassination attempt, and with a fatwa declaring his life forfeit, the author refused to alter his life's course; pursuing his work and clinging to small habits like walking to his favorite oriental coffee shop everyday. Egypt also suffered another loss in the death of 22-year-old football player Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Abdel Wahab died Thursday morning of a heart attack during a regular training session. The soccer player had collapsed on the pitch and was hurried to the hospital. However, he died shortly before he arrived there. He did not clash with another player, he just fell to the ground, a club spokesman told Amr Shaheen of BBC Sport. It might be a heart attack but we are not sure yet, the team doctor said. Abdel Wahab has been on loan to the popular Al-Ahli, one of Egypt's two leading clubs, for the past two years. Also in the news is the Ministry of Trade and Industry's announcement that Egypt should experience a fall in merchandise prices. According to the minister, in order to protect consumers, a plan to control inflated prices has been put into effect especially taking into consideration the fact that the holy month of Ramadan is a few weeks away. Egypt has been experiencing a rise in consumer inflation, greatly affecting the prices of food, oil and fuel and leading to an uproar among Egyptians. Prices of popular consumer goods such as sugar have also increased. The price inflation has also been grounds for criticism of the government from opposition parliament members.
