CPI up 6.9 pct in yr to Dec, same as Nov Reuters reported that Egyptian consumer prices in urban areas rose 6.9 percent in the year to December, unchanged from the year to November, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (Capmas) said on Thursday. Inflation has been steady at the end of 2007 in the moderate range under 10 percent, Capmas Chairman Abou Bakr Al Gendy told a news conference. But a rise in world prices of food drove the consumer price index in urban areas up 0.4 percent in the month to December, compared to a decline of 0.2 percent in the previous month. Increases in international food prices is a main factor as it pushed up the food component in the basket, Gendy added. The CPI for food and beverages in urban areas rose 0.7 in December, compared to a decline of 0.6 percent in November, a Capmas statement said. Gendy said that inflation might go up during 2008 if the government goes on with its planned salary raises. Egypt s economy grew 7.1 percent in the last fiscal year, its fastest rate in at least two decades, but inflation stays a concern in light of expected cuts in fuel subsidies during 2008. The Central Bank of Egypt kept its key overnight interest rates unchanged in December, citing a drop in inflation but warning that higher economic growth posed risks to its inflation outlook. Higher food prices could have a knock-on effect on non-food prices, it said in a statement. -Agencies Linkonline launches F.C. Barcelona s Arabic-language website Barcaarabia, an internet portal owned and operated by LinkOnline - a division of Linkdotnet -announced the launch of F.C. Barcelona s official Arabic-language website www.barcaarabia.com. The site targets the Catalonian giant s Middle Eastern fan base, and comes within the framework of the cooperation agreement between Linkdotnet and F.C. Barcelona. The cooperation agreement was concluded during F.C. Barcelona s visit to Cairo on the occasion of Al-Ahly s centenary celebrations. A simple ceremony took place at one of Cairo s hotels in the attendance of F.C. Barcelona s vice president, his marketing staff and Karim Bichara, Linkdotnet CEO. Mohamed Sultan, Linkonline CEO, said, The portal is intended to enhance the relationship between F.C. Barcelona and its Middle Eastern fan base. Users will be able to follow the club s team news, results and fixtures. The club is in no doubt that the number of fans in the region will increase accordingly. The portal will be airing up-to-the-minute news, player interviews and hosting of other services aimed at soccer lovers in the region. It will also act as the club s official Arabic-language website that provides an important window for its fans in the Middle East and beyond, and targets primarily football lovers aged between 14 and 45 . Developing new approaches to the study of human trafficking As part of the United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT), a two-day expert group meeting - hosted by International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with UN Office for Drug and Crime - aimed at proposing innovative approaches for the study of human trafficking, kicked off in Cairo. The event brings together about 20 prominent researchers from across the world to assess the current state of trafficking research and propose a set of tools and guidelines to increase research capacities, especially in poorer countries. The meeting also aims at establishing an interdisciplinary UN.GIFT Research Forum on Human Trafficking. The research initiative has been initiated in response to the gaps and weaknesses in current research on trafficking highlighted by an IOM survey in 2005, "Data and Research on Human Trafficking: A Global Survey. These included an over-emphasis on trafficking in women for sexual exploitation, too few studies focusing on trafficking for labor exploitation and a lack of research on trafficking of boys and men. Broadening the knowledge base of data, facts and research on trafficking is one of the main goals of UN.GIFT, which was launched a year ago by five UN agencies and IOM. The findings of the Cairo meeting will be presented at an UN.GIFT forum in Vienna Feb. 13-15. Peace Movement volunteers raise LE 600,000 for charity Volunteers at Suzanne Mubarak s International Movement for Peace raised up to $120,000 (around LE 600,000) for development projects in Upper Egypt, as 25 volunteers toured the Red Sea Wadi El-Gemal area for the charity. The team included Amr Samra, the first Egyptian to climb Everest, the world s highest mountain peak. On Sunday, the First Lady will mark the 20th anniversary of the Cairo Opera House. In other news, Minister of Environmental Affairs Maged George unveiled Egypt s first bio-diversity plan. The minister said the plan covers Egypt s flora and fauna, categorizing in detail all kinds of animals and plants in the country. -SIS Orascom Telecom, Alcatel-Lucent celebrate 10 years of cooperation Orascom Telecom and Alcatel-Lucent celebrated 10 years of cooperation with a festive event at the Manial Palace in Cairo. The two companies have cooperated together in various countries in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and South Asia. "Starting with the launch of the first GSM network in Cairo-Egypt in 1998, Alcatel-Lucent and Orascom Telecom have worked together to advance telecommunications in the Middle East and worldwide to serve OTH current 61 plus million subscribers, said a press release. Alcatel-Lucent and Orascom will continue to work together for the development of latest technologies that will offer their customers integrated broadband user-centric experience across all devices and platforms.
