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Egypt's Al-Azhar leader to visit Pope Tawadros for Easter greeting - (55 days ago)
Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb will meet Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II on Friday at the papal premises in St Mark's Catherdral to give him best wishes for Easter, reported Ahram's Arabic website. Pope Tawadros II was enthroned last year after the death of his predecessor Shenouda III. This will be his first Easter celebration. EGYPT
WHO says new bird strain is 'one of most lethal' flu viruses - (57 days ago)
ReutersA new strain of bird flu that has killed 22 people in China is "one of the most lethal" of its kind and is more easily transmissible to humans than an earlier strain that has killed hundreds around the world since 2003, a top World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Wednesday.The H7N9 virus has infected 108 people in China since it was first detected in March, according to the
Online toolkit for documenting performing arts launches in D-CAF - (57 days ago)
Documenting the performing arts has proven to be troublesome time and time again. To address the issue at large, an online toolkit PRE-formance was created by Meetphool, an online professional platform of artists, and several partners, including Noon Creative Enterprise, Goethe Institute, Spring Lessons, Eps51 and Uqbar, to aid artists in digitally documenting and archiving performance arts.The
Egyptian Chant Avedissian sets contemporary art auction record in Doha - (57 days ago)
Sotheby's Contemporary Art Doha auction achieved a total of $15,199,750,00 on Monday, establishing the highest price for an auction of Contemporary Art in the Arab region.According to Sotheby's official press release, "The sale was 89.1 percent sold by lot. Records were set for nine artists, including a record for a living Arab artist [Chant Avedissian]."Egyptian contemporary artist Chant
Head of Egypt's ballet richly commemorated - (58 days ago)
Commemorating Abdel Moneim Kamel on Sunday 21 April, the Cairo Opera House prepared a special evening of performances of his many works for the ballet and soloists. The short documentary movies screened in between the consecutive numbers that presented Kamel as renowned Egyptian dancer, then director and finally chairperson of the of the National Cultural Centre (Cairo Opera House) between 2004
Gas exploration awards announced in Egypt - (58 days ago)
Energy firms Dana Gas, ENI and Sea Dragon announce they have been awarded exploration rights in Egypt's Nile Delta and eastern Mediterranean in an EGAS bid round on 18 April.Dana Gas and ENI were awarded deep-water exploration in areas of the Eastern Mediterranean, the companies reveal in statements on Monday.They detail that they have been awarded 100 percent working interest in the North Al
'Misr Tegmaana' promotes tolerance through art - (58 days ago)
Ahram OnlineThe Selmiyah Movement, launched in July 2012 by cultural and political initiatives and independent artists, organised one of the simplest but most crowded cultural events in Cairo on Sunday, 'Misr Tegmaana' (Egypt Brings Us Together) at Darb 1718.Misr Tegmaana is part of the movement's cultural campaign of the same name, which aims to create common spaces for dialogue and joint action
Russian website Avito seen doubling revenues - (58 days ago)
The Swedish co-founder of Russias biggest classifieds website Avito expects it to more than double revenues this year, proving smaller players can take a lead in an industry dominated by heavyweights like eBay and Craigslist. Jonas Nordlanders latest start-up, launched in 2007, ranks with Craigslist in the United States and Chinas 58.com with its 40 million unique monthly visitors, and
Book Alert: Egypt's Khaled Fahmy to discuss Sherif Younis's 'Sacred March' - (59 days ago)
Ahram OnlineAl-Tanweer publishing house will host historian Khaled Fahmy, chair of the History Department at the American University in Cairo, on Wednesday at 8pm to discuss Sherif Younis’s reprinted book Al-Zahf Al-Moqaddas: Mozaharat Al-Tanahy wa Ebadat Abdennaser (The Sacred March: The Step Down Protests and Worshipping Abdel-Nasser).Sherif Younis is a history professor at Helwan
Egypt's Ibn Tulun Mosque in need of rescue - (59 days ago)
Ahram OnlineIn Cairo's Al-Sayeda Zeinab district, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun stands as imposing as when it was first constructed in 876 on top of a hill known as Gabal Yashkur.Recently, however, the mosque lost some of its splendour as garbage and swaps of drainage water amassed along its external wall.The mosque is not the only monument to suffer neglect. Several Islamic, Coptic and ancient
U.S. cites human rights problems in Russia, China, Egypt - (61 days ago)
The U.S. government on Friday expressed concern about increasing crackdowns on civil liberties around the world, from Russia to Egypt and China, saying these and other countries were shrinking the space in which independent political and other activists can operate. In its annual survey of human rights around the world, the State Department singled out Myanmar for praise for the second year in
UPDATE 1-Istanbul airport tender seen drawing four bids-sources - (61 days ago)
A tender to build Istanbuls third airport, which Turkey says could eventually be the worlds largest, is expected to attract up to four bids, with limited foreign interest in the 7 billion euro ($9 billion) project, sources close to the matter said.The government project reflects the growing importance of Istanbul, Europes largest city, as a regional transport hub in tandem with Turkeys
D-CAF brings World War I to Cairo - (63 days ago)
Walking into Hotel Modern's performance of The Great War, one cannot possibly foresee how powerful miniature objects can be in transmitting the emotional and physical experience of being in a war, especially one that wiped out entire villages and cities in Europe.The live audio-visual performance was presented at Falaki Theatre on Tuesday evening (with another performance on Wednesday 17 April)
Egypt buys high-tech device to clear landmines in Western Desert - (63 days ago)
Egypt on Wednesday signed a new contract to buy an advanced mine-clearance machine from a UK-based company.The $1.2 million contract will allow Egypt to acquire an Armtrack 400 machine to help it clear the Al-Alamein region, located in Egypt's Western Desert, of live World War Two-era anti-tank land mines.According to the terms of the contract, Armtrack Limited, the machine's British
Boghdady and the Wolf: Cairo Symphony Orchestra to perform for children - (63 days ago)
Ahram OnlineOn 20 April, this special concert aiming at bringing children to the opera halls will include Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, Bizet's Children's Games (Jeux d'enfants) and Saint-Saëns's The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux). The narrator of the evening will be Abdel Wehab El-Sayed, working alongside piano soloists Elena Dzamashvili and Haitham Ibrahim.Peter and
Burundi mobile phone subscriptions leap 17 pct - (64 days ago)
Increasing competition between Burundis mobile phone operators helped to boost the number of subscriptions in the country by 17 percent last year, telecoms regulator ARCT said on Wednesday. Mobile phone subscriptions in the central African country rose to 2.24 million in 2012 as competition between the five operators reduced prices. Constaque Hakizimana, who is in charge of mobile
Art Alert: Egyptian musicians unite in a memorial concert for Abdel-Moneim Kamel - (64 days ago)
Abdel-Moneim Kamel, a 'spiritual father of ballet' in Egypt, passed away on 25 February 2013. Following a bright career at home and abroad - including successes at Italy's renowned La Scala - in the 1980s Kamel took on the task of reviving ballet in Egypt.His contribution to the country's arts scene grew by the year, and in the last years of his life he served as the Cairo Opera House's chairman
French Institute film festival awards four filmmakers in closing ceremony - (64 days ago)
On Monday, the French institute in Mounira, Cairo, hosted the closing ceremony of 'Rencontre de l'image' film festival, which showcased shorts, features and documentaries by young filmmakers.The jury, composed of directors Ahmed Abdallah, Ahmed Fawzy Saleh and screenwriter Mariam Nawaem presented the awards to the young filmmakers."The awards for this year will only be for short films and
Paris' Palais du Cinéma to name hall after Egypt's Youssef Chahine - (65 days ago)
The Louxor Cinema Theatre at the Palais du Cinéma in Paris will rename one of its main halls for late Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine (1926-2008), according to Misr International Films, the company founded by Chahine.A company press release published on Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website described the move as "an honour to be added to the list of honours [Chahine] has received
Egyptian professor awarded Greece's Order of Republic - (65 days ago)
Greek President Karolos Papoulias has rewarded the country's prestigious Order of the Republic to Egyptian professor Abdel-Moati Sharawi for the latter's academic contributions to the field of classical and contemporary Greek studies.Sharawi is a professor at Cairo University's faculty of humanities.Greek Ambassador to Egypt Chris Lazaris announced the move on Monday during the embassy's
London Symphony Orchestra conductor Colin Davis dies at 85 - (66 days ago)
AFPThe London Symphony Orchestra says its president and former principal conductor, Colin Davis, has died aged 85.One of the best-known figures in British classical music, Davis worked with the symphony for more than half a century.He first conducted for the LSO in 1959 and took the principal conductor job in 1995, serving until 2006 before becoming president.Associated in particular with the
Cairo airport customs confiscate large collection of historical artefacts - (66 days ago)
On Sunday, officials at Cairo Airport confiscated a large collection of artefacts which originally belonged to the family of nineteenth century ruler of Egypt Mohamed Ali, that were being imported illegally to be sold in Egypt on the black market.The objects were hidden inside two large wooden boxes that were being transported unaccompanied, and were spotted by staff who were using scanners to
Art Alert: Hal Badeel culture festival closes this Wednesday - (66 days ago)
Hal Badeel (Alternative Solution), the festival that took over Townhouse Gallery's exhibition space 'The Factory' and turned it into a small theater, ends its performances this Wednesday 17 April.The evening will start outside The Factory with street theater performers Outa Hamra who transform public spaces as they present their clown act called 'Transformers.’The festival, will close with
Speech crimes are mark of totalitarian regimes: Egypt's TV host Youssef - (66 days ago)
In an interview on private Saudi television channel to be broadcast Monday, popular television host and satirist Bassem Youssef criticised the Egyptian government and spoke out against the decision to prosecute him on charges related to offensive speech.Sitting down with satellite news channel Al-Arabiya, the Egyptian satirist and television host spoke frankly, saying that if the Egyptian regime
Suicide, accidents linked to bone marrow transplant - (67 days ago)
People who have had a bone marrow transplant may be at increased risk for suicides and accidental deaths, according to a new study suggesting these patients may need extra attention to the mental and physical after-effects of their battles with disease.In a group of almost 300,000 European bone marrow transplant recipients, researchers found that patients killed themselves at twice the rates seen
Fans queue at midnight for new novel by Japan's Murakami - (67 days ago)
The publisher of bestselling author, Murakami, is printing 600,000 copies of his new book "Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage" to assuage the appetite of fans kept in the dark about the book's subject and storyline, the first book in three years for the author.Murakami, who regularly tops bookmakers' lists as a favourite for the Nobel Literature Prize, confessed that much of
Motor racing-F1 sponsors show limited appetite for Bahrain GP - (69 days ago)
Companies who help to bankroll Formula One motor racing are limiting their involvement in the Bahrain Grand Prix this month, saving some of their marketing dollars for less politically sensitive races. The grand prix was cancelled in 2011 following a bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising, but sponsors were left squirming last year when the sports rulers ignored calls by campaigners in
F1 sponsors show limited appetite for Bahrain Grand Prix - (69 days ago)
Companies who help to bankroll Formula One motor racing are limiting their involvement in the Bahrain Grand Prix this month, saving some of their marketing dollars for less politically sensitive races. The grand prix was cancelled in 2011 following a bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising, but sponsors were left squirming last year when the sports rulers ignored calls by
Egypt crisis threatens food for poorest: World Food Programme - (69 days ago)
Egypts economic crisis poses a threat to basic nutrition in the country of 84 million people where the poorest spend more than half their income on food, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday. WFP country director Gian Pietro Bordignons warning underscores one of the main challenges facing President Mohamed Mursis government as it grapples with an economic crisis caused by two years
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AFPTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rallies supporters after riot police again clash with thousands of anti-government demonstrators in a second week of nationwide unrest.Three people have died in the protests against Erdogan and his Islamic-leaning Justice and Development Party (AKP), in power since 2002.Following are the main events of the past days:- May 28: A peaceful local protest
AFPTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing one of the biggest challenges of his decade in power with anti-government protests that critics say have exposed growing discontent with his increasingly authoritarian and conservative agenda.Here are the key events since Erdogan's Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) assumed power in the predominantly Muslim but staunchly
AHRAM ONLINEFounders of Egypt’s 'Rebel' campaign, a newly established movement that aims to withdraw confidence from President Mohamed Morsi by collecting citizens' signatures, spoke at an open forum on Wednesday to discuss the campaign, which has recently gone viral online and on the streets.'Rebel' campaigners hope to collect 15 million signatures and hold a mass sit-in on 30 June –
BBC SportWhen it's put to him that he might be the most talented athlete in the world to hold a racquet, a bashful Ramy Ashour admits "that's pretty great".The 25-year-old Egyptian is more than just the current squash world number one - his elastic, unorthodox brilliance and charisma could be the key to squash breaking out beyond its four walls and regaining a place on the wider sporting
