Latest Cairo Stories

The historical Giza Zoo in Cairo, Egypt, is learning to "cool down" after it was excluded from a world zoo association in 2004. Powerful fans now blow chilled mist at the bears, a luxury normally reserved for wealthy human patrons at Egypt's upscale patio cafes. Also in the works: cold water that will flow in pipes beneath the cages, chilling the floors."They can breathe. This is improving their lives," senior zookeeper Abdel Razek Mustafa said as the bears stretched their...

Please note that the Egyptian radio commentary was not broadcast on 6 August. Originally published by Arab Republic of Egypt Radio, Cairo, in Arabic 1145 6 Aug 08. (c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

The burial ceremony took place today at the Birmasis Church in Cairo for the late Egyptian legend director Yusif Shahin. Hundreds of celebrities and top figures in Arab cinema were among the over 1,500 mourners who came together at the director's funeral. Large crowds of people gathered outside the Roman Catholic Church of Resurrection. In addition to political figures, and officials from the ruling National Democratic Party also attended the funeral to bid farewell to Shaheen, who passed...

Al-Alam, Iran's international news TV channel, says it has received no official word that it faces a ban in Egypt. Security forces in Cairo ransacked the Al-Alam office earlier this week and confiscated equipment, including cameras, computers and two videotapes. They claimed the network lacked a license for operation. We are still in talks with Egyptian media and security officials to return to the normal activity of the network, Hassan Abedini, the Al-Alam newsroom chief in Cairo, told...

By Golia, Maria Maria Golia reports from Cairo WHEN WINTER COMES to the northern lands, people steel themselves for long months of darkness, damp and bitter cold. The challenges of conducting one's business in the midst of irritating drizzle or pelting rain include sickness, depression and stiffheating bills. The sun's first springtime appearance is greeted with joyous relief and a great deal of disrobing in public parks, as vitamin-D deprived city-dwellers attempt to soak up the precious...

The young actress Bushra plays the leading role in the new film "Al Hikaya Feeha Muna" (The Story Has Muna) with the singers Esaaf, Aydah Riyad and Lutfi Labib. The film was created by Muhammad Hafeth and directed by Olfat Othman, her first film. Bushra plays the role of Muna, a hair stylist that faces several tough situations, forcing her to work in Cairo and Alexandria. 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com) Originally published by By Al-Bawaba Reporters. (c) 2008 Al Bawaba. Provided by...

By Paul Schemm Associated Press CAIRO, Egypt -- A motley group of foreigners -- English teachers, students of Arabic, even a journalist -- gathered on a recent chilly night in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, brought together by a love of cinema, curiosity and a furtive hope of catching a glimpse of Omar Sharif. Glamour, however, was in quite short supply for our band of film extras. Waiting around for hours in our 1940s period costumes, we slouched in the elegant wood paneled bar of a...

Cairo, Egypt / June 24, 2008 OCI Receives New Construction Awards for the Skikda LNG Project in Algeria Orascom Construction Industries ("OCI") confirmed that it has been awarded two construction contracts by Kellogg, Brown & Root International Inc. ("KBR") for the civil works and piling installation of the new LNG train in Skikda, Algeria being developed by Sonatrach. These contracts represent some of the first packages of the USUSD 3 billion Skikda LNG program in Algeria. Sonatrach is...

Egypt to apply international university education quality standards CAIRO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and the State for Scientific Research Hani Hillal on Saturday said that Egyptian public universities will start applying international education quality standards as of July. Addressing the inaugural session of the international conference of the National Authority for Guaranteeing Education Quality, Hillal termed quality education as a prerequisite for...

By PAUL SCHEMM By Paul Schemm The Associated Press CAIRO, Egypt Offering a cigarette is as common as a handshake in Egypt, where the culture of smoking is so entrenched that patients sometimes light up in hospital rooms. But now the government is getting serious about the health risks, launching a new campaign of stark visual warnings about tobacco's dangers. Starting Aug. 1, cigarette labels in Egypt will be required to carry images of the effects of smoking: a dying man in an oxygen...