In brief
Happy New Year
(cairolive.com, March 14, 2002) The government changed its mind -- seemingly at the last minute -- about giving employees Thursday off to commemorate the Islamic New Year.
Hijri year 1423 actually begins on Friday, but Wednesday's papers had all reported that Thursday was to be a national holiday so people could get long weekends.
On Thursday, however, the papers all front paged the news that Thursday would be a normal working day, with the new year to be celebrated on Friday, which is already a day off. Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar report the news with a straight face, while Al-Wafd calls it "Tahreeg hukoomeee" (The government is kidding).

In brief
An ugly message
(cairolive.com, March 14, 2002) Both Al-Wafd and Al-Ahram quote National Review editor Rich Lowry's comments about "nuking Mecca" on their front page. Al-Wafd's headline on the story about the US media personality's belligerent remarks is  "Waqaha sahyoniya billa hudood" (Ceaseless Zionist ugliness)

Politics/headline news
Lots of meetings and more advice
(cairolive.com, March 14, 2002) US Vice President Dick Cheney was in Sharm El-Sheikh for talks with President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday. Cheney also visited the US peace keeping troops that are part of the MFO contingent stationed in Sinai.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is supposed to be arriving in Egypt for talks with Mubarak today, Al-Akhbar reports.
Demonstrations against Israel took place in several Egyptian universities this week, the latest being at Alexandria University on Wednesday, where 8000 students took part. Demonstrations have also taken place in Tanta and in Cairo, where Cairo University students managed to leave the University grounds, heading for the nearby Israeli embassy to continue their protest, before being stopped by security.
Al-Wafd editor Magdi Mehanna's columns continue to advise the Arab leaders set to meet in Beirut at the end of the month on how they should deal with what he sees as US efforts to break down any potentially effective plans set by the summit. Mehanna says the timing of US Vice President Dick Cheney's visit to the region is meant to inspire confusion amongst the Arabs regarding how to react to a seemingly certain US strike on Iraq. Mehanna suggests that a unified message be given to Cheney at each of his stops in the region -- that the greatest risk to the stability of the region is not Saddam Hussein but Ariel Sharon, and that US interests will be harmed if Iraq is hit. Mehanna also sarcastically refers to US Ambassador to Egypt David Welch's query of Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa regarding the agenda of the Beirut summit. Why didn't he just ask for a copy of the summit's final statement instead, quips Mehanna, so he can suggest changes or strike out parts as he chooses.

Egyptians abroad
Ahead of their time?
(cairolive.com, March 14, 2002) There is a cartoon -- on the back page of Thursday's Al-Wafd -- that expatriates may appreciate:
A discussion is taking place at the Cabinet of Ministers. "We've been enforcing a sales tax, and people still have money," someone is saying. ""Don't worry about it, sir," some one else says, "starting tomorrow we're going to introduce taxes on the sun and wind as well."
In the next frame, a burly tax collector assaults a poor guy standing in the street. "Hand over the tax you son of a ...You're standing in the sun and enjoying the wind and you haven't paid the tax!"
In the next frame the man throws the tax collector some money, and runs away, saying, "Here, take it... I'm leaving this country!"
In the last frame, the poor guy is trying to board an Egypt air flight, but there's someone blocking the plane's doorway: it's none other than Prime Minister Atef Ebeid, saying, "Where are you going? We've introduced an Emigration tax!"

Telephone news
Per-minute local rates coming soon
(cairolive.com, March 14, 2002) We will soon be paying for our phone calls on a per minute rather than a per six minute rate. The changes are set to take pace in April , and will appear in the July bill, claims Al-Akhbar, on its front page, in what it says is a scoop on the tariffs to be announced by the Communications minister in the next few days.
The paper says the first minute of each call will be charged at 5 piasters, while subsequent minutes will cost 2 piasters each. The previous tariff was 10 piasters per six minutes.  For a 7 minute phone call that meant you paid 20 piasters. Under the new system it means the same call would only cost 17 piasters. The logic is that the shorter payment intervals are supposed to be more fair for the consumer. 

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