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In brief
Endless khamaseen
Just as Cairenes thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, because the springtime dusty days known as khamsaseen were over, the sky surprised them once again this week. In fact, the past two days saw some of the heaviest dust and sand storms the city has seen this year. In general, this year's khamaseen seems to have lasted for more than the fifty days indicated by the name khamaseen, as at least once a week for the past few months, the sky has suddenly turned an odd orange, and all you could smell was dust, usually accompanied by a rise in temperature that makes the city feel like a sauna. On Sunday, several planes had to be re-routed from their arrival at Cairo airport because of the poor visibility. Meteorologists are divided as to how long this current crop of dust will remain in the air, but common wisdom says that the endless string of this summer's dust storms will not fully go away until a major rainstorm washes the sky of the desert sand...
Politics/headline news
Changing of the guard
After ten years as Egypt's extremely active top diplomat, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa is leaving his post on Tuesday, May 15, to head for his new role as secretary-genreral of the Cairo-based Arab League, beginning Wednesday May 16. Moussa was voted in as the AL SG at the league's summit in Amman earlier this year.
As Foreign Minister, Moussa rose to prominence thanks to a successful reorganization of the ministry, a heavy delve into foreign trade agreements, and a constant stream of tough positions regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict.
With no word yet from President Hosni Mubarak on who will get the job, a bevy of speculation as to who will replace Moussa in the soon-to-be-vacant post has erupted. Amongst the names being bandied about are Omar Suleiman, head of General Intelligence, career diplomats Ahmed Abul Ghiet (Egypt's permanent representative to the UN in New York), Ali Maher (ambassador to France), Faiza Abul Naga (ambassador to Switzerland), Nabil Fahmy (ambassador to the US) , and Presidential advisor Osama Al-Baz.
It would be difficult to predict which of these candidates will actually be pegged for the job, or whether a name we haven't yet come across will be announced sometime this week -- but in any case, the change comes at a critical moment in terms of the Arab-Israeli crisis, as clashes between Israel and the Palestinians look no closer to conclusion.
Moussa, meanwhile, once he gets to the Arab League, will be attempting to transform the moribund institution into a more active contributor to regional diplomacy.
Traffic
Summer test run for fall tunnel
The long-awaited Al-Azhar tunnel will probably be fully operational by October, according to the papers. The tunnel is set to undergo test runs beginning in June. First, the electrical and electronic systems will be tested, then, in a partial operational stage, the tunnel's response to emergencies will be gauged. The tunnel connects Salah Salem street near Al-Azhar to Opera Square downtown, and is part of a larger plan to help ease Cairo's traffic congestion. It should also pave the way for the transformation of the area around Khan El-Khaili and Al-Hussein mosque into a pedestrian-only tourism zone.
Movies
Mervat trains for role
Mervat Amin is being considered for a role as one of Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz's four wives in "Nisaa Taht Al-Tamreen" (Women in Training), a new film about to begin production, about a doctor trying to come up with a new method of birth control. Since his technique is highly experimental, he has a hard time convincing anyone to actually try it, and ends up having to marry four women in order to use them as unwitting guinea pigs. According to Akhbar Al-Youm, the film is supposed to be a social comedy...
Education
Few more weeks to cram
It's crunch time in thousands of households across the country, as a whole year's worth of studying is set to culminate in just over two weeks. Some 741,000 students will be taking this year's Thanawiyya Amma Secondary school final exams this year. The two-week exams begin on June 6, and are divided into two sections, one for those in their final year of high school , and one for those in their next-to-last year. Results from the grueling exam determine which university and faculty the students will attend.
Crime
Bodyguard raid
Al-Wafd reports on its front page that an Interior Ministry sting operation recently resulted in the arrest of some 550 bodyguards and bouncers who were illegally carrying unlicensed weapons. The sting was part of a Ministry probe into the booming bodyguard and bouncer industry, amid fears that violent incidents, like the infamous "Arkadia" murder which took place in a high class restaurant last month, are on the rise, as more and more people are either hiring private security for themselves, or else carrying firearms.
Tourism
Damascus-Sharm set for July
A daily flight is set to be established between Damascus, Syria, and the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh. The news was announced by the Syrian Transportation Minister, who is quoted in a tiny item on the regional news page of Akhbar Al-Youm. The flight, which will begin operating in July, is just one of many that flies directly from foreign destinations to the Sinai beach resort, thus allowing tourists to bypass Cairo altogether and head straight for the sun and fun.
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