In brief
Sunny but crisp
It is still cold in Cairo, but not as cold as it was just a few days ago. People still seem stunned by how harsh the winter has been, as the remnants of several days of continuous rain (itself a rarity) are still to be found near curbs, in certain neighborhoods, and all over town on the bottoms of shoes. Meteorologists had predicted an improvement in weather conditions beginning Sunday -- this time, they were right, which is good since anything -- including this crisp but sunny cold -- is better than last week's biting chill.
(January 15, 2002)

Politics/headline news
Dire consequences
The papers -- including opposition Al-Wafd -- all front President Hosni Mubarak warning of catastrophic consequences for the region as a result of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Mubarak discounted the reports of an arms shipment Israel captured and claimed was heading for the Palestinian Authority. Citing discrepancies in the details of where the ship was heading , the President said the reports may have been fabricated. Mubarak was speaking to reporters at the opening of Cairo Telecomp, a large computer trade show which began on Monday January 14.  On Thursday January 17, Mubarak is slated to attend the opening of the 24th round of the Cairo International Book Fair, which will grace the capital for two weeks.
(January 15, 2002)

New developments
Free ISP begins
The words have been bandied about for a while now -- but on January 14, 2002, "the free internet" became a reality in Egypt. Inaugurated by President Hosni Mubarak at the opening of the Cairo Telecomp conference, the service basically allows anyone with a computer and a modem to instantly access the world wide web simply by dialing a special local phone number.
No membership is needed -- users only pay the standard cost of a local phone call. That comes out to 10 piasters per 6 minute unit, or LE1 per hour. It's meant to be cheaper than any internet cafe in town, and all from the comfort of your own home. But experts agree it must be combined with increased awareness of the benefits of the Internet and computer use in general, as well as lower costs for the hardware itself, if penetration rates in Egypt are to go up. That rate currently stands at a low 1 million users for a population of nearly 70 million.
For now the service will only be available in Cairo, with moves to the governorates aimed for later. Thirty Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are offering the service, each with their own number beginning with 07. The logistics involve the companies placing their servers in each local telephone central branch, so that the traffic doesn't affect the larger network. That's the plan -- whether the result will be good access speeds, no busy signals, and a reprieve from internet use gobbling up the already crowded with mobile etc phone network, remains to be seen.
For the ISPs the order of the day is getting their number out. Ads have been appearing in the papers for services like Balooshy.com, with its 0707 0707 number, and on the front page of Tuesday's Al-Ahram, the press giant points to its own free internet service, Al-Ahram 0505. The unique 07 numbers were auctioned off by the telecom regulatory authority late last year.
(January 15, 2002)

Events
Clinton in Cairo
Former US President Bill Clinton will be speaking at a special gala organized by the Future Foundation, a non-profit NGO run by presidential son Gamal Mubarak. Clinton will speak to the group on January 18th, with ticket sales aiming to raise funds so the foundation can train 5000 new graduates next year. Providing much-needed management skills to Egypt's future work force is one of the main goals of the NGO, which was founded in 1998.
Ticket prices to the function range depending on the differing categories of access to Bill (a certain rate for private cocktail prior to the event, another for a picture during it, etc.) and amongst the rumored expected attendees are King Abdalla and Queen Rania of Jordan as well as Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik El-Hariri.
(January 15, 2002)

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