Economy
State of the national product
Al-Ahram dedicates quite a few pages of feature stories and colorful investigations into the state of Egyptian products in light of  the louder calls to buy local, and develop better export prospects for Egyptian products. The articles deal mainly with the clothing industry, emphasizing the necessity of quality control and finishing. Production of Egyptian flowers, shoes, and even the first Egyptian-made mobile phone are all highlighted by the coverage.
The phone is 42 percent Egyptian parts and 100 percent Egyptian assembled. The remaining parts are from the UK, Holland and China. Amongst the parts made in Egypt, reports the paper, are the keypad, the electronic card, the PCB and the phone's software. Branded Quicktel, two models are currently being sold in Egypt and abroad.
(January 28, 2002)

Commentary
Salama bemoans Israel's reach
Al-Ahram columnist Salama Ahmed Salama puts the assassination of Lebanese politician and militant Elie Hobeika in its context as a political event at an especially critical time. Positioning it just a few weeks before the Arab summit set to take place in Beirut, Salama maps out a meeting fraught with the knowledge that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is getting away with his crimes -- whether at at Sabra and Shatilla, or elsewhere -- scot-free.
Hobeika was the lynchpin in this equation. The blowing up of his car was a rumbling back to the Lebanese civil war that engulfed the country for so long, Salama writes. With Hobeika set to testify against Sharon in his war crimes trial in Belgium, Israel had the most to gain from his assassination.
But if true, more troubling for Salama then is Israel's reach -- its ability to conduct targeted assassinations in the heart of Beirut the same way it does in Gaza.
(January 28, 2002)

For a look at how the Hobeika assassination provides a litmus test for Eastern and Western media, and everything in between, don't miss cairolive's Cross-cultural Hobeika links

Television
Star-maker gone
Star-maker Yehia El-Alamy -- whose credits include directing Ahmed Zaki as Taha Hussein in Al-Ayam, as well as Zaki and Suad Hosny in Howa wa Heya, has passed away. A veteran director of dozens of classic TV soap operas and movies, El-Alamy's last work was this past Ramadan's popular series, Banat Afkari.
(January 28, 2002)

Events/Exhibitions
What I did for mid-year break
The Cairo International Book Fair has been extended for five days -- the fair will now end on February 5. But lest anyone think the regular chock-full program of events -- lectures, concerts, readings, films -- will end at its regularly scheduled date -- no!
The impetus behind the extension is to give families with kids out of school for the mid year break a chance to to check out the sights and sounds -- and books -- at the fair.
Perhaps someone should mention this suggestion to Al-Wafd, who dedicate nearly a half page to a feature story on how this year's "Mid-year break..[is] very depressing!"  
In other book fair news, the Culture Ministry also announced that publishers would be holding "Yowm Al-Tawqui" , literally "autograph days" (book signings) for the first time this year. Authors of the books on sale will be on hand to sign copies and mingle with patrons.
Don't miss Dardasha's triumphant and tragic wanderings at this year's Fair.
(January 28, 2002)

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