Politics/headline news
Maher heading for US
Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher is scheduled to conduct official meetings with US officials in Washington later this month, according to reports in all of the papers. Maher has visited the States several times since he took over as Foreign Minister last May -- his most recent visit a few months ago in the wake of September 11. Maher's visit comes as Egypt continues to try to bring calm to a continually worsening Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
(January 4, 2002)

Tourism
Accidental meeting
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's visit to Cairo earlier this week made big waves in the British press. The visit was kept secret from Fleet Street and may have stayed that way -- according to the Times -- had Blair not run into a group of British journalists in Cairo heading back home after covering the OPEC meeting last week. The Blairs were on a private holiday that included a trip to the Pyramids and an informal meeting with President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm El-Sheikh. The Guardian said that by going to an Arab Muslim country after September 11, Blair had "put his money -- and his family -- where his diplomatic mouth has been"...
(January 4, 2002)