Onward Africa!
Egypt seeking a wider continental role at an African summit...

Decision time
On his way to the summit, President Hosni Mubarak makes it pretty clear that he will be running for president this year...

End of tolerance?
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that newly approved Ghad party leader Ayman Nour was taken in for questioning on Saturday for allegedly forging power of attorney documents. Nour was one of the most forceful proponents arguing that the way in which the president is elected be changed... Reuters says "the detention raised the political temperature in Egypt, where this year's presidential and parliamentary elections will take place under closer than usual international scrutiny because of the U.S. campaign for Middle East democracy."

Plus, more trouble for Saadeddin Ibrahim... Khaleej Times reports on a lawsuit...

No nukes
Egypt completely committed to transparency on its peaceful nuclear experiments -- it may not have revealed everything because it didn't know it had to...

Odd case?
Scant details on the alleged Iranian spy's trial from BBC.

No legitimacy
Egyptian political analysts comment on Bush's inaugural speech.

Plus, a short NY Times bit on Egyptian-US tensions and how they might be circumvented.

Iraqi woes
AP reports that "Egypt has shut down an unauthorized polling station that Iraqi residents had set up in an attempt to take part in their country’s first free elections in nearly 50 years."

Tense or not?
Fox editorial says the religious tensions at the slain Coptic family funeral were overblown, and urges the Coptic community to have faith in the US justice system.

Meanwhile, other media harp on the troubles that continue to beset the New Jersey Egyptian community. AP also takes a look.

Sticky currency
Pound still strong against dollar...

Still talking about the election
After giving two high-profile interviews in English and Arabic last week to PBS and Al-Arabiya, President Hosni Mubarak's comments on whether or not he will pursue a new term attracted the most attention. More excerpts from the two interviews from DPA. A Qatari site details Mubarak's description of his grueling daily schedule. The Washington Post, meanwhile, weighs in on the same subject with the harsh editorial Enough is Enough.

In a related vein, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif discusses the possibilities surrounding Gamal Mubarak's political future with AP. Plus, there's the BBC's version.

And, a Malaysian site picks up another AP take on all of it, including the opposition movement and the Post editorial.

Getting political?
Tension at the funeral for the slain Coptic family in the US makes CNN. Plus, there's a pre-funeral story from a local TV channel.

Up and down
The latest on the interesting recent fluctuations of the pound.

Running for president
First, Reuters notices an anomaly in an Al-Ahram front page story: "Nine months before a referendum to choose Egypt’s president, the state newspaper Al-Ahram has announced the result on its front page — Hosni Mubarak will be re-elected for another six years. “President Mubarak will take the oath of office at this historic session (of parliament), signaling the start of a new presidential term,” the paper said." 

Then, Gamal Mubarak says his father's nomination is not a done deal.

Meanwhile, Mubarak himself says he's okay with others running for president...

And, a web site takes it upon itself to nominate Amr Moussa...

Other democracies
Iraqis in Egypt to vote...

Other brouhahas
(1) The controversy over the new Arab Human development report continues...

(2) According to CBS, now it's the US that's excited about negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with Egypt.

(3) AP tries to do a thoughtful piece about t he Egypt nuclear allegations...

Sending up
Maria Golia's year end round up of Egypt 2004 is good at times, but features the unfortunate reference to Abdel-Haleem Qandil as the editor of al-Wafd instead of al-Arabi.

Nuke charges pop up again
Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul- Gheit denies that Egypt is involved in any sort of nuclear weapons testing. Here's the in-depth AP report from Vienna about the original speculations -- all attributed to unnamed diplomats.

Pakistani site says US State department also brushes the rumors aside... while an Indian site interprets the same State dept remarks as expressing concern. A Chinese media report -- providing both sides -- seems the mist balanced about how the US really feels..

The Egyptian head of the UN atomic energy watchdog agency, meanwhile, is critical of US attempts to spy on him...

Lots of diplomacy
Mubarak holds talks in Saudi Arabia to smooth ties with Libya...

Plus, Egypt wants a complete Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories to 2000 lines before elections take place...

Meanwhile, Iraq wants Egypt to help convince Iraqi Sunnis to participate in elections..

And, the Washington Times reports that Algeria is critical of Egypt's  "monopoly " of the Arab League secretariat general.

It's official
Mido off to Tottenham...

Back track
Malaysian tour not going to take place -- but the belly dancing cruise (as reported earlier) is not why...

Urfi renegade
In a controversial article on Muslim Wake Up, an Egyptian American celebrates the scandalous Hind El-Hennawy Ahmed El-Fishawy urfi baby tale... This controversial article elicited a lot of comments from Muslim Wake Up's readers -- make sure to check them out.

Plus, here's the original New York Times coverage of the Hennawy Fishawi scandal that inspired the piece.

6 babies
5 girls and a boy for Egyptian couple... this Turkish site also provides a picture of the new tots...

Shattered community?
Salt Lake Tribune looks at the shattered Egyptian community in New Jersey. Authorities continue to deny a religious motive for the slaying of a Coptic family, but others speak of the dead man's frequent insults to Islam on chat rooms...

Plus, more on the same from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Big gift
Huge charity gift from Bill Gates -- who happens to currently be in Cairo --  to go towards combating polio in Egypt...

Strict cruise
No belly dancing for top Malaysian visitors to Cairo.

Happy antiquities
Perfect mummy found by Japanese team in Dahshour.

Plus, Tut exhibit to go to Millennium Dome in London after US tour...

Unhappy opera
Internal politics result in cancellation of Aida performances in Luxor...

Picky player
Now Mido moving to Tottenham? This in-depth piece explores the bad boy's long and winding career.

More Blair woes
Now the British press is making a fuss about the Royal Air force people who accompanied Blair to Sharm El Sheikh for his vacation.

Bad business
The Washington Post reports that "FBI and Department of Homeland Security officers have arrested an Egyptian man who allegedly ran a business from a hot dog cart on 17th and L streets NW that provided American brides for Middle Eastern men seeking green cards."

Mummy net
First, there was live archaeology on TV -- now it's on the web...

Plus, ancient mummy fraud: Discovery channel looks into another x-ray mummy phenomenon.

Big time
Washington Post profiles Dina Powell, the Egyptian born head of the White House personnel office...

Laila Fawzi dies
Veteran actress Laila Fawzi dies at 80; she had just received a lifetime achievement award from the Cairo International Film Festival.

Yet another knife
New religious censorship mechanism sparks TV writers' ire.

Constant bug
Playwright Ali Salem continues to court controversy by visiting Israel...

Multi culti
Korean drama to be shown on Egyptian TV.

Seeking the other
Cultural commentator pens interesting commentary on globalization and Egyptian cinema....

Sending help
"The Egyptian government is sending a medical team and humanitarian aid to the victims of the tsunami in Aceh."

Unraveling Tut
This AP photo of Zahi Hawass and the mummy of Tutankhamun made it to the Drudge Report on Thursday morning... 

Plus, ABC does an in-depth story on the event -- which involved the mummy being given a CAT scan.

Multi sports
Egyptian Muslim student on Arizona basketball team feted by local press...

Plus -- dates and details set for the 2006 African Nations soccer cup to take place in Egypt.

Custody won
Another cross cultural marriage down the tubes -- this time, the Egyptian father gets legal custody of the daughter...

Fancy that!
Here's an odd one -- the famous children's story Peter Rabbit gets translated into hieroglyphics by the British Museum.

Typical screen
Round up of Arab and Egyptian film in 2004.

Khafre's turn
One pyramid opened, other one closed...

Secret ties
A case involving young actor Ahmed Fishawi and a woman who claims he married her brings the orfi marriage issue into the media spotlight.

Good news?
How many of Egypt's public sector banks might be sold off in 2005?

Just in time for Christmas?
Last few Coptic detainees from last month's Cathedral protests over alleged priest's wife's conversion released...

A farcical run?
Nawal El-Saadawi rages against those critical of her bid to become president!

Why Egypt remains stable
BBC does a sharp short analysis of the increasingly loud calls for change. AP compares upcoming 2005 elections in Iraq, Palestine and Egypt. Plus, presidential candidate to be named in March, parliament announces...

Not again
Initial Reuters report on emerging Coptic-Muslim clashes in Minya. Later, Middle East online goes a little bit more in-depth.

Business time
Italian company still trying to raise its stake in Egyptian cement company.

Meanwhile, "the Egyptian government will offer the more than 45 per cent stake it has in Egyptian Fertilizers Co (EFC) to the private sector in January, Egyptian Investment Minister Mahmoud Mohieldin said in remarks published yesterday."

Courting controversy
Heikal's comments about Jordanian King's shia crescent remark picked up by Iranian site.

High profile memoir
Jihan Sadat talks to the Washington Post about her late husband's legacy...

Intelligence cooperation
Has Egypt been helping to train British intelligence agents in how to deal with Islamic extremists? 

CIA Gulf stream jet carrying "rendered" prisoners has made its way to Egypt many times, reports the Washington Post.

Bigger money
Huge new bond sale for Telecom Egypt...

Meanwhile, The Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers issued a veiled warning to regional religious leaders against using next month's critical elections in Iraq to create a sectarian, Shiite-dominated state...

Major magnate
FT does a story quoting businessman Naguib Sawiris as saying that his Orascom subsidiary, mobile operator Iraqna, was thinking of pulling out of Iraq -- because it was becoming too dangerous... Middle East Online's version of the story is more likely not to require registration, and it also mentions the fact that two of Iraqna's employees were recently arrested then released, and that the company is facing stiff competition. 

An interesting note related to this story -- it turns out that the Sawiris family owns the majority share in Contrack, the major American construction company that also just pulled out of the Iraqi reconstruction scheme, citing high security costs...

UK doesn't want Baradie either?
According to the Independent, "The British government, while publicly supporting the efforts of Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons, is secretly backing US plans to remove him."

On Iran
Mubarak warns US against attacking Iran.

His own money
Tony Blair in Sharm for the holidays again this year -- and he's paying for it himself, says the BBC.

Famous abroad
Egyptian squash star feted by Malaysian paper.

Arab action
The Daily Star goes in depth on the Egypt-based, new Middle Eastern super hero comic book series...

Harrods boss goes back home
Billionaire Mohamed El-Fayed is back in Egypt after more than 40 years... Tourism, not business, is why he's touring Sharm El-Sheikh and other places with his family...

Chlorine rush
Reuters reports that "panic broke out in the Egyptian provincial town of Fayoum when more than 300 people inhaled chlorine gas which leaked from a large cylinder in a scrap yard, the state news agency MENA said on Thursday..."

Camels and more
Kids section of Washington Post talks to Egyptian boy.