Prominent journalist Ahmed Bahaaeddin, after seeing the paintings of his artist friend Ihab Shaker in an exhibition held in 1988, wrote in his daily column in Al-Ahram : "These paintings are coming from deep inside Ihab Shaker in a very simple and (...)
Despite coming from an affluent family, working first as a marketing expert and later as a teacher at the American University in Cairo (AUC), Maggie Gobran, better known as Mama Maggie, has dedicated the last 30 years to serving the poor in Egypt's (...)
Any call to celebrate the Armenian component of Egyptian society indeed deserves praise and needs attention. This is especially the case when we look to it as an opportunity to go back, revisit history, revive memories and appreciate those days that (...)
Blame Hamas, again and again
“Let's remember that the Hamas terrorist organisation has been inciting violence for years, long before the United States decided to move our embassy,” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said last week. “This is what is (...)
Out of Iran deal — what's next?
That is yet to be determined. Many words have been said, repeating and trying to describe and explain what was announced by US President Trump in his address to the nation week before last. “I don't really have much (...)
Now ‘Northwest Syria'... and a new ‘Syria Strategy'
Turkey alerted and advised the US before its Syria operation, Secretary of Defence James Mattis told reporters on Sunday 21 January, on board his plane during a trip to Asia. “Turkey was candid,” (...)
UNRWA under attack... who is next?
Another step has been taken by the Trump administration on its road to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to transfer the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The latest step is meant to (...)
‘Fire and Fury'... the tell-all book
Nothing new was unveiled, yet what was mentioned was shocking and extremely interesting. And, yes, it is a gossipy and an entertaining ‘tell-all' book for Washington people — those who hate Washington and those (...)
A reduced UN budget... and more to come
Yes, it came out on Christmas. On Sunday, December 24, 2017, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley cheered a 285 million dollar cut in the 2018 UN budget, saying: “This historic reduction in spending (...)
President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Lieutenant General H R McMaster, in the last two weeks has had a few public appearances talking about the new “National Security Strategy” which was released on 18 December. “We have to work (...)
Before and after the statement read by President Donald Trump about Jerusalem last week, senior administration officials from the White House, the National Security Council and the State Department briefed reporters off-camera and preferred to be (...)
The “Ultimate Deal” – but where is the “macher”?
In a week of talking and arguing once again about the possibility of recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Brookings Institution's Saban (...)
Jared Kushner: ‘We are here to stay'
The talk of the town recently was about the present and future in the White House of President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner. Some reports suggested that the couple (Jared and (...)
More money for the Defence Bill — as expected
Last Thursday, November 16, the US Senate unanimously passed a nearly $700 billion defence authorisation bill and sent it to the president's desk. The 2018 defence bill allots about $634 billion for (...)
Da or nyet on Russian election meddling?
It was the ninth day of US President Donald Trump's long Asia tour. He told the reporters travelling with him on Air Force One about his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the (...)
Denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula
A ground invasion is the only way to locate and destroy North Korea's nuclear arsenal, the Pentagon told lawmakers in a letter reflecting its assessment of a possible war on the Korean peninsula. The (...)
Africa: The new battleground
What happened in Niger last month alarmed Washington by highlighting the forthcoming threats in Africa, and raised questions about the role of the United States in confronting IS on a new front line. Chairman of Joint (...)
The end of the ISIS caliphate is in sight
In a statement released last Saturday, 21 October, by the White House, President Donald Trump said: “The defeat of ISIS in Raqqa represents a critical breakthrough in our worldwide campaign to defeat ISIS (...)
Walking out of Iran Deal? Not Yet
Last Sunday, October 15, President Trump's National Security team members were on board and on the Sunday morning TV shows defending, justifying and explaining in their own words the new strategy towards Iran and (...)
Rexit – sooner, or later?
Talking about the possibilities of a Rexit – Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's leaving the administration – is becoming more than ever the main and the loud talk of this capital city. The talk itself shows the uncertainty (...)
“Fighting Joe” and future threats:
China could become the greatest threat to the US by 2025. “If I look out to 2025, and I look at the demographics and the economic situation, I think China probably poses the greatest threat to our nation,” General (...)
The War of the Words... to be continued?
More words were added recently to the insults being traded between Washington and Pyongyang. US President Donald Trump called the North Korean President Kim Jong Un a “madman” last Friday, September 22, a (...)
Trump's slaps and hugs: It has been the talk of the town for the last few days. There is no doubt that this talk will echo all over the world, too, at least for a while.
World decision-makers gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting (...)
Trump to UNGA 72: US President Donald Trump is heading to the United Nations next week. As is always the case with the beginning of the new session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA – this year is the 72nd), the US administration will move to New (...)
Mattis insists and disagrees: US Defence Secretary James Mattis, taking questions from reporters at the Pentagon in Washington last Thursday, insisted that he was just restating US President Donald Trump's views in different terms when he was (...)