Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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Lebanese singer Marwa (C) celebrates with Egyptian actress Yasmin Abdel Aziz and actor Talaat Zakaria during the first day shooting of their film “Haha wa Tufaha” in 2005 in Cairo. (Amro Maraghi/AFP/Getty Images)

Talaat Zakaria: From Playing Mubarak’s Chef to Mursi’s Bodyguard

by Moataz Abdel Moneim | Aug 4, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian actor Talaat Zakaria is no stranger to controversy. A beloved comedian before the January 25, 2011 revolution, Zakaria’s career stalled thanks to his unwavering support of ousted president Hosni Mubarak and criticism of the...

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File photo of Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Umm Kalthoum’s mausoleum lies neglected

by Moataz Abdel Moneim | May 2, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—The mausoleum’s windswept courtyard lies empty and its large gate, leading into the tomb of the celebrated Egyptian songstress, is chained shut. There are no fans bringing flowers to the grave or sharing memories. The final resting place of Umm...

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Zakariya Ahmed with his oud in Cairo’s Al-Hussein district (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Cairo’s Struggling Minstrel

by Moataz Abdel Moneim | Apr 8, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—With his old-fashioned oud, timeworn face and tired fingers, the 74-year-old musician Zakariya Ahmed wanders among the tables at coffeehouses in the historic Al-Husayn district in Cairo hoping to find an audience for his singing. Despite some...

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File photo of a telecommunications tower. (REUTERS/Rick Wilking)

Telecom Egypt to pay $359 mn to offer mobile services

by Moataz Abdel Moneim | Apr 4, 2014 | Business

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egypt’s sole fixed-line telephone services operator Telecom Egypt (TE) is to pay 2.5 billion Egyptian pounds (359 million US dollars) to acquire a unified telecoms license allowing it to offer mobile services in addition to its existing landline...

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A vendor hangs a T-shirt with a picture of Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on a tree in Tahrir square in Cairo February 22, 2014. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

The Street Vendors’ Capital

by Moataz Abdel Moneim | Mar 2, 2014 | Lifestyle & Culture

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—A street vendor sings a famous Egyptian song that mocks the overcrowded streets of Cairo. He then takes over a sidewalk, turning it into a makeshift café as he lays out plastic tables and chairs right in the path of pedestrians. This is a...