The deadly outbreak of a novel coronavirus has the world on edge, but it has not yet developed into a pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Although WHO has declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern," the outbreak has not met the criteria needed to be described as a pandemic when it comes to its geographical spread and impact, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press briefing with reporters on Monday. "Our decision about whether to use the word pandemic to describe an epidemic is based on an ongoing assessment of the geographical spread of the virus, the severity of disease it causes and the impact it has on the whole society," Ghebreyesus said during the briefing. "For the moment, we are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this virus and we are not witnessing large-scale severe disease or deaths," he said. "Does this virus have pandemic potential? Absolutely it has. Are we there yet from our assessment? Not yet. "So how should we describe the current situation? What we see are epidemics in different parts of the world, affecting countries in different ways and requiring a tailored response." As of Monday, more than 79,000 people have been infected and more than 2,600 people have died around the world from the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to WHO. In January, WHO declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, which WHO defines as "an extraordinary event" that constitutes a "public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease" and "to potentially require a coordinated international response." Previous emergencies have included Ebola, Zika and H1N1. Yet for a pandemic to be declared, a "worldwide spread" of the disease, officially called Covid-19, would need to be determined among some other factors. What is a pandemic? A disease outbreak is the occurrence of disease cases in excess of what s normally expected, according to WHO. An epidemic is more than a normal number cases of an illness, specific health-related behavior or other health-related events in a community or region. A pandemic is defined as the "worldwide spread" of a new disease. The last pandemic reported was the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, which killed hundreds of thousand worldwide. The word "pandemic comes from the Greek pandemos, which means everybody. Demos means the population. Pan meaning everyone. So pandemos is a concept where there s a belief that the whole world s population will likely be exposed to this infection and potentially a proportion of them fall sick," Dr. Mike Ryan, WHO executive director of health emergencies programme, said during Monday s briefing with reporters. "What we don t understand yet in Covid-19 are the absolute transmission dynamics," Ryan said. "So we re in a phase of preparedness for a potential pandemic," he said. "Let s focus on what we can do and what we need to do, which is prepare. When we mean prepare, we mean prepare to detect cases, prepare to treat cases, prepare to follow contacts, prepare to put in place adequate containment measures." The United States has taken measures to prepare for a possible pandemic, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a press briefing with reporters on Friday. "We don t yet have a vaccine for this novel virus, nor do we have a medicine to treat it specifically. We are now taking and will continue to take unprecedented aggressive action to reduce the impact of this virus, that it will have on the communities in the US. We are working with state, local and territorial health departments to ready our public health work force to respond to local cases and the possibility this outbreak could become a pandemic," Messonnier said. That means working on availability of medical supplies, reinforcing infection control principles within health care systems and planning for "surges of people seeking and requiring care," she said. "We re working with businesses, hospitals, pharmacies, clinicians, manufacturers and distributors to communicate about these measures and what they can do to get ready," she said. She added that the CDC has been reviewing its guidelines and other materials on preventing "pandemic influenza" and it plans to adapt those for a possible coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said earlier this month that there is no actual scientific, definitive definition of what constitutes a pandemic. "It really is borderline semantics, to be honest with you," Fauci said, adding that there could be arguments on either side as to whether the coronavirus outbreak could be described as a pandemic. "I think you could have people arguing each end of it," he said. "Pandemics mean different things to different people." CNN s Michael Nedelman and Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report.

Russian composer Tchaikovsky s Swan Lake ballet will be performed in seven concerts at the Cairo Opera House s Main Hall on February 25-29, including a matinee concert at February 27 and March 3, the Cairo Opera Ballet Company said. The concerts will be supervised by the ballet s art director Armenia Kamel, featuring the participation of the Cairo Opera Orchestra led by Maestro Nair Nagy. One of the world s most famous ballet, the Swan Lake narrates the story of a prince in search of true love and a princess cursed to live as a swan. Following an argument with his mother who wishes to choose a bride for him, Prince Siegfried storms out of his palace to the garden. There he finds himself entranced by swans at the lake, who suddenly transform into beautiful women. Odette, the swan princess, informs Siegfried she was put under a spell which turns her into a swan during the day and can only be broken by true love s kiss. Falling for Odette, Siegfried chooses her as his bride and took her home to his mother. Alas, the moment would be broken by the appearance of evil magician Von Rothbart – the very same sorcerer who cursed Odette. As Siegfried readies for battle Odette immediately stops him, warning him that if Rothbart dies she will forever remain a swan. The magician then takes Odette away. Now captive in his lair, Odette is helpless as Rothbart casts a spell on his daughter Odille to resemble Odette, thereby fooling the prince. However, Siegfried uncovers the deception and sets out to search for the real Odette, leading to a final confrontation against the evil magician and a battle for true love. The ballet made its Egyptian debut in the hands of Abdel-Moneim Kamel. However, his wife Erminia made her own vision of it, adding a bridge between acts three and four, while simultaneously making the story more concise, bringing it down from four hours to two and half hours in length. The late Abdel-Moneim Kamal is considered a magician of Egyptian depiction of classic ballet. In addition to Swan Lake, he made the Egyptian version of iconic ballets including The Nutcracker, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet.

Egyptian Grammy-winning music producer Fathy Salama and members of his band Sharkiat will feature Islamic Sufi chanter Mahmoud El-Tohamy and a number of his musicians in another Sufism vs Modernism concert on 27 February at the Cairo Opera House. This is the sixth concert of its kind since Salama first introduced El-Tohamy at the Cairo Opera House on 25 September 2018, with the last concert held on 26 September 2019 at the New York University (NYU) Art Centre in Abu Dhabi. "This project is evolving with time and I am always keen to introduce new things in each concert," Salama told Ahram Online on Sunday, revealing that the Sufism vs Modernism project has also been invited by acclaimed Norwich band the Source to perform in a collaborative concert this Summer in Oslo. The godfather of many first-row indie bands and musicians, Salama, who played a vital role in shaping mainstream pop in the 1970s and 1980s, has paid special attention to traditional Islamic music since he formed Sharkiat in the 1980s, winning the Grammy and BBC awards for another Sufi project with Senegal s music icon Youssou N Dour. "The Sufism vs Modernism project proves that our authentic heritage and folklore contains all that is needed to reach an international audience with enough hard work," Salama added. Salama s set of keyboards mix jazzy chordal progressions with electronic sounds in a revolutionary fusion that blends pop, hip hop and rock grooves with traditionally Arabic lead solos. Message of tolerance to humanity Sufism is a very old mystical trend that exists in both Sunni and Shia Islam, but is rejected by conservatives. Sufism has its own forms of traditional music that are normally used as part of the ritual practices of zikr, remembering God, and praising the Prophet Mohammed and his family. "The international success of the Sufism vs Modernism project proves that Islam s message of peace is for the whole of humanity," El-Tohamy told Ahram Online. The son of the famous Sufi chanter Sheikh Yassin El-Tohamy, Mahmoud mastered the deep-rooted Islamic musical art from early childhood, following in his father s footsteps. El-Tohamy made headlines recently for his campaign against the Mahragan music genre. "I hope the authorities pay more attention to supporting arts that could give an honourable presentation of our nation s culture away from the immodesty forced upon us lately," he demanded. Besides founding and heading the Egyptian Association of Religious Hymns and Litanies, the 41-year-old chanter also runs an Islamic chanting school and is keen to develop the classic form of chanting via exposure to other international forms, sometimes eliciting criticism from his hardcore crowd. "The international language of music speaks directly to the heart," El-Tohamy said, adding that he aims to “spread the Islamic Sufi culture of tolerance.” Egyptian Grammy-winning music producer Fathy Salama and members of his band Sharkiat will feature Islamic Sufi chanter Mahmoud El-Tohamy and a number of his musicians in another Sufism vs Modernism concert on 27 February at the Cairo Opera House. This is the sixth concert of its kind since Salama first introduced El-Tohamy at the Cairo Opera House on 25 September 2018, with the last concert held on 26 September 2019 at the New York University (NYU) Art Centre in Abu Dhabi. "This project is evolving with time and I am always keen to introduce new things in each concert," Salama told Ahram Online on Sunday, revealing that the Sufism vs Modernism project has also been invited by acclaimed Norwich band the Source to perform in a collaborative concert this Summer in Oslo. - Sufism vs Modernism The godfather of many first-row indie bands and musicians, Salama, who played a vital role in shaping mainstream pop in the 1970s and 1980s, has paid special attention to traditional Islamic music since he formed Sharkiat in the 1980s, winning the Grammy and BBC awards for another Sufi project with Senegal s music icon Youssou N Dour. "The Sufism vs Modernism project proves that our authentic heritage and folklore contains all that is needed to reach an international audience with enough hard work," Salama added. Salama s set of keyboards mix jazzy chordal progressions with electronic sounds in a revolutionary fusion that blends pop, hip hop and rock grooves with traditionally Arabic lead solos. Message of tolerance to humanity Sufism is a very old mystical trend that exists in both Sunni and Shia Islam, but is rejected by conservatives. Sufism has its own forms of traditional music that are normally used as part of the ritual practices of zikr, remembering God, and praising the Prophet Mohammed and his family. "The international success of the Sufism vs Modernism project proves that Islam s message of peace is for the whole of humanity," El-Tohamy told Ahram Online. Alborda - Sufism vs. Modernism - Sheikh Mahmood Al-Tuhami and Fathy salama The son of the famous Sufi chanter Sheikh Yassin El-Tohamy, Mahmoud mastered the deep-rooted Islamic musical art from early childhood, following in his father s footsteps. El-Tohamy made headlines recently for his campaign against the Mahragan music genre. "I hope the authorities pay more attention to supporting arts that could give an honourable presentation of our nation s culture away from the immodesty forced upon us lately," he demanded. Besides founding and heading the Egyptian Association of Religious Hymns and Litanies, the 41-year-old chanter also runs an Islamic chanting school and is keen to develop the classic form of chanting via exposure to other international forms, sometimes eliciting criticism from his hardcore crowd. "The international language of music speaks directly to the heart," El-Tohamy said, adding that he aims to “spread the Islamic Sufi culture of tolerance.” Sufism Vs. Modernism - live in NYU Abu Dahbi In Thursday s concert, the musicians will include Salama s friend and percussionist Ayman Sedky, tabla master Ramadan Mansour, guitarist Ziad Hisham, Ziad Essam, who will be switching between guitar and oud, bassist Peter Laurence from Sharkiat, and violinist Emad, along with vocals from the El-Tohamy troupe. Programme Thursday 27 February at 8pm Small Hall, Cairo Opera House, Zamalek

Egypt s Musicians Syndicate, headed by Hany Shaker, contacted streaming giants YouTube and SoundCloud to take down all the “mahraganat shaabi” songs from their websites, amid a controversial decision from the syndicate to ban the genre from all concerts or live shows in Egypt over so-called inappropriate lyrics in Hassan Shakosh s new hit song “Bent El Giran.” Tarek Mortada, the syndicate s spokesperson, said that Shaker is set to send an official letter to the administrations of each streaming platform. The decision to ban the genre came after a concert by shaabi singer Hassan Shakosh at the Cairo Stadium on Valentine s Day, where he performed “Bent El Giran”. More specifically, the lyrics “I drink alcohol and smoke hashish” prompted a wave of criticism from conservative voices, who slammed the song for its “immoral” content. The syndicate then released an official statement condemning all mahraganat songs, warning that entertainment hubs where songs are usually played such as nightclubs, tourist facilities, Nile boats, and cafes would face legal action if they played the music. The statement further claimed that “there is near consensus across Egyptian society” that mahraganat music “threatens public taste” and “encourages moral decline,” which the syndicate said prompted the body to review musicians permits. Shakosh said during an interview with TV presenter Ahmed Moussa on Sada El Balad Channel that his career had taken a big hit as a result of the syndicate s decision to ban the genre across the country. He added, however, that he respected the decision, and went on to say that wedding and concert organizers where he had already agreed to perform had filed complaints against him following the ban, which forced the singer to back out of several contracts. “This is firstly my fault – a father usually teaches his son when he does something wrong,” he commented. He added that Shaker and Egyptian singer and former Syndicate head Mostafa Kamel are role models for him and called on the body to embrace the shaabi genre. Shakosh additionally claimed that the “inappropriate” lyrics included in the song at the Valentine s concert were the result of a “miscommunication” that day. He also pointed out other controversial song titles from the past, including the iconic late Egyptian singer Sayed Darwish s song “Cocaine” and singer Hakim s song “Bartender please give (me) a glass of wine”. Shakosh s international hit “Bent al-Giran” is now no. 1 on the “Top 50: ALL Music Genres” global chart on Soundcloud. Earlier this month, Shakosh s song hit number two on SoundCloud s global chart, racking up some 4.4 million listens in just one week. The song, which has gotten 70 million views on YouTube since December and 44.6 million listens on SoundCloud, is part of a genre popular during festive occasions like weddings and engagement parties in Egypt. Shakosh received an award from YouTube after his channel got over a million subscribers, according to an announcement from the singer on his Instagram account. A well-known “shaabi” singer in Egypt, Shakosh began his music career four years ago with his debut song “Esmak Eh” (What is your name). Shaabi is a genre of popular working-class music in Egypt, born and developed away from record companies and mainstream satellite TV channels. The genre brings back a ritual that disappeared with the spread of cassette culture — the neighborhood singer who knows the people and their frustrations and tells their stories through his songs. Mahrganat music, which is related to the Shaabi genre, refers to an upbeat style of electronic dance music in Egypt.

A foreigner in Egypt who was announced to be carrying the novel coronavirus has tested negative for it, Egypt s Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) have said. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for the foreigner presented negative results for the new Cobid-19 (coronavirus), 48 hours after he was put into isolation in hospital, a joint statement said on Wednesday. Egypt s health ministry announced on Friday the person as the country s first confirmed coronavirus case, without specifying his nationality. But Minister Hala Zayed later said in TV comments he is Chinese. The case underwent six tests over three consecutive days that were overseen by the ministry and WHO, and "the test result was negative every time," the statement quoted health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed as saying. The case is "in good health and has shown no symptoms" of the illness, he added. Also on Wednesday, the Egyptian Cabinet confirmed no suspected cases of coronavirus was found at schools. It added that a series of precautionary preventive measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the epidemic, which has infected more than 75,000 people globally. On Monday, Egypt ended a 14-day quarantine for 302 Egyptian citizens who had returned home from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus. The health ministry said all tests conducted for them during the 14 days, the incubation period for the disease, showed they do not carry the virus. Since the disease emerged last December, it has killed more than 2,000 people in mainland China and six people outside the country.

Culture Minister Enas Abdel Dayem has approved the agenda for the first edition of the Dandara Festival for Music and Singing in Qena Governorate, which runs from February 27 to March 3. The move comes in response to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declaring 2020 the Year of Culture and Awareness. The festival s agenda includes ten different events mainly concerts held over six days. Events include concerts for Black Thema, Medhat Saleh, Wust al-Balad, Ali al-Haggar, Mai Farouk, Luxor Folklore Band, Marimba star Nessma Abdel Aziz, Dina al-Wedidi, Hisham Abbas, and Massar Egbari. The festival will be hosted at the Dandara Temple, the Qena Culture Palace and the University of South Valley. It will be organized in coordination between the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Qena Governorate, the General Authority for Cultural Palaces and the Tourism Authority. Abdel Dayem said that the festival aims to refine public taste and contribute to carry out the state s sustainable development plans through promoting art. This festival s first edition also aims to confront intolerance and provide an avenue for meaningful art that reflects positively on society.

The eighth edition of the Aswan International Festival for Culture and Arts kicked off on Sunday, launched by Culture Minister Enas Abdel-Dayem. Folklore troupes went out in an artistic parade and carnival to perform art shows on boats in the Nile River, waving flags representing their countries amid the cheers of Aswan residents. Twenty-two folklore troupes from Africa, Asia and Europe are participating in this year s cultural festival, bringing together over 400 artists – 240 of whom are Egyptians. The troupes are scheduled to participate in a popular carnival at the tourist market on Sunday evening, before the opening ceremony. This year s festival activities will be held across different cultural sites in Aswan city, and include the celebration of a sun alignment at state of Ramses II on February 22. This festival places Egypt in the center of the world, Abdel-Dayem said, and stresses the importance of arts in communication between people, with different cultures all interacting in the land of Aswan. Abdel-Dayem opined that this year s edition of the festival confirms the experience of the oldest human civilizations, exchanging their heritage that reflects the values and principles of freedom and tolerance, and raises creativity s voice to express humanity s conscience.

Take electronic instruments as a base (Nord keyboard, Novation keyboard, Roland keytar), one Sufi chanter, Jalal Al-Din Al-Rumi s poems, rich modern visuals. Top them with a lot of details, creativity, ambition, and a few surprises. The result you will get is just the first step in a new project by Ayman Massoud, an Egyptian musician whose presence in the musical scene does not need much introduction. Best-known for playing keyboards in Massar Egbari since 2005, Massoud s musical cravings are much deeper than being among the founding members of one of Egypt s most popular independent bands. While his music explorations and experience touch on many bands (starting with Hob w Salam, 1998-2003) and creactive collaborations, his musical journey took off when as a young boy he started playing the guitar. He then moved on to the piano and keyboards, while also exploring bass guitar and rhythmic instruments such as tabla (darbouka). Today, while remaining faithful to Massar Egbari, his new parallel musical endeavour where the main protagonist will be electronic music, is about to see the light in just a couple of weeks. “In recent years, I began looking deeper into electronic music, attending festivals featuring this music and trying out my own steps in the genre,” Massoud explains to Ahram Online. Naturally, his cultural belonging, musical knowledge and experience triggered thoughts about weaving together electronic music with oriental creative explorations. The new project will feature Massoud on keyboards with numerous musicians and possibly ensembles. The first stop on the list is his collaboration with Sufi chanter Abdel-Rahman Roshdi. “The electronic music and advanced computer technology will create base and dialogue with Sufi line, possibly embellished with some guitar and oud," Massoud reveals a few details about the project. "I already worked with Roshdi on a theatre project, and this is what pushed me to thinking about exploring more the unique result we can draw from the combination of electronic with Sufi.” As much as it may sound unusual to the regular listeners, Massoud himself underlines that he was surprised that their musical duo began giving birth to something unique and "intriguing," as he puts it. While Massoud works on composition and the two artists are finalising the repertoire components, we already know that a big part of the lyrics will be based on poems by the 13th century Persian Sufi poet Jalal Al-Din Al-Rumi. Filled with high technology and visuals, the project in its final form will last for around 15 minutes and will be recorded live as a video clip. Yet, this is just the first step in much more ambitious plans. “The base of the project is electronic music. The Sufi line is just the first one," Massoud clarifies. "On the longer run, I am thinking of featuring different singers, representing different music genres. This will allow me to achieve a variety of colours which when combined with electronic base will hopefully give birth to many interesting outcomes.” Passionate about the new project and in the last stages of its first showcase, Massoud is happy and anxious about his role as a composer, and music and video producer. What makes the project even more interesting is its sheer portability. Supported by Massoud s strong presence in the Egyptian and regional scene, the whole recipe has good chances to find its way to the Arab region and international scene. While gearing for the first stop of the project, Massoud already lays plans for reaching out to musicians from other Arab countries, whose music will be interweaved with him on keyboards. While Arabic pop is already known outside the oriental world s borders and the one that is most appealing to the foreign ear usually interweaves Western harmonies with oriental rhythms, Massoud believes there is much more to offer and many more musical dialogues can be still created, “all of which shed light on the richness of the region, its talents and the many skills of musicians.”

Egyptian soprano Rita Ashkar will perform the role of Miss Wordsworth in the opera Albert Herring composed by Benjamin Britten. The chamber opera in three acts is a production of Germany s University of Music Detmold (Hochschule für Musik Detmold), which Ashkar has been attending since 2018. Revealing the news on her Facebook account, the young soprano said, "And so it ends. It s been a hell of a rollercoaster ride but it was definitely worth all the hard work. These past few months I was challenged like never before. This role has taught me a lot and helped me develop in every possible way. I m so thankful I got the chance to be part of such an amazing production and to have had the chance to share the stage with very talented people from whom I ve learnt quite a lot." Currently based in Germany, and a graduate of the American University in Cairo s economics department, Ashkar started singing at the age of 12. She participated in various singing competition in Germany, Italy and Turkey. In Egypt, she was a member of Fabrica, a musical theatre company headed by the Egyptian soprano Neveen Allouba. Apart from her frequent performances with Fabrica, Ashkar has also performed opera, jazz and pop on numerous occasions at many Egyptian venues including the Cairo Opera House. She was then accepted at the University of Music Detmold, one of the most prestigious music schools in Germany, where she pursues her singing education.

As Valentine s Day on February 14 approaches, gift shops in the Mansheya area of Alexandria prepared themselves for the occasion with roses, hearts, red lips and flowers amid soaring prices compared to previous years. Teddy bears now range between LE90 and over LE400, depending on color and size, while doll prices reached LE150. Gift shop owner Mohamed Nour explained: “Prices are high this year, compared to last year, due to the high price of raw materials used in the industry, in addition to creating new gifts such as letters made of orchid wood.” Employee Mamdouh Zayed said “I am eager to buy Valentine s Day gifts for my wife, but prices during the current year are very high.” Pointing out how even teddy bears can cost over LE400, Zayed said that the price of a whole gift after packaging and adding flowers could surpass LE1,000, which he cannot afford. Another employee, Sayed Abdel Ghaffar, feared that the soaring prices of Valentine s Day gifts would harm the market due to weak purchasing power and citizens preferring to buy necessary goods instead. He lamented as to how gifts once priced at LE100 are now at LE400. Student Mohamed Muhareb suggested that these useless and expensive gifts should just be replaced with red roses, which symbolize love – the entire purpose of the occasion. Egypt also celebrates its own variation of Valentine s Day on November 4. On November 4, 1988, journalist Mostafa Amin published a suggestion sent to him by some of his readers to specify what Egypt s Valentine s Day should be, so that same day was set to celebrate the occasion. The historical origin of Valentine s Day dates back to an event that occurred in the third century AD, when Christianity was yet blooming. The Roman Empire under Emperor Clydes II banned soldiers from marriage so they would not be distracted. Saint Valentine confronted this ruling and held the marriages of young couples secretly until he was discovered and sentenced to death on February 14, 269 AD. Other tales have the saint being adored by a large number of women, which led to his execution.

The Barack and Michelle Obama-produced film “American Factory” snagged an Oscar on Sunday for best documentary — a win for Netflix, which backed the story of a manufacturing plant in the US Midwest reopened by a Chinese billionaire. The film charts a Rust Belt community s journey from optimism at the giant plant s reopening, which brought back vital jobs, towards creeping anger and disillusionment, as the Chinese management imposed strict, exhausting demands on workers — and sacked those who did not comply. “Our film is from Ohio and China,” director Julia Reichert said. “But it really could be from anywhere that people put on a uniform, punch a clock, trying to make their families have a better life.” “Working people have it harder and harder these days, and we believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite,” she said in accepting her statuette. Co-directed by Reichert and Steven Bognar, the film is an all-access look at how both American and Chinese workers, from blue-collar to management, had their lives transformed by powerful global economic forces. The story was moving enough to catch notice from none other than the Obamas. The former first couple acquired “American Factory” early last year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it had won the directing award. It was released on Netflix in August 2019 as the first offering from the former first couple s Higher Ground Productions company. The film s co-producer and the factory s chairman were unable to leave China for the ceremony, due to White House restrictions on travel over the coronavirus panic. “That inconvenience pales when compared to people losing their lives, suffering because of this virus,” co-director Bognar said backstage. The Obamas congratulated Reichert and Bognar for their win Sunday, with the former president calling the film “a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change.” “Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground s first release,” he tweeted. The former first lady said she was “glad to see their heart and honesty recognized — because the best stories are rarely tidy or perfect.” “But that s where the truth so often lies,” she tweeted. “American Factory” bested “The Edge of Democracy,” “The Cave,” “For Sama” and “Honeyland” to take the Oscar.

Legendary Egyptian actress Yousra was one of the few Arab stars who made it to the Oscars red carpet this year, rocking a dazzling Pharaoh-inspired gown from renowned designer Zuhair Murad s spring collection of highly-detailed, glittering gold dresses inspired by Egypt s ancient queens. The iconic actress was invited in July 2019 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the prestigious organization behind the Oscars, alongside fellow Egyptian artists Mohamed Hefzy, an acclaimed producer and screenwriter, and Amr Salama, director of Sheikh Jackson (2017). The three Egyptian celebrities were selected among 842 new members from 59 countries, according to a statement released by the academy on Monday, July 2. Yousra s name is now featured on a member list alongside Game of Thrones star Stephen Dillane, Black Panther s Winston Duke, and Jennifer Ehle, who is best known for her starring role in Pride and Prejudice (1995), among other international celebrities. The Egyptian mega star is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and was featured in Arabian Business s “World s 100 Most Powerful Arab Women,” as well as their “50 Most Influential Arabs” list, according to her profile on The American University in Cairo s website. Yousra has racked up more than 60 global and local awards, including the Cinema award at the Arab Women of the Year ceremony in London. She has also taken part in numerous film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival. America Abroad Media (AAM) also honored Yousra in November 2019 at its seventh edition during its annual dinner in Washington, DC, celebrating the star s contributions to the film industry. A number of top Hollywood stars congratulated Yousra on her award, including Harvey Keitel, who has acted in several critically acclaimed films, like Martin Scorsese s The Irishman (2019) and Quentin Tarantino s Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994). Keitel commented: “In your award is my reward, because I have this opportunity to tell you, ever since that night I first met you in Cairo, how lovely and strong an impression you made on us.” Having starred in more than 80 films, Yousra is best known for “Al-Ens wa al-Jen” (The Human and the Djinn, 1985) , “Karakon fe al-Sharea” (A Police Station in the Street, 1986), “Al-Mansy” (The Forgotten, 1996), “Al-Irhab Wal Kabab” (Terrorism and Kebab, 1992), and “Toyour al-Zalam” (Birds of Darkness, 1995). She further solidified her career through collaborations with the famed late Egyptian director Youssef Chahine in “Hadduta Masreya” (Egyptian Story, 1982), “Iskendereya Kaman we Kaman” (Alexandria Again and Forever, 1989) and “Al-Mohager” (The Emigrant, 1994).

The silver screen s biggest night is here — Oscars campaigns have been wrapped up, predictions placed and champagne iced. While many pundits expect relentless marches to victory for “1917” and the four leading acting nominees, surprises will no doubt be in store. Here are five things to look out for at Sunday s Academy Awards: – Will Oscars go global? – Many records could tumble Sunday, but there is no doubt which would be the most historic of all victories. South Korean black comedy “Parasite” has defied conventional wisdom to keep the pace with the best picture Oscar frontrunners, defying what its director called the “one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles.” A non-English-language movie has never won the movie industry s top prize, despite Mexican drama “Roma” making a serious run last year. With a wave of support for its charismatic director Bong Joon-ho, and an increasingly international voting bloc within the Academy, could this be the year? – Diversity on show – This year s Oscars feature just one non-white acting nominee — Cynthia Erivo for “Harriet” — earning the Academy plenty of criticism. No women were shortlisted for best director, leaving the grand total of females nominated in this category over 92 years at a paltry five. The glitzy Sunday show — produced by two women — appears intended to redress some of that imbalance. Once again there is no host, but guest presenters include actresses of a wide range of nationalities including Penelope Cruz (Spain), Salma Hayek (Mexico) and Gal Gadot (Israel). – Song and dance – Coming just two weeks after the spectacular Grammys, the Oscars have a lot to do to compete in terms of musical performance. Organizers appear determined to try, with Grammy record-setter and soon-to-be James Bond songstress Billie Eilish set to perform, along with funk futurist Janelle Monae. British pop legend Elton John also will grace the stage, performing his nominated song “(I m Gonna) Love Me Again” from the film about his life, “Rocketman.” And Eimear Noone will make history as the first female conductor of the in-house orchestra for the ceremony. Producer Lynette Howell (“A Star Is Born”) has promised some “some additional musical surprise moments” — telling journalists they will “have to tune in” to find out what they are. – Kirk and Kobe – Each year, the Oscars presents a montage honoring those Hollywood has lost over the past 12 months. This year will be particularly poignant, given the still-raw grief in Los Angeles over the deaths of Golden Age legend Kirk Douglas and Oscar-winning basketball star Kobe Bryant. Organizers have confirmed that both will be featured in the traditional “in memoriam” section, and watch out for frequent mentions in the winners speeches too. – Brad Pitt s speech – Sure, he hasn t won the Oscar yet. But Brad Pitt has been on a relentless awards sweep for his supporting role in “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.” Thankfully, he has broken up the monotony by delivering consistently the most witty and entertaining speeches this season. From quipping “Hey Britain. Heard you just became single — welcome to the club” at the BAFTAs in remarks delivered by co-star Margot Robbie, to promising to post his Screen Actors Guild award on Tinder, Hollywood s enduring heartthrob has unexpectedly become its awards circuit jester. Hopefully he — or his joke-writer — has saved the best for last.

Egypt s Minister of Antiquities and Toursim Khaled al-Anani has unveiled a plan to renovate the area surrounding the Great Pyramids of Giza, which would include building the first café and restaurant to serve tourists at the location, according to official statements issued by the Minister on Tuesday, February 4. Anani said that the area was lacking even basic shops for bottles of water, adding that the development project will be allow Egyptian companies to provide various services in the area — major step in the history of the tourist destination. Part of ongoing efforts to encourage more visitors to the Great Pyramids and boost tourism in the country more broadly, the restaurant will allow visitors to have lunch while gazing out at what is arguably Egypt s most remarkable site, Anani said. The Minister added that the plan will take place under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, in order to “show full appreciation” for the archeological value of the area. The project to revamp the area surrounding the Pyramids was first unveiled when Orascom investment signed an agreement in 2018 with the Supreme Council of Antiquities to launch a platform for offering different services at the site. The agreement gives the Supreme Council the sole right to administer facilities in the area, according to a previous official statement. Egypt has also worked to improve roads leading to the much anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which is located nearby the Giza Pyramids and is set to open its doors to the public this year. In light of official estimates of five million visitors to the GEM annually, Fayoum road is set to be expanded to four times its current size to fit the capacity for cars heading to the new mega museum and the Great Pyramids of Giza.

The chairman of the General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO) Haytham al-Haj Ali said that 3.5 million people visited the 51st edition of Cairo s International Book Fair, held between January 23 and February 4th this year. He added that Egypt s Ministry of Culture made “huge” efforts to make sure that the 2020 book fair, which was held for the second time in the distant suburb of New Cairo, proved a success. Haj added that the Book Fair s administration had honored Senegal this year as a “Guest of Honor,” and announced that Greece will be the “guest of honor” of the Cairo International Book Fair next year. The National Center for Translation and the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies also organized a symposium for the late professor of Hebrew Arts Ibrahim al-Bahrawy and presented the fourth part of the “6th of October Victory in Israeli Documents” at Cairo s book fair on Tuesday. The organizers say the documents, which were declassified, “confirm” Egypt s victory in the 1973 October War. In 2019, the book fair was moved from the fairgrounds at Nasr City to the distant suburb of New Cairo, with some publishers protesting the move and vendors from popular used-book markets opting to hold their own event. Entitled “Egypt –Africa, A Culture of Diversity,” the 51st edition of the book fair locked down 900 publishing houses, compared to 747 publishers in attendance in 2019, according to President of the Arab Publishers Association Mohammad Rashad. Vendors from Sour El-Azbakeya, a well-known used book market in the heart of Cairo that did not attend the fair in 2019, were also back this year. Over 2.5 million people attended last year s fair, according to the Ministry of Culture. Also on Tuesday, Minister of Culture Enas Abdel Dayem expressed her sadness over the death of legendary Egyptian actress Nadia Lotfy, and attended the memorial ceremony for the death of young writer Mohammed Khalifa, asking that his play, which won the Sharjah Festival for Gulf Theater Prize, be printed.

The 46th edition of the annual Egyptian Film Society Festival for Egyptian Cinema, which is organized by the Cairo Film Society in an effort to highlight Egypt s local film scene, has announced this year s winners, with independent movie “When we re born” sweeping to victory this year to win the coveted best picture award. Winners were selected by a jury headed by legendary film critic Kamal Ramzi and announced by The Film Society Festival Administration, which is led by filmmaker Mahmoud Abdel Samie, after 8 films were screened at the Artistic Creativity Center of the Cairo Opera House between January 25 and February 1. The festival, which is supported by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, aims to highlight domestic talent and “give due recognition…to legends that have given their blood and sweat to the industry,” according to an earlier press release from the festival s organizers. Independent film “When we re born” swept the festival s awards, beating its competition this year for best film. The movie, which was directed by Tamer Ezzat and took over 10 years to make, follows the hopes and trials of three Egyptian characters – a son who dreams of pursuing a singing career despite his father s objections, a Christian woman in love with a Muslim man, and a newlywed personal trainer who is forced to compromise his values for the opportunity to own a gym. Actress Salma Hassan received the award for best actress in a leading role for her work in “When we re born,” and Hanan Soliman, meanwhile, won the award for best supporting actress for the same film, while director Tamer Ezzat received best director and late screenwriter Nadine Shams awarded for best scenario. Actress Oumayma El Sibai also received a certificate of appreciation from the festival s jury for her role in the film. Meanwhile, “Blue Elephant 2,” the sequel to mystery-thriller film “The Blue Elephant” (2014), won the award for best makeup, which went to Tarek Mostafa, best voice mixer awarded to Ahmed Abu El-Saad, and best costume designer for Nahed Nasrallah. The film s musical director Hisham Nazih received the award for the best score at the festival and Ahmed Hafez won the award for best film editing. Outside of the two top films, Mohamed Saad received the award for best actor in a leading role for the movie “The Treasure 2,” with Bassem Samra awarded best actor in a supporting role for “Rizk s Sons 2.” Maged Al-Kadwani received the “special jury award” for his role in the movie “The Guest,” directed by Hadi Al-Bagouri, and interior designer Ali Hussam received the award for best set design for the same film. Director of photography Ahmed Youssef received the award for best photography for the film “Scarecrow,” with “Between two seas ” winning “best film poster.” “The Guest,” which is directed by Hadi El-Bagoury and follows an eight-year-old Syrian girl displaced to Turkey, also received the highest number of votes from the public following the film screening, according to the festival s organizers, winning the festival s “audience award.” The artists are set to be honored with the festival s awards on February 8 at a ceremony set to be held in Muhammad Farid cinema on Cairo s Imad Al-Din Street.

The Cairo Opera House will present Tosca, an opera in three acts by legendary Italian composer Giacomo Puccini starting on Tuesday, as part of an initiative to perform the world s most famous classical works in Cairo, a statement from the Egyptian opera house said on Sunday. Tosca will be shown at the Cairo Opera House s Main Hall for four consecutive nights, starting at 8:00 pm on Tuesday, February 4. The performance, directed by Hisham El-Tally, will be accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra, led by Italian conductor David Crescenzi, the Cairo Opera Choir, and the children s choir of the Talents Development Center. The heart wrenching opera is based on Victorien Sardou s 1887 French-language dramatic play, “La Tosca” (1887), and revolves around events that took place in Rome in 1800 during the French invasion of Italy. The story centers around two protagonists in love: Mario Cavaradossi, a painter, and Floria Tosca, the soprano diva after which the opera is named. Mario vows to save Angelott, an escaped political prisoner hiding in the church where Mario is painting. When Scarpia, the police chief, arrives to the church, he becomes suspicious, arrests Cavaradossi and sends him to be tortured. Tosca only obtains her lover s freedom by agreeing to give herself to Scarpia. Before this happens, however, Scarpia signs a deed granting free passage to the two lovers while vowing to put Cavaradossi through a “mock execution.” But Tosca, unable to accept the price set by Scarpia, murders the police chief. The final scene of the iconic opera is set at Cavaradossi s mock execution, but when the smoke clears, Tosca hurries to her lover s body and finds – to her horror – that she has been tricked: Cavaradossi was dead. The realization prompts the tragedy s female lead to leap from a balcony to her death in the final moments of the opera. Tosca premiered in Rome in 1900 and explores themes of political intrigue, romance, and death set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. The opera s composer Puccini has produced several other notable works, including La Bohème (1896) and Madama Butterfly (1904).

Newly-founded Egyptian band Kahareb will be performing at Room Art Space on 13 February, where they will introduce "electrifying sound with storytelling and contemporary visual vernacular." Founded in 2018 by its lead singer Youssef Atwan and bassist Mokhtar El-Sayeh, Kahareb, who released four music videos starting with El-Sauce, are developing their audio/visual experience into live performances.

Egypt s Dokki Midemeanor Court handed actor Ahmed el-Fishawy a one-year prison sentence and LE500 fine and set his bail at LE 2,000, over his refusal to pay his daughter s expenses. Fishawy, his teenage daughter Lina, and the actor s former spouse Hend al-Hennawy have been embroiled in a series of court disputes since 2005. The Khalifa Family Court previously sentenced the actor, director and producer to one month in jail in August 2019 for refusing to pay LE 234,600 in alimony for his daughter, according to a statement from his ex-wife s lawyer Shaaban Said. The Family Court issued the one-month prison sentence based on a document submitted by Said proving that Fishawy, the star of Sheikh Jackson (2017), is financially capable of supporting his daughter Lina. Hennawy s lawyer said that Fishawy is now stuck between two choices: either pay his daughter s alimony or be imprisoned for an entire month, adding that the court sentence cannot be appealed. In a phone interview on the Egyptian TV program “Ana 7awa” (I am Eve) on Mehwar Channel, the lawyer stressed that Hennawy s family does not want to put her ex-husband, the son of late iconic star Farouk al-Fishawy, in jail or ruin his reputation, and so for his sake it would be best if he agreed to pay the alimony. Hennawy s lawyer also expressed a personal willingness to turn down all prior 16 lawsuits issued against Fishawy on behalf of his divorcee, in the event he pays the required money for his daughter. The lawyer mentioned that Farouk al-Fishawy, Hennawy s father-in-law, was devoted to his grandchild and “always keen” to defuse the ongoing tension between his son and Hennawy. Lina is currently studying abroad in the UK following a prior agreement between Lina s grandfather and her mother. In response to her father s sentence in August 2019, Lina commented on Instagram: “I am sad, I wish you were there for me like a father to his daughter.” Lina, who posted several photos and comments on Instagram following her grandfather s death, had been asked by social media why she was absent from her grandfather s funeral. Her answer on Instagram clarified that her father had obtained a judicial ruling from the court enabling him to prevent his daughter from returning to the UK in the event she visits Egypt.

The private theatre company Cairo Show will bring its musical comedy version of Aladdin to Egypt with a premiere on 6 February at their theatre in 6 October city. Directed by Magdy Al-Hawary, Aladdin is played by movie star Ahmed Ezz, while Tara Emad is in the role of Jasmine. Comedian Mohamed Tharwat plays the Genie, Samy Maghawry the Sultan, and Hisham Ismael the role of Jaafar The show premiered in Saudi Arabia in December as part of Riyadh Season, a programme of cultural and artistic events in the capital. The same producers and director have previously celebrated the first year of staging the play Talat Ayam Fil-Sahel (“Three Days on the North Coast”) starring comedian Mohamed Henedy. Cairo Show is also showing Yehia El-Fakharany s successful version of Shakespeare’s King Lear at its New Cairo venue. Disney’s live action version of Aladdin was released last year, grossing over $1 bilion dollars in worldwide box office receipts. The film, and its animated 1992 predecessor of the same name, is based on a Middle Eastern folk tale which was included in the famous collection Alf Laila wa Laila (“The Arabian Nights”).

Renowned Egyptian singer Ali El-Haggar will perform on 30 January at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Arts Centre. El-Haggar, 65, who has released new singles recently, will be singing some of his famous TV series themes and most memorable hits. El-Haggar, who received the 2019 Omani Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and Literature, is preparing a duet with Hanan Madi two decades after their smash collaboration in El-Mal wal-Banoon TV series theme. He has been one of the iconic singers in Egypt and the Arab world in the past four decades, collaborating with some of the leading Egyptian lyricists, such as Salah Jahin, Abdel-Rahman El-Abnoudy, and Sayed Hegab, in addition to some of the country s renowned composers from Baligh Hamdy and Sayed Mekkawy to Omar Khairat and Fathy Salama.