Egyptian NEWS

Today's death sentence is Hisham Talaat Mustafa

2009-06-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Egypt: the death sentence, "the killers" Tamim Thursday .. And the opinion of the mufti, "consultant"
Follow-up / Mahmud Gharib

Tamim had a previous relationship with Mustafa

CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) - Hours before the issuance of its final execution of the accused in the killing of Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim, the two former police officer Mohsen diabetes, a businessman and lawmaker Hisham Talaat Mustafa is known, the Cairo Criminal Court received the opinion of the Mufti, Dr. Ali Gomaa, in the case papers, which the court referred to him late last month.

According to media sources the Egyptian capital Cairo on Wednesday, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, sent a legal opinion to the President of the Court, Counsel to take stock of Iran, in the "sealed envelope made," is not disclosure of its content, which is scheduled to hold another meeting of the court verdict, in the early on Thursday, amid intense security measures.

Is not the opinion of the Mufti of the Republic mandatory for the court, according to judicial sources confirmed to CNN Arabic, pointing out that there is legal provision required the court to explore the opinion of the Mufti in capital cases only, in order to "draw" in his opinion, and therefore this opinion "will not change the resolution, which settled something in the conscience of the court. "

This is also confirmed by the Vice-President of the Court of Cassation, adviser Ahmed Makki, in comments carried by the "sunrise" in the Friday, pointing out that "even if the Mufti may not be the implementation of this provision, it is not necessary to view the source of the provision, and in many cases, violated the judges view the Mufti, and insisted on their sentences. "

The only case which may be the opinion of the Mufti as the binding, according to Mackie, when there is a father or mother convicted of killing their children, when the Mufti issued a fatwa that "does not kill the father of his son," often committed to the court opinion, because it sort of "seeking compassion for the father accused of killing his son. "

The figures indicate that the Mufti, Dr. Juma received a dossier of 480 cases included the death penalty during the period since he took office nearly four years, supported the provision 478 of them, but the cases that were not in favor of execution, adherence to the judiciary as his legal status, have been executed already.

The second defendant's lawyer Hisham Talaat Mustafa, has pre-empted the meeting by virtue of the pronouncement of sentence his client to submit a memorandum to the court, requesting the reopening of the hearing, pointing out that "there is a new impetus, he formulated in the case, is the lack of jurisdiction of the Egyptian judiciary's consideration of the case, the fact that the offense was on the ground, however, an Egyptian, "the site" News "Egypt of the Egyptian Radio and TV Union.

Related Links
After death: Hisham sobbing .. Diabetes shout .. Susan speaks
"Drama" Suzanne Tamim .. Crime that shook the Middle East
The Cairo Criminal Court had issued on 21 May, a provision to refer the case to the Grand Mufti of Egypt, to take in the view of the legitimate execution of the accused, the two-day meeting of the 27 trial within five months, during which it had heard a large number of defense witnesses and evidence to the facts of the case, which raised considerable debate in the Arab street.

And that the accused was sentenced to death, even as the collapse occurred and the unconscious of their relatives.

Sources of information on attacks by the residents and relatives of the defendants on some of the journalists who were covering the event, although the court decided in its third, in view of the controversy raised by the case of a broad and large, the prohibition of the dissemination of all media "audio-visual and print."

Recalled that the actress Suzanne Tamim was killed in her apartment in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, late July 2008.

The accused has denied the accusations attributed to them, with the payment of their lawyers pleaded not guilty, in an effort to cast doubt on the prosecution evidence, which was based on a unique II ELDEEB counsel for the accused, to the defense case on the first defendant, who had been questioned in a number of evidence-based to the prosecution.

In the case questioned Atef Manaawi, counsel for the accused first, in the clothing that the prosecution said the accused was wearing when he committed the crime, and questioned the weapon used to kill, as well as in the autopsy of the body of the dead, slaughtered by a knife in her apartment in "Marina" in Dubai.

And the Attorney General has already referred to the accused, diabetes, and Mustafa, the Criminal Court, following the conclusion of its investigation in the case, which attributed to the first defendant (diabetes) the charge of "committing a crime outside the country, to kill the victim, Susan Abdel-Sattar Tamim, deliberately with premeditation."

Also attributed to the prosecutor that Hisham Mustafa "took part through incitement, agreement and assistance with the first defendant (diabetes) to kill the victim, Susan Sattar Tamim in revenge, and that helped him running their own data, and the amount of cash required for the planning and execution of the crime."

And all of Mustafa and diabetes have been stabbed to death in previous meetings, the evidence found at the crime scene in Dubai, including the "T" and a knife and a pair of sports shoes, saying it could be "fabricated" or were replaced by the UAE authorities, in must be introduced as evidence against them.

news

2009-05-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

Obama

2009-05-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

CAIRO (Reuters) - The diplomatic sources said that U.S. President Barack Obama will make an address to the Muslim world, from the University of Cairo, which dates back to hundred years, but they are not among the 500 selected in the examination of the University to be the best in the world.

A source said that Obama will deliver a speech at the Great Hall of the conference on the campus.

The aim of the speech Obama delivered on the fourth of June to repair U.S. relations with the Muslim world after it was damaged in the era of former President George Bush, who ordered the invasion of Afghanistan after the attacks on the cities of New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.

Bush also ordered the invasion of Iraq justified the invasion of Baghdad, that the secret stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, which turned out to be untrue.

The reports of al-Azhar mosque was nominated for his speech but it seems that the U.S. administration wanted to avoid giving the speech a religious nature.

Nominated reports Indonesia - where Obama spent the years of his childhood with his mother, who married a Muslim Indonesia after her divorce from Hussein Obama's Muslim Kenyan father, Barak - to deliver a speech, but the White House settled on Egypt the most populous Arab country which maintains diplomatic relations with Israel and with the relations between Washington Despite the close alliance of tension in relations during the reign of Bush, which lasted eight years.

And improved relations under Obama and the administration of President Hosni Mubarak will pay a visit to Washington is the first in five years before the advent of Obama to Egypt.

http://www.prgrmr.net/news-action-show-id-4976.htm

Photos

2009-05-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Subject experts are demanding the U.S. president and his entourage inspected «swine flu»

2009-05-14T03:49:00.000-07:00

Made the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to Egypt many of the questions on the extent of the seriousness of the visit and caused to enter the swine flu virus in Egypt, as the United States in the list of countries that have taken place by the cases and deaths from the virus.

While experts called for the need to subject the U.S. president and his entourage, and an estimated 1000 people, of the medical examinations before entering Egypt, considering the Bills are not subject to the medical is a crime against the Egyptian people, the possibility of transmission of the way,

Have learned «Egyptian today» from private sources, that all the important figures and ministers of foreign visitors to the VIP rooms or distinctive Cairo International Airport, are subject to quarantine, noting that it is applied to all actions of health from countries hit by the swine flu cases , of the 33 countries.

The source said that a quarantine doctors, the access to VIP Lounge, to obtain a health card for the guests, pointing out that no objection will be an important person, the length of the last period.

On Obama's visit to Cairo, and the group of private insurance, the source said: «Obama and the accompanying delegation will be subject to the procedures established by the Presidency of the Republic, while the group insurance, if it is coming through the ports or airports, regular procedures will be applied to the usual quarantine».

For his part, Dr. Hadi Mesbah, a professor of epidemiology and Almikropouljy, it is scientifically must be subject to U.S. President and the entourage of the medical examination, in order to avoid the virus to enter Egypt.

The lamp: «it was supposed to be this action with the Israeli Prime Minister and his entourage, during his recent visit to Egypt, but this did not happen».

Hadi pointed out that this act is merely a precautionary measure, because the disease may be in the incubation period, a period which does not show the symptoms of the disease, such as high temperature, which may cause the virus to enter Egypt.

And Dr. Ahmed Abdul Wahab, Professor of environmental pollution, the need for members of the U.S. delegation, under medical observation for the duration of their presence in Cairo, in anticipation of the emergence of symptoms on any of them.

The Major General Adel Suleiman, executive director of the International Center for Strategic Studies and in the future, the U.S. delegation to undergo a medical, is not an insult, pointing out that Obama has been uncovered and the medical examination during his recent visit to Mexico

Man who spent 22 years on death row is cleared

2009-05-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former death row inmate in Tennessee has been cleared of murder, three years after the Supreme Court raised repeated questions about his conviction.

After 22 years on death row, Paul House was released on bail and has now been cleared of murder charges.

1 of 2 State prosecutors on Tuesday asked a judge to drop all charges against Paul House, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to die in 1986. Special Judge Jon Blackwood accepted the request.

House had been scheduled to be executed next month for the 1985 murder of Carolyn Muncey. He had been on death row for 22 years but was released on bail last year. He has multiple sclerosis and must use a wheelchair.

The high court ruled in June 2006 that House was entitled to a new hearing.

"Although the issue is closed, we conclude that this is the rare case where -- had the jury heard all the conflicting testimony -- it is more likely than not that no reasonable juror viewing the record as a whole would lack reasonable doubt," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the 5-3 majority.
Forensic evidence found Muncey's blood on House's jeans, but questions were later raised whether the samples were contaminated en route to an FBI lab for analysis.

Subsequent state-of-the art DNA testing conducted after the conviction showed that semen on the victim belonged to her husband, not House. Blood under her fingernails and cigarette butts discovered near the wooded crime scene also did not match the accused.

But prosecutors maintain that other evidence points to his guilt. Muncey's family has also continued to believe that House was involved in the crime.

In 2005, House told CNN he did not rape or kill Muncey, and he wondered why he was still on death row.

"I guess that's the million-dollar question," he said.

While maintaining his innocence, he said that lying to police about his whereabouts that night was a big mistake.

Kennedy, in his 2006 high court ruling, offered an extensive summary of the facts of the investigation, especially the DNA evidence, which he said might point to "a different suspect." Kennedy said jurors might conclude that Muncey's blood found on House's pants may have inadvertently spilled there during the autopsy or through mishandling by police at the crime scene.

District Attorney Paul Phillips wrote in his petition this week that he still believes House could have been convicted again in a new trial, "but the new evidence (including the forensic examinations) raises a reasonable doubt that he acted alone and the possibility that others were involved in the crime."

But Phillips noted the "substantial sentence" House has served as another reason for the charges being dropped now

Ahly increase lead in Egypt despite surprise draw

2009-05-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Ahly increase lead in Egypt despite surprise draw

By AFP
First Published: February 1, 2009
CAIRO: African champions Al-Ahly stretched their lead in the Egyptian Premiership to three points Saturday despite being held 2-2 by relegation-threatened Al-Gaish.

The Cairo ‘Red Devils,’ winners of the African Champions League a record sixth time last November, finished the first half of the season three points ahead of Petrojet.

Ahly won their previous four league matches as they played catch-up after a number of fixtures were postponed due to Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup commitments.

Mohamed Barakat gave Ahly an early lead, but goals from Ghanaian Ernest Arko and Togolese Mikael Dogbe edged police club Gaish ahead before Angolan Flavio Amado rescued the defending champions with a 58th-minute equalizer. –AFP

Abou-Trika short-listed for top African award

2009-01-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

Abou-Trika short-listed for top African award By AFPFirst Published: January 15, 2009

Egypt‘s Mohamed Abou-Trika.
JOHANNESBURG: A new name will be engraved on the African Footballer of the Year trophy next month after three stars were short-listed on Wednesday for the 2008 award.
Arsenal and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor is favored to top a poll among Africa-based national coaches with midfielders Michael Essien of Chelsea and Ghana, and Mohamed Abou-Trika of Al-Ahly and Egypt the other contenders.
Long-term injury casualty Essien finished second and third in the previous two editions of the African Football Confederation-organized competition while Adebayor and Abou-Trika have never featured among the top three.
The omission from the original list of struggling Chelsea striker Didier Drogba came as no surprise and saved the organizers potential embarrassment as the Ivorian said he had no interest in the award.
His decision stemmed from being denied the title last year after refusing to leave the African Nations Cup tournament in Ghana to attend the Footballer of the Year ceremony in neighboring Togo.
France-born Mali striker Frederic Kanoute received the trophy instead and became the first footballer born outside Africa to win a competition started in 1970 and taken over by CAF 16 years ago.
Egypt striker Amr Zaki, who has made a big impression on loan to Wigan this season scoring 10 English Premiership goals, was a surprise exclusion given that Essien has not played since being injured in Libya last June.
Adebayor has struck seven Premiership goals for Arsenal and hit four in a World Cup qualifier against Swaziland last October to keep alive Togolese hopes of a second consecutive appearance when South Africa play hosts next year.
Abou-Trika, a pivotal figure last year in the Nations Cup success of Egypt and the African Champions League triumph of Al-Ahly, seems the leading candidate for the new Africa Footballer of the Year award.
This is restricted to stars playing in Africa and two other Ahly stalwarts, veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan and Angola-born striker Flavio Amado, are among the challengers.
Stephen Worgu, the young Nigerian who scored 13 Champions League goals for semi-finalists Enyimba, and another striker, Mputu Mabi from Democratic Republic of Congo club Tout Puissant Mazembe, complete the list.
Egypt appear set to win the National team of the Year title having captured the Nations Cup a record sixth time in Accra courtesy of an Abou-Trika goal against Cameroon.
'Pharaohs' coach Hassan Shehata, also the architect of the 2006 Nations Cup triumph, is in contention for Coach of the Year with his strongest competition likely to come from Portugoal-born Al-Ahly boss Manuel Jose.
The awards ceremony will be staged on Feb. 10 in Lagos with hopes of a Nigerian success resting with Worgu, Young Footballer of the Year candidate Victor Nsofor and the 'Super Eagles' in the national team category. –AFP

Zaki scores for Wigan to earn Zamalek £500 thousand

2008-12-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

CAIRO: Wigan Athletic striker Amr Zaki’s first half penalty was enough to hand his team a 1-0 win over Bolton Wonderers in the Premiership on Sunday.

The goal, which is Zaki’s 10th in the season will earn Zamalek £500,000.

The player, who’s on a one-year loan at Wigan from Zamalek, had a contract term obliging the Latics to pay the Cairo club £500,000 once he scores 10 goals.

Bolton could have opened the score line on 17 minutes when Kevin Davies was released through on Mike Pillott, before Paul Scharner’s perfect tackle saved Wigan from conceding.

Wigan took a strong hold of the game afterwards as Lee Cattermole and Emile Heskey had two golden opportunities saved by Jussi Jaaskelainen.

On 44 minutes, Wigan were awarded a penalty after Andy Obrien’s tackle on Henri Camara. Zaki stepped up confidently to send Jaaskelainen the wrong way.

In the second half, Bolton almost scored when Danny Shittu’s header was cleared off the line by Wilson Palacios. TV replays suggested that the ball might have crossed the line.

On 63 minutes, Pollitt produced a brilliant double save to deny Bolton. Johan Elmander’s initial effort from inside the box was parried by the keeper, before he had palmed the rebound at full stretch.

Bolton had their best chance of the game in injury time, when Matt Taylor’s early cross was headed by Shittu ahead of Pollitt, but the striker bitterly watched the ball clinch the bar.

The win lifts Wigan to seventh place with 28 points, while Bolton are 11th on 23 points.

News in brief

2008-12-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

Oriental Weavers delays work on new complex

Oriental Weavers, the world's biggest machine-woven carpet producer, said on Sunday it would delay construction work for an industrial complex from mid-2009 to 2010 because of the global financial crisis.

Oriental Weavers said in March the first phase of the LE 1.3 billion ($235.5 million) complex would produce rugs with an initial investment cost of LE 495 million.

"In light of the decline recently in the world financial markets, the management of the company saw fit to move construction work planned for mid-2009 to the beginning of 2010," the company said in a statement to the stock exchange.

The company, however, has not seen any decline in its growth rate, productivity or sales, the statement said.

In November, Oriental Weavers reported a 48 percent increase in net profit after minority interest during the third quarter to 86 million pounds. It maintained its full-year profit growth target of between 10 to 12 percent.

Shares in the company were trading 0.71 percent up at LE 22.80 by 0953 GMT on Sunday. –Reuters

Steel companies agree to stabilize price at LE 3800 a ton

A state of calm is prevailing in the steel market in anticipation of the prices to be stabilized or slightly reduced in January.

The steel companies have implicitly agreed to stabilize the ex-factory price at LE 3800 per ton, even if Ezz group reduced its price, so as to maintain market stability in the face of the rising billet prices from $ 380 to $ 435 per ton.

Sources expected Ezz Group to reduce its price by LE 150 per ton like last month. They said the price in Cairo and Alexandria is LE 4200 per ton, and LE 4300 in the provinces and in Upper Egypt. Meanwhile, Misr Aluminum reduced its price in January by $525 per ton, bringing the price to $1750 rather than $2275 last month.

In a related context, there is relative calm in the cement market due to low demand and the poor weather conditions, which led to the suspension of transport. Sources said that the drop in demand forced traders to sell at prices lower than the ex-factory price. –Tegara Net

China says investment in Egypt ‘mutually beneficial’

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that investment from Chinese enterprises in Egypt is mutually beneficial and will create a win-win situation, according to a press release issued on Sunday.

Li was attending the inauguration ceremony of an auxiliary project of Cairo International Conference Center, together with Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid.

Li said about 600 Chinese companies currently have invested in Egypt which not only bring friendship, funds and technology to support Egypt's economic construction, but promote China's economic growth as well.

He explained that rapid increase in trade volume between Egypt and China is proof that markets in developing countries have potential in the midst of the global financial crisis.

Rachid said that the Egyptian government will facilitate the pragmatic cooperation between Egyptian and Chinese companies. The Egyptian minister said that he hope entrepreneurs in both countries could seize the opportunity to push bilateral trade cooperation to a new high with the advantages of both sides.

Around 500 representatives from government and companies of China and Egypt as well as those in charge of the project attended Friday's ceremony.

According to Chinese statistics, trade volume between China and Egypt reached more than 5.3 billion U.S. dollars as of October this year, a 44-percent increase compared with the same period of last year.

Li also called on China and Egypt to combine their advantages to explore international market.

Li made the remarks in his speech at a business forum Thursday in the Egyptian capital, amid his four-day official visit to the country.

He said Egypt has the advantage of a good geographic location, crossing Asia and Africa and nearing the Europe, while China is advantageous with high-level technologies and relatively complete services.

He said the Suez cooperation zone is a major and important project for China-Egypt economic and trade cooperation, and it is of strategic significance to do a good job in constructing the zone and to make full use of the zone. He added that China is ready to closely coordinate with the Egyptian side to establish working mechanism on promoting the project.

He also called on both sides to learn from each other's experiences in reform and development. – Xinhua

Finance Ministry establishes independent entity to run pension funds

The new insurance law includes the establishment of a national authority for social insurance, which is independent from the State Treasury and the Investment Bank, said Adviser to the Minister of Finance for insurance and pensions Mohamed Ahmed.

He explained that such a step aims to protect pensioners' social and health rights. During a seminar at Cairo University earlier this week, Ahmed likened the current Insurance Act to torn clothes that could not be patched up. He stressed that insurance companies did not intervene in the new system. "I will be proud to introduce such a law," he added.

There will be an unemployment insurance system for the first time, Ahmed said, adding that the project gives an insured person who suffers from a work injury the right to get compensation during the period in which he can not work.

The ministry will refer the new law to the People's Assembly and the Shoura Council [Egypt's lower and upper chambers of Parliament respectively] immediately after the State's Council drafts it constitutionally, he said. The ministry has been preparing the new bill for more than 18 months, has appointed the best graduates of Cairo University's Faculty of Commerce and dispatched them to London to be trained on how to manage the new system, he said. Some attendees, though, criticized the Ministry of Finance's supervision of insurance and pensions. – Tegara Net

Undersea cable FLAG to be up and running today, says MCIT

2008-12-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Undersea cable FLAG to be up and running today, says MCIT

By Sherine El Madany
First Published: December 29, 2008
CAIRO: Service on FLAG Europe-Asia cable — which along with cuts in two other cables had disrupted internet and international phone services in some parts of the Middle East and South Asia — would be restored by Tuesday, said Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT)

“Repairs on the cable were completed on Monday and [the operating company] is currently running tests on it,” said Mohamed Hanafy, press officer at the ministry. “The cable is expected to retrieve its full capacity within 24 hours, which would improve internet services in Egypt.”

Work on the other two cables is still pending and could last to the end of the year. “Egypt's internet capacity will be fully restored early next week when these two cables get fixed,” Hanafy said.

Breaks in three submarine cables under the Mediterranean are suspected to be caused by a ship's anchor; however, operating companies have not confirmed that yet, he added.

The undersea cables — owned by different consortiums including France Telecom — were damaged between 09:28 and 10:06 Cairo local time on Dec. 19. The damage caused varying degrees of disruption from Zambia to India and Taiwan.

The disruption reduced Egypt's internet capacity by about 80 percent. Based on the ministry’s latest statistics, around 12 million Egyptians use the internet. Residents told Reuters internet service was either non-existent or very slow. Several Egyptians said at the time that it was impossible to call the United States but calls to Europe appeared to be going through.

The ministry said in a statement released on Dec. 21 it did not receive complaints from financial institutions in the country about any disruption to their performance.

Sources at the Egyptian Stock Exchange said the internet blackout did not disrupt trading because the exchange uses a built-in system that does not connect through the internet.

"But there remains some tangible impact on call centers," the ministry’s statement said. According to international reports, the cuts caused Egypt to lose around 66 percent of its voice traffic.

Work began on Dec. 21 to fix the submarine cables. “More than 85 percent of Egypt's internet capacity has been restored so far,” Hanafy pointed out.

France Telecom expected to have repaired SEA-ME-WE4 by Dec. 25 and SEA-ME-WE3 by the end of the year.

“Repairs on SEA-ME-WE4 were already completed but when they [France Telecom] tested it, they found some problems with the power release. It could take up to 3-4 days to have it up and running again,” Hanafy explained.

The SEA-ME-WE4 is 20,000 km long and links 14 countries, running from France through the Red Sea to India and then Singapore. SEA-ME-WE3 is 40,000 km long and links 33 countries. It runs from northern Germany to Spain, the Red Sea, India and Southeast Asia, from where two branches extend as far as Australia and South Korea.

FLAG Europe Asia (FEA) is 27,000 km long and runs from Britain through the Red Sea to India, Southeast Asia and Japan.

The outage in December was the second time this year. In January, breaks in undersea cables off the Egyptian north coast disrupted internet access in Egypt, the Gulf region and south Asia, forcing service providers to reroute traffic and disrupting some businesses and financial dealings.

The ministry said last week that contacts would be made with the owners of the cables and the relevant authorities about "the appropriate compensations”.

“Compensation would be based on causes of the breaks,” Amr Badawy, executive chairman of National Telecom Regulator Authority (NTRA) said on Monday.

“We are still waiting for the final reports explaining the causes of the damage,” Hanafy added, explaining compensations will be sorted out between the operating and insurance companies.

“Last time, we [Egyptian government] paid compensations because the breaks occurred in Egyptian water, but it’s different this time because the damage took place in international water near Italy.”

EFG-Hermes sets OCI fair value at EGP 721.5

2008-03-08T01:14:00.000-08:00

EFG-Hermes sets OCI fair value at EGP 721.5
Thu 6 Mar 2008 11:52 AM

Related Links
Orascom Construction Industries (OCI)

EFG-Hermes set Orascom Construction Industries (OCI) fair value at EGP 721.5, up 6.1% compared to market value and 6% compared to Hermes’ previous valuation of EGP 680, excluding fertilizers industry. Hermes recommended a ST "accumulate" and a LT "buy".

Hermes said fair value will reach approx. EGP 421.5, following proposed EGP 300 coupon payment.

Hermes forecasts consolidated revenues to net EGP 19.97 billion and EGP 20.526 billion in FY07 and FY08 resp. Net profit, before minority rights, is expected to reach EGP 6.91 billion in FY07 and EGP 71.374 billion in FY08, including EGP 67.678 capital gains.
Hermes outlook on OCI is denominated in billions.

OCI fertilizers production costs are projected to decline 20%, compared to global cost, thanks to the relative advantage of using low-priced natural gas in Egypt and Algeria, in addition to gas high prices in the US, Europe and Asia, increasing urea fertilizer prices globally.

This will reflect positively on profit margins for ME fertilizer producers, compared to other countries.

Bad night for English clubs

2008-03-08T00:46:00.000-08:00

PARIS: Everton, Tottenham and Bolton failed to match the lofty heights of their Champions League counterparts as their Uefa Cup dreams were left hanging in the balance. Hopes were high that the three could follow the impressive examples set by Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in midweek, but all three endured disappointing nights. Everton, who harbour hopes of playing in Europe's elite competition next season, slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Fiorentina in their last 16, first-leg clash to lose their 100 per cent record in the competition.

Tottenham were also beaten, going down 1-0 at White Hart Lane to PSV Eindhoven to shatter coach Juande Ramos's hopes of winning the competition for the third successive year.

Bolton, battling relegation from the Premiership, drew 1-1 at home to Sporting Lisbon.

Glasgow Rangers kept British pride intact with a 2-0 win at home to Werder Bremen while title favourites Bayern Munich cruised to a 5-0 win at Anderlecht.

Everton were indebted to goalkeeper Tim Howard who celebrated his 29th birthday in style with a string of fine first-half saves inside the cold and rainswept Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence.

But Fiorentina were deserving winners with second-half goals from Serbian striker Zdravko Kuzmanovic and midfielder Ricardo Montolivo.

"We were a little too negative and too cautious," admitted Everton skipper Phil Neville.

"We didn't play the way we could so it was a let down. We'll have to play at a higher tempo in the second-leg next Wednesday, put in crosses and create chances."

Tottenham's English League Cup final hangover showed no sign of abating as PSV took a 1-0 advantage back to the Netherlands.

Jefferson Farfan punished a horrendous first-half mistake from debutant Gilberto to inflict a second successive defeat on Juande Ramos's side since they won the League Cup two weeks ago.

At the Reebok, Bolton saw Sporting Lisbon's Simon Vukcevic crack a stunning equaliser to cancel out Gavin McCann's first-half opener to leave Gary Megson's side facing an uphill struggle in Portugal.

Celtic may have been eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona but city rivals Rangers stayed on course in the Uefa Cup with a 2-0 win over Werder thanks to goals either side of half-time from Gabon international Daniel Cousin and Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis.

"Early on Bremen had a lot of possession but scoring just before half-time was a big factor for us and then scoring at the start of the second half put us in a great position," said Rangers boss Walter Smith.

"But it was also vital we didn't concede a goal at home and that could be important in the second leg."

Former European champions Bayern Munich were the night's most impressive winners cliching victory against Anderlecht in Brussels for the first time in five meetings.

Hamit Altintop, Luca Toni, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose and Frank Ribery were all on target while Anderlecht were also reduced to 10 men after the sending off of Polish defender Marcin Wasilewski on the stroke of half-time.

Marseille, also former European champions, moved closer to the last eight with a 3-1 win over Russia's St Petersburg with former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse scoring twice.