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Byline: Mariya Petkova There aren't many students at Sofia University who wear a hijab, so 20-year-old Aishe Emin's stands out. Since she moved to the Bulgarian capital two years ago, [...]

The article discusses the experiences of Bothaina Kamel while campaigning as the first female presidential candidate in Egypt in 2011. It says that Kamel has been having a hard time performing her work as a television presenter because there are efforts to stop her from appearing on air. According to the author, Kamel aims to focus on the demands of the youth who carried out the Egyptian Revolution. The experiences that made Kamel a bit skeptical about the media are also discussed.

The article examines the wave of revolutions sweeping the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. Separate protests over socio-economic, political and sectarian issues have reportedly been flaring up in the region, but that limited media coverage has kept the bigger picture from emerging. The article states that an unpredictable catalyst, such as the suicide of a young man in Tunisia, is the unifying factor for a nationwide uprising, and that the conditions that create it might be foreseen.

The article offers news briefs for Egypt as of December 2010. It states that the Coptic community members and police have clashed in an alleged church construction site in Al-Omraneyya, Giza on November 24. It mentions that the National Wages Council (NWC) has set a minimum wage of 400 Egyptian pound per month. It adds that a spokesperson has denied that Egypt President Hosni Mubarak has warned U.S. President George W. Bush related to biological weapons in Iraq.

The article discusses the latest efforts of the Egyptian government to resolve the issue of high population growth in the country as of October 2010. According to a pharmacy owner in the country, the oral contraceptive called the pill is the most popular contraceptive method so far. The opinions of Coptic priest Younan Winget and Health Ministry's Family Planning Sector head Sahar ElSonbaty on the use of pill as a contraceptive are also cited. INSETS: Contraceptive Taboos;The Pill Supplanted.

The article offers cultural news briefs in Egypt as of May 2011. The English translation of the book "On the State of Egypt," a collection of columns by Alaa Al Aswany, has been published. The film "Alfajoumy," in which actor Khaled El Sawy plays the poet-activist Ahmed Fouad Negm, is being edited by director Essam Elshamaa. The martyrs of the Arab revolutions will be honored at the 11th edition of the Arab Film Festival Rotterdam on September 7-11, 2011.

The article focuses on the views of Cable News Network (CNN) International anchor Jim Clancy on the state of journalism in the Middle East. Clancy stresses the challenge of understanding the Middle East because the region's politics change every three months, creating new channels of communication that enable people to express their thoughts and concerns. He adds that the Internet is the main tool used by journalists to strengthen the exchange of information and transparency.

The article features the Egyptian rock band, Digla. Composed of Tarek Borolossy, Mohammed Hakim, Omar Refaat and Sary, Digla's history began in the 1990's with Tarek and Omar's jamming sessions. The band does not have a record label deal but two of their hits have made it to the rock star checklist. The band is famous abroad, thanks to social media, particularly MySpace and Facebook. Their first compact disc, "Free Your Mind," features the song "Highlights" which is the band's first video.

The article features the Egytian supercool band, Digital Monkeys. Composed of Safi, Seifo and H, the band plays two Eastern African drums and one traditional Egyptian tabla to electronic music simultaneously showing off their fire dancing skills like juggling and twirling batons lit on fire. The band has jammed with numerous local disc jockeys and staged performances on the North Coast, Sinai and in El Gouna. The band's music is largely improvised. They have no plans yet to release an album.

The article features the music of Coran Bregovic. Bregovic's music is a unique blend of Balkan folklore, Gypsy spice and a pinch of Western flavor. His latest album, "Alkohol" reflects the lasting relationship between his music and sljivoca, a homemade Balkan liquor. The music of Bregovic and his Orchestra for Weddings and Funerals possess a hypnotic allure, reminding audiences of classic acts like "Kalashnikov," and "Erdelezi," and moving listeners to surrender to the Balkan spirit.

The article focuses on the harmful effects of unsafe or counterfeit cosmetics on the health of users. It states that beauty industry is a sizable and growing sector. It mentions that the Ministry of Health of Egypt strictly regulates locally produced and imported personal care products, counterfeiting, smuggling can be potentially dangerous. Cairo, Egypt-based professional esthetician Rania Moussa recommends the use of natural ingredients for personal care.

The article focuses on the conditional cash transfer (CCT) launched by the Ministry of Social Solidarity. It says that the idea of the program which is structured around monthly transfers is to have healthy, educated children, and break any gender bias in Ain el-Sokhna, Egypt. It adds that the organizers of the CCT are aiming to provide enough cash for households to ensure that poor children will grow up in better conditions using the targeted transfers.

The article discusses several aspects of banning of radical Islam in Bulgaria. Topics discussed include discrimination against Muslims in the country by establishment of several laws; growth in Islamophobia in Europe along with religious conflicts; negative aspects of anti-Islamic legislations such as ban of religious sermons, suspension of foreign funding and mandatory use of Bulgarian language; and views of politician Yulian Angelov and human rights lawyer Mihail Ekimjiev on the same.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of spending a night at Tahrir Square in Egypt to observe how the protesters organize themselves.

The article discusses the highlights of Dancepiration, a 5-day event of classes and workshops in hip hop. The event, held at El Sawy Culture Wheel in Cairo, Egypt was organized by Naomi Sobol to promote the dance. Aside from holding workshops for dancers, choreographers Gigi Torres and Asaki Imai also taught more than 70 kids in 4 beginners' classes and 34 adults in 4 advanced classes. The event was capped with a dance showdown featuring local groups like Ups n' Downs Cru, Swaggers and H.O.O.D.

The article discusses private education in Egypt, which has bloomed to 6,000 private schools due to steadily growing populations and previous tax exemptions. It mentions that internationally accredited curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGC-SE) is a big selling point for parents. The article also advises parents to review a private school's admission and performance standards.

An obituary for theater, cinema, and television actor Nazim Shaarawy is presented.

The article reports that in order to address health and social ailments caused by smoking, the Egyptian Ministry of Health is hoping to collect as much as 345 million U.S. dollars in revenue from tobacco products' taxes and redirect some of it to the public health care system.

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of participating in the demonstrations at Tahrir Square in Egypt, after she received an email that her sister is beaten up as one of the protesters.

The article reports on the television adaptation of the film "Monsieur Ramadan Mabrouk," starring Mohamed Heneidi.

The article reports that Lebanese singer Carole Samaha will portray the character of a Lebanese actress and singer Sabah in the television program "El-Shahrora," written by Fedaa El-Shandawili.

The article reports that comedian Ahmed Helmi plans to produce a film starring actor Karim Abdel-Aziz and written by Tamer Habib in Egypt.

The article reports on the launch of the design project, called Tasmeem: Design for Life, by designer Azza Fahmy, Amideast, and the Town House Gallery in Egypt.

The article reports that regional nonprofit Al Mawred Al Thaqafy has provided production grants to several Egyptian artists and the performance project called the Percussion Show worth 5,000 U.S. dollars.

A review is offered for the Osmanly Restaurant, located at the Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo, Egypt.

The article reports on the approval won by U.S.-based manufacturer of unmanned aircraft, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., to export the aptly-named Predator in countries outside of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The article statistics about Egypt including the number of Bedouin who are to be released after being held under the Emergency Law, the amount budgeted by the government for food subsidies in 2010/2011, and the decline in sales experienced by Cairo grocers in 2010 following a decision by the government of Cairo to prohibit cargo trucks inside the city from 7am to 8pm.

The article presents an obituary for Egyptian philosopher Nasr Hamed Abu Zaid.

The article reports that a ruling by the High Administrative Court of Egypt which ordered the Coptic church to issue marriage licenses to divorced Coptics was overturned by the highest judiciary body, the Supreme Constitutional Court.

The article reports that while driving employees to the company's Sixth of October building on July 6, 2010, Arab Contractors employee Mahmoud Taha Sweilam, murdered six Arab Contractor employees and injured six more.