Arabic Video News in English

With Israel and Hamas bickering over conditions, is a bilateral ceasefire possible?

With Israel and Hamas bickering over conditions, is a bilateral ceasefire possible?

Oil has risen to yet another record high - just shy of $121 dollars a barrel.

One knock on effect is that some Arab countries are removing state subsidies, which are costing billions of dollars a year.

Jordan removed fuel subsidies in February and, since then, oil prices have shot up by 82 per cent.

Syria too is cutting subsidies, trying to soften the blow with a 25% hike in wages.

And now Egypt has announced a 40 to 50 percent hike in fuel prices - just two days after saying wages would go up by a third.

For a Q&A on rising oil prices: http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exere…

Egyptians have ignored calls for a nationwide strike on Sunday. This has been attributed to heavy security with threats of harsh punishment against striking employees and the pre-emptive 30 per cent increase in wages by President Mubarak four days ago. Inside Story asks if Egyptians tend to stay out of politics as long as there is food on the table or if they feel intimidated by the state.

As Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak celebrates his 80th birthday and more than 27 years as the country’s president, Al Jazeera visits the country and in a special programme examines why for many ordinary Egyptians their country is still a nation in waiting.