The Mediterranean Cruise Directory Egypt is “Misr” in Arabic. It occupies the northeastern corner of Africa, and is connected to Asia by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is bordered by Libya on the west, Sudan on the south, Israel on the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. Egypt has a surface area of 386,662 square miles, approximately the same size as Texas. The population of Egypt is about 75 million. Cairo, Egypt's capital city, has a population of more than 17 million. This great metropolis is the meeting place of Africa, the Arab world, Europe and Asia. Cairo is the most important city in the country and is the political, cultural, and economic center. The oldest part of Cairo lies in the vicinity of the Khan El Khalili Bazaar and Al Azhar Mosque. The modern part of Cairo was built by a descendant of Mohamed Ali, in the 19th century.  Today a sprawling city, with its ever expanding suburbs, surrounds this historic core.  The most famous mosque, the Mohamed Ali Mosque, was built in Cairo in his memory. Cairo is known as the city of a thousand minarets due to the profusion of mosques. In approximately 3000 B.C., a civilization emerged on the banks of the River Nile. It reached a stage of development and sophistication that none of its contemporaries surpassed. The ancient Egyptians' ability to organize society, keep careful records, and maintain the continuity and advancement of their civilization almost without interruption for 30 centuries set them apart from all other civilizations. A land of motion within the stillness of centuries, the silent felucca sails in contrast to the chaos and cacophony along the Nile. Among today's monuments are the world's largest textile mill, one of the highest dams, and the largest manmade lake. Yet, all the noises of construction, cries of street vendors, even the braying of donkeys, in ever-expanding Cairo are absorbed by the eternal quiet of the deserts. Egypt is a country with many secrets tied to its past. It is an explorer's land, with places to find treasures such as antiquities, gold or jewels. It is a place to see palaces and bazaars, where the real and the reproduced can be considered. It is a land where flowers bloom in the desert and in the underwater gardens. For those who can “drink the water of the Nile,” the rewards are magnificent.

Send us your family tradition stories (Naples Daily News)
Just like their native born counterparts, Thanksgiving kicked off the holiday season for many U.S. immigrant communities. But holiday traditions from one's native lands' are not forgotten. Instead over the years, many traditions have been adapted or slightly adjusted to the new surroundings by immigrants from Asia, Britain, Cuba, Eastern Europe, Greece, Haiti, Italy, Mexico and Russia.

Islamist leader calls on pirates to free ships (AFP via Yahoo! News)
Somalia's insurgent Islamist leader called on pirates to immediately release a giant Saudi oil tanker and other foreign vessels, while a NATO warship foiled a new attack in the Gulf of Aden.

Pirates free ship, hold Saudi tanker (AAP via Yahoo!7 News)
Somali pirates have freed a Yemeni ship, an official says.

Pirates free ship, hold supertanker (Adelaide Now)
SOMALI pirates have freed a Yemeni ship, an official said today, a day after the leader of their country's Islamist insurgency called for the immediate release of a Saudi supertanker and other vessels.

Pirates free ship, hold Saudi tanker (The West Australian)
Somali pirates have freed a Yemeni ship, an official says, a day after the leader of their country's Islamist insurgency called for the immediate release of a Saudi supertanker and other vessels.

Somali pirates free Yemeni ship but hold on to Saudi tanker (The Daily Star Lebannon)
Somali pirates have freed a Yemeni ship, an official said Wednesday, a day after the leader of their country's Islamist insurgency called for the immediate release of a Saudi supertanker and other vessels. No ransom was paid for the release of the MV Arena, which was freed late Tuesday 10 days after it was hijacked, said Ali Abdi Aware.

Pirates free Yemeni ship (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MOGADISHU—Somali pirates have freed a Yemeni ship, an official said Wednesday, a day after the leader of their country's Islamist insurgency called for the immediate release of a Saudi supertanker and other vessels.

Pirates free Yemeni ship, hold Saudi supertanker (Gulf Times)
MOGADISHU: Somali pirates have freed a Yemeni ship, an official said yesterday, a day after the leader of their country's Islamist insurgency called for the immediate release of a Saudi supertanker and other vessels.

Islamist leader calls on pirates to free ships (AFP via Yahoo! Philippines News)
Somalia's insurgent Islamist leader called on pirates Tuesday to immediately release a giant Saudi oil tanker and other foreign vessels, while a NATO warship foiled a new attack in the Gulf of Aden.

Somali Islamist leader again urges pirates to free all the ships (Gulf Times)
MOGADISHU: Somalia's insurgent Islamist leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys yesterday called on pirates to immediately release a giant Saudi oil tanker and other foreign vessels being held in Somali waters.