News Updates MEDITERRANEAN AND MIDDLE EAST COMMENTS Is it the end of the world as we know it? Speaking from personal knowledge, the banking crisis in Cyprus will have serious ramifications for private sector grain business in North African countries. Several grain trading organizations that supply the private sector, particularly in Egypt, have worked through their offshore companies in Cyprus for many years. The situation is so uncertain that no one knows if business operations are safe or what will happen to bank balances. And with banks remaining closed, it is impossible to finalize grain transactions that were in progress. Importers and traders with operations in Cyprus are looking for business alternatives elsewhere but hoping that a...