Good morning, folks, and welcome to the end of the workweek — and what a busy week it's been for local business news. And if you haven’t quite got your fill of investment, debt, and market news, we’ve got plenty more for you this morning.

PSA-

WEATHER- Chilly temperatures continue in Cairo today, with a high of 21°C and a low of 13°C, according to our favorite weather app.

It looks like it’s going to get a bit wet in Alexandria, with intermittent showers, along with a high of 22°C and a low of 15°C.

And over the weekend, expect to see highs of 22°C in the capital and 21°C for our friends on the Mediterranean.

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WATCH THIS SPACE-

The House is mulling amendments to the cybercrime law, including criminalizing digital betting activities, adding legislation that addresses AI-related crimes, and setting rules for criminal and civil liability with regard to robots, Al Mal reports, citing chairman of the House of Representatives’ ICT Committee Ahmed Badawy. The amendments will also include stricter provisions for civilians spreading rumors, cyber extortion, and other actions that undermine Egyptian values, according to the outlet.

What’s next: “It is possible that within weeks these amendments will be made,” Badawy told Sayed Ali on Al Hadath Al Youm (watch, runtime: 2:47)

DATA POINT-

Passenger car imports were up 43.3% y-o-y in 8M 20204 to USD 1.5 bn, according to data released by state statistics agency Capmas.

HAPPENING TODAY-

#1- Investment Minister Hassan El Khatib is in Berlin today to take part in the first ever Egypt–North Rhine-Westphalia Economic Summit, where he is scheduled to meet with German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck and other key German officials, according to a statement from the Investment Ministry. El Khatib will also meet with members of the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and the German Association of the Automotive Industry, as well as a number of German business leaders and company representatives operating in fields such as glass manufacturing, bicycle production, direct reduced iron, and auto parts — all with the aim of attracting more German investments into the Egyptian market.

#2- It’s the last day ofEgypt Energy, which is being promoted as North Africa’s largest energy gathering. The three-day event has brought together local and international energy companies from the entire energy value chain from energy storage to transmission and renewable along with government officials from at home and the region. In addition to the 10k attendees and 180 exhibitors, 70 speakers are also booked to take part in the show’s conference.

#3- The Woodshow Cairo is set to kick off later this morning and run through the weekend to Saturday. The event is billed as the “leading exhibition platform for wood, furniture & woodworking machinery industry in the MENA region,” bringing together over 11k visitors and 180 exhibitors. Register to attend through the link shared on the event’s official website.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Egypt to host conference for Gaza relief response: Cairo is set to host a ministerial conference to work towards strengthening the humanitarian relief response in Gaza on 2 December, according to a statement.

From Russian with love trade: A Russian trade mission, featuring representatives from 14 companies, will visit Egypt on 4-5 December, a source at the Russian Export Center told Al Mal. The mission will include representatives from construction, technology, and urban development companies who will conduct meetings with local players.

This year’s Food Africa Expo is set to take place between 3-5 December, with the event set to take place at the Egypt International Exhibition Center. The three-day event will bring together wholesalers, distributors, and retailers in food and beverage industries from countries across the world. You can register on the event’s website.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

The newly-minted ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is still making the rounds in the international press this morning. Reuters and the New York Times are focusing more on how the past year of warring with Israel left Hezbollah with many of its top brass — and hundreds or thousands of its soldiers — dead, giving the group a “long road to recovery.” Bloomberg also has the story.

Egypt has commended the US- and France-brokered ceasefire agreement, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. The statement stressed the importance of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and freedom, as well as the urgent need to also reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

MEANWHILE- The French government will not abide by the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Paris justifying its position by saying that Israel is not a member of the court. The statement from France came on the back of Netanyahu accepting the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, which France and the US brokered. (Financial Times | Wall Street Journal | Guardian)

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