DP World to spearhead new capital freezone? Dubai’s state-owned port operator DP World has agreed to study the possibility of developing a freezone in the new administrative capital under an MoU inked with the New Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) and the General Authority for Investment and Freezones (GAFI), according to a cabinet statement out earlier today.
What we know so far: The proposed project will span 500 feddans owned by ACUD and will focus on key industrial sectors, including electronics, automotive, fast-moving consumer goods, garments, and footwear. The MoU states that the parties involved will shortly kickstart technical and feasibility studies, ahead of inking the official contracts for the new project.
THE BIG STORY ABROAD-
The world’s press is once again split between the Israeli aggression in the region and the fast-approaching US presidential election, now just over five days away.
In our corner of the world, Israel is signaling that its hoping to end its war on Lebanon by the end of the year with Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich — notorious for his often genocidal comments — telling reporters that 2025 “will not be a year of war, it will be a year of exiting the war.” A US delegation with a ceasefire proposal will reportedly land in Israel to negotiate a 60-day pause to the fighting to put together an agreement that would see Hezbollah withdraw from the border areas and up the number of UN peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon.
But it’s hard to feel optimistic given Israel’s double-talk about ceasefires in Gaza, with the country being accused by mediating nations — including the US and Egypt — of deliberately obstructing agreements with unrealistic demands. Talk of the country wanting to up the presence of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon is also a surprise to some, given the country’s numerous attacks on deployed UN troops over the last few weeks.
WHILE OVER IN BUSINESS NEWS- Volkswagen’s income nosedived 64% y-o-y in 3Q, as appetite in China for cars — and particularly German cars — fell in the auto giant’s most recent earnings release. The release “highlights the urgent need for significant cost reductions and efficiency gains,” group CFO and COO Arno Antlitz said in an accompanying press release.
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Egypt Gas to help supply natural gas to Jordan's Aqaba: State-owned Egypt Gas will partner with Jordan’s Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) to set up a natural gas supply network for Quweira Industrial Zone in Aqaba.
Sumitomo’s Tenth of Ramadan factory to go live next month: Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo subsidiary Sumitomo Electric is putting the finishing touches on its cable factory in Tenth of Ramadan, with production set to begin next month before an official opening in 1Q 2025.
Introducing Vezeeta Lab: Digital healthcare platform Vezeeta has launched a newinnovation hub — dubbed Vezeeta Lab — to develop the company’s presence at home and abroad, in addition to developing new services.
☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- It’s getting cooler and cooler with a high of 27°C and a low of 19°C in the capital tomorrow, according to our favorite weather app.
LinkedIn isn’t playing around when it comes to inauthentic content. The platform has verified 55 mn users to stop the spread of misinformation published using AI. They now have the highest number of verified users out of all the social networks and will begin adding verification badges to the profiles this November, according to CNBC.
Battling misinformation is a continuous struggle and its only going to get harder: “You now see things like deep-fake videos, photos that are increasingly harder with the naked eye to understand if they’re real or fake,” LinkedIn Vice President of Trust and Safety Oscar Rodriguez said. Creating fake accounts including and content has long been an issue on social media and has only become easier and accessible — and harder to spot — since the rise of generative AI. Social networks are trying to prevent the spread of inauthentic activity.
Unlike other social media giants, LinkedIn is not asking for people to pay to get verified. A few years ago Meta and X added a service subscription for users who wanted to receive verification badges on their profile. Microsoft-owned LinkedIn on the other hand, is doing it for free and has put in what Rodrigues described as “a sizable investment” to make it happen. The company aims to have 100 mn of the platform’s 1 bn users verified by 2025.
How it works: LinkedIn contacts some users through their corporate emails, but have only been able to do this with select companies. Another method is asking users to submit IDs for verification.
? Venom: The origin story of the famous anti-hero. Three years after the release of its last installment, Venom has returned to the box office with the franchise’s latest film: Venom: The Last Dance. The third part of the popular franchise starring Tom Hardy has dragged the first two Venom films to the top of the list of Netflix’s most-watched films by Marvel fans eager for a recap before heading to the cinema, so we thought we’d put together a small recap of our own.
The plot: Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a journalist and broadcaster who presents an investigative reporting program that exposes and fights corruption. His bad luck leads him to meet Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), director of the Life Organization for Space Research and Environmental Sciences. Drake suffers from a "God complex," which grows when he discovers parasitic aliens called symbiotes and decides to merge them with humans to create stronger creatures that can withstand the most powerful weapons and invade space.
In a strange incident, Brock discovers Drake's corruption and the immoral experiments he is conducting. But then Brock’s life is turned upside down once a parasitic creature unites with his body, producing a supernatural being known as Venom. Venom decides to stay on the planet and cooperate with Brock in confronting villains — both humans and alien — led by the psychopathic serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson).
Like all of Marvel’s works, the film is enjoyable if you don’t take it too seriously. The Venom films succeed in grabbing the viewer’s attention till the last moment through a tried and tested combination of heavy action and occasional comedic relief. Although some of the visual effects used — especially in the first part — seemed somewhat strange, the acceleration of events and Hardy's performance are enough to hook the viewer.
WHERE TO WATCH- You can catch the franchise’s third installment in a cinema near you and watch the trailer on Youtube (runtime, 2:43). If you want to refresh your memory before seeing the third part in theaters, you can find the first and second film on Netflix.
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SPORTS-
⚽ Back to the roots: The first week of the 2024/2025 Egyptian Premier League kicks off tonight with two matches. Haras El Hodoud will play against Smouha at 5pm, while Tala'ea El Gaish will face off against Al Masry at 8pm.
The Egyptian Premier League is going to be pretty different this time round. Instead of a whopping 34 matches, each team will now play a more manageable 26 throughout the tournament — meaning that the tournament can wrap up earlier and avoid the usual scheduling conflicts that have plagued the past few seasons of the league. That’s not the only difference, however, with all 18 teams facing each other first before being split into two ranked halves. The top nine ranked teams will go on to play for the championship, while the rest play to avoid relegation.
It’s a big day for the Carabao Cup: Tonight, the 16th round of the English League Cup continues with six matches.
Brighton vs. Liverpool (10:30pm)
Manchester United vs. Leicester (10:45pm)
Preston vs. Arsenal (10:45pm)
Newcastle vs. Chelsea (10:45pm)
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace (10:45pm)
Tottenham vs. Man City (11:15pm)
Major matches in other competitions that we’re following tonight:
Empoli vs. Inter Milan - Serie A (8:30pm)
Juventus vs. Parma - Serie A (10:45pm)
Frankfurt vs. Gladbach - German Cup, round of 32 (8pm)
Mainz vs. Bayern - German Cup, round of 32 (10:45pm)
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EAT THIS TONIGHT-
?The Catch is perfect for lovers of classic fish and chips. Located in NewCairo, head there if you’re in the mood for a filling, hearty meal.
The classic fish and chips were a standout. The fish was expertly fried to a crispy, golden perfection in a light yet crunchy breading. In addition to the crispy fries, this dish was completed with a side of tangy tartar sauce and a soft bun.
The butterfly shrimp was, as usual, a crowd favorite. The grilled king shrimp tossed in garlic butter sauce is quite the treat for your taste buds. However, the portion size leaves a bit to be desired, with only four pieces served.
But not everything on the menu made a splash. The shrimp pasta with a creamy white sauce lacked the distinctiveness you’d expect from a specialty seafood restaurant. The pasta was cooked well and the shrimps tender, but the overall flavor profile feels somewhat generic. It’s a fine choice if you’re looking for a familiar comfort dish, but it doesn’t stand out among the other offerings.
How to order: For those residing in New Cairo, you can visit the restaurant in person or order through Talabat.
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? OUT AND ABOUT- (all times CLT)
HAPPENING THIS WEEK-
Got the moves? The 16th edition of Cairo International Jazz Festival is kicking off today and will run until Friday, November 8, 2024 at the American University in Cairo campus in Tahrir. Tickets available on Ticketsmarche.
The Cairo Opera Ballet Company is bringing back One Thousand and OneNights after a 17-year hiatus. Accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra and conducted by Nader Abbasi with music from Fikre Amirov, the show started its run Monday and will continue until Friday, 1 November — with two additional shows on Tuesday 5 November, and Wednesday, 6 November. Tickets are available on Tazkarti.
The largest collection of prints in the country.Cairopolitan is bringing together a collection of artwork from over 180 local and regional artists to display in the Cairo Prints Exhibition. The gallery is open everyday until Monday, 18 November in Garden City.
Glowing puppets swimming across a stage.The Book of Neptune is a great family event to attend. Theater group Ledpuppets will transform the Rawabet Art Space stage into an underwater wonderland with glowing puppets dancing around and acting out stories. Tickets are available on Ticketsmarche for Friday, 1 November and Saturday, 2 November.
HAPPENING LATER-
Masked viral singer Tul8te is taking the stage at ZED Park as part of The Cocktail Tour on Thursday, 5 December. Tickets are available on Ticketsmarche.
Time to dust off basketball shoes and jerseys, Double Dribble League is back. Starting Friday, 8 November at Maadi Sports Club, guys and gals who play ball will get together in twelve teams and battle it out every Friday for the next 12 weeks. Stay tuned for more details.
Shop for the winter at the next edition of the Cairo Flea Market. CFM is back on Saturday, 9 November at the Fish Garden in Zamalek, starting at 10am and ending at 7pm. The flea market boasts beautiful artisan crafts, vintage items, and pre-loved clothes.
Attention, fitness fanatics. The ELFIT Championship features 1.2k athletes from over 55 countries competing for the ELFIT Champion title. The event will take place from Wednesday, 13 November till Saturday, 16 November at the New Capital Sports City. Grab your tickets from Ticketsmarche.
Medhat Saleh and Reham Abdelhakim are headlining a charity concert in the Royal Garden of the El Qubba Presidential Palace. On Friday, 15 November, the doors will open for attendees — who will be required to be dressed formally — at 6pm, with the concert slated to start at 8pm. You can grab tickets on Tazkarti.
Watch a blind date happen live. Binge Circle are hosting the first ever The Blind Date Show:Live on Stage. Two strangers will meet and converse from behind a curtain and decide whether it will be a night to remember — or a date they’d rather forget. The event will take place on Friday, 8 November at Trivium Square. Tickets are available at Collard Tickets.
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UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-
? Sometimes the bonds of sisterhood can be tested by loss. Blue Sisters is a book that tells such a familiar story, that you could be mistaken for thinking that you’d read it already. But this tale of successful women, emotional baggage, and complicated family dynamics has enough heart and depth that makes this tale of grief and sisterhood worth diving into. It’s essentially a heartfelt exploration of grief, family, and healing, but not one that breaks new ground in the genre.
The novel follows three sisters — Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky — who have drifted apart after the death of their sibling, Nicky. Avery is a lawyer with a picture-perfect life, Bonnie’s a professional boxer, and Lucky is a globe-trotting model. Nicky, the middle child, was the family’s emotional glue, and her sudden passing leaves the sisters lost.
A year later, when their mother decides to sell Nicky’s apartment, the three are forced to reconnect, and all their unresolved issues come bubbling to the surface. What unfolds is a journey of dealing with grief, confronting old wounds, and rediscovering the complicated love between siblings.
It definitely delivers on the emotional front, but at times it can feel a bit too familiar. Each sister manages to stand out, but the pacing drags in parts and leans a bit too much on telling rather than showing.
The EGX30 fell 0.8% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 3.1 bn (26.5% below the 90-day average). International investors were the sole net sellers. The index is up 22.0% YTD.
In the green: Heliopolis Housing (+2.8%), B Investments Holding (+1.4%), and Edita (+1.2%).
In the red: Cleopatra Hospitals (-3.9%), Ezz Steel (-3.0%), and Elsewedy Electric (-2.8%).
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