Good afternoon, wonderful people, and welcome to a surprisingly quiet Monday. There’s no real big story at home to speak of so far, although we know that could easily change overnight.
THE BIG STORY ABROAD
Not much has changed since this morning, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans for the Palestinians in Rafah still making headlines. Netanyahu announced a “plan for action” to move Palestinians in Rafah out of the “areas of fighting” in the south towards the north to proceed with Israel’s offensive to “dismantle” Hamas. Over a mn civilians were pushed out of the north into Rafah by Israel’s attacks. Still, there is no word from Netanyahu on the status of a hostage swap, but Israeli media reported a breakthrough this past Friday during talks between representatives from the US, Egypt, and Qatar. (Bloomberg | New York Times)
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The EGX30 fell 5.0% at the close of trading yesterday, after news of Abu Dhabi wealth fund ADQ’s planned USD 35 bn investment in Egypt for development rights to Ras El Hekma on the North Coast over the weekend.
Ras El Hekma agreement is “completely separate” from IMF discussions: “The [USD 35 bn] Emirati investment in Egypt is an important step, but it is not linked to the Fund’s discussions with Egypt,” according to the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia head Jihad Azour.
OECD gives us a bill of health and chimes in with its two cents on the way forward: Egypt needs to ramp up private sector activity, rationalize spending cuts, and maintain restrictive monetary policy to help boost economic growth, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said in its first economic survey of Egypt.
?️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Expect a mostly cloudy day with the mercury climbing to 22°C and dropping to a low of 13ºC, according to our favorite weather app.
TheAncient Red Sea scrolls — the world’s oldest papyri — uncover secrets behind the last stages of building Khufu’s pyramid. Unearthed in 2013 in Wadi al-Jarf, an Ancient Egyptian port and economic hub by French Egyptologist Pierre Tallet these ancient scrolls can be described as a detailed logbook that includes specificities of the construction of the pyramid. It also makes an intricate record of the compensation that was given by the author, Merer, to the 200 skilled workers that he led, reports National Geographic.
What did the scrolls reveal? Thanks to Merer’s due diligence (or OCD) historians were able to demystify several myths and confirm some facts that they had previously discerned:
#1- The limestones were brought in from Tura, where they were quarried and transported up the Nile over three days.
#2- Hierarchy involved in building the pyramids:Merer also gives special mention to Ankhhaf, Khufu’s half-brother and one of the pyramid’s architects in his capacity as Royal Architect, which tells us a bit more about how major construction was organized nearly 4.5 k years ago.
#3- The pyramids were most likely built using a skilled workforce — not slaves. Merer’s careful auditing of his workers’ “pay,” which consisted of grains (currency wasn’t a thing here at the time) pokes holes in the theory that the pyramids were built by slaves or by a massive workforce. What is also astounding is that there was a hierarchy there, too — the more “senior” you were, the more grains you got.
Can data brokers sell your location information to the highest bidder? If you’re a privacy policy skim-and-accept user, then yes, it’s quite possible. Companies — ranging from the big fish to the more obscure — could be harvesting location details from your phone and selling it on a USD 18.52bn market. But that’s not even the bad news: Shuttering data brokers won’t take your data to the grave — they can just sell it off to the highest bidder thanks to standard privacy policies that approve of transfer of data to new owners, according to TheMarkup.
Near, a company that once bragged about being the world’s largest location data aggregator, was looking for buyers on their way out. In 2021, Near had collected data from 1.6 bn people across 44 different countries and was valued at USD 1 bn when it went public in 2022. By early 2023, the company had filed for bankruptcy, and its mountain of sensitive data was up for grabs. Buyers can include other businesses, lobby groups, universities, retailers, and government agencies, to name a few, the Wall Street Journal points out.
Consumer protection in Near’s case is currently being afforded to US citizens, who have Senator Ron Wyden to thank. Last week, Wyden urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to intercede in Near’s bankruptcy proceedings to protect US consumer data from being sold. The FTC had set a precedent similar to this in 2010, forcing a data aggregator to destroy any data that may be misused. Wyden’s requests were granted this week, with an order placing restrictions on the sale and use of location data being issued.
The New Look tells the story of how Parisian haute couture icons survived in Nazi-occupied France towards the last few years of WWII. The show looks at WWII from the perspective of the French fashion moguls Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, and touches on the experiences of Cristóbal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain, and Pierre Cardin during that period in Nazi-occupied France.
It’s not all pretty dresses — there is plenty of horror on the screen.It delves into the complexities of life during the occupation: From being forced to design dresses for Nazi wives, torture, concentration camps, curfews, and dining with the Nazi top brass — the series keeps viewers on their toes wondering what the protagonists will do next.
Living under the premise of “you did what you could to survive,” Chanel and Dior navigate the war to protect loved ones and themselves. Paying off bribes to save a relative, getting information to the resistance, and being used to deliver a message to the Allied forces were some of the grueling tasks that both designers were forced to do to ensure that they don’t end up at the wrong end of a Nazi or French Resistance gun.
The series of events is narrated with dark humor, illustrating the moral ambiguity faced by these fashion icons during a difficult period. The visuals and compelling storytelling are appealing and can even pique the interest of that friend who hates history.
⚽ Today’s matches in the fourteenth round of the Egyptian League:
El Gouna vs Ismaily (4pm)
ZED vs Enppi (4pm)
El Mokawloon vs Al Masry (7pm)
The most important European League matches we’ll be watching tonight:
West Ham vs Brentford (Premier League, 10pm)
Girona vs Rayo Vallecano (La Liga, 10pm)
Roma vs Torino (Serie A, 7:30pm)
Fiorentina vs Lazio (Serie A, 9:45 pm)
Related
?EAT THIS TONIGHT-
You’ve heard of cupcakes, mini cupcakes, dirt cakes, and mug cakes. But have you heard of Cancake?Amaretti ’s new dessert gimmick is one we can happily get behind. It’s exactly what you expect — cake in a can. But it’s really good cake in a can, with seven delicious flavors to pick from.
There’s something there for everyone: For the chocolate lovers, choose between the Choco Fudge and the Salty Caramel Fudge. Both are made of rich, moist chocolate cake drowning in chocolate sauce. The Choco Fudge is topped with chocolate ganache, and the Salty Caramel is the same with a generous layer of — salted caramel in between. If you’d like an extra pop of flavor, you could opt for the Choco Loco Berry, which contains a slathering of raspberry between the cake and ganache.
Feeling something more vibrant? Another fresh choice would be the Zesty Crumble, a fluffy vanilla cake covered in zesty puree and vanilla frosting and topped with a crumble that tastes like a cheesecake biscuit base. Another fruity option would be the Strawberry Vanilla Crumble. It has the same components as the Zesty, but instead of the lime, there is a generous layer of strawberry puree.
Looking for some comfort food? Try the Birthday Cake or the Cinnamon Carrot Cake. The Birthday Cake is classic vanilla on vanilla topped with some colorful sprinkles. It’s a great way to brighten your day, or to celebrate someone’s actual birthday on the go. Another option is the Cinnamon Carrot Cake, which is the right treat for a pick-me-up.
You can place your order on Amaretti’s website or on the Rabbit app.
Related
? OUT AND ABOUT- (all times CLT)
MUSIC-
ROOM New Cairo is hosting Hardcase and Divine, two bands hot on the Egyptian rock scene. Hardcase will perform covers from legendary artists such as Beth Hart to Guns & Roses. Divine will be providing tunes by Black Sabbath and Dio. Doors open at 8:30pm tomorrow. You can snag your tickets for EGP 200, but they don’t include the required minimum order per person.
Get ready to be mesmerized as Aziz Maraka takes the Cairo Jazz Club 610 stage this Wednesday, 28 February. Get your tickets today to book your seat to hear him sing in an unforgettable performance from CJC 610’s Facebook page.
Ali El Haggar is also taking the stage at ElsawyCulturewheel this Wednesday, 28 February. The performance will begin at 8pm at the Zamalek venue. Keep in mind that photos and video recordings are not allowed, as are children under six years of age. Tickets are sold out.
ARTS-
Catch a glimpse of Egyptian cinema through Mohamed Bakr’s lens at Photopia in FiftyYears of Cinematic Portraits. This exhibition opened yesterday and continues until Saturday, 9 March (except for Sunday) where you’ll get to see a selection of portraits taken from his extensive collection of over 2000 artistic works captured since 1956. The exhibition showcases around 100 images from 80 films, covering various genres including literature, cinema, performance, comedy, and realism.
Bibliothek Art Gallery is hosting an artist talk featuring Amani Mousa, Eman Hussin, and Yasmine Shash, moderated by Ismail Fayed, to discuss their Lines of Intimacy Exhibition which continues until on Saturday, 2 March. You can find the catalog here.
ENTERTAINMENT-
Like comedy and want to get in on the fun? Presented by Al Mothalas, El Khatba is an interactive comedy experience at Rawabet Art Space this Friday, 1 March at 8pm.
SPORTS-
The Cairo Half Marathon is this weekend.Start stretching now as Cairo Runners is bringing back a fan favorite, offering 5km, 10km, and 21km runs as well as a Family Run. Tickets are still available, register now.
The TriFactory’s Tough Mudder Egypt is also on this Friday, 1 March. The obstacle course challenge will take place at Belle Vie Club in New Zayed. Today is your last chance to register for the event, click here for registration.
FILM-
Gaza Mon Amour will be screened at Qahrawya this Thursday, 29 February from 8pm till 11pm. Find out how to get your tickets here, but before you do, keep in mind that the Qahrawya studio is home to a few friendly cats. Tickets can be purchased at the door, but seating is limited, so don’t take any chances.
EVENTS-.
Bibliothek Egypt is hosting yet another book signing for Reem Basyuni’s two latest works, Mario Abu al-Abbas and In Search of Happiness, this Friday, 1 March at 6:30pm. Along with the book signing will be a seminar titled Architecture and Impact.
Fancy yourself a detective? Murder-mystery fans can pull out their magnifying glasses to crack this case. Cluedupp and Crime Scene Investigator are staging a hard-boiled outdoor event on Saturday, 2 March where you have to solve four murders around the city by solving puzzles, interrogating witnesses, and hunting for clues. Find more details here.
For all the mothers who need a break — or a bit of fun — Rahet Bally is collaborating withEl Malahy to give moms a day of fun with their children on Saturday, 2 March. All you have to do is download the Rahet Bally app, sign up for entry without charge for you and your kids, and buy your playing credit — at a marked down price — for you to play all day alongside endless competitions and prizes.
Dust off your tote bags: The Cairo Flea Market is back at the Zamalek Fish Garden on Saturday, 2 March. You’ll have a day of second-hand shopping where you can browse the products of over 250 local vendors selling handmade products, antiques, secondhand items, and more. It only happens once a month so be sure not to miss it. The market runs from 11am to 7pm but we’d recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds.
Not many people get to solve their own crime. In The Buried Hours by RS Grant, investigative journalist Signe Gates was kidnapped and drugged for forty-eight hours and threatened to zip it about what happened or her unknown kidnappers would make her pay with her life.
Two years later, two murders wind up being connected to her traumatic abduction— and she has the great idea to venture into the woods with a hiker as a guide to try to uncover more about what happened to her and how it’s linked to the two men who wound up dead. But when foggy memories arise and she’s not sure if she can trust her companion, she worries that she might be walking straight into a trap.
Grant knows a thing or two about suspense. The brain behind the Flashpoint series and the Evidence book series, she can churn out bestsellers with her eyes closed, and this book lives up to her reputation. Full of twists and turns, you won’t see any of the plot coming but during the suspense there is an emotional aspect with a hint of romance. If you’re not into that sort of thing, don’t worry, the grittiness isn’t compromised for the feels — what keeps the human aspect alive is the witty dialogue that comes right off the page so you can connect more with the characters.
You can find the book onAmazon or listen on Audible.
The EGX30 rose 3.9% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 8.8 bn (113.5% above the 90-day average). Local investors were net buyers. The index is up 16.2% YTD.
In the green: E-finance (+18.3%), Fawry (+17.2%) and GB Corporation (+16.5%).
In the red: Edita Food Industries (-5.1%), Delta Sugar (-3.8%) and SIDPEC (-3.4%).
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