Misinformation machine

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TONIGHT

Inflation continues its downward trend for the fourth consecutive month

Good afternoon, friends, and congratulations on making it through another successful workweek, even if it was a short one.

**A QUICK PROGRAMMING NOTE- EnterprisePM is taking a publication holiday tomorrow in observance of Armed Forces Day, and will be back in your inboxes on Sunday afternoon. Until then, enjoy the long weekend.

THE BIG STORY TODAY-

Annual headline urban inflation eased for the fourth consecutive month in September, falling by 0.3 percentage points to 11.7%, backed by a y-o-y drop in meat and vegetables prices, according to data from state statistics agency Capmas seen by EnterpriseAM.

September annual headline reading was pretty muchexpected by our analysts, who saw headline inflation continuing its downward path during the month. The reading is also up by 0.7 percentage points from Reuters Poll’s median estimate of 11.0% y-o-y.

Driving the decline: September’s inflation reading was backed by an easing in food and beverages prices — the largest component of the basket of goods and services used to calculate headline inflation — with food prices increasing only 1.4% y-o-y during the month. This was backed by an annual dip in meat and vegetable prices by 0.6% and 20.9%, respectively. September reading was also supported by the favorable base effect and the 1.53% m-o-m EGP appreciation against the USD, HC’s Heba Monir added.

But it’s a different story on a monthly basis, with headline inflation accelerating for the second straight month, coming in at 1.8%, fueled by a 2.0 percentage point hike in food and beverage price inflation on the back of higher vegetable prices, which climbed 12.3% m-o-m, which Monir attributed to the high summer temperatures.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

We’ve got a mixed bag of headlines leading the front pages this afternoon. Among the stories getting plenty of ink:

Gold reaches historic high amid US government shutdown: Gold hit a record high of over USD 4k per ounce earlier today as investors flock toward safety amid economic uncertainty driven by the US federal government shutdown — now on its eighth day. Prices have now doubled in less than two years. While the surge is triggered by short-term uncertainty, the increase is largely owed to central banks diversifying away from a weakening USD. The spot price was at just over USD 4k per ounce at the time of publication. (Reuters | BBC | Financial Times)

CLOSER TO HOME- The Israeli military intercepted yet another aid flotilla headed toward Gaza earlier today. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition — carrying over USD 110k in medical aid — was attacked by Israel approximately 120 nautical miles from Gaza, according to a statement issued by the coalition. Nine boats have been intercepted, with some 145 activists detained. “In any other context, this would be deemed human trafficking and terrorism,” the coalition said in a separate statement.

The news follows the detainment of over 450 activists — including Sweden’s Greta Thunberg — aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, of which 341 have been deported, according to the BBC. The interception comes as the Sharm El Sheikh-hosted Israel-Hamas peace talks enter their third day. (Guardian | Reuters | Washington Post)

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- We’re in for a cool day in Cairo tomorrow, with the mercury set to peak at a pleasant 29°C before cooling down to 17°C, according to our favorite weather app.

Sora 2 is too powerful too soon

? Just two years ago, AI-generated videos were little more than a curiosity — remember that viral clip of a grotesque Will Smith shoving clumps of spaghetti into his mouth with hands that sported one too many fingers? The technology seemed years away from producing anything convincing.

Fast forward to 30 September 2025, and OpenAI’s new Sora 2 represents a quantum leap in capability. The latest video generation model is “more physically accurate, realistic, and controllable than prior systems, featuring synchronized dialogue and sound effects,” the company boasts. But with that power has come a troubling flood of disturbing, copyright-infringing, and potentially dangerous content that raises serious concerns about whether the company’s safeguards are working at all.

An immediate descent into chaos: Within hours of Sora 2’s release, the app’s social feed filled with copyrighted characters in compromising situations and graphic scenes of violence and racism, reports the Guardian. The videos included bomb and mass-shooting scares with panicked people screaming and running across college campuses, fabricated war zone footage from Gaza and Myanmar, and CCTV footage of crimes being committed… by deepfaked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The app skyrocketed to the number one spot in Apple’s App Store within just three days of its limited invite-only release.

Perhaps nothing illustrates the ethical void at the heart of Sora 2 better than what users have done with deceased physicist Stephen Hawking. Videos show Hawking being knocked to the ground by wrestlers in a WWE-style ring, taking blows to the face from a UFC fighter that topples him from his wheelchair, trampled by a raging bull, and attacked by a crocodile, according to Futurism. Hawking was an outspoken critic of AI during his life, saying its development could be the “worst event in the history of our civilization.”

While OpenAI’s safety documentation states the company will take measures to block depictions of public figures, the company allows the generation of historical figures, seemingly creating a loophole for using images of the deceased. Yesterday, late actor Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda took to Instagram to plead for users to stop sending her AI-generated videos of her father. “Stop believing I wanna see it or that I'll understand, I don't and I won't,” she added. “If you've got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me […] It's dumb, it's a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it's not what he'd want.” This sentiment was seconded by Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.

Guardrails that don’t guard: Perhaps most troubling is how easily Sora 2’s supposed safety measures are being circumvented. Every Sora 2 video includes a visible watermark, but according to 404 Media, there are already half a dozen websites that will remove it, with all tested services seamlessly doing so within seconds. Tools that dismantle AI-generated metadata by altering content’s hue and brightness are defeating the C2PA guardrail OpenAI claims provides protection, says cybersecurity expert Rachel Tobac. She warned that AI-generated content without watermarking and metadata could lead to people losing savings in scams, increased disenfranchisement during elections, stock price manipulation, increased tensions between groups, and inspiration for violence or panic.

OpenAI is throwing users under the copyright bus: Videos of copyrighted material from Disney, Pokémon, and other historically litigious media companies immediately flooded the Sora 2 feed thanks to OpenAI’s “opt-out” gambit. According to NYT, shortly before releasing the model, OpenAI reached out to talent agencies and studios alerting them that they would have to opt out if they didn’t want their copyrighted material replicated. After threats of litigation, OpenAI updated their terms of use to place all burden and blame on users, telling Sora account holders that they are liable for ensuring that what they generate doesn’t infringe on any laws, and that they are solely (legally) responsible for any violations.

Want to delete your Sora account? Too bad. Unless you’re willing to go no contact with OpenAI and all of its tools, your Sora account is here to stay. The company is holding users’ ChatGPT access hostage now and forever — deleting Sora means deleting ChatGPT and being banned from signing up ever again.

Reflections on art and the self in Rachel Cusk’s Parade

? What does it mean to truly experience the self? In a convention-breaking novel, Rachel Cusk presents a philosophical contemplation on identity through an abstract narrative structure. Laureate of the 2024 Goldsmiths Prize, Parade brings together fragments from the lives of various artists, exploring intimate experiences with gender, parenthood, self-perception, reality, and creation. At its core, the book centers around visual art — a realm Cusk has long engaged with in the same critical vein that shapes her writing.

The novel abandons traditional storytelling. Instead, it flows through recurring themes drawn from the characters’ lived experiences — each reflected in the titles of its four sections: The Stuntman, The Midwife, The Diver, and The Spy. The sections all follow double plotlines, the first three intersecting and the last following a separate thread. Real paintings are included throughout the novel, and while the artists are people Cusk has engaged with and written about, she leaves them nameless to bind them by anonymity.

The characters in Parade are constantly questioning their experience with the real world. The first artist we encounter paints upside down at a later stage in his career, finding more truth in capturing an inexact portrayal of the world. His wife, who is deeply disturbed by his artistic shift, gets hit on the head by a random woman in the streets of Paris. She projects her insecurities onto the incident, triggering a spiral of imposter syndrome about her identity as a woman. She somehow saw herself in the woman, believing that the attacker represented a mysterious alternate ego that protects her from the violence of womanhood.

Women, in art and as artists: One of the featured artists has a complicated relationship with her gender. She escaped her parents at 22, marrying a self-entitled lawyer and photographer in Germany with whom she later had a daughter. Despite her love for her daughter, she heavily resents women and idealizes men. She believes her inherent femininity is a taint on her art and tolerates her husband’s criticism of her artistic directions. This artist represents a woman who is hyperaware of her limited autonomy as a female painter, grappling with the implications of her gender, her unavoidable tie to motherhood, and a deep envy of the bodily freedom that men possess.

The self and the ego: These accounts of artists’ struggles challenge an assumed connection between creation and the ego, by depicting the brutal choice of having to accept or hide from the self. Some characters chose to be selfless observers while others chose to drown in their egos, but both are ultimately driven by self-expression. Parade is both riveting and abrasive, making for a unique book on identity and its fragile boundaries with art.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can get a physical copy of Parade at The BookSpot, and you can grab the eBook on Amazon or Kobo.

Egypt challenges Djibouti for 2026 World Cup spot

⚽ The World Cup beckons the Pharaohs: Our homegrown team will be facing Djibouti in the ninth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at 7pm today. The match is nominally a home game for Djibouti, but takes place at Stade Larbi Zaouli in Morocco as the country’s stadiums don’t meet CAF standards.

Group standings: Egypt leads Group A with 20 points, followed by Burkina Faso with 15 points — they are the only two teams from the group who automatically qualify for spots in the World Cup. Sierra Leone (12 points) and Guinea-Bissau (10 points) are limited to competing for second place and a spot in the global playoffs. Ethiopia sits in fifth place with six points and no hopes for qualifying. Djibouti, the only team in Group A yet to secure a single qualifying match, trails the rest of the teams with just one point.

The Pharaohs need a victory by any margin over Djibouti to officially seal their World Cup berth, though even a draw or defeat could suffice if Burkina Faso draws or loses to Sierra Leone in their simultaneous fixture. What if Burkina clinches their match and Egypt drops points? The Pharaohs would still have a chance to qualify in Sunday’s final round against Guinea Bissau.

Key African qualifying matches we’re following this weekend:

Libya vs. Cape Verde — Group D (4pm);
Mauritius vs. Cameroon — Group D (4pm);
Central African Republic vs. Ghana — Group I (7pm);
Somalia vs. Algeria — Group G (Thursday, 7pm);
South Sudan vs. Senegal — Group B (Friday, 4pm);
Sudan vs. Mauritania — Group B (Friday, 4pm);
Seychelles vs. Côte d’Ivoire — Group F (Friday, 4pm);
Lesotho vs. Nigeria — Group C (Friday, 7pm);
Zimbabwe vs. South Africa — Group C (Friday, 7pm);
São Tomé e Príncipe vs. Tunisia — Group H (Friday, 7pm).

Top European World Cup qualifying fixtures (all kicking off at 9:45pm):

Malta vs. Netherlands — Group G (Thursday);
Czechia vs. Croatia — Group L (Thursday);
Belgium vs. North Macedonia — Group J (Friday);
France vs. Azerbaijan — Group D (Friday);
Germany vs. Luxembourg — Group A (Friday);
Sweden vs. Switzerland — Group B (Friday);
Estonia vs. Italy — Group K (Saturday);
Portugal vs. Ireland — Group F (Saturday);
Spain vs. Georgia — Group E (Saturday).

Step up for Breast Cancer

MARK YOUR CALENDAR-

?Run for a cause: Join Cairo Runners and Bupa Egypt for Breast Cancer Run on Friday, 24 October at District 5. Be part of breast cancer awareness month and support the spirit of resilient women all over the world. Registration is required at no cost — claim your spot here.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

Catch Studio Eletnin at Boom Room with comedians Ahmed Magdy and Ahmed Hassan tonight. Brace yourself for another night of laughs and secure your tickets on Ticketsmarché.

Honor the 50th anniversary of Umm Kulthum’s passing with a musical produced by El Adl Group Studios at The Theater. Experience the legend’s life story through this special musical showing on Thursday, 9 October, Friday, 10 October and next week on Thursday, 16 October and Friday, 17 October. Tickets are available on Ticketsmarché.

Comedian Mohamed Moula is inaugurating his first stand-up show in Egypt with Moula Wet2asam Nosin at El Rihany Theater on Friday, 10 October, promising a night of non-stop laughter. You can grab your tickets on Ticketsmarché.

Prepare yourself for a transcendent night by the Giza Pyramids with Anyma and his show Quantum Genesys on Friday, 10 October. Get tickets to this ultimate electronic music experience on Ticket Egypt now.

HAPPENING LATER-

Comedian Saleh El Nawawy is coming to Boom Room on Sunday, 12 October. Start your week off with some fresh stand-up comedy and grab your tickets on Ticketsmarché — they’re selling out fast.

Attention Cairo runners: Early bird registration is now open for Cairo Marathon, happening on 6 February 2026. Claim your spot through Cairo Runners’ website before Wednesday, 15 October, or grab regular tickets, available until 30 January 2026.

The Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival is back and runs until Sunday, 26 October, bringing Cairo to the forefront through a series of performances, panel discussions, and workshops. Don’t miss out on the unique Tim Etchells-directed performance L’Addition with duo Bert and Nasi showing on Wednesday, 15 October and Thursday, 16 October at Rawabet Art Space. Book your spot on Ticketsmarché.

What the markets are doing on 8 October 2025

The EGX30 rose 0.8 % at today’s close on turnover of EGP 4.4 bn (1.4% below the 90-day average). Regional investors were the sole net sellers. The index is up 25.7% YTD.

In the green: TMG Holdings (+2.8%), Orascom Construction (+2.3%), and EFG Holdings (+2.1%).

In the red: Palm Hills Development (-1.2%), E-finance (-1.2%), and Raya Holdings (-1.0%).

THE ENTERPRISEPM ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

?️ OCTOBER

1-26 October (Wednesday-Sunday): Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival.

6-11 October (Monday-Saturday): El Masyada at El Rihany Theater.

8 October (Wednesday): Studio Eletnin at Boom Room.

9-10 (Thursday-Friday): Umm Kulthum Musical at The Theater.

10 October (Friday): Anyma at The Great Pyramids.

10 October (Friday): Moula Wat2asam Nosin at El Rihany Theater.

12 October (Sunday): Saleh El Nawawy at Boom Room.

12 October - 16 November (Sunday- Sunday): Cairo International Art District (CIAD) in Downtown Cairo.

15 October (Wednesday): Scorpions concert at New Capital.

15 October (Wednesday): Cairo Marathon early bird registration ends.

15-16 October (Wednesday-Thursday): L’Addition at Rawabet Art Space.

16-17 October (Thursday-Friday): Umm Kulthum Musical at The Theater.

16-18 October (Thursday-Saturday): Oliver at Theatro Arkan.

16-24 October (Thursday-Friday): Gouna Film Festival.

24 October (Friday): Cairokee at El Malahy Arena.

24 October (Friday): The Glow Run, Palm Hills New Cairo.

24 October (Friday): Breast Cancer Run at District 5.

30 October - 7 November (Thursday-Friday): Cairo International Jazz Festival.

31 October (Friday): Daylight saving time ends.

NOVEMBER

11 November - 6 December (Tuesday - Saturday): Forever is Now at the Great Pyramids of Giza.

14-24 November (Friday-Monday): Art Decoratifs Exhibition by Art D’Egypté at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.

15 November (Saturday): The TriFactory’s El Gouna Half Marathon, El Gouna.

21-22 November (Friday-Saturday): Traverse Summit at Hydeout, Hyde Park.

DECEMBER

13 December (Saturday): Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon by The TriFactory.

19 December (Friday): DJ Tiësto at the Giza Plateau.

JANUARY

30 January (Friday): Cairo Marathon normal registration ends.

FEBRUARY

6 February (Friday): Cairo Marathon at Heliopolis, Merryland Park.

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