📺 ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
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Jake Gyllenhaal takes the lead in Presumed Innocent. This new take comes after the 90s film and is based on the novel by Scott Turow. This miniseries is from director David E. Kelley and actor Jake Gyllenhaal who have injected new life into this gripping legal drama.

Rozat “Rusty” Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), the chief deputy prosecutor in Cook County, finds himself dragged into a dark murder case when his colleague Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve) is found brutally murdered. As Rusty delves into the investigation, suspicions swirl around him due to his past affair with Carolyn, known to a select few, including his wife Barbara (Ruth Negga).

Office politics plays a big part. Tensions escalate as Rusty’s rival Nico Della Guardia (O-T Fagbenle) takes on the case to gain leverage in a fiercely contested election against District Attorney Raymond Horgan (Bill Camp) who happens to be defending Sabich.

Kelley’s adaptation streamlines the narrative. This stretch allows deeper exploration of Rusty’s psyche and the emotional fallout from his actions. It also illustrates the impact the trial has on his family and coworkers as they grapple with the case, which is dividing them into two factions.

A contemporary reinterpretation that resonates with modern audiences. It holds the promise of a gripping psychological thriller fused with legal drama, with early signs suggesting an engaging exploration of guilt, ambition, and complex human relationships. However, be prepared for dramatic twists that could hijack the narrative, which is commonplace in Kelley’s work.

WHERE TO WATCH- Watch the miniseries, which airs episodes every Wednesday, on AppleTV+ or watch the trailer (watch trailer,runtime: 2:26)

⚽ Egyptian Olympic team faces its Iraqi counterpart in the final friendly before Paris Games: The Egyptian U-23 team will go head-to-head against Iraq at 7pm tonight in a friendly match held in Bordeaux, France.

Our Group: Egypt will be in Group C in the Olympic Games alongside Spain, Uzbekistan, and the Dominican Republic. The Pharaohs will kick off their campaign in Nantes, taking on the Dominican Republic on 24 July, followed by a match against Uzbekistan on 27 July, before traveling to Bordeaux for the third clash (and hopefully not the last in the Olympiad) against Spain on 30 July.

Tonight’s game marks the Pharaohs final preparatory game before the Summer Olympics after a 1-1 draw against Ukraine on Sunday, which saw senior players Mohamed Elneny and Ahmed Mostafa Zizo play in the starting XI.

🍝 EAT THIS TONIGHT-

A touch of Italy at Zio Marco: In the streets of Zamalek is a quaint Italian restaurant built on decades of experience. Chef Marco brought his family’s recipes all the way from Italy after spending 40 years in the country.

The dish that whet our appetite, the Tagliata di Filetto al Pistacchio, contained thinly sliced and perfectly cooked steak, topped with a luscious pistachio sauce. The rich, nutty flavors and tender beef, paired with perfected mashed potatoes, melt in your mouth, making every delicious bite easy to savor.

Equally mouthwatering was the Risotto allo Scoglio, a seafood risotto that’ll save you the trip to coastal Italy. The risotto, delicately cooked to creamy perfection, is generously studded with fresh seafood that include juicy shrimps, plump mussels, clams and tender calamari.

We had to conclude the evening with the Italian classic dessert, Tiramisu: Zio Marco’s creamy tiramisu provided the perfect finale. Layered with espresso-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese, this classic Italian dessert is a testament to the restaurant’s commitment to authenticity and quality.

Zamalek residents, rejoice. You can order these dishes on Instashop. Less lucky residents from other areas in Cairo will have to make the trip.

🎤 OUT AND ABOUT-
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HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

Fan-favorite spinners Disco Misr will be performing at Boom Room tonight. Click here to get your tickets.

Marwan Pablo’s streetwear brand Barraserb is having a pop-up event in Downtown Cairo at The Factory this evening, starting from 6pm. Sign up on the website to get an entry pass.

20 years of Massar Egbari: The band is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a concert at Al Sawy Culturewheel, Nile University branch in Sheikh Zayed tomorrow at 8pm. Click here to get your tickets.

Perfect your speech skills by attending The Art of Public Speaking. The workshop will take place starting Friday, 19 July, and will continue through to Saturday, 20 July at AUC Tahrir Campus. Covering everything from how to prepare a speech to how to deliver it with confidence, this workshop is perfect for those who lead careers where this trait is an asset.

Mouled Ahl Al Zikr x Sawy Culture Wheel: Sheikh Mahmoud Al Tohamy will present an evening of recitation and chanting at El Sawy Wheel in Zamalek this Friday, July 19 at 8 pm. Reserve your tickets here.

Spend your weekend on a tour through Historic Cairo: On Saturday, July 20 explore the historic houses of Beit al Harawy, Beit al Set Wassila, and Beit Gamal Al Din Al Zahaby, and the church of Virgin Mary in Haret el Roum, where the Coptic Orthodox Pope sat from 1660 to 1799, and Abdel Zaher did his bookbinding. To book your spot click here.

HAPPENING LATER-

The Cords Festival featuring El Esseily and Massar Egbari will take place at New Alamein City on the North Coast on Thursday, 25 July. Get your tickets from Ticketsmarche before they sell out.

Marwan Moussa, Afroto, DJ Nooriyah, and DJ duo Bubblegum Kollective are going to theseaside to deliver an unforgettable night at CJC Seashore Ras El Hekma at 9pm on Friday, July 26. Get your tickets here.

Palestinian artist Saint Levant to perform at Egypt’s D-Bay North Coast on Thursday, July 25. The concert will also have Zabady Khalat performing alongside him as well as a surprise guest. As of now standing tickets are sold out, but VIP standing and tables are still available. Get your tickets here while they’re still available.

💡 UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Women fight back in The Furies: Women, Vengeance, and Justice. Journalist and author Elizabeth Flock examines the necessity of female violence in retaliation to the systems that oppress them. Without making it too fantastical and adapted to storytelling, Flock relays the real stories of three women who do just that: Brittany from Alabama, who was assaulted and left to fend for herself, Angoori from India, who fights for victims of domestic abuse, and Cicek Mustafa Zibo, who fights against ISIS with an all-female militia.

Is violence never the answer? Flock would argue that no, sometimes violence is necessary. And yet, these women who achieved great feats will be criticized for their upheaval, even when the institutions in place meant to protect them fail to do so.

Instead of focusing on the violence incited against women, she shifts the narrative. The text is about women standing up for themselves when no one else will. By using the personal stories of these figures, Flock gives insight into what it means to fight back, against all odds, while coming from completely different backgrounds.

But she doesn’t idealize the subjects. While she does use them to develop her argument, the three women are not perfect and the point remains with the acts of violence themselves and not the sainthood of the inciters. However, each story is given justice with an impressive amount of care and detail. Word of warning: The heavy content is expressed vividly on purpose to illustrate the intensity of the situation these women find themselves in.

You can get your copy on Amazon.