Steamboat Willie

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TONIGHT

THIS EVENING: Egypt’s non-oil private sector has improved slightly last month

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and happy Thursday. The long weekend has finally arrived as we wrap up this first Egyptian business week of the new year.

Egypt will be on holiday on Sunday to observe Coptic Christmas. Merry Christmas to all of our readers who celebrate the day.

** EnterprisePM will also be taking a break, butwe will be back in your inbox at our customary time on Monday.

THE BIG STORY TODAY

Egypt’s non-oil private sector activity sees slight improvement in December,as selling price inflation softens, according to S&P Global's latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI) report out this morning (pdf).

A fourth year of contraction? The index reading rose to 48.5 from 48.4 in November to remain below the 50.0 mark that separates growth from contraction. The Egyptian non-oil private sector has now entered the fourth year of contraction, as December marks the 37th consecutive month that business activity has been in decline.

On a more positive note, companies hired more employees in December for the first time since September 2023, amid “efforts to boost capacity”, according to the report. The rising number of employees also helps companies to maintain a healthy backlog during last month, the report added.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD

Some of Jeffrey Epstein’s documents are now public, and the international press is all over it. 40 of the 250 previously sealed records from the ongoing lawsuit against him were released on Wednesday, with more to come in the next few days. However, conspiracists were let down by the mostly already public information and high-profile names, including the UK’s Prince Andrew and former POTUS Bill Clinton. Also logged were Michael Jackson and David Copperfield, but they are accused of no crimes. Essentially, no major news was broken about Epstein nor his accomplices. (BBC | Associated Press)

ICYMI- Jeffrey Epstein was a known minor abuser and trafficker who ran in high-profile circles before his arrest in 2019 where he committed suicide while awaiting trial. The documents mentioned came out as part of the case against Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell who was convicted for helping him recruit his victims and is now serving 20 years in prison.

COME WORK FOR OUR ADVISORY ARM- Enterprise Advisory (formerly known as Inktank Communications) is looking for smart, talented people to help us tell the stories of exciting companies. Enterprise Advisory is the region’s leading investor relations advisory company and works on investor and strategic communications issues that take you deep inside the c-suite. Our clients are in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and beyond. Egyptian and foreign nationals alike are welcome to apply, but native-level verbal and written English fluency is a must.

WHO YOU ARE- We're looking for gifted storytellers with a minimum of four years of work experience in investor relations, finance, banking, economics, or a related field to develop cutting-edge products and maintain relationships with a portfolio of clients. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree or higher in finance, accounting, economics, business administration, or a related discipline. We're looking for someone whose passion for storytelling is matched with strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to interpret and present financial data — with a keen eye for details and accuracy.

INTERESTED IN APPLYING? To apply for the position, drop us a line at jobs@enterprisemea.com and mention “Enterprise Advisory” in your subject line. Please send a solid cover letter telling us a bit about who you are and why you’re a good fit for our team. We want to see your CV, but the most important thing is a cover letter that makes us want to pick up the phone and give you a call.

** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

Gov’t is feeling upbeat about economic recovery next year: The economy is set to overcome the ongoing crisis and be back on track in 2025, after a series of global events — from Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine to global inflation — threw earlier economic progress off track.
What can we expect from next fiscal year’s budget? Yesterday, we got our first glance at the Finance Ministry’s fiscal projections for the fiscal year 2024-2025, giving us the government’s initial targets for growth, inflation, deficit, and primary surplus for the year.
Introducing 2PointZero: Abu Dhabi’s USD 239 bn International Holding Company(IHC) has set up a new holding company named 2PointZero expected to hold more than AED 100 bn worth of assets — equivalent to USD 27 bn — including Beltone Financial Holding, Chimera, and Lunate.

HELP GAZA-

Want to support relief efforts in Gaza, but don’t know how? We’ve got you. Around 2 mn people in Gaza have been thrown from their homes and every human being there lacks access to food, water, and fuel amid the most intense bombardment any population has endured this century.

The folks at Talabat are processing donations for a range of Gaza relief appeals by charities including the Egyptian Food Bank and Misr El Kheir. Pay in EGP using your credit card.

Or check out our list of charities to which you can make direct donations via bank deposit and / or Fawry.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Expect a sunny day tomorrow with a high of 22°C during the daytime and a low of 13°C, according to our favorite weather app.

Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie is now in public domain and creatives are psyched

Mickey Mouse is in the public domain and things are getting weird... The 1928 version of the beloved cartoon, called Steamboat Willie,entered the public domain four days ago after Disney’s longstanding copyright (thanks to the US Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 that curbs the free-use of protected intellectual property until 95 years after first publication) expired and people are already cooking up some bizarre uses for the copyright-free iteration of the beloved mouse, says BBC.

There is a comedy horror movie in the works…the still-untitled movie, directed by Steven LaMorte, will star the formerly-friendly mouse, but instead of his usual friends, he’ll be seen alongside ferry passengers that he intends to torture throughout their journey in a display of “unhinged terror,” LaMorte said in a press release as quoted in Variety.

These new depictions of the character are a form of play rather than insult, explains LaMorte. In the film he intends to play with the character, as a child does in a “sandbox” playing around with their favorite characters, he tells Variety.

But wait, there’s more…On Monday a trailer for Mickey’s Mouse Trap was released and, frankly, it is absurdly chilling: The cheery mouse is part of a slasher film set in an amusement park, emerging covered in blood and pulling away teens to their bloody demise.

Then there is a Mickey Mouse cryptocurrency…more accurately, a meme coin, which is created out of the Ethereum blockchain and has a value of USD 6.5 k, says The Crypto Times.

Disney affirms that they will protect their brand despite the shift to public use of this version of the character. To avoid any trouble, LaMorte is making sure to stay within the legal bounds of the usage, and isn’t planning on using the name “Mickey Mouse” anywhere in the film. The conglomerate reserves the right to sue over any “perceived endorsement or affiliation with its brand,” they are quoted as saying in Variety. So hopeful creatives need to be careful.

Curious? Have a look at some of the creative and often disturbing iterations of Steamboat Willie on X.

A tragic murder that tests a family and their relationship

? ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
(all times CLT)

Seven Seconds exposes corruption, injustice, and systemic racism. The crime drama starts with a tragedy: A black 15-year-old boy is killed in a hit-and-run by a white police officer. What ensues is an attempted cover-up and a family fighting to avenge their son in the face of a system that wants to silence them.

In eight episodes, the mini-series will take you on a turbulent journey. At the forefront, is the obvious conversation of injustices that African Americans are unfortunately subjected to, with the blatant disregard for the child’s life by the officers complicit in his murder and coverup. Beyond that, the show touches on the complicated relationship a father and son can have. So focused on making sure his son makes it out of an area riddled with gang violence, the father was harsh on his son and failed to connect with him.

The performances encapsulated the frustration of the family perfectly. The parents, played by Russell Hornsby and Regina King, delivered a heart-wrenching depiction of the strain tragedy can bring to a marriage. In that sense, they not only have to deal with the loss of their son but the integrity of their partnership.

You can watch Seven Seconds onNetflix.

⚽ Today in La Liga: Barcelona will be hosted by Las Palmas in the tailend of gameweek 19 in the league at 10:30pm, looking for three points that will place them in third place and bring them a little closer to league leaders Real Madrid and Girona, particularly after Atletico lost to Girona yesterday in a thrilling match.

Other games to catch during this gameweek:

Osasuna vs Almeria (6pm)
Sevilla vs Athletic Bilbao (8:15pm)

Crystal Palace and Everton open the third round in the English Football Association Cup, kicking off at 10pm tonight. Expect to see more matches in the competition until next Monday.

Other key matches to watch will be:

Brentford vs Wolverhampton (9:15pm, Friday)
Fulham vs Rotherham (9:30pm, Friday)
Tottenham vs Burnley (10pm, Friday)
Sunderland vs Newcastle (2:45pm, Saturday)
Stoke City vs Brighton (5pm, Saturday)
Chelsea vs Preston (7:30pm, Saturday)
Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa (7:30pm, Saturday)

Serie A is back: Gameweek 19 kicks off with Bologna vs Genoa on Friday at 9:45pm followed by the following line-up on Saturday:

Inter Milan vs Verona (1:30pm)
Frosinone vs Monza (4pm)
Lecce vs Cagliari (7pm)
Sassuolo vs Fiorentina (9:45pm)

Also, don’t miss these matches in round 32 of Copa del Rey:

Lugo vs Atletico Madrid (5pm)
Elche vs Girona (7pm)
Arandina vs Real Madrid (10:30pm)

Enter the improv world in 2024. Starting tomorrow Ramsi Lehner will be hosting a ten-class improv workshop to help you improve your public speaking skills, expand your range as an actor or performer, help you develop your standup comedy, or even just make you better at communication. The classes will take place every weekend on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30pm to 10pm. Register here to claim a spot.

FILM-

For fans of Egyptian film nostalgia..watch the screening of Egyptian short film Ahl El Fan at Qahrawya studio which reminisces on the golden age of Egyptian cinema and the unforgettable cinematic masterpieces that were produced. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Hassan El Geretly, founder of the Wersha Theatre Troupe and actor in the film. The film will be showcased for one day only on Thursday, 11 January from 8pm. Get your tickets here.

ART-

Get ready, aspiring photographers: The Fujifilm festival starts on Thursday, 1 February, and ends on Sunday, 4 February. You’ll have four full days of activities, meetups, and talks, as well as a photography contest and an exhibition that you can partake in. You can bring your camera along to get a gratuitous CMOS and lens cleaning and check out the GFX 100 ii Studio on-site. Fujifilm X-Photographers and creators will be there too — don’t miss out on the networking potential. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Practice your knitting and needling skills at a crochet workshop at the Monalisa ArtStudio. This three-hour course will be teaching you all the crooks and crannies from basic stitching shapes to making scarfs. The course will be taking place every Saturday and Wednesday until Wednesday, 28 February from 1 - 4pm. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

MUSIC-

Warm up your vocal cords, gang. Karaoke Night is back at ROOM Art Space and Cafe. ROOM’s doors are open every Tuesday through to 27 February for you and your friends to belt out your favorite tunes, starting at 8pm and ending at 10pm. You can reserve your spot here.

Soothe your ears with the sound of harmonious music at the Harp classic concert with Manal Mohei Eldin on the string quartet playing pieces by Mozart and Boïeldieu. The performance will also feature Huda Abde Elazim on the flute as the guest of honor. This is a one day concert at Cairo Opera House’s small theater on Sunday, 21 January from 8pm. Reserve your seats here.

Here's the chance to attend Medhat Saleh’s performances at Cairo Opera House. He’ll be accompanied by maestro Ahmed Awayda on Sunday, 7 January from 8-11pm. Book your tickets here.

SPORTS-

Heads up, football fans. Raz3 El Gomhoor — with YouTuber Marwan Serry and the gang — is coming to The Marquee tomorrow to host a two-and-a-half-hour in-depth discussion about the forthcoming football season, player transfers, and general analysis of all of your favorite leagues. Both platinum ticket tiers are sold out, but if you act fast, you can still snag yourself a gold. Reserve your spot here.

The Cairo Half Marathon is taking place in a few months: Mark your calendars for Friday, 1 March, and start stretching. Cairo Runners is bringing back a fan favorite, offering the same distances as The TriFactory. Tickets are available until 27 February, giving you ample time to convince seven of your friends to join, which will get a 10% reduction in price when you register.

Don’t worry about your background, this podcast is for the masses. Each episode is long, running over an hour, but approachable to all levels, no matter how obscure the content. If you’re looking for something a bit shorter with the same type of format, there are shorter “Smologies” episodes that are just as fun to listen to.

Feel smarter without really trying. Ologies gives you facts to impress your next dinner date and sound like you know what you’re talking about. You’ll also satisfy random curiosity while finding yourself enthralled with topics you’ve never given a second thought to before (who knew the study of trees could be so interesting?). That’s the beauty of it, these episodes will answer questions you haven’t thought to ask or were maybe a little too embarrassed to.

DISCLAIMER — Episodes feature some explicit language, but Smologies are clean for all ages.

You can listen to Ologies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

What the markets are doing on 4 January, 2024

The EGX30 fell 0.3% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 1.1 bn (67.9% below the 90-day average). Local investors were net sellers. The index is up 1.8% YTD.

In the green: B Investments (+4.1%), GB Corp (+2.4%) and Palm Hills Development (+1.7%).

In the red: Beltone Holding (-2.8%), Eastern Company (-2.3%) and E-Finance (-2.2%).

Delayed fatherhood does have potential implications for their offspring

Delaying fatherhood has its costs. Despite largely being able to reproduce until death, male fertility may take a hit with age and could pose some serious developmental risks to newborn babies, several studies show.

It's not just women who should be concerned about their biological clocks: Typically the conversation about fertility has focused on female fertility and how putting off motherhood can potentially make pregnancy harder and increase the likelihood of congenital diseases in newborns. This focus — which stems from the fact that women have a fixed egg count from birth, while males can continually produce sperm as long as they’re alive — has traditionally eclipsed the very serious implications that may occur from being an older father.

Men are having children later in life than they used to: Since the 1970s, the number of fathers in the US under 30 has gone down by more than 27%, while the number of new fathers between 45-49 has ballooned by some 52%, according to a study conducted in 2017.It’s a phenomenon that we witness around the globe from Egypt to China, and from Germany to Japan.

Sperm count and quality declines as men age: Several studies have shown that age can be a significant determinant in sperm quality. As men get older their sperm count drops, gets slower and a higher percentage is considered damaged or has undergone mutation — potentially making it more challenging to conceive a child.But even when a couple manages to successfully conceive, the chances that the pregnancy ends in miscarriage or stillbirth are higher for women with older partners.

The risk of physical birth defects grows over time, as well: Similar to women, older fathers are more likely to see babies with congenital abnormalities like cleft lip, a hole in the diaphragm, and even some cancers. The chances of childhood leukemia for example increases by 13% for every five years older the father is, according to this 2017 study in Denmark.

The neurological consequences can be serious, too: Kids born to fathers over 40 are nearly six times more likely to have autism than those whose fathers were younger than 30, researchers have found. The risk of children born to men over 50 developing schizophrenia also goes up by 89%.

But it’s not all doom and gloom: Some researchers suggest that the potential health risks to newborn babies posed by delayed fatherhood can be somewhat staved off by the egg of a younger partner. While these factors are important to consider if you’re deciding whether to have children later in life, it’s not the end all be all. Other environmental factors like stress, health, and socioeconomic conditions — which some researchers argue are even stronger determinants of newborn health — should also come into play.

CALENDAR

JANUARY

5 January (Friday): Raz3 ElGomhoorlive show at The Marquee.

5-6 January (Friday- Saturday): SubZero Survival hiking trip at Mount Sinai at St. Catherine.

5 January-2 February (Friday-Friday): Intro to Improv with Ramsi Lehner.

6 January-28 February (Saturday-Wednesday): Crochet courses at Monalisa Art Studio.

7 January (Sunday): Coptic Christmas.

7 January (Sunday): Asatza Concert Part 3: Medhat Saleh at the Cairo Opera House.

11 January (Thursday): Ahl El Fan Movie Night at Qahrawya.

13 January (Saturday): Saad ElOud concert at Cairo Jazz Club.

19 January (Friday): Amr Selim Live in Concert at the Cairo Opera House.

25 January (Thursday): Revolution Day.

26 January-6 February (Friday-Tuesday): Cairo International Book Fair.

FEBRUARY

1-4 February (Thursday-Sunday): Fujifilm Egypt Festival at Consoleya.

21-22 February (Wednesday-Thursday): Omar KhairatHafliti concert at the Cairo Opera House.

MARCH

1 March (Friday): Cairo Half Marathon by Cairo Runners.

11-12 March (Monday-Tuesday): Creative Industry Summit.

APRIL

9 April (Tuesday): Eid El Fitr (TBC).

25 April (Thursday): National holiday in observance of Sinai Liberation Day (TBC).

MAY

1 May (Wednesday): National holiday in observance of Labor Day (TBC).

5 May (Sunday): Coptic Easter.

6 May (Monday): Sham El Nessim (TBC).

JUNE

15-19 June (Saturday-Wednesday): Eid El Adha (TBC).

30 June (Sunday): June 30 Revolution Day (TBC).

JULY

7 July (Sunday): National holiday in observance of Islamic New Year (TBC).

23 July (Tuesday): Revolution Day (TBC).

SEPTEMBER

15 September (Sunday): National holiday in observance of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday (TBC).

OCTOBER

6 October (Sunday): Armed Forces Day.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2023: The inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Q1 2024: Opening of the newly developed Pyramids Plateau in Giza.

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