{"id":558531,"date":"2021-08-16T04:02:01","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T04:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2021\/08\/16\/this-morning-prepping-for-the-2021-2022-school-year-in-egypt-the-fall-of-afghanistan-is-one-of-those-once-in-a-generation-foreign-affairs-stories\/"},"modified":"2021-08-16T04:02:01","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T04:02:01","slug":"this-morning-prepping-for-the-2021-2022-school-year-in-egypt-the-fall-of-afghanistan-is-one-of-those-once-in-a-generation-foreign-affairs-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2021\/08\/16\/this-morning-prepping-for-the-2021-2022-school-year-in-egypt-the-fall-of-afghanistan-is-one-of-those-once-in-a-generation-foreign-affairs-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"THIS MORNING: Prepping for the 2021-2022 school year in Egypt + the fall of Afghanistan is one of those once-in-a-generation foreign affairs stories"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, wonderful people, and welcome to a surprisingly brisk morning. <\/strong>Mondays in mid-August are usually slow news days on par with the late-December news slowdown, but \u2026 let\u2019s just say we live in interesting times, shall we?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with some very welcome news: <\/strong>The EGX extended its gains to a sixth day <\/strong>yesterday<\/strong>, its longest upwards run since January, off the back of positive 2Q2021 earnings, Bloomberg<\/a> reports. The benchmark EGX30 is now up nearly 1.7% for the year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

International schools are due back in session for the 2021-2022 academic year on 12 <\/strong>September<\/strong>, the Education Ministry said yesterday, according to Al Masry Al Youm<\/a>. Public schools, meanwhile, will be back on 9 October, with their 2021-2022 academic year running through 16 June 2022.<\/p>\n

Association-owned international schools are hitting the books this month<\/strong>, as are other K-12 institutions not directly regulated by the Education Ministry. CAC, BISC, NCBIS and MBIS all go back this month, with Cairo American College starting tomorrow (or today, if you\u2019re a grade 9 student\u2026).<\/p>\n

<\/a> The Sisi administration says it will make vaccinating university and school <\/strong>staff a top priority<\/strong> after the president directed officials yesterday to come up with a plan to jab all educators and students ahead of the start of the school year, according to an Ittihadeya statement<\/a>. This comes after news earlier this month<\/a> that schools and universities would be next in line for covid shots. Some universities are already making vaccination mandatory, with AUC announcing last week<\/a> that only vaccinated individuals would be allowed access to its campus as of the upcoming academic year.<\/p>\n

The news comes as the covid case count officially surpassed the 100 case per day <\/strong>mark <\/strong>for the first time since 13 July<\/strong>, a steady climb from daily infections in the early 30s just under three weeks ago, with the exception of a brief drop on 5 August, according to our in-house covid tracker.<\/p>\n

The Health Ministry <\/strong>reported<\/a><\/strong> 101 new covid-19 infections yesterday<\/strong>, up from 99 the day before. Egypt has now disclosed a total of 285,385 confirmed cases of covid-19. The ministry also reported 4 new deaths, bringing the country\u2019s total death toll to 16,619.<\/p>\n

WHAT\u2019S HAPPENING TODAY- <\/strong><\/p>\n

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is in town for meetings with his <\/strong>Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry<\/strong>, Al Shorouk<\/a> reports, as part of a Middle East tour during which the Japanese FM is expected to discuss regional security issues and the response to the covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble should land in Cairo in the <\/strong>coming days<\/strong> following a visit to Nairobi, Somali press reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Middle-income earners have until 9 September to apply to <\/strong>buy<\/strong> one of 100k fully-finished houses through subsidized 3% 30-year mortgages<\/strong> under the Central Bank of Egypt\u2019s (CBE) EGP 100 bn mortgage finance initiative<\/a> launched last month<\/a>, the local press<\/a> reports. Applications are here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

PSA- Expect the heat and humidity to go up a notch today, <\/strong>with temperatures hitting 36\u00b0C in Cairo and breaching 40\u00b0C in Upper Egypt and South Sinai, according to the Egyptian Meteorological Authority<\/a>. Sahel is still blessed with cooler weather, with highs of 32\u00b0C throughout the week.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

\n Get Enterprise<\/b> daily
\n <\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The roundup of news and trends that move your markets and shape corporate agendas delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n

Subscribe here<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

THE BIG STORY INTERNATIONALLY- Kabul has fallen and Afghanistan\u2019s president has <\/strong>fled the country <\/strong>as the Taliban poured into the capital yesterday, facing no resistance. One journalist yesterday told CNN that the streets are empty and many government and security personnel have exchanged their uniforms for the white scarf worn by members of the militant Islamist group. The Islamist group said it is calling for an \u201copen, inclusive Islamic government.\u201d<\/p>\n

How is this playing in the press? Like a once-in-a-generation foreign affairs story, with <\/strong>plenty of comparisons to the 1975 fall of Saigon<\/strong> at the end of the US war in Vietnam. The Financial Times<\/a> notes that this marks the \u201cchaotic end\u201d of a \u201c20-year US military project.\u201d The story leads the front page of the New York Times<\/a> with a rare ALL-CAPS headline noting that the US is \u201cscrambling to evacuate Americans\u201d as the Taliban seize the country. The Washington Post<\/a> is giving the story similar large-type coverage. The US has moved its embassy to a compound at the airport, CNBC<\/a> adds, while Reuters<\/a> notes that diplomats are fleeing as the world waits for the Taliban\u2019s announcement the \u201ctype and form\u201d of the new regime in Afghanistan would be made clear soon.<\/p>\n

The crisis is sending a shockwave through US politics<\/strong>, where Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has defended<\/a> policy on Afghanistan in the face of rising criticism, including from one Republican senator who branded the US withdrawal a \u201cshameful, Saigon-like abandonment of Kabul.\u201d (This despite Biden having clearly campaigned on a promise to end America\u2019s involvement there.) You can read Biden\u2019s statement on the fall of Afghanistan here<\/a> on the US embassy in Egypt\u2019s news page.<\/p>\n

The UAE is working to facilitate the evacuation of Egyptian diplomats<\/strong> and other foreign consular personnel from Afghanistan through Emirati airports, according to the country\u2019s foreign ministry, Reuters<\/a> reports.<\/p>\n

IN RATHER MORE PROSAIC NEWS- Canadians are going to the polls on 20 September <\/strong>after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a snap election yesterday. The PM is \u201cseeking to gain a majority on the strength of his Liberal government\u2019s record in managing covid-19,\u201d the Globe and Mail reports, \u201cbut opposition parties are casting the campaign as unnecessary and a blatant attempt at a power grab amid the fourth wave of the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

***CATCH UP QUICK<\/strong> on the top stories from yesterday\u2019s edition of EnterprisePM:<\/strong><\/p>\n