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Monday, 28 May 2018

What we’re tracking on 28 May 2018

The Ramadan news slowdown is real, ladies and gentlemen. We’re determined to enjoy it while it lasts.

YouTube is still accessible from Egypt this morning despite a Supreme Administrative Court ruling that it must be shuttered for a month over a years-old video a lower court had decided was insulting to the Prophet Mohammed. We presume this unfolds as did ergot (see this morning’s Speed Round, below) and Tiran and Sanafir: The sport isn’t in what the government will do (it’s not going to turn off YouTube), but in how it maneuvers its way around an administrative judiciary that policy makers and business leaders alike often find impenetrable.

Parking law to be finalized today: The House Local Administration Committee will finalize its discussion of a draft law to regulate public parking and the work of a “sayess” (parking attendant) during a meeting today, Ahram Gate reports.

Elsewhere this morning:

Oil at USD 50 is more likely than oil at USD 100, writes Nick Butler for the Financial Times, arguing that the market is set to settle as “the hype and speculation that led to the [run up to USD 80] is replaced by a cold return to fundamentals. … There is no shortage of supply and no imbalance of supply and demand. Any shortfalls in production from places such as Venezuela have been easily covered by production from elsewhere, not least the US where output continues to grow month by month thanks to the continuing shale revolution.” Don’t fret: You can always plow your net worth into real gold instead of black gold…

The US-North Korea summit may still be on as American officials enter North Korea for preparatory talks, Reuters and the New York Times report. The summit was originally scheduled for 12 June.

Abbas, Bush in hospital: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was in hospital for an eighth day yesterday, reportedly seeking treatment for a lung infection, while former US President George W. Bush was admitted to hospital in Maine the same day, complaining of fatigue and low blood pressure.

Keep an eye on Saudi dairy producer Almarai, which is planning a five-year, USD 2.8 bn capex program that’s designed to increase efficiency and expand its geographic footprint. Almarai had reportedly tried back in 2016 to acquire Qalaa Holdings’ Dina Farms dairy and fresh milk operation. Almarai owns and operates the Beyti brand in Egypt as part of a joint venture with PepsiCo.

Bahrain sees “no glimmer of hope” that the Qatar “crisis” will end anytime soon, the country’s foreign minister said yesterday.

Nigerians will see real income per capita fall every year through at least 2023, according to an IMF forecast picked up by the Financial Times. Crazier still: The country is projected to be the third-largest in the world by 2050, behind only India and China.

Food for thought: Are raises a thing of the past in the US? “Very few Americans have enjoyed steadily rising pay beyond inflation over the last couple of decade … Now, executives of big U.S. companies suggest that the days of most people getting a pay raise are over, and that they also plan to reduce their work forces further,” Axios writes.

And speaking of Amreeka: Hurricane season is underway as the first named storm of the 2018 season is due to make landfall today. Hurricane season usually runs June through November.

Your Ramadan rundown for today:

Bank hours run 09:30 am to 01:30 pm for customers and from 09:00 am to 02:00 pm for employees, CBE announced.

The EGX is running shorter trading hours. The trading session kicks off at 10:00 am, but closes at 1:30 pm. Tap or click here for the full schedule.

We’re looking at reasonably good weather for the rest of the week, with the mercury set to hover between 32°C and 34°C all the way through Friday. A spell of warmer weather is on the horizon starting Saturday, according to the long-range forecast on our favorite weather app.

So, when do we eat? For those of us observing, Maghrib is at 6:49 pm CLT today. You’ll have until 3:12 am tomorrow to finish your sohour.

Tired of lesan asfour soup and sambousek? Struggling for inspiration? Try sheet-pan chicken with potatoes, arugula and garlic yoghurt. Go ahead and defy the recipe — use Greek yoghurt (or mayo, if you prefer). It’s simple and amazing.

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