Last night’s talk shows for Wednesday, 8 January 2020
Business and economic news took a backseat on the airwaves last night as the talking heads focused their attention on the deteriorating situation in Libya and Iraq.
The commodities exchange got top billing on the econ side of things: EGX Chairman Mohamed Farid told Al Hayah Al Youm’s Lobna Assal that the new commodities exchange approved by cabinet yesterday will not act as a pricing authority, but will allow the market, through the supply and demand mechanism, to set more reasonable and transparent prices (watch, runtime: 6:46). Masaa DMC’s Ramy Radwan also covered the story (watch, runtime: 2:48). We have more on the commodities exchange in this morning’s Speed Round below.
Al Hayah Al Youm want us to get behind the Libyan National Army: Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s Egypt-backed LNA have seized control of the Libyan port town of Sirte, LNA spokesperson Khaled Al Mahjoub told Lobna Assal (watch, runtime: 12:26). Al Mahjoub claimed that Haftar’s forces took the city in just three hours, capturing 17 Turkish armored vehicles in the process. Turkey has begun deploying troops in the country in support of the UN-backed government of Fayez Al Serraj. Again, we have more on this in this morning’s Speed Round, below.
EgyptAir suspends flights to Baghdad as US-Iran tensions rise: Yahduth Fi Misr’s Sherif Amer highlighted EgyptAir’s announcement of a three-day flight suspension to Baghdad airport due to security concerns. The decision will take effect today and will last until 10 January or until security conditions improve, the Civil Aviation Ministry has said (watch, runtime: 1:14).