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Ukraine’s first lady turns down Biden State of the Union invitation: report

Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska has declined an invitation to attend President Biden’s State of the Union address, according to reports.  Zelenska was intended to be seated next to U.S. first lady Jill Biden at the event on Thursday, according to The Washington Post.  The two first ladies would also have been arranged next to activist Yulia Navalnya, the widow of deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. No reason has been given for Zelenska declining to appear at the address, but the decision to seat her near Navalnya struck many intelligence experts as bizarre. ZELENSKYY APPEALS TO TRUMP, CONGRESS TO SEE ‘TRAGEDY’ OF RUSSIA INVASION IN EXCLUSIVE BRET BAIER INTERVIEW The late Alexei Navalny is not popular among the citizens of Ukraine due to past statements supporting Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. “The fact that Team Biden wanted to host Yuliya Navalnaya and Alyona Zelenskaya in the same room is screaming evidence that they have no clue about the cultural, ethnic, and political dynamics between the Russians and Ukrainians, Moscow and Kiev, etc,” Russian-born U.S. military intelligence analyst Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital. INTERNATIONAL COURT ISSUES ARREST WARRANTS FOR RUSSIAN OFFICERS OVER ATTACKS ON UKRAINE’S INFRASTRUCTURE “Navalnaya and Zelenskaya are on the opposite sides – they are both nationalists, but one is a Russian nationalist and the other is Ukrainian. They cannot mix,” Koffler continued. “Navalnaya, who has vowed to continue her husband’s work, is like her husband — a nationalist, pro-Russia, pro-Slavic. Navalny, like many Russian dissidents, was a nationalist who espoused xenophobic, anti-immigration, Russia for Russians only, Imperialist philosophy.” While Navalnaya later softened on the Russia-Ukraine issue and began showing more support for the smaller nation’s fight against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, his reputation never improved. The decision to seat the Ukrainian first lady next to the deceased Russian activist’s wife was either an ill-fated attempt to encourage an alliance or a major oversight of the Biden administration. “You have to be a thinking person, intellectually curious, and competent, to dig into all of these details,” Koffler told Fox News Digital. “And Biden as well as people surrounding him are simply looking at what’s on the surface. They have no in-depth understanding of the regional dynamics in Eurasia and how the world works.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington for comment.

Hamas hostages, IVF activists, cops attacked by migrants: These are lawmakers’ State of the Union guests

Members of Congress started unveiling their guests this week to President Biden’s Thursday State of the Union address, with many of their invitees relating to abortion and in vitro fertilization (IVF), border security and foreign policy in Israel.   As Congress grapples with critical issues, such as the southern border and illegal immigration, differing state laws regarding abortion and IVF, and the amount of additional aid to Israel and Ukraine as they face wars at home, prominent lawmakers have chosen to bring guests highlighting each point of disagreement.  Fox News Digital took a look at some of the guests expected for Biden’s big speech. JIM BANKS CALLS ON BIDEN TO ‘PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE’ LAKEN RILEY AT SOTU House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced he would be hosting a former Israeli hostage held by Hamas, Mia Schem, as one of his guests. “Mia spent more than 50 days in captivity after being kidnapped on October 7th. I’m proud to stand with Mia and join her in demanding the release [of] all the hostages still held captive by Hamas. We must continue to fight to get them home,” he said in a statement. Relatives of those still in captivity are also slated to attend – Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., told Fox News Digital that he is bringing the fathers of two Americans being held in Gaza. His guests are Adi Alexander, father of Edan Alexander, and Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son is Sagui Dekel-Chen. Republican Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis of North Carolina are additionally bringing the family of current hostage Keith Siegel to the address. His sister Lucy and niece Hanna will be in attendance for Biden’s remarks. Siegel, who is one of six American citizens being held by Hamas, is a native of North Carolina, the senators noted.  Tillis expressed “great relief” that Keith’s wife Aviva Siegel was released after also being kidnapped by Hamas following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, but stressed, “We are still working to secure Keith’s freedom from Hamas captivity.” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, invited Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, one of the 13 American service members killed in an ISIS-K terrorist attack at Abbey Gate during the Biden administration’s chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021. BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: BRET BAIER, MARTHA MACCALLUM TO LEAD FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S SPECIAL COVERAGE McCaul, whose committee is actively investigating the withdrawal, said, “I hope Christy’s attendance sends a clear signal to President Biden and the American people that I will not rest until a complete and thorough investigation has occurred – and that people are held accountable for what happened.” Both Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., are bringing guests who support IVF, as the former’s request for unanimous consent to vote on her IVF protection bill was objected to by a Republican senator last week.  Elizabeth Carr, the first baby conceived with the assistance of IVF in the U.S. in 1981, will accompany Kaine. Carr was born in Norfolk, Virginia, which Kaine represents. “In the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling, it’s more important than ever that we commit to protecting access to IVF services nationwide. We must work to safeguard IVF so the Elizabeth Carrs of the world can continue to be born,” he said in a statement.  Duckworth will bring Illinois reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist Dr. Amanda Adeleye to the address, remarking in a statement, “It’s thanks to doctors and health professionals like Dr. Amanda Adeleye that millions of Americans – myself included – have been able to have kids and grow our families, but Republicans intent on exerting even more control over women’s bodies are putting access to these treatments at risk across the country.” Remaining on message with his colleagues, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., revealed his guest to be infertility activist Roshni Kamta. He noted that after being diagnosed with breast cancer, Kamta was advised to freeze her eggs if she wanted to have children in the future. “As we witness alarming attacks on IVF and other assisted reproductive technology, particularly in the aftermath of the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, it’s crucial that we listen to people like Roshni,” he said in a statement.  ALABAMA SEN KATIE BRITT TO DELIVER REPUBLICAN RESPONSE TO BIDEN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: ‘TRULY HONORED’ Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana chose to bring attention to the other side of the abortion and reproduction issue. Benjamin Clapper, the executive director of Louisiana Right to Life, an anti-abortion organization, will attend the State of the Union as Cassidy’s guest.  “Ben has committed his life to speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves,” Cassidy remarked in a statement. “Protecting an unborn child’s right to life is one of our most sacred obligations. I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ben at the State of the Union steadfast in our commitment to the sanctity of life.” Speaker Mike Johnson is also bringing as his guests the parents of Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for nearly a year. “By hosting Evan’s parents, Congress will shine a spotlight on the unjust detention of their son,” Johnson said. Yulia Navalnaya was invited as a guest of President Biden but will not be attending the speech. She was invited to sit in the first lady’s viewing box to watch the primetime address. “I can confirm that she was indeed invited to the State of the Union. She is no longer able to attend,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters this week. It comes less than a month after her husband died while in a Russian penal colony near the Arctic Circle. Two Republican members of New York’s congressional delegation, Reps. Nicole Malliotakis and Anthony D’Esposito, are bringing a pair of NYPD officers – Lt. Ben Kurian and Officer Zunxu Tian – who were caught in a now-viral video being

House GOP relents on LGBT center funding in $460B package as Dems cheer lack of ‘poison pills’

The $460 billion government funding bill the House of Representatives is set to vote on Wednesday includes $1 million marked for an LGBTQ community center that once held a drag event with children. It comes as Democrats celebrate the lack of “poison pills” in the bill while GOP hardliners lament what they call a lost opportunity to force passage of conservative policies. The earmark for the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia was advocated for by Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, both Pennsylvania Democrats.  A 2016 article published in the Philadelphia Gay News titled, “Youth celebrate the art of drag at William Way,” described an 11-year-old boy named Esai and an 8-year-old named Max participating in a youth drag event at the center. CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKE SHORT-TERM DEAL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN “When Esai slides down from his chair, his blonde hair is in tight curls, his lips are purple and his eyes are lidded with pink and silver eye shadow against his rosy face. He teeters by in heeled boots far too big for him and changes out of his purple ‘We Are Made of Stars’ T–shirt. He could be any little girl playing dress-up, save for the expert cosmetic application,” the article reads. It described his makeup as being applied by “a bearded man in studded leather platform boots.” “Max dances to ‘No’ by Meghan Trainor, periodically dropping into the splits in his long, red dress. None of this is choreographed – it really is just kids dancing around, playing dress–up, having fun,” it said of the 8-year-old. The allocation was highlighted in a memo by Americans Advancing Freedom (AAF), a policy and advocacy group started by former Vice President Mike Pence. GOP HARDLINERS FURIOUS AT JOHNSON FOR PASSING ANOTHER SHORT-TERM SPENDING BILL WITH DEMS: ‘USUAL C–P’ It’s one of more than 6,000 allocations in the bill, which total $12.7 billion in spending – something conservative lawmakers are furious about. “Earmarks are basically, it’s congressional crack,” Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., told Fox News Digital. “Congressional opium – and opium is O-P-M, other people’s money. Congress is hooked on it.” “You get people to vote for it, you increase spending, increased borrowing, you send our nation further down the track of fiscal irresponsibility,” he said. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, argued that lawmakers will not have enough time to properly scour the bill’s contents with all of the additional details. HOUSE PUNTS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINE TO NEXT WEEK AFTER JOHNSON FORCED TO SEEK DEM SUPPORT AGAIN “There is no way any mortal could actually vet all of the earmarks in the 48-hour time period they’ve given us so far. These highlights are just the tip of the iceberg. Heads must roll,” he wrote. Meanwhile, AAF’s memo pointed out that policies that GOP hardliners fought to include in the bill – like limitations on transgender medical care, pride flag displays, and critical race theory – were not included in the final bill. It’s something Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., celebrated on Tuesday, declaring the bills were free of “devastating cuts or poison pill riders pushed by the MAGA.”

Katie Porter blames billionaires, campaign ‘lies’ in concession speech even though big donors backed her

California Democrat Katie Porter took a swipe at Rep. Adam Schiff and special interest groups after losing the open Senate primary, suggesting that Schiff’s campaign spent millions “peddling lies” and ultimately boosted the Republican in the race, former baseball player Steve Garvey, on Super Tuesday. “We’re standing three to one in TV spending and an onslaught of billionaires who spent millions peddling lies,” Porter said in her concession speech Tuesday night. “And our opponents spending more to boost the Republican than promoting his own campaign.” “While the votes are still coming in, we know that tonight we’ll come up short,” Porter said just after 9 p.m. Tuesday. “Our opponents threw everything – every trick, millions of dollars, every trick in the playbook – to knock us off our feet. But I’m still standing in high heels.” She added, “Because of you, we have the establishment running scared.”  TREY GOWDY FIRES BACK AT KATIE PORTER, CNN WRITER’S RESPONSE TO LAKEN RILEY MURDER: ‘DO NOT LECTURE US’ Porter, a progressive Democrat who has been representing Orange County since 2019, later said in her speech she “never considered” running for office “until Trump was elected” in 2016. She rose to popularity helped by viral moments questioning big Pharma CEOs during congressional hearings and publicly defied big corporate campaign backing. However, Porter herself has received millions of dollars from big donors to boost her campaign, despite touting her record of not accepting corporate PAC money. She has reportedly accepted thousands of dollars in donations from big Wall Street donors, according to federal campaign finance disclosures. Additionally, according to Open Secrets — a nonprofit that tracks government campaigns — Porter received just over $50,000 in PAC donations, more than $32,000 from Apple and Google, more than $58,000 collectively from the Universities of California San Francisco and Irvine, just under $16,000 from Kaiser Permanente and over $600,000 from lawyers and law firms.  ADAM SCHIFF COULD UNITE CALIFORNIANS IN SENATE BID, BUT TO GOP CANDIDATE’S BENEFIT: KEVIN MCCARTHY Porter raised just under $28 million in her Senate campaign, trailing slightly behind Schiff’s $31 million. Rep. Barbara Lee, another Democrat seeking the open Senate seat, raised $4 million, and Republican Garvey raised just over $2 million. Under California’s primary system, the top two candidates in the primary election will face off in the general election in November. According to a Washington Post report last month, Porter also redirected at least half a million dollars in ads attacking another GOP contender, Eric Early, describing him as a “100% pro-Trump candidate” who is “way more dangerous than Steve Garvey.” The highly contested seat was held for more than 30 years by former Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., until her death last year, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint Democrat Sen. Laphonza Butler to fill the vacancy. Ahead of Tuesday’s election, Schiff, a Burbank Democrat and congressman since 2001, spent millions of dollars on campaign ads describing Garvey as someone who “voted for Trump, twice, and supported Republicans for years, including far right conservatives,” according to one ad. The move to paint long-shot Republican opponent Garvey as a staunch Trump ally was seen as an effort to squeeze out Porter and Lee from the race — giving Schiff a higher likelihood of winning the general election instead of splitting the vote between Democrats in the deep blue bastion. ADAM SCHIFF ENDORSED FOR SENATE AS ‘TEAM PLAYER’ BY LA TIMES: ‘PRACTICED IN THE ART OF COMPROMISE’ Garvey and Schiff will face off in the fall. Schiff is expected to win, but Garvey said during his victory speech on Tuesday, “They say in the general election we’re going to strike out. That’s from the crowd that believes in the status quo.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Schiff, whose victory speech was interrupted by protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Palestine conflict, said, “We are so lucky, so lucky to live in a democracy where we all have the right to protest.” “We are so lucky to live in that kind of democracy, and we want to make sure we keep this kind of democracy,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Schiff, Lee, Porter and Garvey’s campaigns for comment. 

What happened on Super Tuesday

NewsFeed Despite winning sweeping victories on Super Tuesday, results revealed President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump could face vulnerabilities in the US election in November. Published On 6 Mar 20246 Mar 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

Nikki Haley suspends US presidential campaign

NewsFeed Nikki Haley has suspended her campaign for US president, leaving Donald Trump as the leading candidate for Republicans. Haley chose not to endorse Trump in her resignation speech, telling him instead he must earn the votes of those who do not yet support him. Published On 6 Mar 20246 Mar 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

Suspected Houthi attack forces crew to abandon ship in Gulf of Aden

Officials say the attack on the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship has caused fatalities. The Greek-owned cargo ship True Confidence has been hit by a missile about 50 nautical miles (93km) southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden in an attack claimed by Houthi forces. The bulk carrier was drifting with a fire continuing onboard after it was attacked on Wednesday, a statement by the ship’s owner and operator said, adding that no information was available on the status of the ship’s 20 crew members and three armed guards. But a shipping source told the Reuters news agency that three sailors were missing from the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier and four were badly burned. Two United States officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the attack had caused fatalities. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said the vessel was no longer under the command of the crew and they had abandoned it. Yemen’s Houthis said on Wednesday they had targeted the cargo ship with missiles, causing a fire to break out onboard. “The targeting operation came after the ship’s crew rejected warning messages from the Yemeni naval forces,” the militia’s military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised speech. There was no immediate claim of responsibility although it typically takes Houthi forces several hours to acknowledge their assaults. Houthi fighters in Yemen have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and in opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza. The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to reroute to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa. The True Confidence is owned by the Liberian-registered company True Confidence Shipping and operated by the Greece-based Third January Maritime, both firms said in their joint statement. They said the ship had no link to the US. However, it had previously been owned by Oaktree Capital Management, a Los Angeles-based fund that finances vessels on instalments. Despite more than a month and a half of US-led air strikes on the Houthis, the group has remained capable of launching significant attacks. They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertiliser, the Rubymar, which sank on Saturday after drifting for several days, and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. A Houthi assault on Tuesday apparently targeted the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the US campaign against the rebels. The attack on the Carney involved bomb-carrying drones and one antitank ballistic missile, the US military’s Central Command said. The US later launched an air strike destroying three antiship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, Central Command said. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, acknowledged the attack but said its forces targeted two US warships, without elaborating. The Houthis “will not stop until the aggression is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted”, Saree said. Adblock test (Why?)

Mark Robinson wins GOP nomination for NC governor, says ‘underdog’ story ‘just like North Carolina herself’

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson won the Republican nomination on Super Tuesday and told a group of enthusiastic supporters in a victory speech late Tuesday evening that he hopes to make history by becoming the state’s first Black governor. In his victory speech, Robinson commended his team and celebrated his own “underdog” story, which he likened to North Carolina’s own story as a state. “We stand by what we believe in, who we are, and our story. Because our story is a great story,” Robinson said at a Greensboro victory party. “Our story is a story that’s deeply rooted in North Carolina. It is the story of North Carolina. A story of being the underdog. A story of being the person who had to come back, the person who was the person who had to overcome obstacles to see a better day, just like North Carolina herself.” He continued, “But like North Carolina herself, we have risen past that to see a better day. And we stand here on this stage now, ready to move forward, ready to move forward into that better day. And I would be remiss right now if I did not give credit to the person, I believe, who was most responsible for my success, other than my beautiful wife, Yolanda, who is standing here on the stage with me.” NRA SUPPORTS GOP CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR WHO WENT VIRAL FOR PRO-GUN SPEECH: ‘I’M THE MAJORITY’ Robinson, who was endorsed by former President Trump over the weekend, with the former president calling him “Martin Luther King on steroids,” also thanked his supporters and their work and commitment. “We appreciate you, always giving thanks to Jesus Christ for giving us life, health, strength and allowing us to live in such a blessed and prosperous land. Well guys, tonight is the cultivation of a lot of doggone hard work. A lot of hard work and commitment. Not just by me and my team, and our campaign staff, but by a whole category of people across the state who believe in us, who believe in our message, believe in our vision, and want to see North Carolina go into the right direction and did the hard work it took to get through this primary,” he said. Robinson added, “Those of you all who know me know who I am. I’m a person who has a deep love for the state of North Carolina. Why? Because the state of North Carolina has been doggone good to Mark Robinson. From the time I was a little poor kid growing up and right here in Greensboro … to the time I was a young man in the United States military, to the time when I was a young father struggling to take care of my family to this very moment, standing on the stage as the Republican nominee for governor of this great state. “This state has been doggone good to me,” the Republican nominee continued. “Now it is time for me to repay the debt of gratitude that I have to this great state and its people. I look out across this group of people who stand or stand in front of me now, and I see the struggles and successes symbolize North Carolina.” NORTH CAROLINA’S REPUBLICAN LT GOV MARK ROBINSON LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE DEMOCRAT GOV ROY COOPER “We’re here for you. We understand you. I know the state. I know the state of the battle and federal policy that causes that. And I’m here for the people of North Carolina,” he concluded. On Tuesday, Robinson defeated State Treasurer Dale Folwell and trial attorney Bill Graham to earn the Republican nomination. In the November general election, Robinson will run against Democratic nominee Josh Stein, who also secured his party’s nomination on Tuesday, to replace the term-limited Gov. Roy Cooper. Stein, a longtime member of North Carolina’s political scene, was endorsed by Cooper. “We must be clear-eyed about the stakes of this election,” Stein told supporters in Raleigh. “We’re at a crossroads and the choice before us: two competing visions for North Carolina.” In his own remarks Tuesday evening, Robinson also contrasted himself with Stein. “The differences could not be more clear,” Robinson said. “I’m sure the people of North Carolina will make the right choice.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Alabama district citizens were sent incorrect voting information ahead of primary

Thousands of voters in a new congressional district of Alabama received incorrect voting instructions leading into Super Tuesday.  More than 6,500 voters in the 2nd Congressional District of Alabama received postcards ahead of the Tuesday primary with information intended for voters in the 7th Congressional District.  The county sent out 2,000 notices informing affected voters of the mistake on Tuesday and an additional 4,000 on Wednesday.  James Snipes, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Registrars, said that affected voters were still able to vote for their candidates.  ALABAMA REPUBLICANS TO CHOOSE CHIEF JUSTICE NOMINEE FOLLOWING CONTROVERSIAL FROZEN EMBRYO RULING “Everyone who came to their precinct was able to vote for the correct candidates,” Snipes said. “This was a good-faith effort.” He attributed the mistake to a “software glitch” that misidentified the thousands of voters’ geographic region. ALABAMA FEDERAL JUDGE RULES BIDEN ADMIN’S SMALL BUSINESS REPORTING REQUIREMENT UNCONSTITUTIONAL The 2nd Congressional District’s boundaries were redrawn last year by federal judges who ruled its prior borders likely violated the Voting Rights Act.  The new boundaries were redrawn to stretch from Mobile to the state border with Georgia so that the 27% of the population that is Black would be able to have a larger influence in elections. The election proved crowded after 11 Democrats and seven Republicans entered the primary race. Democratic candidates Anthony Daniels and Shomari Figures received enough votes to qualify for a run-off later this year. Republican candidates Caroleene Dobson and Dick Brewbaker similarly secured spots in a future run-off to decide the party candidate.

Egypt strikes expanded $8bn deal with the IMF

The deal comes as the central bank said it would let the Egyptian pound trade freely. Egypt has signed an expanded $8bn deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has said. The new agreement announced on Wednesday is an expansion of the $3bn, 46-month Extended Fund Facility that the IMF struck with Egypt back in December 2022, which was predicated on the shift to a more flexible exchange-rate system. The deal comes as the central bank said it would let the pound currency trade freely and announced an interest-rate hike of 600 basis points in a bid to stabilise the economy. As part of the new deal, Egypt will also receive a loan of about $1.2bn from a separate facility that promotes environmental sustainability, Madbouly said. The December 2022 programme had stalled when Egypt reverted to keeping its pound at a tightly managed rate, and amid delays to an ambitious programme to divest state assets and boost the role of the private sector. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo in Washington, DC, the United States [File: Yuri Gripas/Reuters] The IMF deal comes less than two weeks after Egypt announced a deal with the Emirati sovereign wealth fund ADQ that it said would deliver $35bn in investments by late April. Economists say the central bank’s moves earlier today were likely signs that the government was looking to nab another IMF deal, as a flexible exchange rate has been one of the key demands of the IMF. Ahmed Helal, head of MENA at Global Counsel, a strategic advisory firm, said the divergence between the official and black market exchange rates of the Egyptian pound to the dollar was becoming “unsustainable”. “It was bad for business and bad for investment. It was prolonging the unpredictability and volatility that investors had to face when looking at opportunities in Egypt.” The Egyptian economy has been hit hard by years of government austerity, the COVID-19 pandemic, the fallout from the war in Ukraine, and most recently, the war in Gaza. Since January 2022, the Egyptian pound has lost around 50 percent of its value against the US dollar. Meanwhile, nearly 30 percent of Egyptians live in poverty, according to official figures. Adblock test (Why?)