Nadine Loza

El Obeid is emerging as a critical test of the international community’s ability to prevent mass atrocities before they occur. The strategic crossroads city in North Kordofan—home to more than 500,000 residents and thousands of internally displaced people—is now under a devastating siege by the Rapid Support Forces.

On the seventh day of the seventh month, World Nubia Day celebrates a rich and vibrant culture integral to Egyptian identity. In Nubian tradition, the number seven illuminates life’s sacred stepping stones, from seven days of wedding rituals to when, seven days after giving birth, mothers pass through fragrant clouds of incense seven times before the newborn is carried to the riverbank and introduced to the waters of the Nile—an act that affirms belonging and renewal.

In the coming weeks, a new two-pound coin and revised one-pound coin will enter circulation, marking the latest update to the Livre Égyptienne. Intended to minimise minting costs, streamline fare collection and curb metal melting, the reforms appear modest when set against a state budget projected at EGP 5.2 trillion and a national output target of EGP 24.5 trillion. Yet it is precisely through pocket change that policy change recalibrates the value of money.