At a roadside cafe in downtown Cairo, Abu Ali was mid domino throw when the lights snapped off under new early-closing orders enacted to curb Egypt's soaring energy bill due to the US-Israel war on Iran.
"I used to stay here until 2:00 am," the 63-year-old told AFP, tapping his tiles as the street went dark.Â
kAmQ}@H xV> 9@>6 3J `` 2E >@DE[ ;FDE H2E49:?8 E96 ?6HD] %9:D :D ?@E E96 r2:C@ H6 <?@H]Qk^Am
kAm%96 >@?E9\=@?8 @C56C :?DE:EFE65 =2DE H66< D9FEE6CD D9@AD 2E hi__ A> @? H66<52JD 2?5 `_i__ A> @? H66<6?5D[ H:E9 2 3C:67 6IE6?D:@? E@ ``i__ A> 6IA64E65 7@C E96 r@AE:4 t2DE6C 9@=:52JD]k^Am
kAmxEVD 2 ;2CC:?8 D9:7E 7@C ?@4EFC?2= r2:C6?6D]k^Am
kAm%9FCD52J ?:89ED FDF2==J 3FKK H:E9 72>:=:6D DEC@==:?8 36EH66? DE@C67C@?ED[ E66?286CD =:?86C:?8 @G6C :46 4C62> 2?5 >FD:4 DA:==:?8 @FE @7 4276D[ H6== :?E@ E96 62C=J 9@FCD @7 E96 >@C?:?8]k^Am
kAm}@H 6249 6G6?:?8 4@==2AD6D :?E@ 2 7:?2= 7C2?E:4 9@FC @7 =2DE\>:?FE6 D9@AA:?8 367@C6 7=F@C6D46?E =:89ED 7=:4<6C @FE 2?5 D9FEE6CD C2EE=6 5@H?]k^Am
kAm!@=:46 A2EC@=D 6?DFC6 4@>A=:2?46 2?5 D@@? @?=J 56=:G6CJ D4@@E6CD C6>2:?[ K:8\K288:?8 E9C@F89 E96 52C<]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D FDF2==J H96? H@C< DE2CED[Q D9@AH@C<6C p=: w28828 D2:5[ DE2?5:?8 @FED:56 9:D DF556?=J BF:6E 4=@E9:?8 DE@C6]k^Am
kAm%96 4:EJ @?46 72>65 7@C ?6G6C D=66A:?8 ?@H Q766=D =:<6 r~'xs 282:?Q[ 96 25565[ C642==:?8 E96 a_a_ =@4<5@H?D E92E 6>AE:65 :ED DEC66ED]k^Am
k9am\ rFEE:?8 :?4@>6D \k^9am
kAm(6==\E@\5@ r2:C6?6D 92G6 7=@4<65 E@ }:=6D:56 C6DE2FC2?ED 2?5 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 9@E6=D[ 6I6>AE 7C@> E96 @C56C 2D E@FC:D> 6DE23=:D9>6?ED]k^Am
kAmqFE D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D 2C6 2=C625J 766=:?8 E96 DBF66K6] w28828 6DE:>2E6D 9:D D9@A 92D =@DE >@C6 E92? 92=7 :ED C6G6?F6 :? 2 >2EE6C @7 52JD]k^Am
kAm~77:4:2=D D2J E96 564:D:@? H2D F?2G@:523=6[ 8:G6? E96 4@F?ECJVD 962GJ C6=:2?46 @? :>A@CE65 7F6=]k^Am
kAmv=@32= 6?6C8J AC:46D 92G6 DFC865 D:?46 E96 &$ 2?5 xDC26=: H2C @? xC2? 3682? :? =2E6 u63CF2CJ]k^Am
kAm!C:>6 |:?:DE6C |@FDE272 |253@F=J 92D D2:5 t8JAEVD >@?E9=J 6?6C8J :>A@CE 3:== >@C6 E92? 5@F3=65 36EH66? y2?F2CJ 2?5 |2C49 E@ Sa]d 3:==:@?]Â k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 e_ A6C46?E @7 E96 4@F?ECJVD Sa_ 3:==:@? 2??F2= @:= 3F586E 8@6D E@H2C5 A@H6C:?8 E96 8C:5]k^Am
kAmx? C646?E H66<D[ E96 8@G6C?>6?E 92D :?EC@5F465 H92E :E 42==D Q6I46AE:@?2=Q >62DFC6D[ :?4=F5:?8 9:<:?8 7F6= AC:46D[ D=@H:?8 DE2E6 AC@;64ED[ 6?24E:?8 C6>@E6 H@C< @? $F?52JD 2?5 5:>>:?8 DEC66E=:89ED]k^Am
kAmrC:E:4D D2J 62C=J 4=@DFC6D 2C6 5:DAC@A@CE:@?2E6=J 27764E:?8 E96 :?7@C>2= 64@?@>J[ H9:49 244@F?ED 7@C D@>6 EH@\E9:C5D @7 2== ;@3D]Â k^Am
kAmQ|:==:@?D @7 D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D 56A6?5 @? 6G6?:?8 7@@E EC277:4[Q 64@?@>:DE (26= 6=\}292D E@=5 pu!] QrFEE:?8 E9@D6 9@FCD >62?D 4FEE:?8 :?4@>6D]Qk^Am
kAmp=C625J E96 A@F?5 92D D965 D@>6 `d A6C46?E @7 :ED G2=F6 D:?46 E96 H2C 3682?[ D@2C:?8 E@ 2 C64@C5 9:89 @7 dc]b E@ E96 5@==2C[ H9:=6 :?7=2E:@? 9:E `b]e A6C46?E :? |2C49]k^Am
kAmpE 2?@E96C 5@H?E@H? 4276[ 2? @H?6C D2:5 DE277 ?@H C@E2E6 D9:7ED] Qw2=7 E96 H@C<6CD H@C< @?6 52J 2?5 DE2J 9@>6 E96 ?6IE[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ D@>6 D9@A<66A6CD C6>2:? @AE:>:DE:4] tDD2> u2C:5[ ef[ D9CF8865i Q!6@A=6 H:== 252AE]Qk^Am
kAm$@>6 4@776 D9@AD 92G6 2=C625J :>A=6>6?E65 2? @=5 r~'xs\6C2 E24E:4i EFC? 5@H? E96 =:89ED[ AF== E96 D9FEE6CD 92=7H2J[ E96? <66A 25>:EE:?8 4FDE@>6CD H9:=6 2 <:5 @? E96 4@C?6C <66AD H2E49 7@C E96 A@=:46]k^Am
k9am\ V':36 5:D2AA62CDV \k^9am
kAmqFE E96 D92<6\FA 92D 2=C625J C@4<65 EH@ >2;@C :?5FDEC:6Di 4:?6>2 2?5 E@FC:D>]k^Am
kAmu:=> AC@5F46C v23J z9@FCJ D2:5 4:?6>2D 2C6 =@D:?8 >@C6 E92? e_ A6C46?E @7 E96:C C6G6?F6D]k^Am
kAmQ|@DE 3@I\@77:46 :?4@>6 4@>6D 7C@> hi__ A> 2?5 >:5?:89E D4C66?:?8D[Q 96 E@=5 pu!] Q%9:D :D 42E2DEC@A9:4]Qk^Am
kAm$6G6C2= 7:=> C6=62D6D 92G6 366? A@DEA@?65[ H9:=6 D@>6 AC@5F4E:@?D 92G6 366? 56=2J65 :?567:?:E6=J[ 96 25565]k^Am
kAm%@FC:D>[ 2 4CF4:2= D@FC46 @7 7@C6:8? 4FCC6?4J[ 2=D@ 762CD 2 962GJ D6E324<]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 C6D@CE 9F3D =:<6 {FI@C 2?5 pDH2? 2C6 6I6>AE65[ 9:DE@C:4 2EEC24E:@?D :? r2:C@ DF49 2D E96 46?EFC:6D\@=5 z92? 6=‑z92=:=: 32K22C 2C6 ?@E]k^Am
kAmqJ hi__ A>[ D9@A @H?6CD DE24< E96:C 8@@5D[ EFC? @77 5:DA=2J =:89ED 2?5 AF== 5@H? >6E2= D9FEE6CD[ 6G6? 2D E@FC:DED 4@?E:?F6 E@ H2?56C E96 2==6JH2JD]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2=>@DE gi__ A> ?@H 2?5 E@FC:DED 2C6 DE:== 2CC:G:?8[Q p9>65 p=:[ 2 D9@A<66A6C[ E@=5 pu!] Qw@H 42? J@F 6IA64E >6 E@ 4=@D6 2E ?:?6n (:== E@FC:DED 36 23=6 E@ =62G6 :? ;FDE @?6 9@FCn xEVD F?C62D@?23=6]Qk^Am
kAmQ%@FC:DED[ 6DA64:2==J pC23D[ 7665 @77 E96 4:EJVD 6?6C8J[Q 2 E@FC:D> @77:4:2= E@=5 pu![ DA62<:?8 @? 4@?5:E:@? @7 2?@?J>:EJ]k^Am
kAmQ(96? t8JAE:2?D 8@ 9@>6 62C=J[ E96 G:36 5:D2AA62CD 2?5 E@FC:DED H:== DE2CE =@@<:?8 6=D6H96C6]Qk^Am
kAm>27^392^54^7@Ik^Am