Tech

Scientists identify mystery liquid in Egyptian stone coffins

The unsettling red liquid pooled around three decomposed mummies found inside a 2000-year-old burial chamber in the historic port city of Alexandria in Egypt has taken on a life of its own

Published

5 years ago

July 23, 2018

Africa News Watch

The unsettling red liquid pooled around three decomposed mummies found inside a 2000-year-old burial chamber in the historic port city of Alexandria in Egypt has taken on a life of its own.

Horrifying images of a trio of skeletons floating in the murky soup led to rumours the “mummy juice” contained medicinal or supernatural properties, with locals anxious to bottle the stuff.

Others feared its odd colouring signified the presence of a metal such as mercury.

The large, black granite sarcophagus was unearthed in the Sidi Gaber district earlier this month and cracked open despite fears that doing so would unleash an ancient curse.

The General Secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr Moustafa Waziri dismissed early speculation the tomb could contain the remains of Alexander the Great, saying instead it may have belonged to a priest.

However, the discovery of possible arrow damage to one of the skulls means the bones probably belonged to military officials, according to a statement released by Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities yesterday.

The skeletons, immersed in red liquid, were found inside a black granite sarcophagus unearthed in the Sidi Gaber district of Alexandria, Egypt this month.

One of the three skulls was found to have been damaged by what archaeologists believe was an arrow.

Authorities also revealed the liquid was neither “juice for mummies that contains an elixir of life” nor “red mercury” but something far more pedestrian — sewage water.

But the ugly — or in this case — smelly truth has failed to scare off the believers, even inspiring an online campaign.
A change.org petition entitled “let the people drink the red liquid from the dark sarcophagus” has attracted more than 16,000 signatures.

“We need to drink the red liquid from the cursed dark sarcophagus in the form of some sort of carbonated energy drink so we can assume its powers and finally die,” petition founder Innes McKendrick wrote by way of explanation.

Workmen found the black granite tomb five metres underground during construction of an apartment building in the historic Mediterranean port city.

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Tech

Zambian Tech authority orders Airtel to compensate subscribers over poor services

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has ordered Airtel Networks Zambia PLC to commence the process of paying compensations to all its subscribers over poor and inefficient services.

According to local media reports, the mobile telecommunications giant has been experiencing network and service outages in most parts of the country which has led customers complaining about the poor services.

The agency, which has the mandate of overseeing the telecommunications industry in the country, gave the directives in a statement in Lusaka on Fruday through its Corporate Affairs Manager, Hanford Chaaba.

Chaaba said the payment of compensation to affected subscribers was in line with the approved compensation policy within five days from December 8.

“The Authority has also directed the network provider to, using all available platforms, immediately engage the public regarding the recent network outages and provide assurance of their resolution,” Chaaba said.

He added that the network provider had been further directed to urgently put in place measures that would ensure that such outages were averted, promising that the agency would increase its monitoring of the network.

In the statement, Chaaba encouraged members of the public to continue reporting any issues related to unavailability and quality of network or service.

He also urged Airtel to submit a longterm plan on how to improve it network resilience to the authorities.

“The Authority will actively monitor network performances of all services providers to ensure that the Quality of Service (QoS) guidelines are strictly adhered to,” Chaaba said.

Tech

Egyptian online auto parts startup Mtor raises $2.8m funding

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Egyptian online auto parts startup, Mtor, has announced raising $2.8 million in pre-seed funding to enable it expand its product portfolio to digitise local car workshops in the country.

Co-founder and CEO of the startup, Mohamed Maged, who made the announcement, explained that with the funds which were secured from Algebra Ventures with participation from the Dutch Founders Fund (DFF), Aditum Ventures, LoftyInc Capital Management, and a number of local and global angel investors, the firm was set to expand its offering.

“With the new funds, we aim to become the most trusted partner for our mechanics by empowering them to better cater to the car owner’s needs in terms of quality parts and fast service,” Maged said.

“It can be a car owner’s nightmare to get their car serviced. Mtor was founded to fundamentally transform this reality and make the process easier and more efficient, empowering a layer of local car workshops that are well rounded with quality parts, a suitable price position, and a good customer experience.

“The local automotive aftermarket is inefficient with a fragmented and scattered supply chain. Workshops and mechanics face many challenges, including limited product availability, inaccurate fitment data, and a lack of price transparency.

“These issues inevitably trickle down to car owners, who are also faced with limited-service quality guarantees and a complex, time-consuming spare parts procurement process.

“Mtor aims to overhaul this system through its controlled, tech-enabled marketplace, backed by its proprietary Mtor Mechanic app, where pricing, availability, and fitment data are reliably just a click away,” the CEO stated.

He added that the funds raised would be used to further grow Mtor’s product suite, digitise local car workshops, and eliminate major inefficiencies in the automotive spare parts supply chain in Egypt and the region.

Founded in 2022 by Maged, Moaz El-Megharbel, Mohamed Altaf, and Khaled Kandil, Mtor provides a unified platform for local car workshops and on-demand automotive spare parts at reasonable prices.

It has delivered over 70,000 orders, partnering with over 2,500 car workshops in the greater Cairo area, according to the company’s profile on its website.