Egypt Warning, Chiefs Repeat, and Secret Spaceplanes

Egypt Warns Israel

Egyptian officials threatened yesterday to suspend its peace treaty with Israel should the country's forces advance into the border city of Rafah. The warning comes as Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated plans to move into the city, saying evacuation routes were being established for civilians. 

An estimated 1.5 million people—roughly 65% of Gaza's population—has sheltered near Rafah (see overview), having been displaced by Israel's north-to-south operation. It is also home to the main border checkpoint for delivering aid into the territory, which officials say is at risk of acute famine.

The Egypt-Israel treaty stretches back to the 1978 Camp David Accords (see history), which established the first formal peaceful relationship between Israel and an Arab neighbor. 

Separately, Israel revealed a network of tunnels discovered in Gaza City underneath the headquarters for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Palestine. The agency had come under recent criticism after allegations a dozen of its employees participated in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack in Israel. 

Late yesterday, Israel announced they had rescued two hostages from captivity in an overnight operation. See updates on the war here.

Chiefs' Dynasty Rolls On

The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII last night, beating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in a dramatic overtime finish. It marked just the second overtime game in Super Bowl history and the first time a team has won back-to-back titles since the New England Patriots in 2003-04. 

Both teams' field goal kickers were showcased throughout the night. Combining for seven field goals, 49ers kicker Jake Moody made the longest kick in Super Bowl history at 55 yards—only to be outdone by the Chiefs' Harrison Butker, who drilled a 57-yarder in the third quarter. 

The victory is the Chiefs' fourth championship in franchise history and their third in the past five years. Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns, en route to being named Super Bowl MVP (his third time winning the award). Watch the winning play here.

Skipped the on-the-field action? See the best (and the worst) commercials here.

Michael Jackson's Music 

Sony Music Group has reportedly bought half of the late Michael Jackson's recording and publishing rights for $600M after a year of negotiations. The deal, if finalized, values the iconic pop artist's music catalog at $1.2B, the richest to date. 

Classic music catalogs are increasingly viewed as safe long-term assets able to withstand economic upheaval. Investors in recording rights earn royalties every time a track is bought or streamed, while publishing rights holders can license the music for use in film, TV, ads, and more. A growing number of artists have sold part or all of their catalogs in recent years to simplify their estate planning, realize tax benefits, or cash-in amid uncertainty over their legacy, from Bruce Springsteen to Katy Perry (see list).

Jackson was a pioneer in investing in music catalogs, having famously outbid Paul McCartney for the rights to the Beatles' music in 1985, a move which reportedly significantly strained their relationship. 

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