Egypt is still one of the world’s top jailers of journalists, says RSF

Leading the conversation on Egypt in the foreign press this morning is its standing as one of the world’s top jailers of journalists this year, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). According to the Paris-based organization, the number of detained journalists in Egypt, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey together account for more than half of those detained worldwide — a statistic that remains unchanged from 2017. Reuters, the Associated Press, and the LA Times have all taken note, with the latter delving into Egypt’s recent history of detentions during its clampdown on “fake news.”

On an otherwise slow day, Al Monitor says economists are worrying about Egypt’s rising debt levels as it takes on more development projects, some of which seem more focused on breaking records than spurring industrial development.