Egypt in the News on 18 February 2020

This morning in the foreign press: Egyptian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into Patrick Zaky, an Egyptian researcher who was detained earlier this month on charges of inciting against the state, Reuters reports. The public prosecutor’s office is now investigating the graduate student for allegedly “broadcasting false news aimed at disrupting security and social peace and for using the internet to disrupt public order and endanger society,” it said in a statement.

Egypt has struggled to contain the rapid growth of its population due to governance shortcomings and lack of a clear family planning strategy, Timothy Kaldas writes for Bloomberg Opinion.

Also getting traction in the foreign press:

• Gold mining tender gets coverage: Bloomberg picked up last week’s news that the government is planning to launch a gold exploration tender in March.
• Dar Al-Ifta telling Egyptians to stop watching Turkish TV dramas due to national security concerns is raising eyebrows, according to Al Monitor.