Human rights led the conversation on Egypt in the international press over the weekend: An Op Ed in Foreign Policy claims the Biden administration is turning a blind eye to Egypt’s human rights violations thanks to Egypt’s key role as a regional peace broker, a sentiment echoed by another piece in the Christian Science Monitor. Meanwhile, the Washington Post has an opinion piece written by former Islamist detainee Mohamed Soltan calling for Biden to get tougher on Egypt, and Human Rights Watch urges Egyptian authorities to commute death sentences against 12 Ikhwan members upheld last week for their involvement in the 2013 Rabaa sit-in.

Also getting attention:

• US cautions on climate: US Special Climate envoy John Kerry tells Quartz that he warned Egypt against investing too heavily in oil and gas during talks in Cairo last week.
• Testimony of a woman photographed without consent by an employee of Cairo International Airport has gone viral, reigniting the public debate on harassment and resulting in the employee’s dismissal and sentencing to three years in prison. (BBC)
• Souvenir makers are struggling amidst the pandemic, but creating new locally made items to sell to tourists when they come back. (AFP)
• MENA divas: Umm Kulthum, Fayrouz, Sabah and others are the focus of the “Divas” exhibition in Paris, hosted by the Institut du Monde Arabe to spotlight some of the most famous Arab singers between the 1920s and 1970s. (NYT)