A supposed increase in the number of websites blocked by Egypt topped coverage of Omm El Donia in the foreign press this morning. Al Jazeera, itself among the banned websites, is noting a condemnation by the Index on Censorship, which called on Egypt to uphold its commitment to freedom of speech. The Committee to Protect Journalists put out a piece focusing on other alleged attempts to crack down on the media including phishing attacks, trolling, software to monitor social media posts, and a draft law that would require registration for social media users.

Also getting lots of digital ink this morning is the House debate over the handover of Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia. Lawyer Khaled Ali called President Abdel Fattah El Sisi a “traitor” at an opposition meeting on Sunday, prompting the Associated Press’ Hamza Hendawi to suggest Ali may face further legal action as a result. Meanwhile, Al Monitor’s Rania El Abd suggests that parliamentary approval is the final step in pushing the agreement through, despite legal obstacles in the courts.

Germany’s Press Agency, DPA, took advantage of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s visit to Berlin to ask whether he will be able to create the atmosphere for a fair poll in next year’s scheduled presidential elections. “The situation appears murky. The election is expected to be held in the spring, but its exact date is not known yet,” DPA says.

Also making the rounds this morning:

• Al Jazeera is the primary target of the Saudi-led Arab ban on Qatar, Erika Solomon says in a piece for the FT (paywall).
• A House of Representatives committee will be looking into a proposal that seeks to stop parents from giving their children western names, QZ says.
• Mohamed Nosseir says that rule of law is “Egypt’s gateway to progress” if the country manages to apply it “fairly and firmly” in his latest piece for Arab News.
• BBC takes a look at how women’s sanitary products “confuse and alarm security staff” in Egypt.