The biggest story on Egypt in the foreign press at the moment are reports that President Abdel Fattah El Sisi did not attend the Arab League Summit due to fears of an assassination attempt, a report denied by the president’s spokesperson Alaa Youssef to Daily News Egypt on Monday. According to unnamed sources speaking to AMAY and Youm7 on Monday, “A number of terrorist organizations” were allegedly behind an “elaborate” attempt to kill the president during his planned visit, adding that this wouldn’t be the first time extremist groups have plotted to assassinate the president. Youssef denied the news, telling Daily News Egypt on Monday that it simply was “not true.” El Sisi sent Prime Minister Sherif Ismail to the summit, which will kick off in Mauritania today, in his place.

Sputnik has picked up the story without the denial, while the Times of Israel and Scotland’s The National both say that Youssef initially declined to comment on the story. At time of dispatch, the Jerusalem Post appeared to be the only foreign publication carrying the spokesperson’s denial of the story.