Coverage of Egypt in the international press this morning is relatively light and neutral, ranging from the stupid (the notion of Egypt “charging” for Facebook use, courtesy the Independent) to the depressing (bread lines, from the always on-point Heba Saleh for the Financial Times).

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is “trying to neuter the courts, with the help of a pliant parliament,” The Economist writes. The newspaper says defenders of the Judicial Authorities Act argue that the government needs more power to fight terrorism and slow judicial proceedings hamper that. However, other motives could be “to block the promotion of judges who irritatingly rule against” the government, it says, pointing specifically to the likes of Yehia El Dakroury, who had been expected to become chief judge of the State Council in July, and ruled against the president’s handover of the Tiran and Sanafir Islands, as well as Anas Omara, who was next in line to lead the Court of Cassation and had revoked Ikhwan death sentences. The Economist says the Supreme Constitutional Court could reject the law altogether, “setting up a showdown with the president.”

Over at The Hill in Washington, the Middle East Forum’s Cliff Smith writes that the US mustback El Sisi, arguing that, “Egypt must be viewed through the lens of former U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick’s influential essay ‘Dictatorships and Double Standards.’ It boils down to this: when presented with the choice between a non-ideological authoritarian regime and totalitarian political ideological regime, choose the former. They are often better for America’s interests and, over time, are more likely to improve human rights and allow for democratic reforms.”

The counterpoint, in the form of This Week’s Most Insipid Hit Job on Egypt: “How Sisi could wreck the Egyptian economy,” which recycles the standard crowding-out of the private sector, brink of disaster verbiage. Would that someone took the time to write a meaningful critique of Egypt’s economic policy — there would be value in that.

Other coverage of Egypt in the international press worth noting in brief:

• The region would be in better shape if the United Arab Republic (UAR) could be re-established, Neil Clark writes for Sputnik, because “had the original UAR survived the Middle East would be a very different place today.” He says it could be formed initially between Egypt, Syria and Iraq, with other countries invited to affiliate.
• Robert Fisk thinks Egypt could turn into Iraq because, as he alleges, a “killer-militia” is being used in the fight against Daesh in Sinai.
• Security forces killed two suspected bomb-makers during a shootout yesterday, Reuters says. The two men allegedly made bombs for terrorist groups Hasm and Lewaa El Thawra.
• Mannequin manufacturers in Egypt have been struggling to continue practicing their craft since the EGP float, which pushed up the cost of imported raw materials used to make the shop dummies, Reuters says.
• Eman Ahmed left her hospital in Mumbai bound for Abu Dhabi, Reuters reports. Her doctor says the medical team brought her weight below 200 kg, from 500 kg, but she would need further surgery to walk again.