Topping coverage of Egypt in the international press this morning are wire pickups of the Alexandria train accident that killed 42. Start with coverage from the New York Times’ Declan Walsh. The incident has brought the spotlight back to Egypt’s sordid history with train deadly accidents. Publications have also been running social media reactions and images of the train crash.

A gold appears to be behind the most recent flare up between Sudan and Egypt over the Halayeb triangle, writes Keiichi Honma for Japan News. He points to the announcement by the Sisi administration of the existence of 18 high quality gold mines as causing a sense of consternation in Khartoum over Egyptian moves to develop the area. It is unlikely that Sudan could hope to gain something from the dispute as it lacks the political capital or will to press Egypt hard enough on its claim, which it has maintained since independence in 1956, says Honma.

Also worth noting in brief this morning:

• The Guardian’s Ruth Michaelson writes about population control and [redacted] education in Egypt
• Support for former Bibliotheca Alexandrina head Ismail Serageldin from the scientific community is being noted in Science Magazine.
• Colombian battalion attached to MFO in Sinai attacked by Daesh The troops are part of the Multinational Force and Observers and has apparently had frequent run-ins with militants, according to Colombian Army Maj. Alberto José Mejía Ferrero, Colombia Focus reports.
• Wilyat Sinai is looking to recruit from Gaza and other places. Alt-right outfit Breitbart says it has a Jihadi source with the scoop.
• You don’t have the luxury of being apolitical if you’re a writer hailing from one of this region’s “wounded” democracies, “such as Turkey, Egypt or Pakistan,” novelist Eli Shafak tells the FT in an in-depth interview (paywall).