It’s a reasonably quiet morning for Egypt in the international press, with coverage focused largely on the presidential election, where the Lawfare blog spoke for the hive mind with its headline that “Egypt finds a token candidate to run against Sisi.”

Dominating a narrative is a piece from Associated Press bureau chief Hamza Hendawi noting that “a coalition of eight Egyptian opposition parties and some 150 pro-democracy public figures on Tuesday called for a boycott of the March presidential election, calling it an ‘absurdity’ and comparing the government’s handling of the vote to that of ‘old and crude dictatorships.’” Hendawi’s piece is being widely picked up.

Also making headlines: US National Public Radio is noting that “Egypt’s president moves to curb opposition as election nears,” and Reuters is getting traction from a piece bylined simply “Reuters Staff” that declares “Egypt’s ex-army officers pose growing security threat.”

Also worth noting in brief:

• Profits at Egypt’s biggest lenders are on an upward trajectory, and economic forecasts suggest a healthy 2018, Danielle Myles writes for The Banker.
• The Los Angeles Times’ Travel section is out with a short piece promoting a 13-day tour and cruise of Egypt.
• As the presidential elections draw closer, “the more the pressure and threats increase against the president’s critics,” Zvi Bar’el writes for Haaretz.
• Renewable energy is allowing Egypt’s Oriental Trade Co. is to grow better-quality, environmentally-friendly pumpkins, which are becoming “a fast-growing crop for export,” according to Freshplaza.