US company to produce docuseries on planned excavation of Valley of the Kings: California-based film production company Storied Media Group will produce a docuseries on a planned large-scale archaeological excavation project at Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, according to Realscreen. The excavation, which will be led by none other than Zahi Hawass, is set to kick off in September and will focus largely on the area of the valley near King Tut and King Merenptah’s tombs. The team of archaeologists will also attempt to find several missing royal tombs during the excavation, according to Hawass.

Other headlines worth noting in brief:

• The government in New Zealand extended the mandate of its peacekeeping mission to Egypt by three months, but has yet to make a decision on its long-term involvement in the Middle East, according to SBS News.
• The family of imprisoned photojournalist Shawkan talk to the LA Times’ Salma Islam about his uncertain fate ahead of a possible verdict this week.