Wire pickups of an Egyptian military court sentencing eight Daesh members to death for their involvement in terrorist attacks on security forces is topping coverage of Egypt on an otherwise quiet morning in the foreign press. Another 32 defendants were handed life sentences and two were sentenced to 15 years in prison. Two others were acquitted, according to the Associated Press. The verdict can be appealed.

Speaking of terrorist attacks: The Egyptian military’s anti-terror offensive in Sinai has significantly reduced the number of attacks in Egypt, but has otherwise failed to provide effective protection for Coptic Christians, Youssef Hamza writes for The National.

Elsewhere, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s comments on the recent “potato crisis” has been met with sharp criticism on social media, according to Reuters. Speaking at the World Youth Forum this week, the president had posed the (metaphorical) question of whether people want to build a worthwhile state or focus on eating potatoes. El Sisi’s comment “hit a nerve with Egyptians” who are struggling to cope with inflation, the newswire says.