Human rights is again leading the conversation on Egypt in the foreign press this morning, ending a quiet week for Egypt. Amnesty International called on the Egyptian government to investigate what it says was the forced disappearance of a family in Alexandria in 2019, the Associated Press reports. Meanwhile, the wife of detained Palestinian-Egyptian activist Ramy Shaath urged Egyptian authorities to release her husband in an interview with France 24.

Meanwhile, a decision to require Egyptians and foreigners who are financially capable to pay for their covid-19 vaccines is under fire from a group of medical professionals and activists, who are filing a lawsuit to “challenge” the fee, according to the Wall Street Journal. Health Minister Hala Zayed has said that the government will cover the cost of the jabs for those on welfare programs and others who prove they can’t afford the USD 12 fee. The 40 mn doses distributed via Covax will not be subject to fees, Cabinet spokesperson Nader Saad told the newspaper.

Also making headlines:

• Book review: Raphael McCormack’s “Midnight in Cairo” explores the “vibrant film, theater, music and cabaret scene” of 1920s Cairo, and tells the stories of female performers such as Mounira El Mahdeya and Rose Al Youssef who would soon be forgotten after the 1952 revolution. (Wall Street Journal)
• Egypt’s “Scorpion King”: Scorpion venom is being produced in a laboratory, named “Scorpion Kingdom,” in Egypt’s Western Desert and is sold at USD 7.55k per gram – which is equivalent to venom of 3,000-3,500 scorpions. (AFP)