Leading the conversation on Egypt in the international press this morning: Eleven troops were killed “foiling a terror attack” on a water-lifting station east of the Suez Canal, a statement by the Egyptian armed forces read. Five others were injured in the attack, it said, in what was one of the deadliest against the armed forces in recent years. The militants were currently being “pursued and besieged” in Sinai, according to the statement. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Cabinet, Al Azhar, and the Copitc Orthodox Church have all condemned the attack. The story made headlines in the Associated Press, Reuters, and The National.

Human rights is also topping headlines: The government’s recent decision to release prisoners to mark Sinai Liberation Day inspires different takes from Mirette Mabrouk, founding director of the Egypt program at the Middle East Institute, who speaks to NPR about the possibility of more political openness in Egypt, and Human Rights Watch, which warns that the move likely does not mark a “fundamental policy shift.” Meanwhile, Reuters covers the US State Department’s call for a “thorough, transparent and credible” investigation into the death of Egyptian economic researcher Ayman Hadhoud.

Also making headlines:

• When the Ramadan spirit turns EGP 10 into USD 1 mn in donations: Healthcare charity the Mersal Foundation raised around USD 1 mn in one day, after Vodafone Egypt promised to match donations when the charity’s auction of an EGP 10 unused top-up card went viral on social media. (BBC)
• President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s recent speech on the state’s response to the economic repercussions of war in Ukraine is still getting international attention. (The Africa Report)
• El Ikhtiyar gets ink in the Economist, having earlier gotten a longer take in the New York Times.