Egyptian dissidents abroad have told Middle East Eye they are being denied the right to renew their passports and identity documents as a means of pressuring them to return home to Egypt.

In 2017, the well-known Egyptian journalist Hosam Yahia, then based in Qatar, tried to renew his passport a year before it expired. The Egyptian embassy in Doha gave him a one-year renewal instead of the standard seven years, which surprised him.

Archaeologists have unearthed several pieces of statues of ancient Egyptian royalty at a temple near Cairo, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Monday.

Among them are parts of a statue of the Pharaoh Ramses II, Egypt’s most powerful and celebrated ruler, who reigned more than 3,000 years ago.

The discoveries also include statues of Ramses IX, Horemheb, and Psamtik II, who reigned from 1126-1108 BC, 1323-1295 BC, and 595-589 BC, respectively.

Egypt may withdraw from technical talks in the UAE regarding the operation of Ethiopia's controversial Great Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River, sources have revealed.

A former member of parliament died in an Egyptian prison on Monday in the third death in less than 48 hours and the eighth this year, a rights group told Middle East Eye.