In the former Soviet Union, when officials thought a citizen was stirring up trouble, they simply shipped him off to the Gulag. Today, authoritarian leaders have become more subtle about reining in those who would challenge the government – especially nongovernmental organizations promoting democracy and greater civil rights.

Egypt is seeking global public affairs support as the international community responds to violence plaguing the nation. The government -- currently led by military-backed interim president Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi -- is in talks with a handful of firms that have strong public-affairs capabilities in the U.S. and Europe, and has issued at least one global RFP out of London, according to people familiar with the matter.

From cookies to burgers to dates, it’s been gimmicks galore for Egyptians incessantly searching for new ways to shower their army leader with compliments. Egypt’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has emerged as one of the most powerful people in the country after he deposed Islamist President Mohammad Mursi on July 3, sparking nationalist fervor and widespread resentment of the Islamists.

Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism is taking steps to promote the tourism sector both domestically and internationally, said Mahmoud Shukri of the ministry’s tourism promotion office. The ministry has partnered with Ministry of Civil Aviation affiliates such as Egypt Air, Egypt Express and Smart Air to offer special discounts to stimulate domestic tourism, he said.

Since the military ouster of Muslim Brotherhood-backed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on July 3, Egypt has been in turmoil. The country is operating under emergency law, and a strict curfew is enforced from 6 AM to 9 PM, except on Fridays when civilians must be indoors by 7 PM. Over 1,000 civilians died last month during the bloody standoff between the Egyptian Army and Muslim Brotherhood members. These dangerous and violent battles pushed revolutionary youth off the streets—the original organizers who fought for democracy since January 25, 2011.

Egyptian authorities have freed a four-member team of Al Jazeera journalists after holding them in detention for five days without charge. Correspondent Wayne Hay, cameraman Adil Bradlow and producers Russ Finn and Mohammed Baher were freed on Sunday afternoon. They were arrested on Tuesday while covering events in Cairo. Three other Al Jazeera journalists are still being held in Egypt: Shihab Elddin Shaarawi, an executive producer with Al Jazeera Mubasher, was arrested on Friday morning.

Someone in Egypt thought a swan was a spy, but it turns out they were wrong. Shockingly, the beautiful bird wasn't an undercover agent looking to gather information from the skies. The Associated Press reports Egyptian authorities in Qena, more than 250 miles outside of Cairo, recently detained a swan after a citizen accused it of being a spy because the bird had an electronic device on its leg. The electronic device "likely could be a wildlife tracker," the AP notes.

Egypt's interim government called an Al-Jazeera local affiliate that broadcasts in Arabic a national threat Thursday, moving closer to banning its broadcasts beamed from Qatar after the affiliate aired recordings of declarations by fugitive leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Qatar-based television network said four journalists working for its English service were arrested in Cairo.