Egypt evicts neighbors of the pharaohs

GURNA, Egypt -- The Egyptian authorities have evicted hundreds of peasants from this village in southern Egypt because their mud-brick houses, which have sat atop some of the world's most treasured and ancient tombs for centuries, were leaking sewage onto priceless antiquities.

The families have been resettled in a nearby planned community with running water and telephones. But 80 families are holding out, saying they want more from a government so far reluctant to use brute force.

The Gurna standoff near the famed Valley of the Kings illustrates the challenges facing an authoritarian government...