Arabic press review: Hunger strikes continue in prisons across Egypt

Hunger strike in Egyptian prisons enters fourth month

Dozens of political prisoners in Egypt continued an open-ended hunger strike after inmates had been denied prison visits, Al Arabi al-Jadeed reported. 

The hunger strike entered its fourth month, with more than 50 detainees continuing the hunger strike, having been denied prison visits for the last three years by Egypt's prison authorities. 

Prominent hunger strikers who joined the protest in prisons and detention centres across Egypt include Ola al-Qardawi, the daughter of well-known Islamic Scholar Yousef al-Qardawi. 

Ola has been held in solitary confinement for two years since she was arrested in 2017. Hossam Khalaf, Ola's husband, was detained and held in solitary confinement, too, without an arrest or a search warrant. 

Aisha al-Shater, the daughter of Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shater, has also been on hunger strike since August in opposition to abuse faced inside the prison. 

Conflict inside Bashar al-Assad's inner circle

Bashar al-Assad's inner circle has been gripped with infighting after Russia requested billions of dollars from the Syrian government, sources in Damascus told Al-Quds al-Arabi.

The London based newspaper reported that Syrian businessman Rami Makhlouf, who controls most of Syria's economy, defied Bashar al-Assad's demand to give Russia billions of dollars. 

Makhlouf allegedly refused Assad's order after claiming it would be "impossible" to meet Russia's request in time for the deadline set by Moscow, and that it was too much, according to Al-Quds al-Araby's sources. 

Sources also added that Assad retaliated against Makhlouf's family by ordering the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism commission to investigate 29 Syrian businessmen, including Makhlouf.  

The businessmen had been allegedly put under house arrest in order to force them to pay the Syrian government a certain amount of money.

Yemeni journalist apologises to Qatar

Yemeni journalist and activist Nadwa al-Afandi apologised to Qatar on Twitter for attacking its royal family and the Gas-rich Kingdom's foreign policy. 

Afandi wrote on Twitter that she had "wronged" Qatar greatly after believing in propaganda put out by "Saudi and Emirati" media outlets. 

"Personally I have attacked Qatar a lot and for that, I am greatly sorry," Afandi said on Twitter.

"The apology comes after we found out the plot between the two brothers, Saudi and the UAE."

"Peace be upon Qatar. Peace be upon Tamim. We have wronged them greatly and believed the Saudi and Emirati propaganda. The truth has become clear to the Yemeni people."