El Watan’s Mahmoud Khalil attacked Supply Minister Khalid Hanafy for allegedly staying in a luxury hotel at the ministry’s expense. He dismissed the denials by the ministry that Hanafy could afford his own room, stating that Hanafy ought to have given up some of his other ministerial privileges to save the government some money at a time when it is asking the people to tighten their belts. Elsewhere in the same newspaper’s pages, Moataz Bellah Abdel Fattah has appointed himself the financial guru of the average Egyptian, dolling out economic and investment advice on how to adapt to the tough economic times ahead.

The state’s policies are contradictory and encourage sectarianism, the Al Masry Al Youm columnist who writes under the pseudonym Newton says, criticising the amendments to a draft bill on the construction of churches. It is unbelievable that church building in Egypt is still restricted by a law from 1856, he says. Not one stone has been added to the wall of social solidarity since the days of Mohamed Ali Pacha, he concludes.

Farouk Goweda says the National Research Centre should play a role in pinpointing what can be done to reduce the recent spike in domestic violence in a piece for state-owned Al Ahram. Goweda says the role of family in society is weaker for a generation that is increasingly “lawless” and under pressure. A mixture of politics, sporting events the media promote violence, he says.