Airstrikes by the US, UK, and France against Syria dominated the debate on the airwaves last night.

Egyptian officials were not given prior notice of the strikes, according to Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who told Kol Youm’s Amr Adib that Cairo has always been against military escalation in Syria. Shoukry also said that Egypt has no confirmation that Bashar Al Assad’s regime was responsible for the chemical attack that prompted the strikes (watch, runtime: 9:58).

Egypt will not take sides, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid, who told Al Hayah Al Youm’s Khaled Abu Bakr that the government’s top priority will always be the welfare of the Syrian people (watch, runtime: 17:30).

The airstrikes were a military and political failure, Syrian MP Muhannad Al Haj told Masaa DMC’s Eman El Hosary, alleging that the US had notified Russia about the airstrikes ahead of time to avoid escalation between the superpowers (watch, runtime: 15:10). Amr Adib claimed the Syrian regime had evacuated the buildings hit by the strikes and demanded that the Arab League send a delegation to Syria to look into the alleged chemical attack (watch, runtime: 47:07).

It’s unlikely that the Arab League will come up with an appropriate response, said Hona Al Asema’s Lamees Al Hadidi, who described the airstrikes as “aggression” and an “insult” to Arabs, especially since it took place days before the Arab League Summit taking place in Saudi Arabia today (watch, runtime: 11:13). Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki told Lamees that while developments in Syria are on the agenda for the summit, which has already been set, Saturday’s airstrikes are not included. Foreign Minister Shoukry also told Adib as much on Kol Youm.

The Qatar rift is not (formally) on the agenda, as the issue was never actually tackled by the Arab League, Zaki told Lamees. Qatar’s permanent envoy to the League will represent Doha at the meetings, since Emir Tamim bin Hamad has decided to bow out, he added. Seventeen of 22 Arab leaders are expected to attend the summit in Dammam (watch, runtime: 6:44).

Vice Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait made an appearance on Al Hayah Al Youm to discuss the details of the FY2018-19 budget, which we cover in detail in the Speed Round (watch, runtime: 6:20). Maait said that Egypt’s population boom is one of the reasons behind soaring inflation (watch, runtime: 8:29). MPs Yasser Shabih and Mohammed Badrawy were also in the studio with Maait (Watch full discussion, runtime: 1:15:17).