Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was hosting a summit with the Palestinian and Jordanian leaders on Thursday as Arab foreign ministers mull whether to join a United States-sponsored peace conference next week. Mubarak met Jordan's King Abdullah II in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss preparations for the conference.
Egypt's ruling party gave ageing politician Safwat el-Sherif another term as party secretary general on Monday, ending speculation that President Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal might take that position. Sherif (73) has been near the top of the National Democratic Party (NDP) since its foundation in 1977 and has been secretary general since 2002.
Rights groups on Saturday accused Egypt of curbing press freedom after a Cairo court this week sentenced four editors each to one year in prison for criticising the president. "Egypt continues to imprison journalists and editors who publish stories critical of President Hosni Mubarak and other high officials," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
