Hosni Mubarak detained in hospital

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has been placed under detention in his hospital room. His two sons, Gamal and Alaa, have also been detained and will be questioned in due course.

The news has been greeted with cheers by the opposition leaders responsible for brining down Mubarak's administration in February. Egypt's prosecutor general has detained the former president and his two sons, ahead of the impending investigation. Mubarak is reportedly suffering with heart problems and is in an "unstable condition".

The protests in Egypt have continued with tens of thousans of protesters staging weekly Friday demonstration in Tahrir Square. The Egyptian people are demanding that Mubarak be put on trial for the deaths of their fellow protesters and alleged abuse of power during his three decade reign.

It is estimated that around 360 people have been killed during the protests and hundreds more injured. Opposition within Egypt, however, is primarily concerted with the Mubarak family's wealth and how it was obtained. Experts claim that most of it was acquired through corrupt business dealings; others suggest that Gamal and Alaa, used their political clout to pressured domestic companies into giving them shares without paying the market price.

Some opposition groups have expressed suspicions over the timing of Mubarak's heart problems as initial reports indicated he was well enough to undergo questioning. The former Egyptian leader has rarely been seen since his departure in February, and has reportedly been staying at his holiday villa in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Boston Globe

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

Draft constitutional amendments and a travel ban on Mubarak

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has passed a draft of constitutional amendments to be approved by a national referendum. Under the proposed changes, the president would only be able to sever two four-year terms, not unlimited six year periods as it was under Hosni Mubarak.

The Council has requested that a panel of experts put forth prospective constitutional amendments to aid democratic reforms. The amendments suggested reinstating judicial oversight of the elections.

The changes are to be presented before a national referendum ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections, expected to be held in a matter of months. The amendments represent some of the demands made by the Egyptian opposition, including the limitation of presidential powers. The panel of experts have taken this into account by stipulating that a future president will be obligated to appoint a deputy.

Other changes would make it easier for individuals to run for presidency, and harder for the leader to maintain the state of emergency.

In other related news, Egypt's public prosecutor has issued a travel ban on Mubarak and his family. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said that the order also stipulated that all money and assets belonging to Mubarak and family are to be frozen.

Sources: BBC News, Bikya Masr , Aljazeera

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.