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.

Egypt military rule may ban protests

Egypt's security forces are overseeing the final removal of anti-government protestors from Tahrir Square. Most of the protestors left the square over the weekend, believing President Hosni Mubarak's resignation will mean a clean slate for Egypt.

The country's new military rulers have said they will dissolve parliament and suspend the constitution. The military, who took-over after Mubarak stepped down on Friday, intends to remain in power for six months or until the next presidential election. Reports have also emerged that the military is going to ban public protests in order to maintain peace; however, many believe that this could incite unrest among Egyptians who may see it as an infringement of their new found freedom.

The whereabouts of Mubarak are still unclear, but it is believed that he is staying in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh. Some people have demanded that Mubarak stand trial for the death of all those killed during the 18 days of demonstrations. Mubarak's next move is unclear, but there is little doubt that the military faces a big challenge in trying to keep Egyptians content.

There have been reports of possible demonstration unless the demands of the people are met. Egypt's temporary Prime Minister, Ahmed Shafiq, said the country's main priority was to restore the Egypt's security. He noted: "Our main concern now as a cabinet is security - we need to bring back a sense of security to the Egyptian citizen…Parallel to that we also want to ensure that the daily life of all Egyptians goes back to normal and that basic needs like bread and healthcare are available."

Sources: BBC News, CNN, FT, Irish Times

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