In what must surely be the least credible news of the day, a senior official of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party 
announced that Hosni Mubarak will be the party's candidate in next year's presidential election. Another six-year-term would take the ailing leader up to the age of 89.

The official, Ali Eddin Helal, appeared to be trying to quash expectations that Mubarak's son, Gamal, will stand in his stead.

But Saif Eddin Abdel Fatah, a Cairo University professor quoted by al-Masry al-Youm, described this simply as a "pre-arranged political ploy". The paper continues:

He predicted that President Mubarak would make a last-minute announcement that he would not be able to run due to health concerns and that the NDP would then nominate its "non-military candidate," Gamal Mubarak.

"This ploy will present the opposition with a fait accompli," he said.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 22 October 2010.