Egypt's 79-year-old President Hosni Mubarak called on his people in an interview published on Friday to ignore recent rumours of his ill-health, saying they were politically motivated. "These rumours do not interest me. I continue my work without paying attention to such rumours whose sources and goals we know," Mubarak told the state-owned Al-Ahram daily, calling on Egyptians to "ignore such talk."
"The illegitimate movements behind these recent rumours do not want stability for the people, and have no aim but to detract from the achievements of Egypt and its people," he said.
In the interview, Mubarak also defended Egypt's emergency law, which gives security forces broad powers to arrest and detain people without charge. The emergency law "is not being used for political purposes," he said, "but it applies to all those who threaten stability and the fight against terrorism and extremism."
