Egypt court begins retrial of Mubarak in corruption case begins

CAIRO: An Egyptian court began a retrial on Saturday of former President Hosni Mubarak and his sons for allegedly diverting public funds earmarked for the renovation of presidential palaces to upgrade family properties.
Mubarak, 86, toppled in a 2011 popular uprising, was sentenced to three years in prison last May and his two sons were given four-year jail terms in the same case.
In January, Egypt’s high court overturned the conviction against Mubarak. His two sons were also freed pending retrial. Egyptian state television aired brief footage of Mubarak and his sons inside a courtroom in the Police Academy. The case was adjourned to April 29.
In November, a court dropped charges against Mubarak.

48 to be tried for killing journalist, civilians
Egypt on Saturday referred to trial 48 suspects accused of shooting dead a journalist, a boy and a Christian woman during clashes last year between protesters and police.
Mayada Ashraf, who worked for privately owned Al-Dustour newspaper, was shot in the head while she was covering clashes in Cairo last year.
A Coptic Christian woman and a 13 year-old boy were also killed in the unrest. The state prosecutor ordered the trial of 48 people in connection with the deaths of Ashraf and the two other civilians. A statement said they were all members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The defendants face several charges, including premeditated murder and membership in “an armed wing of the terrorist Brotherhood aimed at targeting media personnel,” the statement added.