News compiled by Miret el Naggar from daily newspapers.

Al Masry Al Yom: (independent daily new)

- Workers in a government-owned weaving factory entered their third day of strike and their first day of hunger strike in northern Egypt. The 3000 workers, who are now living in the streets of Al Mahalla city, are protesting against their low wages and for not receiving neither their monthly incentives nor their annual raises. Last December al Mahalla workers staged a similar strike that sparked demonstrations and strikes in factories across the country.

-Egypt's four major opposition parties met to discuss a reform memorandum that includes an initiative for a new constitution. Yehia al Gamal, a prominent Egyptian thinker and head of the Democratic Front party said this alliance between political parties is the only hope to boost Egypt's dormant political atmosphere.

-Gamal al Banna, an Egyptian a liberal Islamist thinker: "Our universities are no longer platforms, but cemeteries for ideas."

Al Ahram (Egypt's main official daily newspaper)

-Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboulgheit said Egypt refuses any interference in its internal affairs, and that he found U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice very understanding of this position. In his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Aboulgheit expressed Egypt's view that Israel must be more flexible in negotiations with the Palestinian side and provide a chance for relaunching the peace process.

Al Dustour (a daily opposition newspaper):

- Al Dustour's editor Ibrahim Eissa, accused of publishing false rumors likely to disturb public order might be tried by a state security court, meaning the verdict cannot be appealed. Human rights activists considered this move a further infringement of freedom of speech in Egypt. Eissa's trial is scheduled at the beginning of October.