- Magdy Mahmoud Mustafa el-Nashar, the biochemist suspected of masterminding the London terrorist bombings, has "denied having any connection” with them, says the New York Times.

Arrested in Cairo, Egypt, “he pointed out that all his belongings are in his apartment in Britain," the Interior Ministry statement is quoted as saying.

El-Nashar had left Britain for a "scholastic vacation that would last for a month and a half, and he intends to return to Britain to continue his studies," it says, adding:

“Three senior counterterrorism officials said questioning Nashar was crucial to the investigation, but they added that it was still too early to determine whether he had played any role in the plot.”

However, “Egyptian officials announced earlier today the 33 year old Magdy al-Nashar arrested for allegedly producing the bombs used in last week's explosions in British capital London, has no links with the terrorist organization al-Qaeda,” states Zaman Online, going on:

“Egyptian Interior Minister Habib al-Adli told the newspaper al-Cumhuriyya that all claims linking al-Nashar with al-Qaeda were baseless. Adli has also denied claims that British security units were present during al-Nashar's interrogation in Cairo.”

According to the BBC, Al-Ahram is reporting, "The family of Magdi al-Nashar has been in shock. Their humble home in Cairo's Al-Basatin district has been transformed into something that looks like a military barracks, surrounded by police and the media."

See:-
New York Times - Egyptian Arrested In London Inquiry, July 16, 2005
Zaman Online - Egypt: Al-Nashar not Linked to Al-Qaeda, July 16, 2005
BBC - Egyptian press jolted by biochemist's arrest, July 16, 2005