Egypt's Hosni Mubarak at parade after health rumours

Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, 82, attended an air force parade on Thursday, appearing in good health following talk suggesting he needed to travel abroad for more treatment, state television showed.

Live coverage showed Mubarak, who had gallbladder surgery in Germany in March, waving to crowds from his car before walking to the stand for VIPs and shaking hands with officials on the way.

Mubarak was attending a graduation ceremony of the 77th batch of air force students at the Air Force Academy in Sharqiyah province, north of Cairo. 

On Wednesday Egyptian officials denied Mubarak was in ill health, dismissing a Lebanese newspaper report that said he would travel abroad for treatment.   

Talk about Mubarak's health was sparked by decisions, twice in a row, to delay a meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lebanon's As-Safir newspaper had said this was because he would travel to Germany for treatment again.