Egypt court dissolves former ruling party

CAIRO: An Egyptian court on Saturday ordered the dissolution of the political party of former President Hosni Mubarak, one of the demands of the protesters who ended his 30-year rule.

The Higher Administrative Court in Cairo also ordered the liquidation of the assets of the National Democratic Party (NDP), with the funds to be returned to the state.

The NDP dominated Egyptian politics since it was set up by Mubarak's predecessor, Anwar el-Sadat, in 1978.

The party's headquarters were torched during the protests that led Mubarak to step down in February, and its supporters were blamed for some acts of thuggery during the demonstrations.