Education Ministry Slams Rumors about Diab Death

Caretaker Education Minister Hassan Diab's office denied on Thursday that Diab had died in a car crash, calling on security agencies to punish the parties that spread the rumor.

“An unknown party sent short text messages on mobile phones claiming that MTV had broadcast the news about Education Minister Hassan Diab's death in a car crash,” his office said in a statement.

“The station's news (department) management confirmed to us that the story was fabricated and that it had not broadcast it,” it said.

The ministry urged “security agencies to pursue the parties that made up the story and punish them.”

“The minister is doing fine and … is practicing his work at the ministry as usual,” it added.