Egypt's attorney general forbids Mubarak from leaving country

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egypt's attorney general issued an order Monday freezing the assets of former President Hosni Mubarak and his family and prohibiting them from leaving the country.

Attorney General Abdel Maguid Mahmoud ordered the moves after Mustafa Bakri, a member of Egypt's parliament who lost his seat after filing corruption cases against various officials, provided documents indicating Mubarak's family has secret bank accounts totaling more than 200 million Egyptian pounds ($147 million), according to EgyNews.

"I submitted the corruption documents on Sunday night and on Monday morning I was called in by the public prosecutor for investigation, and he asked me to rush to his office." Bakri told CNN. "The attorney general, himself, went over the documents in my possession and then issued his orders to bar Mubarak and his family from travelling and to impound their assets."

Mahmoud ordered the freeze for property owned by Mubarak, his wife Suzanne, his two sons Alaa and Gamal Mubarak, and their wives and children, EgyNews reported. The seizures include "movable properties, real estate, stocks, bonds and various financial assets."

It wasn't immediately clear how the order differed from a similar one reported last week.

Mubarak, through his attorneys and in official filings, has described reports of immense wealth as "fabrications and baseless rumors."

But Bakri said the documents he provided to Mahmoud "are the first solid and concrete evidence on the fortune collected illegally by Mubarak and his family."

Mubarak, who resigned February 11 after 18 days of protest against his rule, is believed to be staying at his residence in Sharm el-Sheikh.

COMMENT: It is a good thing that Mubarak is prohibited to leave Egypt and all Egyptians must be happy with such decission because with him in the country it would be easier to make him pay for any crime or illegal act.

U.S. basketball stars to visit Britain

(CNN) -- America's bid to spread basketball's popularity will continue in the next two years, with Britain to stage men's NBA and women's WNBA pre-season matches along with Olympic build-up games for the U.S. international teams.

London has hosted NBA teams for the past few years, with this week's double-header between New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors the first during a regular season.

However, the focus will soon move north of the UK capital to Manchester.

The WNBA's Atlanta Dream will launch the series of matches later this year, when they face an as-yet-unknown opposition in an exhibition contest on May 29.

It will be only the second match outside of the U.S. in the WNBA's history, coming seven years after the first in Monterrey, Mexico.

The U.S. squads will head into the London 2012 Games as gold medallists after both men's and women's teams emerged victorious from the 2008 tournament in Beijing, China.

The opposition for next year's preparation matches, which could see basketball superstars such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James play at the 18,100-capacity Manchester Evening News Arena, have not yet been decided.

"It is a real 'who's who' of the basketball world. It will be fantastic preparation," NBA Europe senior vice president Sophie Goldschmidt told the UK Press Association on Monday.

"It will really tip off their 2012 campaign. Hopefully the people will really embrace them and support the team."

In 2013, Manchester will then become only the second British city to host an NBA pre-season match.

Atlanta Dream head coach Marynell Meadors, whose team reached the play-offs the last two seasons, is looking forward to the new experience.

"It will be terrific for us. This will be our second pre-season game and five days later we open our campaign," she said.

"It will prepare us for travel. It will prepare us for playing someone different. We will learn something from it."

Goldschmidt said the matches would help boost basketball in one of its developing countries.

"It is great to showcase our events, but it is about the legacy we will leave behind. With every event we bring there will be an integrated plan giving more young kids the chance to get involved in basketball," she said.

"We feel very positive about the future of the sport in Manchester and throughout the UK."

COMMENT: I think it is great that U.S. basketball stars visit other countries because in that way the promote the sport and motivate a lot of people to involve in basketball. It also allows people to get to see such amazing stars playing.

6.0-magnitude quake strikes Chile

(CNN) -- A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Chile on Sunday evening, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was centered 23 miles south of Concepcion in southern Chile.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake, which struck at a depth of 10 miles (16 kilometers), occurred on the one-year anniversary of an 8.8-magnitude temblor that killed 521 people and left thousands homeless in the South American nation.

COMMENT: It would be terribe for Chileans to have another earthquake since they are still recuperating from the terrible quake of last-year.