Egypt 'should not be a theocratic state'
The finance minister in the new Egyptian government formed by President Hosni Mubarak has told the BBC that the vice-president, Omar Suleiman, is due to hold talks with some opposition leaders.
Earlier, the biggest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, issued a statement saying it would be willing to take part in talks with the government - but it continued to insist that Mr Mubarak must resign immediately.
Dr Ibrahim Kamel, a senior member of President Mubarak's National Democratic Party, told Newshour that his party was open to negotiations with members of the opposition - but there was an immediate legal problem with the Muslim Brotherhood.
