Egyptian President in Good Spirits in German Hospital

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is reportedly in good health and spirits at a Munich hospital where he's undergoing treatment for a slipped disc. Egyptian embassy spokesman Mahmoud Gaafar said the 76-year-old president was in excellent health, denying rumors that he was seriously ill. "If you listen to the rumors, you go nowhere," Gaafar told Reuters. "There are rumors everywhere. He's in good spirits. His health is good, it's excellent." German doctors postponed an operation Monday to see if they could treat the president without resorting to surgery. Mubarak, who has been in power in Egypt since 1981, has prompted rumors about his health since he unexpectedly delayed two meetings with important visitors this month. He also collapsed briefly during a speech in parliament last November. Officials blamed a combination of cold medication and fasting in the month of Ramadan. Doctors in Egypt had previously said the operation would involve inserting a microscopic endoscope in Mubarak's lower back to remove displaced cartilage.