Mubarak Resigns, Delegates Affairs to Army
President Hosni Mubarak succumbed to the demands of hundreds of thousands of his countrymen Friday and resigned from office, bringing to an end three decades of autocratic rule.
The announcement was delivered by Egypt's vice president, Omar Suleiman, in a brief statement on state television. Mr. Mubarak delegated control of the country's affairs to Egypt's army, Mr. Suleiman said.
"Because of the current circumstances in the country the president, Hosni Mubarak, has decided to step down, and the higher command of the army is taking control of the country," he said.
The streets around central Cairo's Tahrir Square erupted in jubilation, as demonstrators pulled over people driving by to listen to their radios to get the news. People hugged each other tearfully outside the state television building.
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