Hosni Mubarak resigns as President of Egypt; Anti-government protesters clash with police and pro-government protesters in Yemen
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  • Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned from his post on February 11, handing over power to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, on the 18th day of mass protests against him.1 This was announced by Vice-President Omar Suleiman in a short statement in which he said that, “In these difficult circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the position of the Presidency. He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state.”2 Protesters, earlier on the same day, had marched on presidential palaces, state television buildings and other government installations. Later, in a statement on the same day, the military announced that it would lift a 30-year-old emergency law but only "as soon as the current circumstances end." The military has assured that it would guarantee changes to the constitution as well as a free and fair election, and it called for normal business activity to resume.3 Later on February 13 the military announced that they have dissolved the parliament, suspended the constitution and would govern only for six months or until elections took place. In a statement, the Higher Military Council promised a referendum on constitutional amendments.4

    Meanwhile, thousands of protesters have come out to the streets of Yemen demanding political reform and the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Several thousand protesters, many of them are university students were stopped by the police when tried to reach the central square in the capital Sanaa on February 13. Pro-government protesters were also seen in the city centre, at some points facing off against the opposing demonstrators. On February 12, clashes broke out in Sanaa between groups supporting and opposing the government after men armed with knives and sticks forced around 300 anti-government protesters to end a rally.5

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