Hosni Mubarak steps down finally

Rania

Cairo, Feb 11 (PTI) Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egyptwith an iron hand for over three decades, stepped down asPresident today and handed over power to the army capitulatingunder mass protests sweeping the country''s streets for thelast 18 days.

President Hosni Mubarak resigned and handed over powerto the military, announced the recently appointed vicepresident Omar Sulaiman on state television.

Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the anti-governmentprotests, erupted in joy with tens of thousands of peopleshouting ''Egypt is Free".

The end of a despotic regime in most populous Arabnation came one week after the protesters set a deadline of''Departure Friday'' for 82-year- old Mubarak to step down asPresident. (More) PTI SAZ ETB AKJ GSN VSC