Hosni Mubarak resigns as president - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Pro-democracy protesters in Tahrir Square have vowed to take the protests to a 'last and final stage' [AFP]

Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has resigned from his post, handing over power to the armed forces.

Omar Suleiman, the vice-president, announced in a televised address that the president was "waiving" his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the armed forces.

Suleiman's short statement was received with a roar of approval and by celebratory chanting and flag-waving from a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square, as well by pro-democracy campaigners who attended protests across the country on Friday.

The crowd in Tahrir chanted "We have brought down the regime", while many were seen crying, cheering and embracing one another.

Mohamed ElBaradei, an opposition leader, hailed the moment as being the "greatest day of my life", in comments to the Associated Press news agency.

"The country has been liberated after decades of repression,'' he said.

"Tonight, after all of these weeks of frustration, of violence, of intimidation ... today the people of Egypt undoubtedly [feel they] have been heard, not only by the president, but by people all around the world," our correspondent at Tahrir Square reported, following the announcement.

"The sense of euphoria is simply indescribable," our correspondent at Mubarak's Heliopolis presidential palace, where at least ten thousand pro-democracy activists had gathered, said.

"I have waited, I have worked all my adult life to see the power of the people come to the fore and show itself. I am speechless." Dina Magdi, a pro-democracy campaigner in Tahrir Square told Al Jazeera.

"The moment is not only about Mubarak stepping down, it is also about people's power to bring about the change that no-one ... thought possible."

In Alexandria, Egypt's second city, our correspondent described an "explosion of emotion". He said that hundreds of thousands were celebrating in the streets.

Pro-democracy activists in the Egyptian capital and elsewhere had earlier marched on presidential palaces, state television buildings and other government installations on Friday, the 18th consecutive day of protests.

Anger at state television

At the state television building earlier in the day, thousands had blocked people from entering or leaving, accusing the broadcaster of supporting the current government and of not truthfully reporting on the protests.

"The military has stood aside and people are flooding through [a gap where barbed wire has been moved aside]," Al Jazeera's correspondent at the state television building reported.

He said that "a lot of anger [was] generated" after Mubarak's speech last night, where he repeated his vow to complete his term as president.

'Gaining momentum'

Outside the palace in Heliopolis, where at least ten thousand protesters had gathered in Cairo, another Al Jazeera correspondent reported that there was a strong military presence, but that there was "no indication that the military want[ed] to crack down on protesters".

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She said that army officers had engaged in dialogue with protesters, and that remarks had been largely "friendly".

Tanks and military personnel had been deployed to bolster barricades around the palace.

Our correspondent said the crowd in Heliopolis was "gaining momentum by the moment", and that the crowd had gone into a frenzy when two helicopters were seen in the air around the palace grounds.

"By all accounts this is a highly civilised gathering. people are separated from the palace by merely a barbed wire ... but nobody has even attempted to cross that wire," she said.

As crowds grew outside the palace, Mubarak left Cairo on Friday for the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Shaikh, according to sources who spoke to Al Jazeera.

In Tahrir Square, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered, chanting slogans against Mubarak and calling for the military to join them in their demands.

Our correspondent at the square said the "masses" of pro-democracy campaigners there appeared to have "clear resolution" and "bigger resolve" to achieve their goals than ever before.

However, he also said that protesters were "confused by mixed messages" coming from the army, which has at times told them that their demands will be met, yet in communiques and other statements supported Mubarak's staying in power until at least September.

Army statement

In a statement read out on state television at midday on Friday, the military announced that it would lift a 30-year-old emergency law but only "as soon as the current circumstances end".

The military said it would also guarantee changes to the constitution as well as a free and fair election, and it called for normal business activity to resume.

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tahrir Square said people there were hugely disappointed with that army statement, and had vowed to take the protests to "a last and final stage".

"They're frustrated, they're angry, and they say protests need to go beyond Liberation [Tahrir] Square, to the doorstep of political institutions," she said.

Protest organisers have called for 20 million people to come out on "Farewell Friday" in a final attempt to force Mubarak to step down.

Alexandria protests

Hossam El Hamalawy, a pro-democracy organiser and member of the Socialist Studies Centre, said protesters were heading towards the presidential palace from multiple directions, calling on the army to side with them and remove Mubarak.

"People are extremely angry after yesterday's speech," he told Al Jazeera. "Anything can happen at the moment. There is self-restraint all over but at the same time I honestly can't tell you what the next step will be ... At this time, we don't trust them [the army commanders] at all."

An Al Jazeera reporter overlooking Tahrir said the side streets leading into the square were filling up with crowds.

"It's an incredible scene. From what I can judge, there are more people here today than yesterday night," she said.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters havehered in the port city of Alexandria [AFP]

"The military has not gone into the square except some top commanders, one asking people to go home ... I don't see any kind of tensions between the people and the army but all of this might change very soon if the army is seen as not being on the side of the people."

Hundreds of thousands were participating in Friday prayers outside a mosque in downtown Alexandria, Egypt's second biggest city.

Thousands of pro-democracy campaigners also gathered outside a presidential palace in Alexandria.

Egyptian television reported that large angry crowds were heading from Giza, adjacent to Cairo, towards Tahrir Square and some would march on the presidential palace.

Protests are also being held in the cities of Mansoura, Mahala, Tanta, Ismailia, and Suez, with thousands in attendance.

Violence was reported in the north Sinai town of el-Arish, where protesters attempted to storm a police station. At least one person was killed, and 20 wounded in that attack, our correspondent said.

Dismay at earlier statement

In a televised address to the nation on Thursday, Mubarak said he was handing "the functions of the president" to Vice-President Omar Suleiman. But the move means he retains his title of president.

Halfway through his much-awaited speech late at night, anticipation turned into anger among protesters camped in Tahrir Square who began taking off their shoes and waving them in the air.

Immediately after Mubarak's speech, Suleiman called on the protesters to "go home" and asked Egyptians to "unite and look to the future."

Union workers have joined the protests over the past few days, effectively crippling transportation and several industries, and dealing a sharper blow to Mubarak’s embattled regime.

How to Relieve Baby Teething Pain Naturally

Teething pain is one of the uncanny issues that almost every baby experiences during the initial years of his/her life. Needless to say, parents have to go through the emotional trauma as well in the process of helping their babies find relief from the pain and discomfort associated with the condition. Mild fever, excessive drooling, inflamed gums and diarrhea are few of the common symptoms associated with teething pain. Let’s have a look at the natural measures that parents can adapt to relieve their baby from teething pain.

Make use of a cold cloth

When you first see your baby in discomfort due to teething pain, you should take a wet and clean cloth and place it inside the freezer for a couple of minutes. After a couple of minutes, hand over the cool cloth to the baby so that it can suck it in order to find relief from the teething pain. The coldness of the cloth will alleviate the pain. Make sure to keep an eye on the baby during the process because the baby might attempt to eat the piece of cloth. You should be prepared to get rid of the cloth before the baby starts to dine on it.

Make use of cold food

One of the things that you need to consider over here is to feed the baby with cold food. A good idea would be to freeze a banana or carrot and offer it to the baby so that it can comfortably chew on it, and in the process be able to tackle teething pain.

Make use of gum massage

Gum massage can also prove to be useful over here. One should clean their hands and rub their finger along the gums by exerting little pressure on the affected gum. While using your fingers, ice or any other thing to ease the pain, make sure that the baby does not experience a choking sensation. You need to be extremely careful about the basic things.

Make use of toys

More than often, babies would need something to chew in order to tackle the pain. Sometimes, the counter pressure from biting can relieve the pressure from the gums, and thereby ease the pain. There are renowned companies that sell wonderful teething toys. These toys are available in different shape, sizes and color. The fact that these toys are specially formulated for babies troubled by teething pain, they do not pose any kind of health risk. One can make use of these teething toys to help the babies play naturally, and yet be able to find relief from teething pain.

Make use of clove oil

Parents and guardians have also found success with clove oil. To make the solution work, one simply needs to apply a diluted solution of clove oil on the affected gums. This will help the baby find relief from pain. Experts advise individuals to have a word with their physician before trying out this method to ensure that the clove oil does not upset the baby’s stomach.

We have all found ourselves without a refrigerator at some point or another – whether it's because we've been in a power cut, because we're moving home, because we're camping or due to a technical fault. Whatever the cause though, being unable to refrigerate our food can be a serious challenge when so many of our regular food items are prone to going off and becoming mouldy if they are not attended to.

Hopefully you won't be left in this situation too often, but here we will look at some ways that you can save your produce until a fridge is available. Read on...

Create a Cool Bag

Creating a cool bag is a great way to keep your produce fresh and is essentially a miniature (temporary) fridge. Simply take your foods and place this inside an insulated bag with some frozen ice packs. The ice packs will bring down the internal temperature which won't be able to escape due to the insulation (make sure it is well sealed). Now place the cool bag in the shade.

Use the Sink or Bath

Alternatively you can create a more effective version of the same thing by filling the sink with ice and water then taking a water tight bag and placing it in the ice and water. Unfortunately either this method or the cool bag method involve having to first chill an ice pack or make some ice. If you are unable to do so then ask to borrow someone else's fridge or freezer to do this. Failing that you may need another strategy. (Just filling the sink with cold water and then adding the waterproof bag may also work to an extent.)

Put Your Items Outside

If it's cold outside and certainly at night, placing your food somewhere cold can be a great way to keep it cooled. If you're concerned about it getting stolen then keep your food behind a gate or in your back garden, or alternatively try keeping it on a window sill that is a-jar.

Wrap in Foil

Failing this the best thing you can do is to wrap your produce in foil and keep it in a cool dark place (such as a bread bin or a wine cooler with the top sealed). This will help to keep out the air and any bacteria but will be only a temporary measure.

Air Tight Tupperware

An air-tight Tupperware can also be used much like foil to seal out air and bacteria.