Egypt unrest: Mubarak's speech leaves nation, world wondering who's in charge
Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square erupt in anger after President Hosni Mubarak indicates he will not resign.
February 10th, 2011
11:22 PM ET

Egypt unrest: Mubarak's speech leaves nation, world wondering who's in charge

The latest developments, as confirmed by CNN, on the uprising in Egypt. Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Egypt's major cities to demand an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule, prompting the government to deploy the military to deal with civil unrest for the first time in a generation. Check out our full coverage and the latest tweets from CNN correspondents on the ground.

[Update 6:22 a.m. Friday in Cairo, 11:22 p.m. Thursday ET] More large anti-government protests are expected Friday in Cairo, Alexandria and elsewhere in Egypt, despite Mubarak's announcement late Thursday that he'd delegate his powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman.

[Update 6:20 a.m. Friday in Cairo, 11:20 p.m. Thursday ET] U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement late Thursday that the United Nations "stands ready to assist" in the process of ensuring "genuine and inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders" in order to expedite a "transparent, orderly and peaceful transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people."

[Update 4:29 a.m. in Cairo, 9:29 p.m. ET] - Following Mubarak's Thursday night speech, thousands of demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square have been showing their defiance to his rule by lying down on the streets and sidewalks under blankets for a massive "sleep in." On one wide sidewalk, about a hundred protesters lay next to each other under blankets.

Meanwhile, a group of volunteers were working early Friday to construct makeshift homes and buildings in the square, using plywood and wooden boards. They included shower stalls and bathrooms, activist Sharif Makawi said.

[Update 3:30 a.m. in Cairo, 8:30 p.m. ET] Long a pillar of Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule over Egypt, Omar Suleiman now sits at the top of the pyramid as its de facto president. Read more about Suleiman and his gradual rise to the top.

Brush up on Mubarak's speech here and find Suleiman's speech here.

Update 3:00 a.m. in Cairo, 8:00 p.m. ET] U.S. President Barack Obama urged the Egyptian government "to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language" the process that will lead to democracy.

"The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world," he said in a statement. "The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity."

Obama did not call on Mubarak to step down, but he did call for emergency law to be lifted while negotiations continue among the government, opposition parties and civil society on the country's future.

"As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy."

[Update 2:10 a.m. in Cairo, 7:10 p.m. ET] Disappointed. Angry. Frustrated. These are some of the words being used by CNN correspondents to describe the mood among protesters after President Mubarak's speech that designated Vice President Omar Suleiman the de-facto president of Egypt.

"He's playing the same old game. He hasn't done anything new," a protester told CNN's Fred Pleitgen. "Suleiman is the same as Mubarak. And we will keep coming out here each day until he's gone."

Read here for more crowd reaction, plus a roundup of expert opinion and reaction to the speeches, with a look at where the Egypt story goes from here.

[Update 1:56 a.m. in Cairo, 6:56 p.m. ET] An estimated crowd of 1,000 protesters are closing in on Egypt's presidential palace, where a heavy security presence is guarding the palace and several government buildings nearby.

[Update 1:29 a.m. in Cairo, 6:29 p.m. ET] But what about CIA Director Leon Panetta's statement to Congress earlier today that there is a "strong likelihood" that Mubarak might step down?

A U.S. intelligence official tells CNN’s Pam Benson that Panetta was referring to press reports.

"This is not an intelligence failure. The intelligence community has been tracking events in real time, and actions and decisions change in real time," the official said.

During the House Intelligence committee hearing this morning, Panetta responded to a question with this headline-making statement: "As you can see I got the same information you did, which is there is a strong likelihood that Mubarak may step down this evening, which would be significant in terms of where the hopefully orderly transition in Egypt takes place."

But about 45 minutes later in the hearing he walked it back when he said, "let me say, just to make very clear here, I received reports that possibly Mubarak might do that, we are continuing to monitor the situation, we have not gotten specific word that he would do that."

FULL POST

President Obama's statement on Egypt
February 10th, 2011
10:54 PM ET

President Obama's statement on Egypt

Following is the text of a statement released Thursday night by U.S. President Barack Obama on Egypt:

"The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.

"As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted. We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt's future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.

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The day's most popular stories
February 10th, 2011
10:42 PM ET

The day's most popular stories

The five most popular stories on CNN.com in the past 24 hours, according to NewsPulse:

Mubarak's speech enrages protesters: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak clung to his office but said he would "delegate powers" to Vice President Omar Suleiman according to the constitution - a major concession from the man who has ruled Egypt with an iron grip for 30 years. His speech, however, enraged protesters in Tahrir Square, who want Mubarak to leave now.

5 dead after homes leveled in Pennsylvania blast: The death toll in a suspected natural gas explosion that destroyed eight homes in Allentown, Pennsylvania, rose to five Thursday evening, authorities said. The victims include a 4-month-old and a 79-year-old.

Few customers line up for Verizon's iPhone: After years of anticipation, relatively few people waited in line Thursday morning to buy the new Verizon Wireless iPhone 4, according to anecdotal reports.

Man claims to be father of South Carolina baby left in toilet: A man who claims he is the father of a baby found in a South Carolina toilet said he doubts the explanations about why the recently arrested mother left the newborn in a commode.

House member resigns over 'profound mistakes': Republican Rep. Christopher Lee of New York resigned his House seat Wednesday after a report that the married congressman had tried to meet a woman on Craigslist.


Filed under: Most Popular
Arizona countersues feds over border security
February 10th, 2011
09:45 PM ET

Arizona countersues feds over border security

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she has "no other choice" than to sue the federal government for what she calls Washington's failure to secure her state's border and enforce immigration laws.

Brewer and Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne, who is taking the lead on the countersuit, announced the state's plans Thursday outside a federal court in Phoenix. Arizona's move is an attempt to strike back at the Obama administration for a lawsuit blocking parts of a controversial law Brewer signed in April. It authorized police to identify and help deport those suspected of being in the country illegally. The measure sparked protests in Arizona and around the country.

"(Arizona) did not want this fight," Brewer said. "But now that we are in it, Arizona will not rest until our border is secured."

Department of Homeland Security spokesman Matt Chandler called Arizona's court claim a "meritless" one that "does nothing to secure the border."

"Smart strategies, dedicated law enforcement personnel and strategic partnerships with state, local and tribal governments and agencies do," Chandler said. "Not only do actions like this ignore all of the statistical evidence, they also belittle the significant progress that our men and women in uniform have made to protect this border and the people who live alongside it."

While vocal opponents of the immigration law continued to chant and wave banners, Horne detailed the five-count suit that included claims the federal government failed to protect Arizona's borders from the "invasion of illegal aliens" and costs associated with "jailing criminal immigrants."

Brewer has promised only private funds will pay for the suit and launched www.KeepAZsafe.com to collect donations.

Fighting to hold back tears, Brewer thanked supporters, who she noted had offered prayers amidst personal attacks she said she has endured. But she bounced back, saying, "If you know one thing about Jan Brewer, you know that I’m not a quitter. Arizona is doing its duty."

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Filed under: Arizona • Courts • Immigration • Lawsuit
Crowd at Egypt's Tahrir Square outraged after Mubarak doesn't resign
Protesters in Tahrir Square roared with disapproval when President Hosni Mubarak did not announce his resignation.
February 10th, 2011
07:58 PM ET

Crowd at Egypt's Tahrir Square outraged after Mubarak doesn't resign

Thousands of people waved Egyptian flags and roared, "Get out! Get out!" in Cairo's Tahrir Square as President Hosni Mubarak said late Thursday he was delegating power to his vice president and made no mention of stepping down.

"I don't know if he has a brain or if his brain is elsewhere," one protester in the square said, expressing frustration that Mubarak appeared to be saying that he enjoyed support from most Egyptians.

Watching Mubarak's address on what appeared to be a sheet hoisted over the square, the crowd became angry as they heard Mubarak say he would "delegate powers" to Vice President Omar Suleiman but did not mention leaving office. They broke into cries of, "Illegitimate!" and "Mubarak the coward must stand down."



After the statement, parliamentary speaker Ahmed Fathi Srour told Nile TV that Mubarak's move had put the authority for the day-to-day running of the government in Suleiman's hands. That would include oversight of the police, the interior ministry and other key agencies, as well as control of economic policy and running any negotiations with opposition figures.

Srour added that the constitution specifically prohibits the president from delegating certain key powers to the vice president, including the power to dismiss parliament or dismiss the government and the power to ask for amendments to the constitution.

FULL STORY
Granddaughter wants share of Einstein estate profits
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem owns the rights to the likeness of German-born physicist Albert Einstein.
February 10th, 2011
07:54 PM ET

Granddaughter wants share of Einstein estate profits

Albert Einstein made many contributions to modern science, but it's the videos, bobblehead dolls and Halloween masks using his image that continue to generate millions of dollars long after his death. 

But his granddaughter, Evelyn, said she hasn't received a dime from the marketing and sales of Einstein merchandise, while others have profited.

"I'm outraged," said the younger Einstein, who says she is a 69-year-old cancer survivor and needs the money for health care. "It's hard for me to believe they would treat the family the way they have, which has been abysmally."

Her grandfather, the German-born physicist who formulated the general theory of relativity, bequeathed the literary rights for the more than 75,000 papers and other items in his estate to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem when he died in 1955.

The Israeli university owns the rights to his likeness, using a Los Angeles-based company called Greenlight, LLC to handle licensing for items such as Einstein apparel, mugs, puzzles, coins, posters and other collectibles.

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February 10th, 2011
06:46 PM ET

50 people in 50 days: Searching for a 9-year-old boy

Editor's note: Nancy Grace's new show on HLN, "Nancy Grace: America's Missing," is dedicated to finding 50 people in 50 days. As part of the effort, which relies heavily on audience participation, CNN.com's news blog This Just In will feature the stories of the missing.

This is the 19th case, and it aired Thursday night on HLN.

In June 1998, Scott Kleeschulte had just finished his last day of school in St. Charles, Missouri. The 9-year-old's family had plans for a dinner celebration. After getting off the bus, Scott headed home change clothes and planned to go to a friend's house to play.

Scott never showed up. A storm came through that afternoon. Scott was afraid of storms so his parents first thought he was at his friend's. It wasn't long before they realized the child had disappeared.


Filed under: 50 People in 50 Days • Crime • Missing Children • Missouri • TV-Nancy Grace
Zakaria: Mubarak 'baiting' protesters
February 10th, 2011
05:30 PM ET

Zakaria: Mubarak 'baiting' protesters

Egypt's Hosni Mubarak stubbornly clung to the presidency on Thursday, refusing in a highly anticipated speech to step down by saying he does not take orders from anyone outside Egypt. CNN's Fareed Zakaria says this move by Mubarak may be just trying to bait the protestors into more violence.

Watch more about what this might mean and read an edited transcript from Zakaria:

FULL POST


Filed under: Egypt
Sports update: Duke dominates at Tobacco Road
February 10th, 2011
12:17 PM ET

Sports update: Duke dominates at Tobacco Road

A Tobacco Road rumble ended in some very happy Cameron Crazies as the Duke Blue Devils beat the UNC Tar Heels, 79-73.

Down 14 points, the Blue Devils charged back in the second half, led by 34 points from senior Nolan Smith and a career-high 22 points courtesy of sophomore Seth Curry. As SI.com's Stew Mandel writes, Duke completely transitioned their sloppy first half into proof of why they hold the top spot in the ACC.

"After a halftime speech in which coach Mike Krzyzewski urged them to "settle down," Duke came out in the second half like an entirely different team," Mandel writes. "Twice in the first 2:40, Kyle Singler grabbed offensive rebounds off missed second free throws and kicked them out to the perimeter. Three-pointers by Smith and Curry made for a pair of four-point possessions. Duke just kept pounding the glass and grabbed nine offensive rebounds in the second half. The Blue Devils scored 10 points off turnovers after notching none in the first."

That is not to say, of course, that the Tar Heels stood idly by as the Blue Devils made their move. UNC's freshmen standouts Kendall Marshall and Harrison Barnes lit up the court with not only their defensive know-how and skillful offensive. Just one week after point guard Larry Drew abruptly left the team, the Heels held their own and forced their archrivals to step up their own game. Mandel explains:

"The Blue Devils didn't look so tough in the first half. With the help of North Carolina's upstart freshman point guard, Kendall Marshall, putting the ball in all the right places, Tar Heel big men Tyler Zeller and John Henson made mincemeat of Duke defenders Mason and Miles Plumlee and Ryan Kelly. In building a 43-29 halftime lead, UNC outrebounded Duke 27-18 and outscored the Devils 28-12 in the paint.

'We had to really face the facts and get real and know that we had to turn it around in the second half or we were going to get embarrassed out there,' said Curry."

Up tonight:
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics (8:00 p.m., ET) Ray Allen will get another shot at breaking the three-point record tonight when the Celtics take on rival Los Angeles.

UConn Huskies vs. St. John's (7:00 p.m., ET) Can St. John's pull off another remarkable upset tonight when they take on the Huskies at Madison Square Garden?

By The Numbers
26 - The blood letting continues as the Cavs notch their 26-straight loss - an NBA record.
$3.95 million - Amount of right-hander Shaun Marcum's one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.
12 - Number of races driver Danica Patrick will compete in during the 2011 Nationwide Series.

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Filed under: Basketball • College basketball • Sports
Man vs. computer: a gaming history
Will Watson win against its human competitors on 'Jeopardy!'?
February 10th, 2011
11:31 AM ET

Man vs. computer: a gaming history

In 1997, a computer named Deep Blue took a historic victory lap after checkmating world chess champion Garry Kasparov. The IBM computer, capable of processing 100 million board positions a second, was an instant superstar. The win made it less crazy to ask a tantalizing question: Could computers think on their own, and if so, what kind of actions were they capable of?

The word "think" is tricky. Next week, the computer known as Watson will try to beat two "Jeopardy!" champions. Watson is a whiz at math but not at language, so if it wins, a new kind of man vs. machine history will be made. It will show that a computer can dominate at a game that requires reasoning as well encyclopedic knowledge. You can watch Watson in action here.

Years before Kasparov was defeated, in June 1979, computer programmer and chess player Hans J. Berliner's backgammon-playing program beat world champion Luigi Villa 7-1. It is believed to be the first victory by a computer at a game based on strategy, chance and multiple optional positions. Berliner reportedly said that his program wasn't built to analyze millions of moves, like Deep Blue would later, but it computed the benefits and risks of moves.

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Gotta Watch: Pint-size pandas; Man vs. machine; Dying for life
The Chengdu Panda Base in China's Sichuan Province has more than 60 endangered pandas.
February 10th, 2011
11:15 AM ET

Gotta Watch: Pint-size pandas; Man vs. machine; Dying for life

Panda nursery school – What's cuter than babies? Did you say pandas? Well, what's cuter than pandas? Baby pandas! In China, seven baby pandas are at a special school where they will learn how to nurse from a bottle. Coaxing the babies to use a bottle is trickier than you might think, especially when hundreds of tourists are watching their every move.

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Filed under: Animals • China • Education • Environment • Gotta Watch • Health • Nature • South Korea • Travel • Uncategorized
Thursday's intriguing people
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott said he's "mad as hell" about his players' lack of effort.
February 10th, 2011
11:12 AM ET

Thursday's intriguing people

Byron Scott

The coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers is respected around the NBA, even though his team has become the definition of losing.

The Cavs extended their NBA-record losing streak to 26 games Wednesday night with a 103-94 loss to the Detroit Pistons. They joined the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team for the longest losing streak in professional sports history.

"That was probably the worst effort that we've had in a month," an obviously angry Scott said after the game in a video on NBA.com. "It's as simple as that. People didn't come ready to play, for whatever reason. Bottom line."

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Filed under: Basketball • Health • Indiana • Military • Most Intriguing People • NBA • Religion • Sports
One dead, five missing in Pennsylvania gas explosion
February 10th, 2011
10:10 AM ET

One dead, five missing in Pennsylvania gas explosion

At least one person is dead and five are missing after an explosion leveled several homes in Allentown, Pennsylvania, authorities said early Thursday morning.

Robert Scheirer, Allentown's fire chief, told American Morning’s Kiran Chetry that the fire is out, and gas lines in the area have been turned off. He said emergency responders consider this a recovery at this point.

“We believe it to be a natural gas explosion,†he told Chetry. “We don’t know if the leak was inside the home or out on the street. That all has to be investigated.â€

Scheirer also said about 500 people from Gross Towers were evacuated and taken to shelters in the city.

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Filed under: TV-American Morning
Thursday's live video events
February 10th, 2011
07:41 AM ET

Thursday's live video events

Watch CNN.com Live for continuing live coverage of the events unfolding in Egypt.

Ongoing coverage - Crisis in Egypt

9:00 am ET - CPAC 2011 - Conservative activists, elected officials and others gather for the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference.  Today's speakers include Rep. Michele Bachmann (9:15 am ET), Sen. Mitch McConnell (12:00 pm ET), Newt Gingrich (12:30 pm ET, pictured above), Rick Santorum (2:00 pm ET) and Sen. Rand Paul (3:45 pm ET).

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Filed under: On CNN.com today
4th endangered bird found shot to death
Whooping cranes follow an ultralight aircraft as they learn to migrate in 2001.
February 10th, 2011
07:33 AM ET

4th endangered bird found shot to death

Another endangered whooping crane has been found shot to death, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports.

The agency is offering a $6,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the death of a crane at Weiss Lake, Alabama, in late January.

The male whooping crane, designated 12-04, was equipped with a transmitter and leg bands to help track its movements. Raised in Wisconsin at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, whooping crane 12-04 learned how to migrate behind ultralight aircraft flown by Operation Migration.

"We are extremely disappointed by the killing of this whooping crane," Jim Gale, special agent in charge of law enforcement in the service's Southeast Region, said in a press release. "We recently lost three whooping cranes to gunfire in south Georgia, now this one in Alabama. This senseless killing has just got to stop."

Officials are offering $20,800 in rewards for information on the crane deaths in Georgia, which occurred in late December.

The cranes are part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership effort to reintroduce whooping cranes into the eastern United States. There are about 570 whooping cranes left in the world, 400 in the wild. There are about 100 cranes in the Eastern Migratory Population.

In addition to the Endangered Species Act, whooping cranes are protected by state laws and the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

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Filed under: Alabama • Animals • Crime • Environment • Georgia • Wisconsin
Two young children killed in Georgia
February 10th, 2011
01:11 AM ET

Two young children killed in Georgia

Two young siblings were killed and two other members of the same family injured Wednesday night during an attack at a home in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, authorities said.

Authorities were trying to determine late Wednesday the cause of the violence in Lawrenceville, a Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department spokesman said.

Two brothers, ages 1 and 4, were killed, CNN affiliate WGCL reported. A 4-year-old and an adult identified as the father were also injured, the affiliate said.

The adult escaped the attack and fled to a neighbor's house, the affiliate reported.

Two families lived in the home where the attack occurred, and the family that was attacked lived in the basement, police told the affiliate.

No suspects have been identified, the spokesman said.

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Filed under: Crime • Georgia