Breaking news: Mubarak loses, Egypt wins: President bows to people

The people of Egypt heaved a sigh of relief on Friday evening after Hosni Mubarak made an unceremonious exit as President of the country following an unprecedented 30-year rule that fostered poverty, autocracy and largescale corruption in the later years. After a day of flip-flops with Mubarak making clear last night that he would only be separated from the soil of Egypt unless he was buried under it, the President finally bowed before the resolute will of the people who had kept the 82-year-old in power for over 30 years. Earlier in the day, the Army -- which has so far gone along with the mood -- endorsed Mubarak's latest strategy to hand over power gradually to the vice president. After hectic meetings with the defence minister, the Army guaranteed the people free and fair polls later in the year but said Mubarak would stay for now. This decision was met with frothing-in-the-mouth rage by protesters who choked Tahrir Square with their anger and later surged towards the presidential palace.