埃及总统穆巴拉克辞职 民众欢呼

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has resigned after 18 days of constant protests by Egyptians calling for the end of his 30-year rule. Tens of thousands of cheering Egyptians took to the streets to celebrate the announcement Friday from Vice President Omar Suleiman, who said the president's powers had been handed over to the military. State television said the country will be given details later Friday about how the military will run the country. Word of Mr. Mubarak's resignation drew thunderous applause from crowds of anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation)) Square, where it is now nighttime. Many chanted and waved the Egyptian flag. 

Suleiman's brief announcement came after more than two weeks of daily anti-government protests. The vice president said Mr. Mubarak had taken into consideration the "difficult circumstances" that the country was going through. News organizations quoted officials as saying Mr. Mubarak had left the capital and traveled to his residence in the Red Sea resort Sharm El-Sheikh. 

Hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators had spread out across Cairo and other Egyptian cities Friday, after a speech Thursday night in which Mr. Mubarak said he was committed to staying in power until September.

Witnesses and a security official say at least one person was killed and 20 injured in clashes between police and demonstrators in the northern Sinai town of al-Arish. About 1,000 protesters attacked a police station in the city. Demonstrators also swarmed around the state radio and television building in Cairo and the presidential palace in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis. Anti-Mubarak demonstrators also massed at other locations, including Alexandria and outside of government buildings in Suez. 

埃及总统穆巴拉克在该国民众持续18天的抗议后辞职。抗议者呼吁结束穆巴拉克30年的统治。埃及副总统苏莱曼星期五宣布了这一消息。他说，总统职权已经移交给军方。数以万计的埃及人走上街头，庆祝这一消息。埃及国家电视台说，星期五晚些时候，埃及人将知道军方管理国家的细节。穆巴拉克辞职的消息引来开罗解放广场上众多反政府示威者雷鸣般的欢呼。那里现在已是晚上，许多人高呼口号，挥舞着埃及国旗。

苏莱曼发表这一简短声明前，埃及的反政府抗议活动已经持续了两个多星期。这位埃及副总统说，穆巴拉克考虑到埃及正在经历的“困难局势”。新闻机构援引官员们的话说，穆巴拉克已经离开埃及首都，抵达他在红海度假地沙姆沙伊赫的住宅。 　

穆巴拉克在星期四晚上的讲话中表示他将任职到九月。星期五，开罗和埃及其它城市遍布着数以十万计的反政府示威者。

目击者和安全官员说，在埃及北部的西奈城镇铝阿里什发生的警察与示威者的冲突中，至少有一人被杀，20人受伤。示威者冲击警察局。示威者还涌向埃及国家广播和电视大楼，以及开罗郊区赫利奥波利斯区的总统官邸。埃及其它地方也聚集了大批反穆巴拉克的示威者，其中包括亚历山大和苏伊士的政府大楼外面。