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>> and now, "bbc world news." >> after a day of violence, street protests, egypt's president hosni mubarak sacks his government and says he'll introduce reforms. >> i have asked the government to tender its resignation today. as of tomorrow, i shall give the new government clear and particular tasks to deal with the problems of the current situation. >> thousands of protesters continued to demonstrate in cities across egypt, defying a nighttime curfew. barack obama calls for restraints and urges president mubarak to stand by his pledges for reform. >> he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise.

>> hello and welcome to "bbc news." we're broadcasting to our viewers on pbs in america and also around the globe. egypt's president mubarak has spoken publicly for the first time since protests against his leadership began. in a televised address he said he'd asked his cabinet to resign and promised to move forward but gave no hint about his own resignation. >> whooped today and in the past few days -- what happened today and in the past few days created fear in the hearts and the people of egypt and opened the

door for more chaos and i bear my responsibility to protect the security of egypt and its citizens. i will not allow that to happen. i will not allow fear to overcome the people and for this uncertainty to overshadow our few -- future. i have asked the government to tender its resignation today. as for tomorrow, i shall give the government clear and particular tasks to deal decisively with the problems of the current situation. i say once more that i shall not stop or refrain in taking any measures that will guarantee every egyptian man and woman their security and safety. i shall defend egypt's security and stability. this is the responsibility and the pledge that i have sworn before god and the nation to protect. >> well, as we've been hearing, president mubarak has said he wants to bring in reforms.

to these protesters in cairo, what he promised was clearly not enough. >> it was never the government. it was you who has to go. you've done enough to the people. what crime did they commit? >> the problem is he's a corrupt president and had a corrupt government. if he brings in a new government it will also be corrupt. >> the view of some of the protesters in criero. president obama spoke by president mubarak by telephone after mubarak's address earlier and told him he must give meaning to his pledges to provide better economic opportunities to his people. he warned the president not to use violence against peaceful protesters. >> ultimately the future of egypt will be determined by the egyptian people and i believe the egyptian people want the same things that we all want --

a better life for ourselves and our children and a government that is fair and just and responsive. put simply, the egyptian people want a future that befits the heirs to a great and ancient civilization. the united states will always be a partner to that pursuit and already help the egyptian people to achieve it. around the world, governments have an obligation to respond to their citizens. that's true here in the united states, that's true in asia, it is true in europe, it is true in africa and it is certainly true in the arab world, where a new generation of citizens has the right to be heard. when i was in cairo shortly after i was elected president, i said that all governments must maintain power through consent, not coercion. that is the single standard by which the people of egypt will

achieve the future they deserve. surely there will be difficult days to come, but the united states will continue to stand up for the rights of the egyptian people and work with their government in pursuit of a future that is more just, more free, and more hopeful. thank you very much. >> president obama speaking a little earlier in a televised address at the white house. the bbc's reporter is in washington. he gave me more details about the white house's view of the ongoing events. >> remember, the egyptian government gets around about $1.5 billion every year from the u.s. government in aid, predominantly military aid. we heard that there'd been a review of that aid in a press briefing this afternoon. it's interesting how quickly things changed from then on. later on we had that address

from president mubarak on egyptian television and shortly after that address by president obama, and really changing the language from the white house today. earlier in the week i think the white house was calling for reform. today i think they were more demanding reform. >> the u.s., of course, has a close relationship with egypt. it's the, if you like, the crucial arabally in the region. it won't want to jep daze -- jeopardize that, will it? >> no, the question is what's next? for the united states, they have had a key alley over the last 30 years -- ally over the years while president mubarek has been in charge. it's that dilemma, on with one

hand to push forward for reforms, on the other hand not wanting a videocassette qume created if -- wanting a vacuum created if mube bark's government was to go. he wants better spans of human rights, allowing people on the streets, switching the internet back on, but at the same time still saying he'll work with hosni mubarak's regime jet stream. >> so essentially president obama is giving president mubarak more time? >> yes, i think over the coming days, the white house will be watching closely on how these reforms are implemented. what shape the new government takes, whether there is restraint shown on the streets toward protesters, but the key

question is how protesters react tomorrow in jifment. will we see them back on the streets after that address by hosni mubarak or will we see a sort of calming down? and obviously the white house's position will sort of reflect that. >> our washington correspondent streaking -- speaking to me earlier. so president mubarak is speaking his biggest ever challenge. protesters have been flouting a nighttime -- nighttime occur few. several people are reported dead with hundreds injured and buildings have been burning in the capital. jeremy in cairo looks back on the day's event. >> by the evening. the square was in the hands of the demonstrators. they were using the word

"revolution." on the far side of the crowd they were still taking on the retreating police. >> we're going to do everything. we're going to american. >> the government has declared a curfew but it is being ignored by tense of thousands of people, sick of 30 years of president mubarak's world. >> we are tired. we are tired. >> the headquarters of the ruling party are on fire. this started as a protest led by the middle class, including many young students. but tonight, cairo's poor are on the streets. this is the main mosque in geesea, a cairo suburb, just before midday. everyone knew that when the prayer finished, it would begin. for both sides, the authorities and the demonstrators, the day

was always going to be a big test, perhaps even a turning point. that's why they fought so hard. >> at the moment the police do not have this demonstration understood control. >> with the wounded inside the mosque was the would-be president. >> we expect from the outside world to, practice what they preach, to defend the rights of the egyptians for freedom, dignity, social justice -- >> but on the streets, his nobel peace prize may not help him win the leadership he wants, where for a while in the early afternoon it looked as if police were gaining the upper hand. this is the main bridge down to the square, a central rallying

point in the middle of the city, and it is blocked by hundreds of riot police with riot shields. many over there. it's a mass of security operation. they've essentially taken control of this part of the city and it's impossible to get on film. the trouble spread across cairo. the pressure of numbers was scant, and in front to have crowd the police -- constant, and in front to have crowd, the police began to fall back. they are inspired by tunisha, where two weeks ago the people's anger overthrew an authoritarian long-serving president. egypt is the region's traditional leader. the fear is that this will

inspire others across the middle east. >> we're trying to show that we're human beings and they need to value us as human beings. >> do you think it's going to work? >> yes, i hope so. it's what my people and i face. >> the police shot back with shotguns firing bursts of metal pellets. >> this is a democracy. >> but by late afternoon, the police were retreating on all sides. slowly, violently, the crowd forced its way across the bridge. >> that report from cairo. you're watching "bbc news." still ahead, more on the ongoing crisis in egypt and how social media has helped the protesters get their message out.

the middle east envoy and former british prime minister tony blair has been giving his reaction to the protests in egypt. he's in the swiss ski resort of davos for the economic forum. he spoke to my colleague earlier. >> what is important for all of these countries, especially when, in any event egypt there will be change in time to come and change in other parts and other countries in that region. what's important is that it happens in a way where the country ends up in a better place. not sometimes as easy as it sounds. >> can you think of a model where something like this has happened and has been managed without ultimately blood shed and the rather difficult removal of those in power. >> i think any of our countries in the end underwent a protestive change over a period of time. you can look at examples in

europe but it's important that it happens in a way that recognizes there are a lot of different elements in this situation. i deal with these leaders day in and day out and frank liam focused on the israel-palestinian question but there's no doubt what is going on in the middle east as a whole and has been for years and i've been saying this for years. there is a process of transition and the question is where is it transited to? i hope and believe if that's managed appropriately it will transit to a better place economically and socially for these countries. >> many people in egypt have been spend -- sending their personal accounts of what's happening to the "bbc news" websites. looks like at some. she says i'm bare indicated -- barricaded in my home, afraid to move out but tear gas has reached her home. another says egypt is understood

siege. a flavor of some of the messages we've received. hello again. this is "bbc news." our headline at this hour, president mubarak of egypt has sacked his government and says he'll entrust social, dema dramatic and economic reforms in response to have protests which are -- which have swept the country. demon frustrations have continued -- demonstrationings have continued into the night. the violence in egypt hasn't been confined to the capital in. alexandria, police trucks were set on fire. some of the worst violence was in suez, where we have this report. >> from a rooftop in central suez, we watched as hundreds of men left friday prayers in the

white mosque opposite. defying the government they went straight to the street, surging forward and surrounding the riot police. down with mubarak, they shouted. down with the regime. at first the police did nothing to stop them, but as the crowd swelled, the mood changed. it's not clear what set this off, but the crowd's response was immediate and violent. the mob tries to overturn one of the police riot advance. minutes later, it's aflame. >> the egyptian government has done everything it can to try and stop these prozests -- protests. the internet has been cut off across the country and in the state-run mosques, the i ma'ams have been telling their members not to go to the streets.

now it's a full blown confrontation. >> the center of the town is now in utter chaos. the mob fleece gunfire but are not deterred for long. two men try to tear down a poster of president mubarak then they change their mind and set it on fire instead. for egyptians, this is a shockingñ image. but by now the population have been overrun. it burns, obscured by smoke. the man on the back of the motor trike has a police riot gun. others we saw had taken automatic weapons. curfew has been declared in suez tonight, but right now no one, certainly not the police, is in control of this city. >> a diplomatic correspondent

james robbins takes a closer look at what's behind the protest. >> protesters in egypt and across the arab world are mainly young and have powerful peaceful weapons in their hands, cameras in their mobile phones, as the images flash around the internet, bringing others onto the street. it means the vast egyptian security apparatus is almost powerless to prevent the spread of potent images like, this of president mubarak being torn down. >> today every protester is a journalist straight from the field from where the action is going and taking place with no censorship. traditionally they can't compete with that. they can't keep up with such coverage. >> which explains why, after remarkable pictures of defiance

like this one got out, the egyptian regime has simile shut down modern communications, including mobile networks, all to try to protect the old order. look at this chart of egypt internet use age over a 24-hour period. it shows the flow in megabites per second climbing until a government shutdown sent suspects crashing. >> what do the crowds on the streets want? they accuse the government of neglecting rampant poverty and employment and rapidly rising food prices. they blame that on corruption and suppression of political opposition. above all, the crowds want freedom, democracy and an end of rule by one man, president hosni mubarak.

this is personal protest at him. now, very pointedly, president obama has been using youtube to send him this message -- >> violence is not the answer in soveplg these problems in egypt so the government has to be careful about not resorting to violence and the people on the streets have to be careful about not resorting to violence and i think it is very important that people have mechanisms in order to express legitimate grievances. >> for now the only way ordinary egyptians think they can show their grievance social security on the street, with all the risk that carries. >> it was just two weeks ago when the world sat up and took notice of events in tunisha, where protests brought down an unpopular authoritarian regime -- regime. other leaders in theto worry.

we have a report from tunis on the descent across the nature. >> in tunisha had a wave of protests two weeks ago it was only a matter of time before other arab countries followed. but no one expected it to be so soon. jordan was among the first to feel the ripples. it has culminated in a full-blown confrontation between president mubarak and people across the region. egypt, yemen and jordan have a youth bulge. the economies weren't -- aren't growing fast enough to create jobs. the result is hundreds of thousands of graduates every year without work.

freedom of lack of expression is another point of comparison. while some have tolerated an internal agree of descent, freedom of expression in these countries is detailed, one that poses a serious threat to the regime. tunisha has unleashed a political tsunami. it's richles are still being felt right -- right across the arab world. >> while developments in egypt are being watched particularly closely in washington, it's a sticky situation for the white house. egypt is a key ally. the bbc's andrea north has more on the by lomatic stakes. >> calls for the egyptian leader to go have come to president

obama's doorstep, keeping on the pressure for the u.s. administration to back the protests. >> i want president obama to pick up the phone and tell president mubarak to leave now. >> we are here to say to mubarak, five hours, you have to go. game over. >> the white house has said it's reviewing u.s. aid to egypt but it's still struggling to find the best response. >> it's cheer -- clear what these demonstrators want but unlikely the americans are going to abandon their longtime ally so quickly. while the obama administration wants to be seen as supporting democracy, it's a tricky situation how to respond. >> there was a slightly tougher line from president obama after speaking to the egyptian leader but he was still emphasizing their ties. >> this moment of volatility has to be turned into a moment of

promise. the united states has a close partnership with egypt and we've cooperated on many many issues, including advancing a more peaceful region but we've also been clear that there must be reform. political, social, and economic reforms that meet the aspirations of the egyptian people. i am honored to be be the -- in the timeless city of cairo. >> two years ago it all seemed so much easier to speak out for democracy in that now-famous speech in cairo. >> i have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things -- the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed. the freedom to live as you choose. >> much less certainty now as president obama held another session on equipment with his -- egypt with his national security team. with the outcome still far from

clear, they warn of too hasty a solution. >> one has to be careful about how quickly you leap on the tiger before you know where the tiger is going and you know something about the tiger's disposition. >> in new york, another show of solidarity with egyptians protests. it's been 30 years of u.s. support for the egyptian government as well, if president president mubarak's new policies don't work. the u.s. will have to follow. >> some of the most memorable images from a day of anger across egypt.

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