BBC News with David Austin
We can go straight to Egypt now, where following weeks of anti-government protests, President Hosni Mubarak has been making a national address on state television.
Mr Mubarak said he would continue to do his duty under the constitution until power was transferred to whoever won free and fair elections in September.
He would seek to meet the demands of the protesters in a way that respected the constitution and ensure stability. Here's part of what he had to say translated by an interpreter.
"I
put forward
this vision, committed to my responsibility to get the country out of this very difficult situation, and I will carry on to win it, first one after the other, hour after the other, and looking forward for the support and the assistance of everyone who is eager for Egypt's safety and stability."
Our correspondent in Cairo Christian Fraser joins us now. He is still speaking, Christian, but what do you
make of
President Mubarak's remarks so far?
Well, I think it's certain that this is not what the people in Tahrir Square were expecting to see. It had been widely reported here and abroad today that President Mubarak would be making this speech and
stepping aside
for someone else to take control of the country, but instead, he's
reaffirm
ed his commitment to carry on doing his responsibility, as he said, until a transfer of power is possible next September. He's expressed his plans to get out of the crisis, the economic crisis, and to