CAIRO (Reuters) – President Hosni Mubarak provoked rage on Egypt’s streets on Thursday when he said he would hand over powers to his deputy but refused to step down after more than two weeks of protests demanding that he quit.

The armed forces high command had earlier issued “Communique No.1,” declaring it was taking control of the nation in what some called a military coup seeking to end the turmoil under the 82-year-old former general, who has ruled for 30 years.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Hosni Mubarak, struggling to cling on as Egypt’s president in the face of unprecedented protests over poverty, corruption and oppression, said on Thursday he would transfer powers to his vice president.

In an address that failed to meet demands by protesters for him to step down immediately, Mubarak, 82, appeared to step aside by handing over the reins of power to his deputy, Omar Suleiman, a former intelligence chief trusted by Washington.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is on the verge of capitulating to protester demands to give up power but may still seek to hold on in a nominal capacity by giving presidential powers to his deputy or a joint leadership involving an army council.

The army made the first move, with an announcement called “Communique No. 1,” saying the army’s higher council was meeting in continuous session, a move that showed the army had taken charge of the situation and Mubarak’s fate was in its hands.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is on the verge of capitulating to protester demands to give up power but may still seek to hold on in a nominal capacity by giving presidential powers to his deputy or a joint leadership involving an army council.

The army made the first move, with an announcement called “Communique No. 1″, saying the army’s higher council was meeting in continuous session, a move that showed the army had taken charge of the situation and Mubarak’s fate was in its hands.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is on the verge of capitulating to protester demands to give up power but may still seek to hold on in a nominal capacity by giving presidential powers to his deputy or a joint leadership involving an army council.

The army made the first move, with an announcement called “Communique No. 1,” saying the army’s higher council was meeting in continuous session, a move that showed the army had taken charge of the situation and Mubarak’s fate was in its hands.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak looked likely to step down on Thursday after more than two weeks of protests against his 30-year rule and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood said it looked like there had been a military coup.

Egypt’s military announced it was moving to preserve the nation and aspirations of the people after a meeting of the Higher Army Council which was not attended by Mubarak, a former air force commander, who was shortly to address the nation.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak looked likely to step down on Thursday after more than two weeks of protests against his 30-year rule and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood said it looked like there had been a military coup.

Egypt’s military announced it was moving to preserve the nation and aspirations of the people after a meeting of the Higher Army Council which was not attended by Mubarak, a former air force commander, who was shortly to address the nation.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Protesters who have paralyzed Egypt and pushed the government into making concessions unimaginable two weeks ago, are still far from achieving their core demand that President Hosni Mubarak end his 30-year rule now.

Instead, the government seems to have regained the upper hand, at least for now, in controlling the pace of change and drawing the opposition under its umbrella for discussions.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Saboteurs blew up a pipeline that runs through Egypt’s North Sinai, state television said, disrupting flows to Israel and Jordan, after Islamists called on militants to exploit the unrest that has rocked the government.

State television quoted an official on Saturday as saying that the “situation is very dangerous and explosions were continuing from one spot to another” along the pipeline.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Saboteurs blew up a gas pipeline in northern Egypt in a further sign of the country’s instability on a 12th day of demonstrations on Saturday against the 30-year-rule of President Hosni Mubarak.

Mubarak, who has reshuffled his government but refused to step down, met some of the new ministers on Saturday, the state news agency said, in a clear rebuff to the hundreds of thousands of people publicly demanding the 82-year-old leader step down.