NPR 2011-02-12

We are expecting to hear shortly from President Obama on his reaction to developments out of Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak announced he had resigned. It is a dramatic scene in Tahrir Square which erupted in cheers on news today that Mubarak was stepping down. It's what the throngs 1 of anti-government protesters were expecting to hear last night, but instead, were baffled and outraged 2 that Mubarak didn't seem to want to give up power. It was quite a different story and scene today in Cairo. And NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is on the scene.

The square is packed with people as it's been, but you also hear cars honking 3. They removed the barricades 4, and so people are sort of coming into the square and going out of the square, waving flags, a lot of them with little children on their shoulders just shouting. It's been like one giant war since the announcement was made some hours ago that President Mubarak would be stepping down. And it's just an incredible release that you can just feel. It's just palpable, reflected from the sound of the people, you know, again, from cars honking. And firecrackers are going off, fireworks are going off. It's like New Year's Eve in Times Square times ten.

NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson. The question many are asking is what happens in the days and weeks ahead. Rashid Khalidi, a professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, says the role of the military will be critical in the establishment of democracy in Egypt.

"The military has to both ensure order in a certain sense, but at the same time, not act in an overbearing fashion. That will be absolutely crucial."

Egypt's military says it will not act as a substitute for a legitimate 5 government. On state-run TV today, a spokesman for the country's Supreme 6 Military Council said the armed forces would later share more details on measures aimed at giving the Egyptian people what they want. But with many uncertain about the next step in a post-Mubarak Egypt, Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei tells NPR that today's development is still a major step in the right direction for the country.

"Every Egyptian is a different Egyptian today. It's - we have finally hoped to catch up with the rest of the world, to turn our country where it deserves to be, a democracy, and so, made of social justice."

And reactions are coming quickly across the Middle East to the historic events in Egypt. A generation of Arabs has followed every moment of this uprising. Text messages of congratulations are filling the air in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Arab World. And again, recapping our top story: In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak said he had resigned, he was stepping down, the announcement delivered by Vice 7 President Omar Suleiman. And within moments, we are expecting to hear reaction from President Obama.

This is NPR.

The way goes on for Wikileaks founder 8 Julian Assange. A judge in Britain today wrapped up Assange's extradition 9 hearing. NPR's David Greene says the judge will be back with a decision in two weeks on whether the head of Wikileaks should be handed over to Swedish authorities.

Whenever the judge decides, appeals are likely in Assange's extradition case. Swedish officials want to ask the 39-year-old about allegations from two women who say Assange had improper 10 sexual relations with them in Stockholm. Assange's lawyers argued a trial in Sweden might be unfair since Swedish law allows some rape 11 trials to be conducted in secret. The attorneys also accused Sweden's prime minister of making the atmosphere "toxic 12" by portraying 13 Assange as an enemy. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has responded to criticism of his legal system launched by Assange's lawyers there's no public record of him calling the Wikileaks founder an enemy. Assange's lawyers did also argue a trip to Sweden would put their client at risk of being extradited to the US, where they say political figures have suggested executing whoever was responsible for leaking diplomatic cables to Assange's website. David Greene, NPR News, London.

The US trade deficit 14 is widening. The Commerce Department said today the gap increased nearly 6% to $40.6 billion in December. Analysts 15 say it grew because the 2.6% gain in imports outpaced exports, which saw an increase of under 2%, more like 1.8%. The deficit in December capped a year in which the US trade gap widened by the largest amount in ten years.

Here's the latest from Wall Street. The Dow is up 47 points at 12,276; the NASDAQ gaining 17, up more than 0.5% at 2,808.