2am GMT: Time to wrap up the live blog for the night – and it looks like Friday will be another big day of protest in the wake of Mubarak's decision to stay in office.

The highlights of the day:

• Hosni Mubarak stunned Egypt and the rest of the world by maintaining that he was continuing as president, despite a day of speculation that he was stepping down

• Mubarak said he was transferring his powers to the vice president, Omar Suleiman, but it remained unclear what exactly that meant

• Pro-democracy protesters reacted with disbelief and fury to Mubarak's speech

• Suleiman told protesters "go back to your houses, go back to your work"

• Obama issued his strongest statement in response, with criticism of Mubarak's refusal to step down and conduct meaningful reform

• Demonstrators vow to make Friday's protests the biggest so far, as thousands camped out in front of the Presidential Palace and the state television building in Cairo

To follow the action from earlier in the day, see our live blog here. Thanks for reading.

1.48am: Reactions to Obama's more aggressive statement are flooding in. The Guardian's Ewen MacAskill reports from Washington:

Barack Obama last night ended two weeks of dithering over the Egyptian uprising by issuing a statement expressing disappointment with the refusal of Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak, to stand down. In a lengthy statement, Obama was sceptical about the pace and commitment of the Egyptian government towards democracy and added a rebuke, albeit mild, to Mubarak.

The Associated Press has a stronger reading of Obama's words:

Showing impatience, President Barack Obama on Thursday openly and sharply questioned whether Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's pledge to shift power to his vice president is an "immediate, meaningful or sufficient" sign of reform for a country in upheaval. Without naming Mubarak, Obama issued a written statement that criticized the leader for not offering clarity to his people or a concrete path to democracy. He called on Egyptian government leaders to do so, declaring: "They have not yet seized that opportunity."

The Washington Post sees Obama putting pressure on Mubarak:

President Obama tried Thursday night to exert more pressure on the Egyptian government, saying that President Hosni Mubarak has not convinced his countrymen that his handover of powers "is immediate, meaningful or sufficient" and must do more. "Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world," Obama said in a statement.

1.36am GMT: The Washington Post has the transcript of Mubarak's address here. It translates the crucial part of the speech as:

I have delegated to the vice president some of the power - the powers of the president according to the constitution. I am aware, fully aware, that Egypt will overcome the crisis and the resolve of its people will not be deflected and will [inaudible] again because of the - and will deflect the arrows of the enemies and those who [inaudible] against Egypt.

CNN has posted a transcript of Omar Suleiman's address here.

1.28pm GMT: The journalist Dima Khatib tweets on the protesters that have marched tonight from Tahrir Square to the presidential palace:

Around 3000 protesters are now staging a protest around Presidential Palace and plan to spend the night there #jan25 #egypt Dima Khatib أنا ديمة

Dima_Khatib

TV footage that appear to be from a helicopter taken earlier tonight show a stream of people walking towards the palace, while others are outside the state television and radio centre, spreading the zone of protest.

1.15pm GMT: Fareed Zakaria, speaking on cable TV, says Obama's actions are "unprecedented" for a US president so quickly trying to push an ally out of power.

He points out that it took Ronald Reagan three years to turn against the brutal regime of Ferdinand Marcos in the Phillipines. And it took Bill Clinton a year and a half to lever Suharto out of power in Indonesia.

1.02pm GMT: Looking more closely at the latest statement from Barack Obama, one line stands out:

Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly ... are broadly representative of Egyptian society.

That's the closest the US administration has come to aligning itself with the protesters and endorsing them as legitimately representing Egypt.

12.53pm GMT: The statement from Barack Obama finally lands – and it is mildly critical of Mubarak's sluggish and stubborn response, saying that "it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient":

The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity. As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted. We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt's future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair. We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek. Going forward, it will be essential that the universal rights of the Egyptian people be respected. There must be restraint by all parties. Violence must be forsaken. It is imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality. The voices of the Egyptian people must be heard. The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America.

12.36pm GMT: The Guardian's Jack Shenker was among the thousands inside Tahrir Square when Mubarak's speech was screened live. Here's what he saw:

By half past ten, when the president – running late, as ever – finally shuffled on to the stage, a deathly hush swept the square. Everywhere groups huddled round transistor radios, straining to hear his words. Some thrust camera phones high into the air. "I want to capture the very moment of his departure so I can show my future children," whispered one. That moment never came. With the crowd desperate to hear what he had to say, Mubarak's staid nationalistic rhetoric squeaked out of a hundred tiny speakers into near silence. There was no interruption when he called for national unity, and only the faintest of tuts when he tried to invoke the memory of those who had died in Egypt's anti-government uprising, deaths many in the square attribute to his forces. But then he told the listening protesters that he too was a young man once, and could understand their concerns. In an instant, Tahrir shook with fury. Many took off their shoes and waved them in the air. Pockets of protesters launched different chants: "Down, Down, Hosni Mubarak" and "We're not going until he goes". Soon they coalesced, and the square spoke as one with a single word. "Irhal" (Leave), it cried.

12.21pm GMT: The Egyptian blogger Zenobia is in no doubt about what's behind Mubarak's behaviour:

There is a conflict of power currently in Egypt , a fight between army and Mubarak Zeinobia

Zeinobia



Meanwhile, the military command was supposed to have made a statement this evening but it appears that has been postponed until Friday morning.

12.09pm GMT: Disturbing news from Iran, with the BBC confirming that its Persian television service is being jammed tonight inside Iran, following its coverage of the unrest in Egypt.



The BBC's World Service director Peter Horrocks said:

"This jamming should stop immediately. The events in Egypt are being viewed by the entire world and it is wrong that our significant Iranian audience is being denied impartial news and information from BBC Persian TV. This is a regional story that Persian TV have been covering thoroughly and it is clear from our audience feedback that Iranian people want to know what is happening in Egypt. The BBC will not stop covering Egypt and it will continue to broadcast to the Iranian people."

The heavy electronic jamming is of satellites the BBC uses in the Middle East to broadcast the BBC Persian TV signal to Iran. The BBC said technicians have traced that interference and have confirmed it is coming from Iran.

11.55pm GMT: "Utter deflation" is the mood at Tahrir Square, says Jack Shenker, who sends the latest from Cairo tonight:

Utter deflation mixed with intense anger is the order of the day in Tahrir – the square has witnessed plenty of mood swings over the past 17 days, but this has to be the most devastating so far. Central Cairo was gearing up for the Arab world's biggest street party and instead it got yet another slice of Mubarak paternalism, the sort of staid nationalistic rhetoric that most people here tired of many moons ago. Some protesters are marching now on Maspero, the state TV and radio building, but the real energy looks set to be channeled into Friday's rally, which was already set to be large and now looks likely to be even larger. Right now those not chanting in fury are huddled into groups discussing what the president's speech really means. Many are hoping that the army will mount a coup overnight. "There has to be a rift," one told me. "The military can't stand by, after everything they've promised, and watch this regime stubbornly drag Egypt to the ground." Others are pointing out that each of Mubarak's previous speeches has been accompanied by a visible crackdown on activists, journalists and protesters the following day, and they believe tomorrow could turn ugly. Many are suggesting that tonight's address could be a deliberate ploy to goad demonstrators into violence, thus justifying a police or military assault on Tahrir. True or not, it's clear that through his refusal to step down Mubarak has left many prominent figures with egg on their faces - from President Obama to Hossam Badrawi, the ruling NDP's party secretary-general - and with all the talk of malign foreign forces at work, it appears this increasingly desperate regime is planning to cling on until the bitter end. Tahrir Square, though, is not going anywhere.

11.36pm GMT: Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei gives his reaction via Twitter:

Egypt will explode. Army must save the country now Mohamed ElBaradei

ElBaradei



Asked on CNN about Mubarak's transfer of power to Omar Suleiman, ElBaradei said: "How can you be a president without any power?"

11.32pm GMT: Stephen Grand, an expert on US-Islamic world relations at the the Brookings Institution in Washington, says the US must "use all of its leverage to get Mubarak to recognise that he needs to leave" and move forward:

We need to help the Egyptians find a mechanism for a credible transition. Omar Suleiman has shown that he's not a credible figure.

11.30pm GMT: The White House is saying President Obama will put out a statement soon, we'll post it as soon as we get.

11.24pm GMT: It's well past 1am in Egypt but the streets of Alexandria are still filled with thousands of protesters, based on al-Jazeera's live coverage.

There are reports of some shots being fired but generally things are calm. Tomorrow, though, the biggest protest so far is being anticipated.

11.19pm GMT: Human Rights Watch calls for military aid to Egypt to be cut in the wake of Mubarak's stubborn refusal to leave or make meaningful reforms:

Egypt's international partners, including the United States and European Union members, should make clear that continued assistance to Egypt's security forces depends on immediate progress towards full respect for human rights and a democratic transition.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said: "Mubarak's speech is far from the needed break with the abusive system of the past 30 years. Cosmetic changes are not enough to meet the Egyptian people's demands for democracy and human rights."

11.11pm: Senator John McCain says Mubarak's reaction tonight is "deeply unfortunate and troubling":

When President Mubarak alleges that foreigners and outsiders are manipulating events in Egypt, he could not be further from the truth. The Egyptian people, and they alone, are the authors of the current outcry for democratic change in Egypt. I urge President Mubarak to begin listening to and trusting his people. The stability of Egypt and the wider region increasingly depend on it.

11pm GMT: Here's reaction from Egyptians who watched Mubarak's speech tonight, from Reuters:

Mustafa Naggar, activist:

The street is fed up with Mubarak. If Mubarak leaves the country he will help to calm the crisis. If he continues, he will lead Egyptians into chaos.... Plans for tomorrow stand. We will march in the millions to Tahrir Square and other locations.

Antoni Abu Sayed, University professor:

This would have been enough before the intifada [uprising], but not now. The people will continue to demonstrate. Most of us present will continue.

Nabil Abdel-Fattah, political analyst at al-Ahram Centre:

Their understanding of what is happening on the street is extremely slow ... unfortunately I think this speech is going to be a critical point in the development of the crisis. In fact, it has pushed the crisis into a dark area.

Ahmed Aly, businessman:

The speech was very emotional and decent. The president did what the youth requested, he left power but in a decent way that preserves his dignity and that of the Egyptian people ... All that has happened are great achievements that we would have never been able to achieve without the revolution led by the youth on Jan 25. Omar Suleiman is a military man and he has been used to acting in a strict way for a long time, but he will have to change his style and become more civilian in order to cope with his new position.

10.42pm GMT: Here's what we know, based on what's coming out of the Egyptian government right now: Hosni Mubarak is president in name only, after transferring all the powers of the presidency to his vice president Omar Suleiman.

10.33pm GMT: Egypt's ambassador to the US, Sameh Shoukry, confirms that Hosni Mubarak has transferred all powers of the president to vice president Omar Suleiman.

In response to questions from CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Shoukry said that Mubarak was "the de jure president" and that Suleiman was now the "de facto president". "I'm getting this [information] from the vice president," Shoukry said.

"He [vice president Suleiman] is now undertaking all the authority of the presidency under the constitution," Shoukry.

Was Mubarak now in effect powerless? "That is certainly an interpretation you can make ... he remains the de jure head of state," said Shoukry.

Asked in Mubarak could reclaim the full powers of the presidency at a later date, Shoukry said: "That's a technical constitutional issue that I unable to speak to."

10.25pm GMT: The Guardian's Chris McGreal, on the ground in Cairo and watching the reaction on the streets, gives his take on Hosni Mubarak's speech tonight:

My first thought: he's made things worse in one easy stroke. it would have been better for him if he hadn't done anything.

10.16pm GMT: There seems to be huge confusion over what Mubarak really did say this evening, and exactly what power he handed over to the vice president, Omar Suleiman.

CNN is saying that it has now got a "precise translation" with Mubarak saying he was "delegating power" to Suleiman – not "the power" or "all power," but a frustratingly vague use of language.

The Associated Press also says it has a better translation of Mubarak's exact words, which it says read:

I saw fit to delegate the authorities of the president to the vice president, as dictated in the constitution.

According to AP, the Egyptian constitution allows the president to transfer his powers if he is unable to carry out his duties "due to any temporary obstacle," but it does not mean his resignation.

10.03pm GMT: "There are only two options: death or freedom. And we shall have freedom, Inshallah," says a young male protester in Tahrir Square on CNN, with many vowing a huge turnout tomorrow.

What will you do now? asks the CNN journalist. "I am ready to die," says the man. "Give me liberty or give me death," says another, in an echo of the American revolutionaries.

10pm GMT: Ewen MacAskill reports on the humiliation the White House has received from Mubarak, after Barack Obama's speech this afternoon and various US officials briefing that he was stepping down:

The Obama administration was embarassingly wrong-footed Thursday when the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak confounded expectations by refusing to leave office. Mubarak's speech came only hours after Barack Obama and the director of the CIA, Leon Panetta, appeared to give credence to the rumours that the Egyptian president was heading for the exit. The Obama administration has been putting pressure on Mubarak since last week to stand down straightaway but Mubarak, in a televised address Thursday, said he would not bow down to international pressure, a direct snub to the US president. Mubarak's response provides a graphic illustration of America's slow decline from its status as the world's sole superpower, unable to decisively influence events in Egypt in spite of that country being one of the biggest recipients of US military aid.

9.54pm GMT: The Associated Press is reporting that Hosni Mubarak has transferred his powers to Omar Suleiman and retains only the title of president – a more substantial move than others have suggested, based on his speech tonight, that only some of his powers were being transferred:

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced he is handing his powers over to his vice president, Omar Suleiman, and ordered constitutional amendments on Thursday. But the move means he retains his title of president and ensures regime control over the reform process, falling short of protester demands. Protesters in Cairo's central Tahrir Square, hoping he would announce his resignation outright, reacted in fury and disbelief. Many watched in stunned silence to his speech, slapping their hands to their foreheads in anger and shock, some crying or waving their shoes in the air in a sign of contempt. After he finished, they resumed their chants of "Leave! Leave! Leave!" The crowd in the square had swelled to severals hundred thousand in anticipation of the nighttime address. "I have seen that it is required to delegate the powers and authorities of the president to the vice president, as dictated in the constitution," Mubarak said near the end of a 15-minute address on state TV. The article is used to transfer powers if the president is unable to carry out his duties "due to any temporary obstacle" and does not mean his resignation. He said he would stay in the country and that he is "adamant to continue to shoulder my responsibility to protect the constitution and safeguard the interests of the people ... until power is handed over to those elected in September by the people in free and fair elections in which all the guarantees of transparencies will be secured." Mubarak said that the demands of protesters for democracy are just and legitimate, but he adhered tightly to a framework for reform that Suleiman drew up and that protesters have roundly rejected, fearing it will mean only cosmetic change. He said he had requested the amendment of five articles of the constitution to loosen the now restrictive conditions on who can run for president, to restore judicial supervision of elections, and to impose term limits on the presidency. He also annulled a constitutional article that gives the president the right to order a military trial for civilians accused of terrorism. He said that step would "clear the way" for eventually scrapping a hated emergency law that gives police virtually unlimited powers of arrest, but with a major caveat — "once security and stability are restored."

9.51pm GMT: This is interesting: the BBC's Paul Adams reports that people in Cairo are receiving text messages from the high council of the army, saying that it is monitoring how events unfold and will decide how to act.

9.48pm GMT: Mubarak's address was watched by President Obama onboard Air Force One. He is planning to go straight from his plane to meet with his national security team at the White House.

"This is not what the [US] administration was told President Mubarak was going to do," reports CNN political correspondent John King.

9.45pm GMT: "Mubarak sang his own praises," says the Guardian's Middle East editor, Ian Black, after watching the president's performance tonight:

Hosni Mubarak put on a classic performance in Cairo, playing father to his people, self-centred, determined, and above all defiant in the face of what turned out to be catastrophically misplaced expectations that he was finally about to bow out. Mubarak repeated his best line from his last big speech, vowing that he would "not leave this soil until I am buried underneath it" – a sharp reminder, amidst feverish speculation about imminent retirement in Sharm al-Sheikh or urgent medical treatment in Germany, that he is not going to follow in the footsteps of Tunisia's Zine al-Abdine Bin Ali, to a gilded exile in Saudi Arabia. If concessions were offered – and the president's angry tone was without a hint of conciliation – they were in his agreement to amend key provisions of the constitution, including hated anti-terrorist laws. These are certainly important, but small print in the big picture of thirst for radical change in Tahrir Square. Above all Mubarak sang his own praises, reminding Egyptians – the silent majority - of his sacrifices as a soldier in war and a defender of the country's interests in peacetime. "I have lived for this nation," he declared, visibly emotional about his own efforts. "I have exhausted my life defending the land and its sovereignty. I have faced death on my occasions. I never bent under foreign pressure. I never sought false power or popularity. I am certain that the majority of people are aware who Hosni Mubarak is." He clearly meant that those who were roaring their anger and disapproval for the world's TV cameras did not.

9.41pm GMT: Anderson Cooper on CNN listens to Omar Suleiman and says: "What we've heard from the vice president is the same lies we've heard before."

The next day or two is going to be very interesting.

9.35pm GMT: Vice president Omar Suleiman now speaking live on television – and like Mubarak he's not giving much away. In fact like Mubarak he's just taking much the same line as the regime has done in recent days:

The President has also made a priority of the interests of Egypt over any other consideration, and he is also responsible for the national action in order to restore the safety and security of Egypt and the stability of Egypt and the preservation of its gains and achievements and to repel all the dangers against the people and to restore tranquility to the hands of the people and to restore life to normalcy. I call upon all the people to continue to achieve this objective, and I have no doubt that the people will also be able to protect its own interests.

Suleiman later continued:

I call upon the young people and heroes of Egypt, go back to your houses, go back to your work. The homeland needs your work. Let's build together. Let's develop together and let's be creative together. Do not listen to the satellite stations that have no objective but to sew sedition among people and to weaken Egypt and to mar its image. Just listen to your consciences and to your awareness of the dangers that are around you. We have already started, depending on God and depending on our institutions and depending also on the armed forces that have also preserved the revolution of the young people and defended the constitutionality of the homeland and also preserved the safety and security of the people and their properties. It is high time that we work together and let's walk together in solid belief to come out of the crisis and to face the challenges.

9.29pm GMT: My colleague Matt Wells has just spoken to Jack Shenker in Tahrir Square, where the mood is one of fury.

Jack says the people were huddled around radios listening to the speech in silence. But once it became clear that Mubarak intended to stay on, the mood changed to anger.

At one point Mubarak made a reference to being a young man and understanding the young men of Egypt – basically the people who are here – and at that moment the whole square erupted in anger. At that point, the whole square exploded in anger. The way that Mubarak is comparing himself to the people on the ground infuriated them. And when it became clear that the that Mubarak intended to stay on until September, the square shook with fury. "We are not going until he goes," they chanted. There is real anger and real fury and people are not quite sure in which direction to channel it. As I speak to you now, one man is holding a banner next to me which says: "Freedom or I die here." Tears are running down some people's faces. They really thought he was going to go. There is a feeling that people want to get on the move now. I can hear this chant: "We'll go to the palace and tear him out."

9.26pm GMT: Omar Suleiman is going to make a televised statement shortly.

It seems that crowds from Tahrir Square are moving towards the state television headquarters in Cairo, while in Alexandria protesters are said to be moving towards the nearest military base.

State television has reverted to its old trick of showing the protesters in the distance, showing that it at least remains firmly under the control of the regime.

9.20pm GMT: The Guardian's Brian Whitaker gives his analysis of Mubarak's speech:

It was a seriously bad speech. Mubarak seems to have totally misjudged the situation. His start, saying he was speaking as a father to his children, was shockingly patronising. The crowd in Tahrir became increasingly angry as they realised he was offering nothing more than minor concessions. He also come out with the bizarre assertion that "the current situation" is not about his personality. Everyone else can see that it is about him.

9.15pm GMT: We'll be posting reaction from the Guardian's crack team around the globe but here is the key quote from Mubarak's speech:

Satisfied with what I have offered the nation in more than 60 years, I have announced I will stay with this post and that I will continue to shoulder my responsibilities.

At that point protesters erupted in jeers and shoe-waving.

9.10pm GMT: Tahrir Square is filled with a huge, angry crowd – although state television isn't showing any of it. Same in Alexandria.

9.05pm GMT: A clear translation of Mubarak's words will take a while so it's hard to know exactly what Mubarak was saying. But from the reaction on the ground, it seems that these minor concessions will not be enough.

There was little that was new in Mubarak's speech, and he granted some powers to Omar Suleiman, but little else and far less than many were expected.

None of this meshes with the statements issued by the military leadership today: that hints at a palace civil war going on behind the scenes.

9.02pm GMT: No one in Tahrir Square is listening to the rest of the Mubarak speech. The chant is: "Get out, get out."

"We will be dignified until the very end, may God preserve Egypt, may peace be upon you," is Mubarak's final remark.

No sign he's leaving. The "I have been ignoring international pressure" line suggests this was a "I fight on" speech by Mubarak.

9pm GMT: Mubarak's not stepping down, that much seems clear, although exactly what that means with his previous statements about the army implementing change isn't clear.

Tahrir Square is going nuts, based on the live footage.

8.58pm GMT: "I have spent most of my life in defence of our homeland," says Mubarak. "I have never succumbed to any international pressure.... I have my dignity intact."

So he's not stepping down, it seems.

8.53pm GMT: Mubarak says he's asked for the amendment of articles 76, 77, 88, 93 and 181 of the constitution, and abolishing the controversial article 179 "when the time is right".

Article 179 is the emergency law that has been a huge issue and a major demand of the protesters. The rest involve the powers and terms of the presidency but we'll get more details later.

In any case, "when the time is right" means: not right now, I'm guessing. This is not going to go down well.

8.51pm GMT: Mentions that the reforms will be "implemented by our armed forces," and on-going dialogue.

Talking about a "national dialogue" and a "road map that is very clear on a specific timetable ... until September," but follows this by talking about the various committees he has had set up.

I'm not sure more committees are going to cut it right now in Tahrir Square.

8.50pm GMT: Mubarak speaking: talking of a "smooth transition of powers" but not much detail yet.

8.49pm GMT: Mubarak reaffirms that he's not standing for election as president and that power will be transfered to "whoever the electorate chooses in the new fair and square elections".

8.48pm GMT: Mubarak speaking: mistakes were made, he says.

I can tell you that I as the president of the Republic I have to respond to your calls but I am also embarrassed, and I will not accept or listen to any foreign interventions.

8.46pm GMT Mubarak now speaking on state television.

I can tell you before anything else that the blood of your martyrs will not be wasted and that I will not be easy on punishing people who committed these crimes.

Says he will "respond to your demands and your voices" and carry our promises.

8.42pm GMT: More breaking news from Al Arabiya television, who says that Mubarak will say in his speech tonight that he apologises to the victims of Egypt's unrest and that he is convinced by the honest intentions of the youths protesting.

Al Arabiya also said Mubarak would say that he was amending five articles in the constitution and cancelling a sixth, and that he would not accept orders from outside.

It claimed he will also confirm pledges to prepare for honest elections, say again that he will not run for another presidential term, and could announce the lifting of the country's emergency laws.

More to come on this so stay tuned.

8.39pm GMT: Al Arabiya television is reporting what it claims are details from Mubarak's speech this evening, citing what it called trusted sources, that Mubarak will announce a transfer of power to his vice president, though it was unclear just when that would happen.

More to come.

8.30pm: More from the #ReasonsMubarakIsLate hashtag now burning up Twitter:

He's taking a conference call with Kim Kong-Il and Robert Mugabe He is doing a backup of 30 years in power on floppy disks البلطجية محاصرينه عاوزين فلوسهم

[Having to pay thugs their money] Too busy reading Twitter feed

and finally:

He is in de Nile

8.27pm GMT: After Egypt? There are big protests promised for Algeria on 12 February, while Morocco saw more protests in Rabat, where around 1,000 people took to the streets to demand jobs.

8.20pm GMT: State television is now reporting that Mubarak's speech will begin shortly. We'll see.

On Twitter the hashtag #reasonsmubarakislate is trending. Here are some of the many suggestions:

You think it's easy packing gold bullion bars into vintage Louis Vuitton luggage? Plucking embarrassing nasal hair Checking the sofa cushions to make sure he isn't leaving any change behind يحب يعلم الشباب خلق الصبر، القائد لازم يكون مربي والتربية أولاً

[He wants to teach young people the meaning of patience]

8.17pm GMT: Chris McGreal in Cairo reminds us that last time Mubarak went on television to make an address, he was scheduled to speak at 10pm but didn't appear until midnight, local time.

8.08pm GMT: If tonight's announcement sees Egypt swapping Mubarak for vice president Omar Suleiman at the head of government, many in Tahrir Square and elsewhere will not be happy:

transformation of power to Omar Sulieman won't do, only full resignation of Mubarak will, & even then protests will continue... Gigi Ibrahim جييييج

Gsquare86

Others are even more emphatic.

8.02pm GMT: On the information minister's statement (below) that Mubarak is "definitely not going to step down," my colleague Chris McGreal in Cairo comments:

It might be a question of nuance. If Mubarak transfers powers but retains the title then technically he hasn't stepped down.

Still waiting for Mubarak to appear on television.

7.57pm GMT: Egypt's information minister Anas el Fekky has told Reuters: "The president is definitely not going to step down", shortly before Hosni Mubarak's address to the nation is broadcast.

And if you can't believe the information minister, who can you believe? Two words: Baghdad Bob.

7.50pm GMT: It will be a footnote in history, if that, but Egyptian prosecutors have filed charges today against three former ministers and a prominent businessman of abusing their position and misusing public money, according to state television.

7.45pm GMT: Only 15 minutes until Mubarak is due to speak on television – but don't be surprised if there's a delay.

7.43pm GMT: The Associated Press tries to make sense of the Egyptian military moves today, after its leadership announced on national television that it had stepped in to secure the country and promised protesters that all their demands would be met.

The military's moves had some trappings of an outright takeover, perhaps to push Mubarak out for the army to run the country itself in a break with the constitution. But comments by Mubarak's aides and his meetings with the top two figures in his regime – Vice President Omar Suleiman and Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq – before his speech suggested he may try to carry out a constitutionally allowed half-measure of handing his powers to Suleiman while keeping his title as president.

And here's more detail on the announcement:

The military's dramatic announcement in the early evening appeared to show that that its supreme council, headed by Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, had taken the reins of leadership. Footage on state TV showed Tantawi chairing the council with around two dozen top stern-faced army officers seated around a table. Not at the meeting were Mubarak, the military commander in chief, or his vice president Suleiman, a former army general and intelligence chief named to his post after the protests erupted January 25 and has led regime efforts to resolve the crisis.

7.39pm GMT: The BBC's Paul Adams in Tahrir Square:

It's a bit like a rock concert before the band comes on stage.

7.34pm GMT: For a taste of the atmosphere in Tahrir Square right now, have a look at this Guardian video that we have just posted, as the protesters await word from Mubarak.

7.31pm GMT: ABC's veteran correspondent Christiane Amanpour tweets about a chance meeting with the man of the moment, Wael Ghonim:

I just spoke w/ @ghonim who is on his way back to #Tahrir. He told me he expects Mubarak & the rest of the regime to step down. Christiane Amanpour

camanpour

That's a good sign.

7.27pm GMT: Reports are that now even state television, Nile TV, are screening live footage of the pro-democracy demonstrators in Tahrir Square and elsewhere – an abrupt change from the pro-regime footage it had been showing in recent days, including interviews with supposed "protesters" who made wild claims of US and Mossad involvement.

7.18pm GMT: Now William Hague has weighed in, speaking at a press conference in Bahrain:

We have said from the start of this crisis in Egypt that there should be an orderly transition and that, in our view, has to include a broadly-based government in Egypt and giving the Egyptian people real and visible and comprehensive evidence of change. That will then allow the people of Egypt to work out their political differences together in a peaceful and democratic way.

7.10pm GMT: The Al Arabiya television channel is reporting that Hosni Mubarak will announce new constitutional procedures before handing over his powers to vice president Omar Sulieman, according to its correspondent. There were no further details.

(Technical issues have been slowing this live blog done but those should now be resolved.)

6.56pm GMT: A statement released by Egyptian military about half an hour ago, although it doesn't make things any clearer:

Based on the responsibility of the Armed Forces, and its commitment to protect the people, and to oversee their interests and security, and with a view to the safety of the nation and the citizenry, and of the achievements and properties of the great people of Egypt, and in affirmation and support for the legitimate demands of the people, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces convened today, 10 February 2011, to consider developments to date, and decided to remain in continuous session to consider what procedures and measures that may be taken to protect the nation, and the achievements and aspirations of the great people of Egypt.

If that was the statement that the army promised "that will meet protesters' demands" then this isn't likely to do it.

6.50pm GMT: Barack Obama has just addressed events in Egypt before a speech he was giving just now, although he didn't have much to say:

We are following the events in Egypt very closely and we'll have more to say as it plays out but what is absolutely clear is that we are witnessing history unfolding. It's a moment of transformation that's taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change. They've turned out in extraordinary numbers and all ages and all walks of life. But it's young people who have been at the forefront, a new generation, a young generation, who want their voices to be heard. And so going forward, we want those young people and we want all Egyptians to know America will continue to do everything we can to support an orderly and genuine transition to democracy in Egypt.

6.45pm: There are reports that the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, is about to announce his resignation. Follow live updates here.

If you want to catch up on earlier events then see our live blog of events earlier today.