The roar in Tahrir Square last night was not of triumph, but that "he must leave". President Hosni Mubarak rebuffed widespread speculation that he would resign, instead repeating his promise to abstain from the next elections, amend the constitution and seek justice for casualties in the recent protests. The transfer of some powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman made hardly a dent on sentiment in the square.
It is clear that the hundreds of thousands on the streets are not satisfied with these concessions. After Friday prayers, Egypt's stability will very likely be tested again.
Before Mr Mubarak's speech, senior military authorities pledged in a televised address to protect the state and to "support the legitimate demands of the people". The army has a critical role to play, but it must be limited to providing security and stability. The armed forces so far have enjoyed considerable popularity among the people, but their role will be tested further now.
It could be said that the country is experiencing its most pressing crisis in decades. Paradoxically, now is precisely the time to repeal the longstanding emergency law. Mr Mubarak's promise to amend constitutional provisions that relate to the law will have only a limited impact.
With the exception of an 18-month hiatus starting in 1980, the law has governed the lives of ordinary Egyptians for more than four decades. Few acts, save for Mr Mubarak's resignation, have the power to change the tenor on the streets as much as its repeal.
Mr Mubarak has promised to remain in office until September elections while expressing his solidarity with the young people in the square. They, for their part, will remain opposed to his continued rule.
Cutting across religion, class and gender, millions of Egyptians have made their voices heard. One can only hope that the overwhelmingly peaceful nature of the protests continues to prevail.
Before Mr Mubarak's address, other protesters had expressed fears of a military coup. Now, it is incumbent on the armed forces to act with the utmost restraint regarding protesters. This is an unprecedented test of all of Egypt's institutions. How they perform will be remembered by all Egyptians.
If you go
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Santiago, via Sao Paolo cost from Dh5,295 with Emirates.
The trip
A five-day trip (not including two days of flight travel) was split between Santiago and in Puerto Varas, with more time spent in the later where excursions were organised by TurisTour.
When to go
The summer months, from December to February are best though there is beauty in each season
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Persuasion
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