After 18 days of protests at home and abroad, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has resigned. Vice-Presidenet Omar Suleiman made the announcement a short time ago:
In these difficult circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the position of the presidency. He has commissioned the armed forces council to direct the issues of the state.
Mubarak's resignation comes one day after he insisted he wouldn't step down until after September's elections.
Crowds of Egyptian citizens have taken to the streets in a collective swell of jubilation over the news. Reports Chris McGreal from Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the two-week protests: "Cairo erupts in celebration as 18 days of defiant protest finally delivers a revolution after 24 hours of euphoria, dashed hopes and victory"
Now comes the tough task of actually implementing reforms in a timely, stable and democratic manner.