CAIRO - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will address the nation Thursday night, amid swirling rumours that he is likely to step down. Mubarak will address the nation from the presidential headquarters in Cairo, said state TV. Tens of thousands of protesters packed in central Tahrir broke into chants of "We're almost there, we're almost there" and waved V-for-victory signs as thousands more flowed in to join them well after nightfall. State television said Mubarak will speak to the nation Thursday night from his palace in Cairo. Information Minister Anas el-Fiqqi said he would not resign, state TV reported, and Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said, "everything is in the hands of President Hosni Mubarak and no decisions have been taken yet." That raises the possibility that Mubarak could announce a half-measure, such as keeping his title while relinquishing his executive powers, a move unlikely to satisfy protesters. The developments created confusion over who was calling the shots in Egypt. The military's moves had some trappings of an outright takeover long enough to shepherd a transition of power. But Mubarak's planned speech and his meetings beforehand with Suleiman and Shafiq suggested they wanted to give the appearance of an orderly, constitutional handover of authority. The military's supreme council, headed by Defense Minster Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, appeared to hold 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 Omar Suleiman, a former army general and intelligence chief named to his post after the protests erupted Jan. 25. "All your demands will be met today," Gen. Hassan al-Roueini, military commander for the Cairo area, told thousands of protesters in central Tahrir Square.
