BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- We begin in Cairo, where protestors have rallied for an 11th day to demand Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak quit. This comes despite his government's push for talks with opposition parties, who are stepping up calls for the embattled leader to immediately step down.Friday was dubbed by some opposition parties as the "Day of Departure" as they reiterated calls for the president's resignation.
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the center of continuous protests.
Small-scale clashes erupted between supporters of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the protesters.
Security forces reportedly arrested 10 people with bombs near the Square.
Egyptian Defense Minister Mohammed Hussein Tantawi and senior army officials earlier visited the square to assess the situation.
Tantawi urged opposition leaders, including the largest opposition group Muslim Brotherhood, to talk with the government.
But the Brotherhood reiterated that there would be no talks until Mubarak steps down.
Former chief of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Mohamed El-Baradei, also joined the chorus calling for Mubarak's resignation.
He said, "I still would appeal to President Mubarak that he should hear the sound, the clear voice coming from the people and leave in dignity. For ten days we see something called 'Egypt in crisis'. We need to put an end to that."
Despite anticipation of a better future beyond Mubarak, some worry the country could spiral deeper into chaos.
Mubarak's supporters insist he is the only one who can calm the unrest, and the root cause of the protest is inflation and poverty rather than strictly politics.
Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq says Mubarak should be in power for legislative reasons, and that he is a source for the country's security.
