Egypt waits for the next step after Mubarak

CAIRO - Life began to return to normal in Cairo Saturday after all-night celebrations following Hosni Mubarak’s resignation as the president, as people waited for the military, now in power, to announce its next move.

Civilians and soldiers removed road blocks in and around Tahrir Square, the focal point of the demonstrations of the last few weeks.

Thousands of people remained in the square, many of them cleaning the streets and garden areas.

“This is just a start. Now, it’s our chance to have a real role in re-building our country,” said Mariam, a medical student, as she helped her friends in the clean-up work.

After weeks of nationwide anti-government demonstrations, Mubarak turned over power to the Armed Forces Supreme Council of top generals, headed by Defence Minister Field Marshal Muhammad Hossein Tantawi.

The Council said Friday night that it would announce steps towards restoring order in the country and meeting the demands of the public, promising that it would not act as a substitute for government.