M A I N   N E W S

1 million march to oust Mubarak
Army vows not to fire on protesters

India Reacts

Markets slip on oil worry Indian markets continued to fall on Tuesday, closing at a five-month low on concerns that the political turmoil in Egypt could spill over to other countries, affecting oil supplies. This week, Brent crude oil price crossed $100 per barrel for the first time since 2008.

Companies pull out staff Indian FMCG firms Dabur and Marico Industries on Tuesday said they have shut down their plants in Egypt , while another company Emami is assessing the situation for its future course of action.

Exports to Egypt hit Trade with strife-torn Egypt stands disrupted as shipments have been put on hold on fears of looting. “Traders have stopped clearing consignments to and fro Egypt,” Ajay Sahai of the Federation of Indian Export Organisation said.

Cairo, February 1
Close to one million Egyptians from diverse sections marched into central Cairo today in an unprecedented mammoth rally mounting relentless pressure on President Hosni Mubarak to quit after three decades in power.

The anti-government protesters, determined but peaceful, jammed in shoulder-to-shoulder turning famed Tahrir, or Liberation, Square here into a sea of humanity in the "march of a million", hours after the powerful military showed signs of distancing itself from the besieged President vowing that it would not fire on the protesters.

Similar massive demonstrations calling on 82-year-old Mubarak to step down are also being witnessed across other cities, including Sinai, Alexandria, Suez, Mansoura, Damnhour, Arish, Tanta, el-Mahalla and el-Kubra.

As military helicopters hovered above, the mass of people in the biggest protests since street demonstrations broke out against Mubarak's rule last Tuesday held aloft posters denouncing the president, sang nationalist songs and chanted slogans "Go Mubarak Go".

Cairo’s international airport remained a scene of chaos as thousands of foreigners sought to flee. Soldiers at checkpoints set up the entrances of the square did nothing to stop the crowds from entering. The military promised on state TV last night that it would not fire on protesters answering a call for a million to demonstrate.

In a desperate bid to cling to power, Mubarak offered to open "immediate talks" with opposition groups. "The President has asked me to open talks with the political forces to begin a dialogue around all the issues concerning constitutional and legislative reforms," Vice-President Omar Suleiman said.