in VOA Special English.Earlier this week,Hosni Mubarak promisedto leave office,but not until elections in September.President Obama spoke twicewith the Egyptian leader by phoneand said an "orderly transition"must begin now.Supporters of Mr. Mubarakattacked protesters and reporters,but the protests continuedin Cairo and other cities.(SOUND)Opponents of Mr. Mubarakdemanded that he leave office now.They declared Fridaythe "Day of Departure."Supporters of the Egyptian presidentdeclared it the "Day of Loyalty."Protests also took placein other Arab countries this week.In Jordan, hundreds of peopledemonstrated Friday to pressurethe newly chosen prime ministerto make promised political reforms.The demonstration in Amman came a dayafter Jordan's main Islamistopposition party met with King Abdullahto discuss its demands.Some people have called forthe newly named prime minister to resign.But leaders of the oppositionMuslim Brotherhood saythey will give Marouf al-Bakhita chance to seek reform.King Abdullah dismissed his governmentthis week following weeksof anti-government protests.The king says reforms have been slow.He says all parties should work togetherto help increase the roleof citizens in decision-making.One of the demands ofthe Muslim Brotherhood is to changethe constitution to involve parliamentin appointing prime ministers.Currently only Jordan's king has that right.In Yemen, tens of thousands protestedin the capital, Sana'a, on Thursday.They called it a "Day of Rage."(SOUND)"No to corruption," they say."No to dictatorship." Others demonstratedin support of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.Mr. Saleh has been in powersince nineteen seventy-eight.The Yemeni leader has been an allyof the United States in fighting terrorism.His latest promise to leave officecame Wednesday.He said he would leavein two years when his term ends,and that his son would not replace him.Lutfi Shatara of the Yemeni news agency,Aden Press, saysthe protesters have taken their leadfrom the uprising in Tunisia.LUTFI SHATARA: "What happened in Tunisia-- it gives the peoplein the Middle East belief in themselves."Nadim Shahadi is a Middle East analystwith Chatham House in London.He thinks the American-led invasionof Iraq in two thousand threeled to what is happening nowin the Arab world.NADIM SHAHADI: "I believe thatthe trigger for this was the fallof the statue of Saddam Hussein.This was a huge shock to the region."Iran's top leader has praisedthe anti-government protestsin Egypt and Tunisia.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calledthe demonstrations an "Islamic awakening."He accused Hosni Mubarakof serving the United States and Israel.There have also been protests is Lebanon,although for different political reasons.Haleem is an internationalaffairs student in New York.He is from Lebanon, but worries about Egypt.HALEEM: "I am just afraid of the transitionand what happens next because we can seefor example what happenedin the Iranian revolution,and I cannot really rule outthe Iranian case to repeat itself in Egypt."It can have also many spillover effects,either on Israel, and then if on Israel,it can also have some impacts on Lebanon.The Middle East is like a system by itself."And that's IN THE NEWSin VOA Special English.