in VOA Special English.Egypt is a nationof eighty million people-- the largest in the Arab world.Hosni Mubarak came to powerin nineteen eighty-one.The president said early Saturdaythat he had asked his governmentto resign and would quicklyappoint a new cabinet.Mr. Mubarak promised politicaland economic reforms and saiddays of protests werea plot to weaken Egypt.The protests led by young peoplebecame more violent Friday.Military vehicles movedinto Cairo and other cities.A spokesman for President Obamaurged the Egyptian governmentand protesters to show"strong restraint."He said the United Stateswould be "reviewing" itsassistance program to Egypt.Protesters have used social media siteslike Facebook and Twitter to organize.But Egypt's four main Internet providersall stopped service early Friday.Telecom company Vodafone saidthe government also orderedall mobile phone operatorsto suspend servicein parts of the country.Secretary of State Hillary Clintonurged the Egyptian governmentto end what she called"the unprecedented steps it has takento cut off communications."She also called for economic,political and social reforms.HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: "We want to partnerwith the Egyptian peopleand their government to realizetheir aspirations to livein a democratic society thatrespects basic human rights.When I was recently in the regionI met with a wide rangeof civil society groups,and I heard from themabout ideas they have thatwould improve their countries.The people of the Middle East,like people everywhere,are seeking a chance to contributeand to have a role in the decisionsthat will shape their lives."On Friday, Egyptian policebriefly detained former diplomatMohamed ElBaradei.Mister ElBaradei has saidhe is willing to leadan opposition movement.Egypt's largest opposition group,the Muslim Brotherhood, has saidit will join the protests.But not all the peoplein the streets were demandingthe removal of Mr. Mubarak.(SOUND)"The average Egyptian is sufferingfrom low wages," says this man in Cairo."All we want is a solution to this."On Thursday, President Obamadiscussed the situationduring an appearance on YouTube.He said President Mubarak has beenan American ally on important issues.But he also said the needfor political reform in Egypthas long been evident.BARACK OBAMA: "I've always saidto him that making sure that they aremoving forward on reform,political reform, economic reform,is absolutely critical tothe long-term well being of Egypt.And you can see these pent-up frustrationsthat are being displayed on the streets."Stephen Cook, a Middle East expertfor the Council on Foreign Relations,returned to Washingtonfrom Cairo late Thursday.STEPHEN COOK: "There have beendemonstrations going on in Egyptregularly throughoutthe last five or six years."But he says demonstrationsheld Tuesday on the Egyptian holidayof Police Day gained strengthbecause of the revolution in Tunisia.Tunisian PresidentZine el-Abidine Ben Ali fledto Saudi Arabia on January fourteenth.Other Arab countries facing protestsinclude Jordan and Yemen,where President Abdullah Saleh hasheld power for more than thirty years.And that's IN THE NEWSin VOA Special English.For more news, go to 51voa.com.