News circulated late Wednesday that Hosni Mubarak, the embattled Egyptian president, would finally step down on Thursday night following weeks long of violent protests by Egytians demanding his resignation.
Al Jazeera reported that the secretary general of the ruling National Democratic Party, Hassam Badrawi, had told the BBC and Channel News 4 that he expected Mubarak to hand over his powers to vice-president Omar Suleiman.
Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq had also told the BBC that the president may step down on Thursday night, adding that the situation would be "clarified soon", Al Jazeera reported.
Meanwhile, CNN reported that CIA Director Leon Panetta told a U.S Congressional panel that Mubarak was ready to yield his powers to the vice-president.
CNN had received the information from a senior US official, who spoke on conditions of anonymity.
