We have the latest on the protests in Egypt with an update from BBC correspondent Lyse Doucet in Cairo. And we take a step back to examine what daily life under President Hosni Mubarak has been like for ordinary Egyptians.

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PART ONE

It's Wednesday, February 2nd.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says he will not run again in the next election.

Currently, Turns out that's not a requirement for being president anyway.

This is The Current.

Egypt in Crisis - Lyse Doucet

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak took to the airwaves last night. He promised to defend the country in the face of mounting protests. He pledged reforms. And then, he announced that he will not run in the next election.

Elections are set for September. And as Egyptians get used to the idea that Mr. Mubarak's 30-year-rule is coming to an end but still not for 8 months, it's unclear what will happen between now and then.

For the latest on the situation, we were joined by the BBC's Lyse Doucet. She was in Cairo.

Life Under President Mubarak - Panel

Millions of Egyptians are thrilled to see the end of President Mubarak's rule. And to help us understand why, we were joined by two people who have lived under his regime.

Amr el Meligy is an architect from Cairo. He moved to Toronto last month. And Noha Abousamra is an Egyptian student who has just completed a Masters in Law at McGill University. She'll be returning to Egypt in two weeks. She was in Montreal.

Related Links:

• Mubarak promise comes after private Obama message by Caren Bohan and Andrew Quinn - Reuters
• Mubarak's speech maybe not enough: US by Stephen Collinson (AFP)
• Egypt unrest: Hosni Mubarak vows to quit after polls - BBC News

Other segments from today's show:

• Women's Prisons
• Henrietta Lacks