Mubarak Appoints First Vice President

With 50,000 demonstrators on the streets of Cairo, embattled President Hosni Mubarak appointed a vice president Saturday for the first time in his 28-year tenure. Omar Suleiman, Mubarak’s intelligence chief and longtime adviser, will now serve as his vice president and likely successor, instead of his own son. Mubarak also named Ahmed Shafiq to be the country's new prime minister. Activists told Al Jazeera that they reject the new members of the government, and would not stop protesting until Mubarak himself steps down. The announcements come after Mubarak fired his cabinet in the wake of the rising revolt. Suleiman, who has a military background like Mubarak’s, has overseen much of Egypt’s foreign policy, including the Mideast peace process dealings.