WORLD AT A GLANCE

Mubarak's reign comes to an end

On Friday night, it was reported by the Egyptian State television that President Hosni Mubarak and his wife left the presidential palace, as hundreds of thousands of citizens across the country gathered to demand his expulsion.

The Associated Press, citing a local official, reported that Mubarak had gone to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Speculation is already rife that the crisis in Egypt is far from over. Roger Hardy, a Middle East analyst and public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington DC has, among other things, pointed out that people's power would force the Western policy-makers to redefine their strategy stressing on stability against democracy and human rights. The popular wave of people's power began with the ousting of President Ben Ali of Tunisia.

"The West has, for decades, made stability a higher priority than democracy and human rights. Some urgent re-thinking is now under way, as policy-makers scramble to learn the right lessons."

The other painful lesson for Western powers is how little influence they have, even in countries to which they give generous aid.

It is now confirmed that Mubarak has handed over power to the military and left. Obama said he had answered Egypt's "hunger for change". However, the question looms in the horizon following the much expected exit of Mubarak from power whether the transfer of political power would alone make Egypt a fully-fledged democracy.

US President Barack Obama has stated that the shift of power and the process of transition to a civil administration, not as the dawn of democracy in Egypt, but as a beginning of the democratisation of the polity. President Obama has said the resignation of Mubarak is the beginning of Egypt's transition to democracy, not the end. In his remarks Obama warned of "difficult days ahead" and called on the Egyptian military to end an oppressive emergency law, revise the constitution and prepare for free and fair elections.

"Many questions remain unanswered," President Obama said. "But I am confident that the people of Egypt can find the answers, and do so peacefully, constructively, and in the spirit of unity that has defined these last few weeks".

In addition, Obama called on Egypt's new military government to protect the rights of citizens, rewrite the legal code to make the movement toward democracy "irreversible", and to lay out a clear path to fair and free elections. He said that during the transition, all Egyptian voices should be represented at the negotiating table.

"The US will continue to be a friend and partner to Egypt," he said, pledging that the US would provide whatever assistance was necessary - and requested by Egypt - to aid the transition.

100 dead in south Sudan clashes

More than 100 people have died in fighting in south Sudan after rebels attacked the army. Among those who were dead were 39 civilians.

The clashes between fighters who are loyal to George Athor and south Sudan's army had taken place as the region prepares for independence from the north following a referendum held in January.

Ninety nine percent of Sudanese people voted to break away from the north of the country. The UN refugee agency expects over 800,000 people to move from north to south Sudan this year.

27 killed at Pakistan Army School

A 15-year-old suicide bomber walked onto the ground of one of the biggest training centres for the Pakistani Army in northwest Pakistan on Thursday and blew himself up, killing 27 cadets and injuring 40 more cadets. The bomber was dressed in the uniform of a school in the vicinity.

The attack at the Punjab Regimental Center in Mardan was the second such attack by militants against the school in the last three years.

Lessons from Queensland's floods

The lessons to be learnt from Queensland's summer of floods have started with the appointment of a high level commission tasked with examining the loss and destruction that affected three-quarters of the State. This newly-formed commission will look into Queensland's fatal summer of floods, focusing on the lessons to be learnt, for the first time on Thursday, with Justice Catherine Holmes.

Perth's bushfire

While Queensland is still making plans to recover from the devastating floods and their aftermath, Western Australia experienced one of the worst bushfires in 50 years last Sunday.

The bushfire totally destroyed 72 homes and damaged another 32 properties. The disaster has made headlines around the world with people eager to hear and read news of how West Australians are coping with the disaster.

The Head of the State, Premier Colin Barnett has declared the fire-affected areas in Perth hills a natural disaster area and announced lost homes would be eligible to receive $3000 each and $1000 each would be paid to those people whose properties had been damaged.

A 56-year-old police officer has been charged with carrying out an activity leading to the devastating Black Sunday bushfires under the WA's Bushfires Act.

Australia's climate commissioner

A well-known Australian scientist and former Australian of the Year, Professor Tim Flannery has been appointed to a newly-created position as Australia's climate commissioner. Professor Flannery will chair a panel of six experts, including scientists and economists. As reported in The Australian, the commission, headed by Prof Fannery "will work independently of the government to advance awareness of climate change issues in the community."

The Australian also reported how Australia's Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet described Professor Flannery as a "wonderful Australian" who would foster greater community awareness of climate science."