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."
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