1. Arroyo arrested

    Philippine police arrested ex-president Gloria Arroyo at her hospital bed on Friday on charges of conspiring* with a feared warlord* to rig* an election, an offence that could lead to life in jail. The events capped a tumultuous* week in Philippine politics that had seen the government block Arroyo, 64, from leaving the country after she arrived at Manila airport wearing a neck brace and saying she needed medical care abroad.

    2. Egypt violence

    Egypt’s army-appointed government handed in its resignation on Monday, trying to stop a spiraling* crisis as thousands of protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square clashed for the third straight day with security forces in violence that has killed at least 24 people and posed the most sustained challenge yet to the rule of the military.

    The crowds in Tahrir, which had grown to well over 10,000 after nightfall, broke out into cheers with the news of the Cabinet’s move. But there was no sign the concession* would break their determination to protest until the military steps down completely and hands over power to a civilian government.

    3. Spain election

    Spain’s opposition conservatives* declared victory in a general election marked by staggering* unemployment and Europe’s debt crisis.

    With 75 percent of the votes counted on Sunday, the center-right Popular Party had 187 seats in the 350-seat lower chamber of parliament, while in the outgoing one it had 154.

    “There won’t be any miracles. We never promised any,” said triumphant* Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy, 56, in his victory speech.

    4. Gadhafi son to be tried

    Libya’s new leaders said on Sunday they would try Moammar Gadhafi’s son at home and not hand him over to the International Criminal Court where he’s charged with crimes against humanity*.

    Seif al-Islam Gadhafi was captured by revolutionary fighters in the southern desert on Saturday just over a month after his father was killed, setting off joyous celebrations across Libya.

    5. White House shooting

    A man with an apparent obsession* with U.S. President Barack Obama has been arrested in Pennsylvania after the Secret Service discovered two bullets struck the White House while the president was away, authorities said last Wednesday.

    One bullet smashed into a window of the living quarters of the executive mansion but was stopped by ballistic* glass.

    6. Phone hacking

    Other tabloids in Britain besides Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World may have hacked* phones, a London court heard as it began investigating newspaper practices in what could lead to tougher regulation of the entire U.K. press.

    The Leveson inquiry, expected to take about a year, was set up by Prime Minister David Cameron after it was revealed in July that the News of the World ordered hacking of the voicemail of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler, who was later found murdered.

    7. Italy’s new PM

    Mario Monti replaced Silvio Berlusconi as Italy’s prime minister last Wednesday and appointed himself finance minister at the head of a technocratic* Cabinet to rescue the euro zone heavyweight from bankruptcy.

    The former European commissioner said his new team would “race” to implement “coordinated initiatives for economic growth and development,” as he took over from the larger-than-life billionaire media mogul* Berlusconi.

    (SD-Agencies)