1. Mubarak returns to court

    Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, charged with the killing of protesters and abuse of power, was wheeled into court on a hospital trolley last Wednesday as his trial resumed after a delay of almost two months while lawyers demanded a new judge.

    Many Egyptians hope the trial will heal some of the scars of his autocratic* rule and help the country find stability after nearly a year of political turmoil under the military generals who replaced him in power.

    2. Myanmar warehouse blast

    At least 17 people died and 80 were injured in an early morning explosion at an industrial district Thursday in an eastern suburb of Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, police said.

    A police officer said 12 men and five women had been confirmed dead. He said further deaths were expected.

    Witnesses said a fire had broken out at a chemical storage warehouse, causing an explosion that triggered* several smaller blasts. Police said three firemen were among the dead.

    3. 35 dead in Turkey air strike

    Turkish warplanes killed at least 35 people in an air strike* in southeastern Turkey near the Iraqi border overnight, mistaking smugglers for Kurdish militants, local officials said Thursday.

    Turkish warplanes strike militant targets regularly in the region in their battle against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas* and have stepped up raids after a PKK attack in August.

    4. Strong earthquake hits Japan

    A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 jolted* eastern and northeastern Japan on Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damages and no tsunami warning was issued.

    A spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power said there were no reports of any abnormalities* at the tsunami-crippled* Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant following the quake.

    5. U.S. defense spending bill signed

    U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday signed a massive* defense spending bill despite having “serious reservations*” with its language on terrorist detention.

    The US$662-billion Defense Authorization Act will fund the Department of Defense and some programs of the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation for the 2012 fiscal year starting last October.

    6. ‘New era’ of relations

    South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Sunday offered to cooperate with North Korea to begin a “new era” of relations between the two countries, a day after Pyongyang had said it would defend its new leader, Kim Jong Un, to the death.

    Kim marked New Year’s Day with a visit to a Korean People’s Army (KPA) tank division Sunday. This was Kim’s first KPA inspection since he assumed its top role.

    Also on Sunday, North Korea published a New Year’s editorial in which it described the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as the main obstacle to peace on the peninsula*.

    7. Euro anniversary

    European policymakers marked the 10th anniversary Sunday of the introduction of euro notes and coins by urging governments in the currency bloc to save and consolidate to overcome their debt crisis.

    While German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble called the euro “a clear success story” and pledged* the currency would remain stable, he also urged vulnerable debtor states to follow a tough savings course in 2012, boost their competitiveness and work to win back market confidence.

(SD-Agencies)