1. Maldives president quits

    The Maldives’ first democratically elected president resigned on February 7 after a mutiny by police described by his office as an attempted coup*, capping three weeks of political upheaval* in the popular tourist destination.

    Vice president Mohammed Waheed Hassan has taken an oath to be the president.

    2. Ahmadinejad summoned

    Iran’s parliament decided on February 7 to summon President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for questioning over a long list of accusations, including that he mismanaged the nation’s economy.

    The summons was the first of its kind for an Iranian president since 1979. It followed a petition* by a group of lawmakers for a review of policy decisions by Ahmadinejad, who has come under increasing attacks in recent months from the same hard-liners* who brought him to power.

    3. Myanmese refugees

    Tens of thousands of Myanmese refugees flocked across the Chinese border to seek shelter from escalating* clashes between Myanmar’s military and the Kachin Independence Army.

    Mi Bingxing, a pastor in Yingjiang County, Yunnan Province, on the Myanmese border, said that around 10,000 refugees had flowed into area villages to escape the turmoil back home and that more than 40,000 were gathered on the other side, ready to cross.

    4. Syria expels ambassadors

    Syria has expelled the ambassadors of Libya and Tunisia and given them a 72-hour deadline to leave the country.

    The Syrian Embassy in Qatar was also shut down, and Syrian ambassadors to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have also been expelled.

    The move came apparently in retaliation* to similar actions taken against Syrian diplomats in those countries.

    5. The Sun bribery probe

    Britain’s top-selling newspaper The Sun was in crisis Saturday after police arrested five of its journalists over bribery allegations, but owner Rupert Murdoch vowed to keep publishing the tabloid.

    A Ministry of Defense official, a member of the armed forces and a policeman were also arrested over allegations that journalists paid officials for information, police said.

    6. U.S. presidential election

    Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney grabbed back some momentum after midweek losses in three states, scoring a narrow win in Maine’s caucuses* on Saturday, hours after winning a straw poll of Republican conservative activists.

    Results of Maine’s non-binding straw poll showed the former Massachusetts governor with 39 percent support, or 2,190 votes, ahead of libertarian Texas Congressman Ron Paul with 36 percent or 1,996 votes.

    7. Pakistan PM charged

    Pakistan’s Supreme Court charged the embattled prime minister with contempt of court* on Monday for his refusal to re-open old corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, complicating the country’s political crisis.

    Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that if he was convicted he would be forced to step down. He could also face up to six months in jail.

(SD-Agencies)