Must-Reads from Around the World: February 17, 2012

President Resigns – German President Christian Wulff resigned Friday morning amid a home loan scandal. In a unprecedented move, prosecutors asked parliament to remove Wulff’s immunity to better investigate the allegations, AFP reports. German Chancellor Angela Merkel may be the most affected: she had hand-selected Wulff for the largely ceremonial role, and his unceremonious departure – the second president during her time in office – damages her political authority, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Libyan Anniversary – February 17 marks the one-year anniversary of the Libyan uprising. While no official celebrations have been announced, spontaneous events began Thursday night as locals marked the momentous occasion. Revolutionary militias have rendered the interim government impotent according to the Washington Post. And TIME’s Vivienne Walt contends that Libya is more dangerous after the fall of Gaddafi.

Cutting Aid   – The Atlantic explores the consequences of cutting aid to Egypt. Several U.S. congressmen have called for the removal of funds after the indictment of 16 aid workers. Cutting aid to Egypt will directly affect the peace treaty between the nation and Israel. U.S. aid to Egypt is seen as one of the key incentives of the 1979 treaty that ended decades of fighting between the nations.

Defining Doha –  “Arabian Rivera” or traditional society? The Pearl, an exclusive enclave of Qatari city of Doha, is struggling to blend the ultra-conservative and the ultra-modern. Since the sale of alcohol was banned in December 2011, restaurants and stores complain of a 50% drop in traffic, Le Monde reports.

One Step Back – In a symbolic vote, 99.7% of Serbs in northern Kosovo rejected the Albanian-led state government, the Wall Street Journal reports. The vote, while non-binding, reveals serious levels of mistrust among the nation’s ethnic groups and presents another hurdle in Serbia’s desire to join the European Union.