Mada updates

Thank goodness for the BBC. They seem to be the only news organization that actually reports on international news outside of the Middle East.

First, this article from yesterday:

Andry Rajoelina, who emerged from hiding to address a mass rally in the capital, said the president should resign "humbly" within hours.

His followers have begun forming their own government.

But after the opposition's deadline passed, Mr Ravalomanana was still refusing to stand down.

"I am still president," he said after emerging from the presidential palace outside the capital, Antananarivo, to address hundreds of supporters.

An aide to Mr Rajoelina, who did not wish to be named, said after the deadline had passed that the opposition was still waiting for the president to quit.

And now this, from just a couple hours ago:

Explosions and gunfire erupted as tanks smashed the palace gates. The central bank was also reportedly taken.

Mr Ravalomanana was in another residence on the outskirts of the city.

Earlier opposition leader Andry Rajoelina called for the arrest of the president and won public backing from the armed forces' self-declared head.

The African Union has condemned the "attempted coup d'etat" and called on Madagascar to respect its constitution.

The Malagasy people seem to have a talent for dragging out political conflicts. Seeing this twice in seven years seems to be a bit out of the ordinary.

And as Andry has apparently managed to gain control of the military, I do not see this ending well for Marc. The AU and UN may decry the actions as illegal, but they won't send troops in to enforce their view of what is moral here.