1. Iraq Fighting 

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has offered Shiite militants a cash for weapons deal in an attempt to end violent clashes across Iraq that have killed more than 120 people. He has also extended deadline for the militants to give up their arms to the 8th of April. In the ongoing violence, extremists have lobbed more rockets or mortars against the U.S.-protected Green Zone in Baghdad, killing two guards outside the Iraqi vice president's office. US-led coalition warplanes, meanwhile, bombed Shiite militia positions in Basra, directly entering the fray for the first time since the Iraqi army began the crackdown in the southern city. The Iraqi premier also vowed to pursue a crackdown on Shiite gunmen despite protests and mounting casualties, as Iraqi forces battled militias in Basra and Kut and slapped a three-day curfew on Baghdad.

Iraqi leader Al-Maliki made his pledge to Basra area tribal leaders as military operations continued for a fourth day despite stiff resistance. Mounting anger focused on Maliki, who is personally overseeing an operation against Shiite militias dominated by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's supporters amid a violent power struggle in Basra, Iraq's southern oil hub near the Iranian border. Despite the ultimatum, heavy gunfire and explosions resounded across Basra while helicopters and jet fighters flew overhead.  

In the Shiite city of Kut southeast of Baghdad, more than 40 Shiite gunmen had been killed and 75 others wounded in heavy clashes with the Mahdi Army. Residents spoke of militiamen using mortar shells, sniper fire, roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades to fight off security forces. The violence continued a day after al-Maliki warned gunmen in Basra to surrender their weapons by Friday or face harsher measures, as clashes between security forces and Shiite militia fighters spread. 

Street battles that on Tuesday in Basra and Baghdad's main Shiite area, Sadr City, spreads to several other neighborhoods and southern cities, leaving nearly 200 dead, including civilians, Iraqi security forces and militants. That three-day figure was a rough estimate provided by police and hospital officials who could not give a more specific breakdown. In Basra itself, there is minimal presence of the US-led coalition after British forces turned over responsibility for the area to the Iraqis in late December, and the crisis was seen as a test of the Iraqi government's ability to eventually take over its own security. The violence was felt globally as oil futures shot to nearly 108 US dollars a barrel as concerns about Iraqi oil output stole investors' attention from the dollar, which stabilised against the euro. The bombing of a key Iraqi oil pipeline on Thursday appeared to cut oil exports from Basra, despite oil officials' statements to the contrary.
 

2. China Lhasa 

China today let the first foreign diplomats visit Tibet following deadly riots there, amid debate in Europe over whether the Chinese crackdown should trigger a boycott of the Olympics opening. Two weeks after the protests in the Himalayan region entered a lethal phase, diplomats from a number of countries, including the United States, Britain, France and Japan, set off on the government-organised tour. 

China insisted that Tibetans had full rights and warned Europe not to interfere. Beijing has warned Europe, not to send the wrong signals to Dalai Lama supporters. A group of monks shouting there was no religious freedom disrupted a carefully orchestrated visit for foreign reporters to Tibet's capital on Thursday, an embarrassment for China as it tried to show Lhasa was calm following deadly anti-government riots. Officials arranged the trip for the reporters to show that Lhasa was at peace after the violence and a subsequent government crackdown shattered China's plans for a smooth run-up to the Beijing Olympics. The government has said the 14 March riots were masterminded by "the Dalai clique," Beijing's term for the Dalai Lama and his supporters. 

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama, the region's exiled spiritual leader, said he was in touch with friends about pursuing a dialogue with China. The monks said the Dalai Lama had nothing to do with the riots by Tibetans in which buildings were torched and looted and ethnic Han Chinese was attacked. During the riots some of Lhasa's buildings were burned. One massive blaze that gutted a clothes shop that was shown to foreign reporters left its owner with nothing. The fire also killed five people, including some of his relatives. Government officials said that more than 660 protesters had surrendered in Tibet and Sichuan provinces. The Chinese government has maintained that its response was measured and comparable to what any responsible government would do when faced with civil unrest.

It may be in India, but Dha-ram-sala is known as "Little Lhasa". The town is a final destination for many Tibetan refugees escaping China. It has become the biggest Tibetan community outside Tibet itself and the home of the Tibetan government-in-exile and it is the base for the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader. The United Nations High Commission says around two-thousand Tibetan refugees arrive there every year. And there are many still willing to face the dangers of making their way to Little Lhasa.

In 2005, a group of international climbers witnessed a Buddhist nun being shot dead while trying to cross a mountain passes to exile in Nepal. The incident was captured on video by a Romanian cameraman climber. It's thought that around eight-thousand Tibetan refugees now consider Dharamsala their second home. Nepal is the first stop on the long journey to Dharamsala. They brave high altitudes, fierce weather and the ever present danger of Chinese border troops. A teenager is the latest newcomer at the Dharamsala Refugee Reception Centre. It took the 17-year-old three weeks to make the journey from Lhasa.  He arrived at the centre less than a week ago. His family remains in Tibet and fearing for their safety, he refused to give his name. He said he walked for 10 days across mountains until he reached Katmandu in Nepal. A 27-year-old nun, originally from Kham province in Eastern Tibet, is another newcomer at the centre. The Tibetan Refugee Reception Centre has branches in both Katmandu and the Indian capital, New Delhi offering assistance to people fleeing across the border. She said there is no opportunity to access education in Tibet. Her journey started at the end of February and she hid in Lhasa for a few days before setting out again hiding in a truck. She crossed the Nepalese border on foot, arriving in Dharamsala two weeks ago. She has not been able to contact her parents in Tibet. The reception centre was opened in 1990 to look after the growing number of refugees made up of    monks and nuns, political refugees, schoolchildren and pilgrims.
 

3. Nepal Tibet

Meanwhile, in Kathmandu, Nepal, there has been a protest with a difference about the Chinese actions in Tibet. The difference is that these protesters were all children.In the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, about 18 protesting teenage students wearing school uniforms, scaled the walls of the United Nations compound in the city, whilst police were distracted, arresting about 90 others, rallying outside, dragging some into waiting vehicles, officials and witnesses said. The teenage demonstrators carried Tibetan flags and placards reading "Free Tibet". According to a student, Tenzing Topjor, they wanted the U-N to investigate China's suppression of the Tibetans. Nepal, a key route for Tibetans fleeing Chinese rule, has been criticised for not allowing peaceful demonstrations against China's recent crackdown on protesters in Tibet. Nepalese police surrounded the compound and were posted at all the gates. One police official went inside and asked for the protesters to be handed over, but U-N officials refused. A U-N official later said that the students who entered the complex were sent home in a U-N bus.  

4. Swirtzs Korea

South Korea has joined European countries and Japan in voting for a U-N resolution against human rights abuses in North Korea. It is only the second time, since 2003 that Seoul has supported a U-N resolution on North Korean human rights rather than abstain. 

Speaking on behalf of the European Union ahead of the vote, Slovenian Ambassador Andrej Logar said the situation merits the continued attention of the EU Council. The EU he said remain deeply concerned at the continuing reports of systematic, widespread and grave violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and fundamental freedoms in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday expresses deep concern about continuing reports of systematic violations in the North.

The council is extending the appointment of a UN expert to investigate the country for another year. The resolution was strongly rejected by the North Korean ambassador, who said it was pursuing ill-minded political purposes having no relevance with human rights. The decision by the South Korean administration of conservative President Lee Myung-bak, who took office last month, marks a change from policies during the past decade of liberal governments, which were reluctant to publicly criticize North Korea. Lee has promised a tougher stance in dealing with South Korea's isolated, impoverished neighbour. 

5. South Korea & North Korea 

North Korea meanwhile, has raised the stakes in its nuclear disputes with South Korea and the United States, test firing several missiles and warning, it may slow down work to disable atomic plants. The tests today have been seen as the communist nation's latest apparent angry response, to the new South Korean government's tougher stance on Pyongyang. 

The launches came as the North issued a stern rebuke to Washington over an impasse at nuclear disarmament talks, warning that the Americans' attitude could gravely affect the continuing disablement of Pyongyang's atomic facilities. The White House however has criticized North Korea's latest missile tests as not constructive and urged Pyongyang to focus instead on dismantling its nuclear facilities. 

The missile launches were part of routine training, South Korean presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said, declining to give further details on the type of rockets fired. He told reporters Seoul was closely monitoring the situation. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that North Korea launched three ship-to-ship missiles at around half past ten in the morning local time, citing unidentified government officials. South Korea's Defence Ministry said it would not be commenting on the launches, which came a day after South Korea withdrew officials from a joint industrial zone with North Korea at Pyongyang's request. That move was prompted by the North's anger over South Korean statements that any expansion of the project in the border city of Kaesong would only happen if the North resolved the international standoff over its nuclear weapons. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, a conservative who took office last month, had said he would take a harder policy line on the North, a change from a decade of liberal Seoul governments who avoided confrontation to maintain a sunshine policy of engagement. The North regularly test fires missiles, and its long-range models are believed able to possibly reach as far as the western coast of the United States.  

6. Colombia Hostage 

There was a new development in the on-going Colombia hostage saga. Reports have emerged that former Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who has been in captivity for six years, is seriously ill.   

The Colombian government said earlier today that it had received reports that Betancourt is dangerously ill, suffering from Hepatitis B and the skin-eating disease, lesmaniasis. Family members of Betancourt, a French-Colombian citizen who has been a hostage in the jungle for six years, are increasingly raising concerns over her failing health. It is reported that her captors now have to carry her from camp to camp to stay ahead of armed forces trying to track down the FARC guerillas and the other lower profile hostages. Colombia offered late yesterday to suspend the sentences of jailed guerrillas if the rebels first free hostages including Betancourt. Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo said if some captives were liberated, they could begin the process of exchanging rebels for dozens of hostages. He added "It is enough that Ingrid Betancourt be immediately freed for us to consider that this humanitarian exchange is moving forward and to begin delivering the benefits of suspended sentences to jailed members of the guerrilla group.  
 

7. Indonesia

People in Banjarmasin have a new tourism activity. They are taking part in a rubber boating competition in the Martapura River. The daily event has also drawn enthusiasts in numbers.The traditional boat race in the Martapura River, is not new for the people of Banjarmasin but the arrival of enthusiasts who arrived in large numbers to compete is a new panorama indeed. Children and adults alike joined in the fun whenever they could spare the time. Each day, boat makers are seen making more boats to meet demand, accounting for the congestion in the Martapura River. Business operators also took the opportunity to cash in during such competitions. The water sport is not only dedicated to people who owned boats but also opened to those who could afford to rent boats.  

Oil prices fell today on renewed concern that a slowdown in the U-S economy, would dampen energy demand and on news that damage to an Iraqi pipeline, was not so serious as first thought. Crude futures however, remained above 107 U-S dollars a barrel. New York's main oil contract, light sweet crude for delivery in May, fell 57 cents to 107 dollars and one cent per barrel today. London's Brent North Sea crude for May lost 25 cents to 104 dollars and 76 cents.
 

8. Earth Hour

Twenty-six major cities around the world are expected to turn off the lights on major landmarks, plunging millions of people into darkness to raise awareness about global warming.  

'Earth Hour' founder Andy Ridley said 371 cities, towns or local governments from Australia to Canada and even Fiji had signed up for the 60-minute shutdown at 9am GMT or 5 pm Brunei time tomorrow. Cities officially signed on include Chicago and San Francisco, Dublin, Manila, Bangkok, Copenhagen and Toronto, all of which will switch off lights on major landmarks and encourage businesses and homeowners to follow suit. Other major European cities such as Rome and London, and the South Korean capital Seoul, although not officially taking part, would turn off lights on some attractions or landmarks.  

The initiative began in Sydney last year and has become a global event, sweeping across 35 countries this year. Organizers hope the initiative will encourage people to be more aware of their energy usage, knowing that producing electricity pollutes the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels which are contributing to global warming. But they are also aware that it will be just a small step in solving the problem of rising temperatures around the globe.
 

9. US NASA

Space officials worldwide were praising space shuttle Endeavour's successful mission to the International Space Station after the shuttle touched down at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Unusually, the landing took place in darkness, ending a voyage that lasted 16 days and covered 10 point 5 million kilometers. Shuttle commander Dominic Gorie called it a very rewarding mission. 

Speaking at a post-mission news conference at the Kennedy Space Centre, Gorie commented on the food the crew ate in space, saying that he wasn't keen on the Russians' tinned food. But said the variety of food provided has been a wonderful part of experimenting with different cultures. Another astronaut on the mission, Japanese Takao Doi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, was pleased that his gift of chopsticks were used by the crew in space, and they proved a good way of catching food in zero gravity by their pincer movement. Endeavour blasted off on March 11 - also in darkness - on an ambitious, intense space station construction mission that had even its commander wondering at times how they would get through everything. A fresh crew for the international space station arrives next month onboard a Russian spacecraft. Then shuttle Discovery is to drop off the rest of Japan's Kibo lab in May. Ten more shuttle trips to the station are scheduled over the next two years before the aging space vehicles are retired.
 

10. Germany Bear

The Nuremberg Zoo is preparing for an influx of ursine enthusiasts when polar bear cub Flocke makes her public debut next month. The fluffy white cub, now three months old, has become as famous in Germany as her hand-raised predecessor, Knut. (ker-noot) 

The zoo, which receives thousands of visitors each week, said that it was expecting up to 25-thousand a day after Flocke goes public on 9th April. To accommodate the people, the zoo will build a stage in front of Flocke's enclosure to allow up to five-hundred people to watch her frolic for up to 15 minutes at a time. Flocke, which means Flake, as in snowflake, was born in mid-December and was taken on 8 January from her mother, Vera, after the elder bear was seen carrying and tossing the cub around her enclosure, prompting concerns she could harm or even kill the newborn. In making ready for Flocke's debut, the zoo's director said advice was sought from the Berlin Zoo.
 

11. Open Skies Agreement 

An Open Skies agreement which comes into force on Sunday means there will be more flights to Europe, but not necessarily lower prices. 

Starting this weekend, travelers on both sides of the Atlantic will find they have more options when booking non-stop flights between the U.S. and Europe. They may find new direct flights; say from Salt Lake City to Paris. What they won't find much of when the open skies agreement between the U.S. and European Union kicks off on Sunday are lower fares, despite a handful of introductory sales.  

That's because most airlines such as British Airways and American Airlines, which are already struggling with sky-high fuel prices and an economic slowdown, see the new relaxed route restrictions primarily as a way to attract more of the high-end business and affluent leisure travelers they covet The open skies agreement was agreed last May after years of debate to end rules under which U.S. and European governments had to negotiate airlines' access to new markets, often on a city-by-city basis. French aviation consultant Didier Brechmier commented "The quality of services provided will improve and the premium passenger should gain".  

Meanwhile, the new T5 terminal at London's Heathrow Airport, which opened to a fanfare of positive publicity yesterday, had to accept the downside today of raising passengers' expectation levels too high.

British Airways' Chief Executive Willie Walsh today apologised and accepted full responsibility for severe disruptions at London Heathrow's new T5, which led to numerous flight cancellations yesterday and today. According to Walsh, yesterday was a very poor day for British Airways, definitely not its finest hour. The airlines let down a lot of people, and it sincerely apologies to any of its customers who were disrupted as a result of the failings on its part. Yesterday was supposed to be a day of glory for British Airways, the sole occupant of the mammoth new T5 terminal. But opening day at Terminal 5 turned sour as severe baggage handling delays led to numerous flight cancellations and other problems. And today saw more of the same. Although today's long haul flights were expected to continue on schedule, many shorter flights within the UK and Europe have already been cancelled, stranding many irate passengers. Walsh said disruptions were caused by a combination of factors, some of which had not been anticipated. However, he admitted the airline's performance was not good enough and it accepts that they did not deliver what they should have delivered to their customers yesterday. Many passengers had to wait more than one hour to receive their bags and the airline later had to restrict departing passengers at the terminal to hand luggage only. The new terminal cost 8.6 billion US dollars and took 19 years to move from concept to reality.    

12. Olympic Boycott 

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced in London, that the country would not boycott the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in protest of China's handling of unrest in Tibet. French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who joined Brown at the end of his two-day state visit of Britain, said that he would consult other European leaders before deciding, if he will boycott the opening ceremony in August. 

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has rejected calls for the country to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. Competing nations have been urged to boycott in protest of China's handling of recent unrest in Tibet. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has yet to guarantee his attendance, although he understands that, as the host country of the 2012 Games, Britain's presence in the opening ceremony is necessary. Sarkozy went on to say that as France will hold the rotating presidency of the European Union during the Beijing Games, he will consult other members before making his decision.
 

13. Rally Argentina 

Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb of France will go in search of a fourth consecutive Rally Argentina win, that would take him to the top of the World Rally Championship standings, when the season continues in Cordoba over the next three days starting today. 

Loeb had a very important passenger on-board when he continued his preparations - Argentine football legend Diego Maradona accompanying the Frenchman in his Citroen. Loeb has won the last three Rally Argentinas and is clearly at home on the gravel course. A fourth consecutive win in Argentina would take Loeb back to his familiar position at the top of the standings. He currently sits in second place, one point behind early pace setter Mikko Hirvonen, despite having won two of the three races to date.  

14. Cycling World

In yesterday's World Track Cycling Championships in Manchester, hosts Britain set a new world record in the 4 thousand meters team pursuit title, crossing the line in 3 minutes 56.322sec. 

Britain's team comprising Bradley Wiggins, Paul Manning, Geraint Thomas and Edward Clancy powered ahead of Denmark, who had earlier dominated the qualifying session. Winning gold also enabled Britain to shade Australia's old world mark of 3 minutes 56.610 seconds. In this event, Australia had to be content with the bronze medal after holding off a challenge from neighbours New Zealand in the minor final. Britain also picked up two more gold medals yesterday. 

Victoria Pendleton then teamed up with Shanaze Reade in the women's team sprint to overpower China in the final, in a world record time of 33.661 seconds before Rebecca Romero capped an historic night for the Brits by winning the women's individual pursuit title.