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1.  Community Development Minister, Abdullah Tarmugi, has called on the Muslim community to help the younger generation become more aware of what has led to Singapore's stability and prosperity. In his Hari Raya message, Mr. Abdullah, who's minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs, said that such appreciation would better equip the young with the right spirit to maintain the country's success. Noting that not all Muslims in the world live as fortunately as those in Singapore, he reminded Muslims here that their peaceful circumstances came about not by chance but by deliberate efforts.

So Mr. Abdullah urged the Muslim community to make it their Hari Raya resolution to instill a greater consciousness of such values among the young. He wishes all Muslim Singaporeans Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri.

2.  US President Bill Clinton and his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin will meet in Helsinki on March 20 and 21. The summit originally scheduled to take place in the US is being moved closer to Moscow. This is to help ease the travel strain on Mr. Yeltsin who's recovering from pneumonia that followed his heart bypass surgery last November.
3.  In New Zealand, a 24-year-old man was charged with murder following a shooting rampage in which at least 6 people were killed. The naked gunman also wounded at least five others in the incident which happened in a quiet central North Island town.
4.  In the US, a hostage drama at a cheque cashing office in Philadelphia ended peacefully after several hours with the release of all captives. The drama started when about a hundred people were taken hostage by a group of men after a foiled robbery attempt.
5.  The US air force has suspended all flights in restricted areas in the east coast of the country. It follows two incidents involving close brushes between civilian planes and F-16 fighter jets.
6.  Ecuador's political crisis worsens as clashes between police and protestors leave at least two people dead. The disturbances erupted after acting President Fabian Alarcon urged demonstrators to take the presidential palace by force. President Abdala Bucaram had refused to vacate the building even after congress decided he was mentally unfit to rule and voted to replace him. Instead, he sent hundreds of riot police, backed by armored personnel carriers and water cannons to quell the protestors. Protestors fought back, throwing rocks and petrol bombs at the police. The violence prompted the army chief to declare a state of emergency.
7.  Canadian police have arrested a man for a bizarre act in the Ottawa parliament house. The man tried to jam the doors of parliament house by driving his truck up the stairs of the building. It took a number of police officers to take the man into custody. But what the man was protesting about remains a mystery.
8.  In the Philippines, hundreds of demonstrators have begun a two-day protest against proposed price hikes for petrol. The privatisation of the oil industry took effect today and the country's three main refiners, Shell, Petron and Caltex, have said prices would not rise sharply. But the protestors were not convinced. Carrying banners they marched through the main financial district, Makati, where the oil companies' offices are situated. They also marched towards the presidential palace and planned to stage an overnight protest.
9.  The National Parks Board will spend 31 million dollars this year to build 2 new parks and redevelop 2 others. And that means more than just a greener setting. National Parks says it aims to diversify its park features and activities to woo visitors even during off peak periods.
10. A coral species growing in Singapore waters has the potential to kill off cancer cells effectively. The finding, by a team from the National University of Singapore, offers hope for the development of anti-cancer drugs. But experts caution it's still too early to call it a cure.
11. Over in China, thousands of Asiatic black bears are being kept in captivity and reared for their bile which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. But the release of secretly filmed pictures of bears caged in appalling conditions has raised an international outcry. The Chinese government has stepped in and transferred several of these bears to a sanctuary. But the rescue may have come too late for the bears who've been traumatised by their long captivity.  
12. The network of rivers in Myanmar has served not only as a means of transportation in the country. It's also created a cottage industry for the rural folk.
13. For ethnic Chinese all over the world, the Lunar New Year season is a special one. No exception in New York, where a recent ban on firecrackers hasn't put a damper on the festivities. Chinatown residents ensured a noisy welcome to the Year of the Ox. And what's Chinese New Year without the dragon and the traditional dragon dance. But the Chinese are not the only ones partying this week. In Brazil, it's time for the Rio de Janeiro carnival extravaganza, where scantily clad dancers strut their stuff to the samba beat. The momentum will build up over the weekend to explode in a blaze of colour and glamour.
14. Sports and we begin with boxing. The much anticipated World Boxing Council heavyweight match between Oliver McCall and Lennox Lewis had an unexpected ending. McCall, former holder of the heavyweight crown had defied the odds to even reach the WBC heavyweight title bout with Lewis, but then he quit. The referee stopped the fight in the fifth round when McCall refused to defend himself. Apparently the strain of competition had been too much for McCall who was seen breaking down in the corner. Lewis who reclaimed the World Boxing Council heavyweight title had also expected a tough fight.
15. UEFA has reached a truce with England in a row over who should host the 2006 World Cup finals. It's withdrawn its unequivocal support of Germany's bid to play host and has also agreed to meet both English and German football officials in April to decide who's bid to push for. World governing body FIFA said UEFA's decision would not make any difference to the bidding process but an official said it was pleased the row had been worked out. FIFA will invite official bids for the 2006 finals in November 1998 and results announced in June 2000.
16. The cream of South East Asia's athletes is set to descend on Singapore come September for this year's Singapore Open. The Republic's annual track and field championships will be the warm-up ground for the SEA Games.
17. The Singapore Tenpin Bowling Congress says it's likely to include the best youth players in the SEA Games squad. This, it explains, will give players the much needed experience to compete at the Commonwealth and Asian Games next year.
18. Squash and the Asian Junior Championships. Singapore juniors are getting their much needed international exposure, the hard way. Five relative newcomers have been included in the Republic's team of eight for this year's championships to be held in Madras, India from 14th to 24th February.