HILLARY CLINTON

French fighter jets have bombed and destroyed a Libyan military target, marking the first act of enforcement of the United Nations mandate to impose a no-fly zone over Libya

Former U.S. Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher has died, his law firm said on Saturday. His long career as a lawyer and diplomat included a leadership role in promoting peace in the Balkans. He was 85.

Yemen clash death toll rises to 47

In the wake of an intensifying crackdown against anti-government protesters (including the killing of at least 30 demonstrators earlier today in the capitol Sanaa), the president of Yemen has declared a state of emergency in the restive country.

Bahrain, a tiny island in the western shores of the Persian Gulf, saw no reprieve from the recent anti-government protests.

The United Nations Security Council has approved military strikes on Libyan air defenses, a move following weeks of talks led by France, Britain and the United States to mobilize the international community to take action against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi, which is engaged in armed conflict with rebels.

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday voted to approve a no-fly zone over Libya and all necessary measures to protect civilians from attacks by forces led by Muammar Gaddafi.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday that establishing a no-fly zone over Libya would require the bombing of air defenses, as the U.S. seeks broad action to protect civilians fighting Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime.

Bahrain arrested several opposition leaders on Thursday as part of a crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom, driven by majority Shiites, who are calling for democracy and civil rights.

Publishing U.S. diplomatic cables helped shape uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange said on Tuesday.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet with members of the Libyan opposition in Paris on Monday as she takes part in a broader Europe and Northern Africa Trip where she will also visit Egypt and Tunisia.

The earthquake disaster in Japan looks set to dominate a Group of Eight foreign ministers meeting this week in Paris as members discuss ways to coordinate help for the only Asian country in the group.

Assistance in the form of food and equipment has started to arrive in earthquake-and tsunami-battered Japan from the U.S. Search and rescue teams are expected to reach Japan by tomorrow.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has confirmed that there has been a release of a small amount of radioactive material at one of its two Fukushima-based nuclear plants where the cooling mechanism had failed after Friday's devastating earthquake.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she plans to meet with Libyan rebel leaders in the U.S. and when she travels next week to France, Tunisia and Egypt.

HBO Films announced Wednesday that four-time Oscar nominee, Julianne Moore will star as former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in new film titled Game Change.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged lawmakers on Wednesday to approve capital increases for global lending institutions and warned that failure to do so could harm U.S. influence abroad.

Moammar Gaddafi has warned that if a no-fly zone is imposed n Libya by the UN Security Council, he and his military will respond with armed resistance.

They are the leaders, business heads, fashionistas and movie stars and they have come a long way since March 19, 1911 when the first IWD was celebrated in Germany following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed concern on Thursday that the United States was losing the information war internationally, and especially in the Middle East, drawing a critical comparison between the U.S. media and broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has reportedly accepted an offer of mediation from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez while an opposition group has rejected it, according to a report.