The Olympic torch has begun its 85,000-mile journey. The American death toll in Iraq reaches 4,000.

>>Pakistan - On Saturday, the Pakistan People's Party named its pick for Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gillani, a former speaker of the National Assembly who spent four years in jail under what many consider to be trumped-up corruption charges. Many speculate that Gillani was chosen over Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who ran the PPP during Benazir Bhutto's exile, because he will be easier for Bhutto widower Asif Ali Zardari to dislodge after he runs for a seat in parliament and is eligible for the top position. Meanwhile, Musharraf has vowed to support the new government.

>>Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's leading opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, has accused the government of Zimbabwe of printing 9 million ballots for Friday's election when the nation only has 5.9 million registered voters, which includes nearly 600,000 extra for civil servants, police, and soldiers. Meanwhile, Mugabe increased government debt 65-fold ($53 billion) in the six weeks leading up to March 7 to bump up civil servant salaries and supply farm equipment.

>>Colombia/Ecuador - Colombia has admitted that an Ecuadorean citizen was killed in the raid three weeks ago on FARC rebels in Ecuadorean territory that caused a diplomatic standoff between Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, had previously said that it would be "extremely grave" if it proved true that an Ecuadorian was killed in the raid.

>>Bhutan - The people of Bhutan will become members of the world's newest democracy today as they vote in an election for seats in the lower house of parliament that will end the hundred years' rule of the extremely popular Wangchuck royal family. The 28-year-old king has implored citizens to vote.

• U.S. Intervenes on Ethiopian
  Abortion Law
• We're Only Going to Get What We Give
• Final Word on Somalia

Africa

• href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7311111.stm">Talks
  seek to end Somali violence
• href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/world/africa/24darfur.html?ex=1364097600&en=98f4d4d04b6fc434&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">Peacekeeping
  in Darfur Hits More Obstacles
• href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/world/europe/24pope.html?ex=1364097600&en=5fad7a229f4b0976&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">Pope
  Calls for Peace and Celebrates Conversions
• href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3607481.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093">Tanzanian
  troops from the African Union train to tackle rebels on Anjouan
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256740132/idUSL0926529020080324">Zimbabwe's
  whites fear vote will change little
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256637112/idUSL2312596920080323">Mali
  battle hinders hostage effort, deadline nears
• href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7310553.stm">Egypt
  releases Hamas men
• href="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/%7Er/wp-dyn/rss/world/index_xml/%7E3/256315893/AR2008032202206.html">One
  Man's Personal Mission To End Slavery in Mauritania
• href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3607831.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093">Funeral
  costs rise as Zimbabwe elections loom for Robert Mugabe

Americas

• href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/21562624-f916-11dc-bcf3-000077b07658.html">Advertisers
  feel squeeze from Chavez
• href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/business/media/24press.html?ex=1364097600&en=1a79467bb8eb0171&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">The
  War Endures, but Where's the Media?
• href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/world/americas/23haiti.html?ex=1364011200&en=d396a5dc1051ac90&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">Haiti's
  Poverty Stirs Nostalgia for Old Ghosts
• href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/world/americas/23suriname.html?ex=1364011200&en=72bd5e0eb6be3e42&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">In
  Babel of Tongues, Suriname Seeks Itself
• href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/24/venezuela?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews">Peruvian
  leaders cry foul as Chavez exports healthcare
• href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/24/argentina.genetics?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews">New
  DNA technology to identify Argentina's disappeared
• href="http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/%7Er/wp-dyn/rss/world/index_xml/%7E3/256386708/AR2008032202401.html">U.S.
  Strike Kills 6 Iraqi Sunni Volunteers

Asia

• href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7311035.stm">Casualties
  in south Russia blast
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256944114/idUSTP33785420080324">Taiwan
  ruling party to retool after another defeat
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256984261/idUSSP14677420080324">Philippines'
  Aquino, democracy icon, has cancer
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256945882/idUSPAT43515420080324">Family
  of slain Briton urges help to find suspect
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256956714/idUST32981120080324">Hopes
  fade for Ukrainian sailors in Hong Kong collision
• href="http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2267686,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews">Prized
  violin plays again for Moscow's elite
• href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a5317fd2-f909-11dc-bcf3-000077b07658.html">Asian
  bankers hope to escape US woes
• href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7310377.stm">US-Afghan
  forces kill insurgents
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256879201/idUSDHA14829020080324">Politics
  heats up ahead of Bangladesh anniversary
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256915678/idUSJAK2233720080324">Final
  appeal for Bali bombers on death row withdrawn
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256924157/idUSSEO34019620080324">South
  Korea ruling party struggles for majority win
• href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/7310972.stm">Taiwan
  markets rally after poll

Europe

• href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7f31888c-f8e5-11dc-bcf3-000077b07658.html">Call
  for EU to study Beijing Olympic boycott
• href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7308036.stm">EU
  'committed' to stiff CO2 cuts
• href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/world/europe/24bull.html?ex=1364011200&en=be64577afea65924&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">For
  a Prize Bull, Next Big Test Is in the Genetics Lab
• href="http://feeds.reuters.com/%7Er/reuters/worldNews/%7E3/256516350/idUSL234647620080323">Serbia
  returns to the offensive over Kosovo
• href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8f8511a8-f927-11dc-bcf3-000077b07658.html">France
  and UK to press banks over debt
• href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/be55f09c-f8f0-11dc-bcf3-000077b07658.html">Latvian
  premier grapples with crisis