By MARK MACKINNON, Toronto Globe and Mail

Today would normally be a day of high celebration for Tibetans everywhere, the welcoming of the lunar New Year with fireworks, music and festive dinners. Instead, many parts of Chinese-controlled Tibet are expected to solemnly boycott the next week of state-sponsored events marking the festival known as Losar.

When Li Huawen left her childhood home in China's northern Hebei province five years ago, she believed she was starting down a clearly charted course. She would go to Beijing, attend the prestigious China University of Political Science and Law, and emerge into the world's fastest growing economy with a plethora of job offers.

A tableau of fireworks lit the skies over the world's most populous country on Sunday night, celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Ox. But despite the Chinese New Year festivities, many expect the next 12 months could be as difficult to manage as the famously stubborn beast for which the year is named.

LATTAKIA, Syria -- Here in Bashar Assad's hometown, they love their leader. Or at least they make an extremely good show of appearing to do so.

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey -- Murat and Farida didn't know about the feud between their families when they first met at the university in this stone-walled town in southeastern Turkey, a place where residents cling to long memories and ancient traditions.

ZAKHO, Iraq -- The streets of this bustling frontier town are crowded with trucks sporting blue and white Turkish license plates and billboards advertising Turkish products that are popular in Iraq. Watching the hectic flow of commerce, you'd never think that hostilities are exchanged across this border almost as rapidly as goods are traded across the same line.

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Each evening, a warbling call rises from hundreds of mosques across this tiny island kingdom. Come pray, the muezzins sing, and celebrate the holy month of Ramadan.

JERUSALEM -- For a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of peace, it was an odd sensation for Yariv Oppenheimer to have his house guarded by armed men this week.

JERUSALEM -- When Israel's charismatic foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, claimed victory this past week over her nearest rival for the leadership of Israel's governing Kadima party, she told reporters outside her Tel Aviv residence that she would approach her new post with "great reverence."

Brandishing Kalashnikov assault rifles, the boat full of heavily armed pirates pulled alongside a defenseless Italian merchant ship. As they prepared to board the vessel, intending to seize whatever riches they found aboard, the Italian captain sent out a distress call and a gunboat flying the colors of Canada's navy came steaming to his aid, forcing the pirates to flee.