The London Eye Shrouded in Green Light on St Patrick's Day, March 17, 2011 (Getty Images)

 What connects the four leaf Clover, corned beef and cabbage, Guinness, and the catholic church? Add March 17th to the celebration and you get St. Patrick's day.

It started hundreds of years ago as a religious holiday in Ireland, St. Patrick's day has now become a huge celebration of Irish culture. The holiday is also celebrated in Great Britain, the US, Australia and New Zealand, thanks to Irish immigrants who spread the tradition.

Green clothes are the day's fashion, symbolizing the green shamrock- Ireland’s national's symbol. According to the legend, the shamrock was used by St Patrick to teach the Irish people about the holy trinity of mother, son and the holy spirit. He is considered by the church till this day, to the patron Saint of Ireland.

The traditions took the three leaf clover or Shamrock a step further to a 4 leaf clover – a very rear find. The 3 leaves stand for faith hope and love and the fourth leaf stands for luck.

Not much of the religious day's  character remains in modern times considering the massive consumption of alcohol on St Patrick's day –especially Guinness. It goes together with the Irish blessing Slainte (good health in Irish), Erin Go Bragh (Ireland Forever), special Irish sayings such as "May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight,"  "May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past," and more.

Colorful parades are held in many counties around the world, one of the biggest is held in New York City –and attracts around 150,000 people every year. Monuments across the world are also lit green to mark the occasion, including the Empire State Building in NYC and the London eye in the UK Capital.

Several dozen anti-nuclear protesters rally in Paris. 

Fuelled by the nuclear crisis unfolding in Japan following the country's most powerful earthquake on record, demonstrators are demanding that France end its dependence on nuclear power.

They say the radiation leak at a Japanese atomic power plant shows that safety guarantees cannot be upheld.

[Eva Joly, Member of European Parliament]:       

"The idea that it's dangerous and that we can cope with it, that is finished today. And we know how to get out of the nuclear plants we need renewable energies, we need wind mills, we need geothermal and we need solar energy." 

French officials met Saturday to discuss possible precautionary measures, but green energy groups say it is time to dump the program entirely.

[Dominique Voynet, Mayor of Montreuil]:        

"When there was this nuclear accident in Chernobyl, people were saying the Russian state was not doing its job, that the technology was old. The truth is that the most modern technologies, the most trained teams, are not protected, especially when nature is interfering, when it's strong, it's impossible to protect ourselves from it."  

France has 58 nuclear reactors, compared to Japan's 55.

Nuclear power provides almost four fifths of the country's electricity, making it the second-biggest nuclear power producer after the United States.            

Its not just a car - its a symbol of luxurious, uncompromising engineering - but this Rolls-Royce Phantom is different - its the first fully electric car in its class. 

Not designed as a production model,  the 102EX was unveiled in Geneva and is now beginning a world tour to canvas opinion amongst the brand's wealthy customers.

The company's CEO, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, says he hopes it poses as many questions as it answers. 

[Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes: Rolls-Royce CEO]:     

"For us it's a market research project, a test-bed where we want to learn more from our owners' of Rolls Royces. What is an appropriate alternative drive-train for them? Is that something which would fit for a Rolls Royce? Yes or no and this is exactly what we want to know."  

The car has two electric motors that will power it up to 160 kph (100 mph) in less than 8 seconds and the largest battery back ever fitted to a road car - giving it a range of up to 200km (125 miles).

Radical but sensible, according to industry analyst Christoph Sturmer of IHS Automotive.  

[Christoph Sturmer, IHS Automotive]:                   

"Why would you buy a 12 cylinder engine? Because it runs totally smooth, because its noiseless, because its full of power and those are all properties that electric drive-trains have. So it makes a lot of sense but the technology is not there yet."  

But it's enough, says Roills Royce to gauge opinion.

The electrification of the Phantom even includes the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy, which is lit with a blue LED.              

A little hint of what it stands for. 

The exhibition "Breaking the Silence" is now on display at the Army Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

Itamar Shapira, an Israeli ex-soldier, talks to a Swedish high school class. He explains the daily life of an Israeli soldier stationed in the occupied territories.

[Itamar Shapira, Ex-soldier, Volunteer, "Breaking the Silence"]:

”With a cry to the Israeli society that sent us. Look what we have done; look at the world price that we are paying for holding the occupied territories - basically holding millions of Palestinians, with no rights, within military occupation. Look at what we have become on a personal level, look at what we have become as a society and we expose those practices. Palestinian civilian society is in front of us soldiers. What comes out of that rage we have? Because we are the law there, someone is refusing to stop, refusing not to go, refusing to stay inside his home, inside his village. [He] wants to go to work. What we do with any sort of this disobedience to this population. It’s important for us to expose that. We are the oppressors, we are the ones that are violating human rights on a daily basis. We are creating the terror against us, basically.” 

“Breaking the Silence” was born in 2004 when a group of people wanted to speak out about what they experienced and saw during their military service at the West Bank and Gaza. 

Today it’s a human rights organization that collects testimonies from Israeli soldiers and ex-soldiers to bring to the Israeli public. 

Shapira says it is important for the Israeli people, and the world’s people, to know that there are missions whose sole purpose is to provoke.

[Itamar Shapira, Ex-soldier, Volunteer, "Breaking the Silence"]: 

”Going in to civilian areas to look for the people that will be violent against you. Places that you are controlling. With people that have no rights. Oppressing them. This is a war against civilians, a war against society.”

Dotan Greenvald, ex-soldier and volunteer for Breaking the Silence, thinks that criticism is something that all democratic civilians must do in order to make their societies better.

[Dotan Greenvald, Ex-soldier, Volunteer, "Breaking the Silence"]: 

”To question the army and to criticize the army (is) considered to be very a big taboo in Israel and we have the legitimacy to hold a gun at age 18 so we have all the rights to criticize what we did in words.”

One of the high school students attending gave a suggestion for what Israel and Palestine should do to be able to live together in the future.

[Visitor, High School Student]: 

”Maybe to start all over again and not to belong anywhere, just start from scratch.”

NTD News, Stockholm, Sweden

On Thursday, a monument dedicated to insurance agents, appeared near an insurance company in Kiev. 

The monument - a pair of worn-out shoes with deep folds and fissures - symbolizes the insurance agents’ hard work.

[Alexander Zaletov, League of Insurance Organizations of Ukraine]: 

"It's symbolic of their hard work because the insurance agent deals directly with the customers. It’s not like the agents stay at the bar and people come to them; an insurance agent must go out to see the families." 

There’s also a bronze monument dedicated to all those who have suffered under the bureaucratic system in Ukraine.

[Andrey Ozjumenko, Sculptor]: 

"This is an image of the modern Ukrainian businessman who has trampled the threshold of authority, defending his business. And this is incredibly relevant in Ukraine, especially with the adoption of the Tax Code now."

And the artists also wear worn-out shoes.

[Andrew Ozyumenko, Sculptor]: 

"Our own shoes served as the model. We have a lot of them in the studio and they are different. I even wore the same style of shoes when I was modeling shoes."

Kiev citizens like the huge pair of shoes - size 92.

[Kiev Citizen]: 

"Beautiful monument, I like it very much. In my opinion, it symbolizes that the insurance agent has a lot of work to do to earn money with the insurance company.”

[Kiev citizen]: 

"Wonderful! I love this kind of thing."

These shoes are the only monument in Kiev that can be worn. 

Insurers believe if one wears these shoes, he or she can definitely expect financial success.

NTD News, Kiev, Ukraine.

St. Petersburg is celebrating the 300th anniversary of Russia's  Military Band Service. 

Fanfares are resounding on stage from the Academic Orchestra.

A chief conductor of the Russian military is a soloist on this special day.

A modern Military Band is able to play very complex pieces, as the Chief of the Military Band Service Forces explains. 

[Valery Khalilov, Chief, Military Band Service Forces]: 

"This orchestra can play everything. Today it will play an overture "Ruslan and Ludmila." This is a very complicated piece for a symphony orchestra. They play brilliantly. "

Three centuries ago, Tsar Peter I attempted to lift the military spirit of all the infantry regiments by commanding them to create their own orchestras.   

Within each orchestra they were instructed to include one foreign oboist, eight Russian oboists, and 16 drummers who signalled the orchestra to start playing.  

Now the Russian armed forces have 250 bands. 

The smallest Band consists of just 18 people. But in the big Bands, such as today's orchestras of the Western Military District, there can be up to 100 musicians.

The traditions of the forward-looking Tsar have been preserved.   

And musicians are now playing a march of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, which is already 300 years old. (56-00)

[Sergey Vovk, Head of the Military Band of the West Armed Forces]: 

"At the moment we return to those good traditions, when music was played in the parks, was played on the squares, was played on the weekend. "

The main purpose of the military bands was not concerts, but to provide daily military ceremonies.

A high ranking Captain, now president of the fan club of military music of St. Petersburg, said that the music in the military service has played an important role.

[Boris Grigoriev, Captain]: 

"Military service has always been associated with music. Firstly it is a parade, and secondly, the returning of a submarine from a long hike was accompanied by an orchestra at the pier." 

The military orchestras have their listeners: veterans, people who were blockaded inside St. Petersburg by the enemy during the Second World War, and even women are fans of military music.

[Valentine Yurchik, Spectator]: 

"Very much. You know, the music is rich, and you are just dissolving into the music. "

In peacetime military bands fulfill a cultural and educational role when performing their concerts.

NTD News, St. Petersburg, Russia

The Swedish government since 2003 has tried to place the needs and living conditions of the poor and the promotion of human rights to the forefront in all policies including trade.

In 2010 the Swedish Minister of trade Ewa Bjorling and the state owned Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) went to Libya to promote a system of airborne frontier surveillance.

The delegation seems to have directly contravened the intent of the Swedish Governments policy.

SSC's Bjorn Ohlson speaking to Libya's Minister of Trade:

[Bjorn Ohlson, Spokesman, SSC]:

"We can help you to be firm with the refugee situation along the border and in the Mediterranean."

Ewa Bjorling wrote on her blog.

"…our Swedish companies can be good role models in difficult countries in which Libya is an example..."

A report “Exports at the Expense of Human Rights” released by Amnesty International in Sweden shows that it’s difficult to get any information from agencies controlling exports in Sweden.

[Goran Eklof, Report Author]: 

"We asked to get an explanation of how human rights issues and related issues had been dealt with during the different meetings that the delegations had, how the delegation members had been briefed about this issues, and basically we didn’t get any information at all."

The report cites several examples since 2003 where Swedish trade delegations did not comply with the government policy that includes the promotion of human rights.

The problem with trade and human rights is of concern - even at the level of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD).

[Goran Eklof, Report Author]: 

"The OECD, also doesn’t have guidelines on human rights; it does have guidelines on environment and unsustainable debts etc. but it doesn’t have any human rights guidelines."

NTD News, Stockholm,  Sweden

The fifth international "Mene Tekel" festival was held in the Czech Republic. The festival exposes totalitarianism, evil and violence under the former communist-controlled Czechoslovakia through exhibitions, films, and talks with former political prisoners or by reconstructing a political trial.

In the context of the Mene Tekel Festival, law students have rekindled the memory the life of a former political prisoner Dagmar Simkova. 

At age 23 Dagmar Simkova was sentenced to prison for spreading so called “subversive” leaflets and helping her friends who were deserters from the army.

She spent 13 years in prison and wrote her memoirs “We Were There Too” after she emigrated to Australia in 1968.

In a courtroom of the Supreme Court in Prague they reconstructed her political trial from 1952.

[Reconstruction of a Political Trial]:

Arrest:
Surname and name: Simkova Dagmar


Date of birth 23.5.1929

Nationality: Czechoslovak

Class origin: Bourgeois class

[Jan Rericha, Festival Director]:

"I think that the main mission of the Mene Tekel festival is to bow to all people around the world who sacrificed their own freedom and eventually their own lives for freedom and democracy."

[Reconstruction of a Political Trial]:

"Blood, shouting, torture and gallows-trees are hidden behind a massive wall through which does not get even a feeble voice and behind the wall there are cheerful busses carrying tourist and newspapers full of articles about brutality and injustice of capitalism."

The main role was played by actress Debora Stolbova.

[Debora Stolbova, Actress]:

"I think it is very nice that she was able, even in the worst conditions, to hunger-strike for other female-prisoners, even when she was at the edge of exhaustion she decided to hunger-strike."

[Reconstruction of a Political Trial]:

"We were fanatics of self-sacrifice, searching for ideal, freedom against merciless authority, we believed that we were helping create a new era and that the court of history would prove that it was not only midsummer madness."

[Jan Rericha, Festival Director]:

"If it were not for these people I think that humankind would have died out a long time ago. So this is for us, the main point, to highlight these people and their destiny so that these people become our model. They are the elite of humankind, (the) elite of our nation."

NTD News, Prague, Czech Republic.

Leos Janacek is a world-famous composer, but few know that the town of Brno where he spent most of his life was the source of his musical inspiration.

Janacek was born on July 3, 1854 in the small village of Hukvaldy in northern Moravia. 

After studies in Prague, Vienna and Leipzig Janacek settled in Brno where he married and started raising a family. 

But Janacek’s life was not easy, his two children died at an early age. 

After the tragic death of his daughter, the composer focused on the creation of musical works and conducting.

Most of his masterpieces he wrote from this small house at Brno where he lived.

Today the house serves as a memorial. 

[Jiri Zahradka, Curator]:  

"We are in his study with his original furniture - a wedding gift from the family of his wife Zdenka Sulcova. Janacek composed on this piano throughout his life. It was also a wedding gift. At that time around 1876 such a piano was very expensive and well out of Janacek's reach. Incidentally, Richard Wagner also had a similar instrument.” 

The city of Brno was very inspiring with its South Moravian folklore - reflected in many of Janacek's compositions. 

[Milan Stedron, Music Composer]: 

"Janacek worked a lot with human speech and tried to somehow respond to language expression, the spoken word and we can say that for his view, nothing can actually be speechless. His opera piece, which is famous world wide, fascinates filmmakers and audiences while captivating musicologists and scholars. Even the Japanese writer Murakami is inspired by Janacek's music." 

Leos Janacek Theatre promotes Janacek's lesser known, but important works and founded the Janacek International Festival in Brno. 

[Daniel Dvorak, Director, National Theatre, Brno]: 

"Our goal and vision is to make this festival a reference point. We want to present every major Janacek production to the public.” 

Janacek's work still has a lot to offer the modern world.

NTD News, Brno 

In Ukraine, the Pancake Day holiday means the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature. It’s celebrated on a grand scale with singing, dancing and, of course, lots of pancakes.

Pot cheese for the feast has been stored since the summer.

[Lyudmila Kostenko, Researcher, Pirogovo Museum]: 

"People put pot cheese into barrels for the winter time. It was quite good quality, so they salted it and put layers of butter with cheese into barrels. When Pancake Day came, they were cooking and eating perogies for the whole week."

Pirogovo Museum, located near Kyiv, recreates the ancient celebrations. In those days villagers dressed up and went from house to house. Unmarried youngsters and their parents had a wooden block tied to their legs and were forced to go with their parents.

[Lyudmila Kostenko, Celebrating Pancake Day]: 

"People think that everything in nature is interconnected, and if the young do not get married, they do not have children, then nature will not yield, there will be famine and cattle will die."

Climbing this pole on Pancake Day is rewarded with bagels.

[Alexander Ivanchenko, Celebrating Pancake Day]: 

"I was afraid of heights, but I'm no longer afraid. I did not look down and that’s it. And I just wanted bagels."

This woman knows what it takes to make delicious pancakes.

[Alena, Pancake Seller]: 

"The secret is having a very good and expensive frying pan."

Of course, there are lots of other treats.

[Cecilia Praskarolli, Tourist from Argentina]: 

"We are trying everything now."

NTD, Kyiv, Ukraine.

It’s good news for food enthusiasts, today is Fat Tuesday—and an excuse to take a little hiatus on dieting and indulge in some royal food—or at least some pancakes!

Today Britain’s royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, participated in the customary pancake flipping tradition in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The soon-to-be-married Will and Kate smiled brightly as they tossed pancakes into the air while crowds gleefully cheered them on.

The couple, visiting in Belfast for the first time, came to participate in a fundraising event hosted by the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund. And although security was tight, the couple joined children tossing pancakes and chatted with eager bystanders in the grounds of Belfast City Hall.

The term ‘Mardi Gras’ French for "Fat Tuesday" is also known as Shrove Tuesday in the ethnic English tradition. It refers to the tradition of eating richer, fatty foods before the ceremonial fasting of season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.  Popular Mardi Gras practices include wearing colorful masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions and vibrant parades.

Although the festival season varies from city to city, the celebration is nonetheless largely celebrated in many cities across North and South America, Europe and the Caribbean. But just for one day, after all, tomorrow is strictly reserved for fasting!

The United Nations launched a regional flash appeal on Monday in response to the current crisis in Libya. 

The appeal calls for humanitarian aid for people forced to leave their homes because of the crisis.

The crisis has driven over 190 thousand people into neighboring Tunisia, Egypt and Niger. 

[Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, U.N.]: 

"It will ensure that migrants who leave Libya for Tunisia, Egypt and Niger receive adequate humanitarian relief and that they are transported to their countries of origin promptly."

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs also outlined funding needed to meet the objectives of the appeal. 

[Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, U.N.]: 

"This flash appeal requires 160 million US dollars to achieve its objectives over a three month planning and budgeting horizon. It will be revised in about two weeks to reflect the evolving situation."

The appeal is based on a projection that up to 400 thousand people could leave Libya. This includes the 200 thousand that have already left. 

[William Lacy Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration]: 

"At this point it has been basically a migrant crisis. It could very quickly become a mixed crisis if Libyans start to leave in large numbers, and eventually could become something much larger on the refugee side.” 

According to projections, another 600 thousand people inside Libya might need humanitarian aid.

A wave of Tunisian migrants makes landfall at Lampedusa harbor.

Sunday evening and early Monday morning marked a new influx of hundreds of North African refugees on the Italian island after a spat of rough weather had curbed the trend.

Officials and residents are worried the growing number of refugees fleeing unrest in North Africa will affect the island's reputation as a tourist hotspot.

[Mariano, Lampedusa Resident]: 

"I hope they don't go around breaking things and misbehaving, and let's hope that tourists will still come this summer, otherwise this year will be very difficult for us."

Others worry about the strain on the island's resources that could worsen with the ongoing chaos in Libya.

Lampedusa's 800-person holding facility is already at capacity, forcing officials to send the illegal immigrants to Sicily or the Italian mainland.

Though Tunisia and Libya have agreements with Italy to prevent illegal immigration, little is being done to stop the recent flow of thousands of people fleeing the African continent.