Our editors will be looking ahead today to these developing stories ...
South Korean president in energy talks
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will hold meetings with major crude suppliers Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates until Friday, as his country looks for alternatives to Iranian oil. Iran is facing toughened US sanctions that make it difficult for buyers to pay for the crude. The United States has pushed Asian countries to cut crude supplies from Iran in an attempt to pressure Tehran to rein in its nuclear programme, which Washington suspects is aimed at making weapons. Iran says it is for peaceful uses.
Arts academy to discuss its year ahead
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts will hold its spring reception, at which it is expected to discuss its plans for the year ahead. The academy, established in 1984 to produce artists in fields including music and dance, has been allocated a subsidy for this financial year of more than HK$236 million.
Happy birthday, Charles Dickens
Legions of Charles Dickens' fans around the world will mark the 200th anniversary of his birth in events including a wreath-laying at Westminster Abbey in London. An orphanage in Buenos Aires, the Argentinian capital, will host readings from his works, which include classics like Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, Bleak House and A Tale of Two Cities. The public library in Philadelphia, the US city which Dickens twice visited, will display its collection of Dickens memorabilia, including manuscripts, rare first editions and artwork.
