Looking Ahead

Masters cut

Eyes will be fixed on Tiger Woods on April 8 to see if the beleaguered golfer can advance into weekend contention on a course at which he has had much success in the past, or whether his up-and-down play will cause him to miss the Masters cut. Woods, whose high-profile infidelity cost him his marriage and forced him to step away from golf for a spell, won at Augusta in 1997, 2001, 2002, and 2005.

Fifty years in space

On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to reach space when his Vostok spacecraft blasted through the Earth's stratosphere and into the final frontier. After a single orbit, Gagarin descended back to Earth-the entire trip took just 108 minutes. Less than a month later, Alan Shepard became the first American to reach space.

Berlusconi stands trial

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is set to stand trial on April 6 for allegedly buying sex from an underage prostitute and then subsequently abusing his power as Italy's head of government to win her release from detention. If convicted, the flamboyant Italian leader could face up to 15 years in prison.

Burqa ban

France is set to outlaw the niqab-the usually black full-face veil for Muslim women-anywhere outside of the home on April 11. The law will not only affect the millions of Muslims living in France, but will also apply to Muslim tourists from abroad.

New tax day

The government has postponed the deadline for filing income tax returns to April 18. The reason: The usual tax deadline, April 15, will be the day when the District of Columbia will observe this year's Emancipation Day.

NCAA finals

March Madness spills over into April, ending on April 4 when two teams collide in Houston to conclude the 2011 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament. Bracketeer-in-chief Barack Obama picked Kansas to beat Ohio State in the president's official bracket.