Transport Feels Strain as Festival Return Begins
China Daily
BEIJING -- The country's transport system was working at full steam Friday as people began ending their Spring Festival holidays and returning to major cities.
The railway network was expected to carry a record 4.5 million passengers Friday, an increase of 160,000 people on last year. The railway bureaus in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanchang have all added additional passenger trains to cope with the increased traffic flow.
Venezuela Spending on Arms Soars to World’s Top Ranks
New York Times
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s arms spending has climbed to more than $4 billion in the past two years, transforming the nation into Latin America’s largest weapons buyer and placing it ahead of other major purchasers in international arms markets like Pakistan and Iran.
Venezuelan military and government officials here say the arms acquisitions, which include dozens of fighter jets and attack helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, are needed to circumvent a ban by the United States on sales of American weapons to the country.
They also argue that Venezuela must strengthen its defenses to counter potential military aggression from the United States.
Report: U.K. Faces Worst Terror Threat Since 9/11
MSNBC
2,000 U.K. - Based Militants Plotting Attacks, Intel Document Reportedly Says
LONDON - The threat of homegrown terrorists attacking Britain is greater now than any time since the Sept. 11 attacks, a British Sunday newspaper reported, citing a leaked intelligence document.
More than 2,000 British-based Islamic terrorists are believed to be plotting attacks, according to a government threat assessment prepared this month that The Sunday Telegraph said it had seen.
Scout Training Compulsory from Next Academic Session
Daily Times Pakistan
ISLAMABAD - The government has decided to make scout training compulsory in all schools from the next academic year, which starts in September, Daily Times has learnt. Two percent of the exam fees collected by examination boards all over the country will go to the Pakistan Boy Scouts Association and Girl Guides, separate from funds allotted to these organisations in the budget.
The provincial governments have been directed to make scout training compulsory in all schools to meet the target of Pakistan having over 1 million youth volunteers to help out in emergencies, such as the October 2005 earthquake. According to the last census, there were 526,581 scouts registered with nine boy scouts associations (BSAs) in the country.
U.S. Developing Contingency Plan to Bomb Iran: Report
Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Despite the Bush administration's insistence it has no plans to go to war with Iran, a Pentagon panel has been created to plan a bombing attack that could be implemented within 24 hours of getting the go-ahead from President George W. Bush, The New Yorker magazine reported in its latest issue.
The special planning group was established within the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in recent months, according to an unidentified former U.S. intelligence official cited in the article by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh in the March 4 issue.
The panel initially focused on destroying Iran's nuclear facilities and on regime change but has more recently been directed to identify targets in Iran that may be involved in supplying or aiding militants in Iraq, according to an Air Force adviser and a Pentagon consultant, who were not identified.
Virginia Expresses 'Profound Regret' for Slavery
CNN
House approves apology 96-0; Senate passes with unanimous voice vote
RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- Meeting on the grounds of the former Confederate Capitol, the Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously Saturday to express "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery.
Sponsors of the resolution say they know of no other state that has apologized for slavery, although Missouri lawmakers are considering such a measure. The resolution does not carry the weight of law but sends an important symbolic message, supporters said.
Iran Fires Rocket Into Space
Sydney Morning Herald
SYDNEY -- Iran said on Sunday it successfully launched its first rocket into space carrying cargo intended for research, at a time of mounting tension with the West over its nuclear program. "The first space rocket has been successfully launched into space," a state television anchor announced, without disclosing its range.
"The rocket was carrying material intended for research created by the ministries of science and defence," Mohsen Bahrami, the head of Iran's aerospace research centre, told state television.
Toronto Summit 2007 - Working Paper: Culture
Toronto Star
TORONTO -- The Toronto City Summit Alliance is hosting meetings on Monday and Tuesday to find ways to address the challenges facing the city. The Star is looking at the issues. Today we offer a snapshot of reports on culture.
THE PROBLEM
Looking at the construction going on in Toronto's culture-related institutions, it's obvious a cultural renaissance is underway but, beyond structures, many of the people involved in the creative industries are being neglected. While there is much buzz about the new or enhanced structures for the ROM, The AGO, the Gardiner Museum, and the Canadian Opera Company, among others, what about smaller organizations that also need assistance?
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