SPIEGEL Surfs the Web The Arms Transfer Database
Selling Arms to China
While the US argues against the possibility of the EU lifting its ban against arms sales to China, records show that Europe has been sending military equipment to China, in various forms, for years. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIRPI) has been tracking the global import/export market for quite some time, and its Web site shows that the number of export licenses for military goods -- not all of which translate directly into sales -- has grown substantially over the last few years. SIRPI's Arms Transfers Database is full of lists of who sent what to whom.
The Miracle at Remagen
The Remagen railroad bridge in southern Germany has been immortalized in books and film, and for good reason. In the history of World War II, the bridge plays a central role. Miraculously, it alone among the bridges spanning the Rhine on Germany's western border was taken intact by the Allies. That allowed them to transport troops and artillery quickly into Germany and greatly sped up the invasion of the Ruhr industrial area, key to their plans for victory. The bridge's capture came exactly 60 years ago, on March 7, 1945. You can read a history of the bridge's importance , or look at a series of photos on the Rhine crossings.
Freebird Martha Flaps Her Wings Once Again
Homemaker extraordinaire Martha Stewart was released from jail on Friday morning following a five- month stint for lying about insider trading. Martha fans are, of course, beside themselves with joy. Ever on the look-out for new looks, Martha undoutedly has a host of new prison-inspired suggestions for American housewives. Martha herself is delighted to be out, but in an open letter on her Web site , she also says that her time in the clink taught her a lot and she laments that she will be leaving a number of new-found friends. At the same time, Martha's most die hard friends are campaigning for President Bush to issue her a pardon and have even posted a video of Martha boarding her private jet for the trip home. (Not surprisingly, the Web site's homegrown poll has found that 70 percent of Americans believe Martha is being treated unfairly by the media.) Finally, what would American homes look like if Martha were a goth?
