Reporters on the Job

• Bigger Toll, Less Traffic: Correspondent Mark Rice-Oxley is a proponent of London's new £8 ($15.60) congestion toll (see story). He works at the Guardian newspaper several days a week, and often has to drop his children off at school. "I'm a big fan [because the reduced traffic] has made my life easier." He just sends a text message on his phone whenever he has to pay. "I'm preregistered, so the London congestion charge people have all my details. I just have to text message a 4-digit number that's linked to my credit card," he says.

Of course, Mark's enthusiasm might soften a bit if he was actually paying out of pocket. The Guardian pays his annual toll bill: about $1,800.

David Clark Scott
World editor

• Tuesday, Feb. 20:
Tokyo – US Vice President Dick Cheney visits to discuss war against terror and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
New Delhi – Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri arrives for peace talks with India.

• Thursday, Feb. 22:
Havana – Latest round of talks between Colombia's peace envoy and ELN rebels.
Kigali, Rwanda – International women's conference, presided over by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian political blogger seeks court order quashing libel lawsuit filed by pro-government newspaper.

• Sunday, Feb. 25:
Islamabad, Pakistan – Foreign ministers from seven Muslim nations and the secretary-general of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference meet to discuss conflicts in the Muslim world.

– The Associated Press