January 31, 2004

The United States defence budget is set to exceed US$400 billion next year—an almost 7% increase—according to budget proposals inadvertently posted on the Pentagon's website. [1] [2]
The People's Republic of China puts poultry export bans on three more areas after a World Health Organization warning that the chance of controlling the Avian flu outbreak is slipping. [3] A new SARS case is confirmed in Guangdong province. [4]
British Airways and Air France cancel five upcoming US flights to Washington DC and Miami, Florida amid fears of targeting by Al-Qaida. [5] [6] [7]
The Svalbard Undersea Cable System is officially put into operation, giving the island group at 78° North a 40Gb connection to the Norwegian mainland. The dual 1,440 km fiber optic lines from Svalbard to Harstad is needed for communicating with polar orbiting satellite stations on Svalbard, some owned by NASA and NOAA. [8], [9]
Copper prices rise to a 6-year high in New York as 441 unionised workers strike at BHP Billiton's Cerro Colorado mine in northern Chile after pay negotiations fail. [10]