Free Republic

BADEN-BADEN, Germany — Governments need to do more to create growth that benefits everyone, and the U.S. should spend more on roads, highways, bridges and airports, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Friday. The body, which includes the world's better-off countries, said in a report that governments should focus on providing better access to high-quality education and supporting employment for women through measures like affordable child care. It also highlighted the need for more spending on infrastructure. OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria called for an "upskilling of the workforce" to address worker anxiety about the future of their jobs...

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2006 – The new Iraqi parliament is scheduled to convene March 16 for the first time since its members were chosen in the Dec. 15 nationwide election, a senior Defense Department official said here today. The inaugural meeting of the new parliament, or general assembly, "would be another step forward in seating the government," DoD spokesman Bryan Whitman told Pentagon reporters. Having the Iraqi people gain confidence that their political process is moving forward "is vital to the security environment, too," Whitman said. Whitman said the security situation in Iraq appears to be improving since sectarian violence...