Shanghai to blare first ever city-wide air raid sirens since 1949

Don't be too surprised when Shanghai's air raid sirens sound city-wide for three minutes two Saturdays from now. It's not another national mourning period, but the city's first air raid alert in 59 years. The sirens will wail from 10 a.m. to 10:23 a.m. on September 20, China's National Defence Education Day, to "test equipment and raise public awareness". While drills have been held infrequently since 2000, the municipal government has given a new order for sirens all across the city to be sounded every year on this day. [Xinhua]