Lifestyle

The United Nations has reported that a total of 978 people have been killed by a cholera epidemic in the African nation of Zimbabwe, an increase of 25% from just three days ago. The UN also says that there have been 18,413 reported cases in the country since the epidemic began in August of 2008. The outbreak of the disease has been quickened by the lack of proper sanitation and the collapse of water systems and healthcare. The area worst affected by cholera is Zimbabwe's capital of Harare, where 208 people died out of 8,454 suspected cases. Th

A suicide bombing in Iraq has killed at least 55 people and injured at least 120 more, according to local police. The suicide bomber struck at a restaurant located about 2 miles north of the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk on Thursday morning. The Abdullah restaurant, where the explosion took place, is popular among Kurdish officials. The attack comes on the Muslim religious holiday Eid al-Adha, known in English as the "Festival of Sacrifice". At the time the restaurant was struck, it was full of families marking the final day of Eid. Five wo

Since the beginning of the Israeli blockade in the Gaza Strip, there have been two main shortages for the Gazans: food and money. Israel has allowed minimal food shipments in, but up until yesterday no cash had been let into the Strip. Heeding United Nations warnings that a blockade of cash flow to Gaza would cause a liquidity crisis, Israel allowed US$25 million into the Strip, where 1.5 million people are struggling to survive since the blockade imposed by Israel blocked all UN aid in early November. The money will go to pay civil servants

On December 4, 2008, a solar car, developed by scientists at Swiss universities, ended its journey of traveling around the world at the United Nations climate talks in Poznań, Poland. Yvo de Boer, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, rode into Poznań in the vehicle, along with schoolteacher Louis Palmer. The two-seat car began its journey 17 months ago in Lucerne, Switzerland. Carrying solar cells on a trailer, the car sent the message that global warming can be stopped and there are better alternatives. "

Heavy violence, drought, and soaring food prices mean that half of the population of the African country of Somalia is in immediate need of food aid in order to prevent a famine, according to a new study. Every sixth child under the age of five is acutely malnourished, and three and a quarter million people are in need of immediate aid, a number 77% higher than last year, according to the Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU), which is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Few aid agencies are able to operate in Somalia, due mainly to the high levels of viol

A cholera outbreak in the African country of Zimbabwe has killed almost 500 people since August, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO said that the outbreak affected most areas of the country, and that some remote areas had seen fatality rates increase by as much as 30%. Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health reported 484 deaths from 11,735 cases since the outbreak began. Zimbabwe has had annual outbreaks of cholera for nearly a decade, but this one was the most far-reaching. A report by the WHO stated that the last large outbreak

Although Israel briefly lifted its blockade of crossings in the Gaza Strip today, United Nations (UN) officials warn that a further blockade could lead to dire consequences for some 750,000 Gazans who rely on UN food aid. Israel blockaded the Gaza Strip in early November, preventing access for UN aid workers and journalists. The border crossing was opened to allow some food aid and medical supplies through, however, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spokesman Christopher Gunness warned that "it is just not enough." The UNRWA also

A bladder holding 10,000 megalitres of water at the Bedford Weir near Blackwater, Queensland has burst, sending flood waters rushing into the Fitzroy River towards the barrage near Rockhampton. It is believed up to four people who were in the vicinity of the dam before the breach may be missing. An urgent flash flood warning was issued at 5:40 p.m. AEST (0740 UTC) following the breach. A wall of water was seen rushing downstream, leaving several people clinging to trees. The water was expected to travel quickly and cause flash flooding at rive

A medical study has identified a previously unknown risk to children of parents who smoke tobacco: hunger. Children who live in households with at least one adult smoker are more likely to be underfed, according to Dr. Cynthia Cutler-Triggs of the New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital. Dr. Cutler-Triggs's study measured food insecurity, a concept used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since the 1990s to measure the frequency of skipped meals and how often people go to bed hungry. Researchers examined data on 8,817

A judge has ruled that the conditions in Maricopa County Jail, Arizona, which is run by the controversial sheriff Joe Arpaio, are unsanitary, and must be changed. The ruling stated that some of the actions in the jail were unconstitutional, in particular, the court stated that that inmates had a constitutional right to be given space for outdoor recreation and be kept at a reasonable level of health. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) hailed the decision as a victory. "In a sweeping rebuff of an attempt by Arpaio to terminate a federa

A preliminary report has been released into the disastrous crash of Spanair Flight 5022 in Madrid, Spain on August 20, which killed 154. The report confirms an earlier leaked finding that the wing flaps failed and no warning sounded to alert the pilots. The MD-82 was headed from Barajas airport to the Canary Islands. Video footage from airport security cameras shows the airliner travelling across an unusually long distance of runway before take-off. It failed to maintain altitude and quickly dropped back down at the runway's end, before bursti

London, England - The very first newscaster to ever appear on Sky News in the UK, and one of their primary anchors for almost 14 years, Bob Friend, has died at the age of 70. Bob joined Sky News back in 1989 from the British Broadcasting Corporation, where he had been based for over 20 years and was a major face on the channel. He anchored their primetime evening news slots at 7 and 10pm, in partnership with his co-anchor Anna Botting. He retired from Sky News through ill health, his last broadcast being in 2003. Bob's death from a malignant