Lifestyle

In a departure from its usual neutrality, the International Committee of the Red Cross today issued a statement condemning Myanmar's military State Peace and Development Council for human rights abuses. The Geneva, Switzerland-based International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, said the Myanmar junta is systematically causing thousands of people to suffer, especially along the border with Thailand, where government soldiers raid villages, destroy food supplies, force people from their homes and commit acts of violence, including murder an

Kidnapped Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit, 20, is believed to be alive, and Hamas has released an audio tape in which Shalit says he needs to be hospitalized and that he regrets that Israel has not met the demands of the kidnappers. "I have been in prison for an entire year and my health is deteriorating. I need lengthy hospitalisation. I regret the lack of interest of the Israeli government and military in my case and their failure to meet the demands. Just as I have parents, a mother and father, thousands of Palestinian detainees have moth

Heavy rain in England and Wales has caused the death of one man after he was sucked down a man hole in Hull when attempting to clear flood water. A teenage boy was also killed after being swept away by flood water of the River Sheaf, Sheffield. The flooding has inundated large areas of land, many houses and caused travel chaos with many roads and railways flooded or blocked by stranded vehicles, especially in northern England. 75 mm of rain in some areas has caused severe flooding, which could get worse as forecasters predict one month's worth

A recall issued last week for Thomas the Tank Engine toys made in China and containing lead-based paint, is the latest scare for consumers, and follows recent scandals involving Chinese-made pet food, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste and other toys, The New York Times has reported in a series of articles. Last week, RC2, a U.S. toy company based in Oak Brook, Illinois, issued a recall for its popular wooden "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" train sets. The recall involved 1.5 million "Thomas Wooden Railway" vehicles and train sets sold at toy st

<noinclude> Christopher R. Hill, assistant U.S. secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, travelled to Pyongyang in North Korea today in the first high level meeting between the two countries in five years. The last meeting occurred in 2002, with James Kelly as the U.S. representative. This trip comes on the heels of news that North Korea would allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to come to their country to discuss its nuclear program. Hill and his entourage were greeted by North Korean director of U.S. affair

<noinclude> Pyongyang watchers agree that Kim Jong-Il The Chairman of the Defense Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and defacto dictator, is having health trouble. Due to the secrecy of the North Korean regime only small bits of information are available. Kim is reported to have difficulty walking unassisted and is reported to be frail. Due to these symptoms, Kim's obvious obesity, and the fact that a team of German cardiologists has been dispatched to Pyongyang; It is believed Kim is suffering from congestive heart f

The European Union (EU) has announced plans to fund a private-public scheme dubbed "Clean Sky" to reduce aircraft emissions and noise pollution in European aircraft. Officials claim that the project will have large-scale economic benefits, will reduce jet engine carbon emissions by 20 to 40 percent and will therefore offset the large growth in commercial air travel. The proposal comes at a time when European officials are under heavy criticism for not doing enough to reduce aircraft emissions. The new proposal is outlined in a document that is

<noinclude> Vang Pao, the Hmong military leader charged with plotting to overthrow the government of Laos, was ordered yesterday by a United States federal court judge to remain in custody without bail. U.S. Magistrate Edmund Brennan ruled that Vang Pao, 77, despite his age and ill health, posed too great a danger and a flight risk to be released. "It's not up to private groups to decide which countries the United States should be at war with and at peace with," Brennan said. Vang Pao and nine other people, mostly members of the Hmong immig

<noinclude> G8 leaders at the 33rd G8 summit have announced a deal pledging US$60 billion in aid to Africa. The deal, to which all the leaders agreed, called "Growth and Responsibility for Africa" is a commitment to fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria on the continent. It is similar to the pledge made at the G8 at Gleneagles two years ago. The communique says the G8 will "implement a package for HIV prevention, treatment and care" to achieve "as close as possible to universal access to treatment for all those who need it by 2010." German

<noinclude> A car plowed into a crowded street festival in Washington, DC Saturday night, injuring up to 40 people, including at least two police officers. The scene occurred in the Anacostia region of the city, during Unifest, an annual street festival sponsored by a local church. The car, driven by 30-year-old Tonya Bell, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, had a 7-year-old child in the front seat, and was believed to have been traveling at speeds of up to 70 MPH when the incident occurred. Bell has been charged with aggravated assault while armed fo

<noinclude> A video has been released by the captors of Alan Johnston, the BBC Gaza correspondent who was kidnapped on March 12, 2007. Johnston has been missing longer than any foreigner kidnapped in the Gaza Strip. Johnston was shown in the video to be wearing a red sweatshirt, and seemed to be in good health. The video appeared on the internet site Al-Ekhlaas, often used by Islamic militants. It bears the logo of the Army of Islam, the Palestinian militant group that had been believed to be holding the 45-year-old reporter, and opened with

<noinclude> On May 29, 2007, the former head of China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), Zheng Xiaoyu, was found guilty by a lower court of accepting bribes and dereliction of duty. The court handed down a death sentence along with the confiscation of personal assets. Zheng will appeal the ruling. Zheng, 62, was determined to have accepted bribes totaling 6.49 million yuan, or US$811,200. He was head of the SFDA from 1998 to 2005. In Chinese law, capital punishment can be imposed on individuals found guilty of accepting bribes great