Lifestyle

The U.S. Senate is debating the 2007 budget this week, dealing with, among many things, controversial issues such as the oil drilling in Alaska, raising the national debt ceiling, and an amendment that would fund $1.5 million dollars to veterans' health-care. The Senate is also considering budget measures over an amendment that would increase funding for local and state law enforcement to combat methamphetamine. The national debt ceiling is supposed to prevent the U.S. public debt from growing to excessive amounts. If the national debt grows t

A ban against kite-flying during a traditional festival to welcome the onset of spring in the Punjab region of Pakistan has led to significant numbers of arrests. Conservative figures put the number arrested following the imposition of Thursday's ban at around 500, higher figures of 1,400 are given in Australian reports which describe events following the ban as a crackdown. At issue is the use of glass coated or metal kite strings, and this leading towards serious injury or even death. In the 2004 celebration of the Basant festival up to ni

Japanese entrepreneur Daisuke "Dice-K" Enomoto, 34, is set to become the fourth private citizen in space. The Arlington, Virginia-based company "Space Adventures", which specializes in spaceflight-related travel, announced on March 7 that Enomoto was approved by the Russian space agency as a flight candidate. Enomoto has now passed the physical examinations necessary to be cleared for training, finished the medical preparation, and signed the contract for the flight. His training with the Russian Federal Space Agency will include physical and

The World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund announce that the global immunization drive has cut measles deaths by nearly half between 1999 and 2004. The number of deaths fell from 871,000 in 1999 to an estimated 454,000 in 2004 (the most recent year for which data is available). They report the reduction is as a result of "major national immunization activities and better access to routine childhood immunization". Source

The Congo's population of Bonobo, or Pygmy, Chimpanzee (Pan paniscus) is dwindling, according to researchers. Dr. Ino Guabini, a primatologist with the World Wildlife Fund reports that only about 5,000 remain in Congo. In 1984, their numbers were estimated at 100,000. It is illegal to hunt Bonobos, but their meat is considered tasty; and is a traditional food in the Congo. The meat is often sent to expensive & secretive restaurants in Congolese cities. The Bonobo is best-known for resolving squabbles through sex rather than violence. Riva

Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown today called for a ban on junk food advertisements during times that children are watching TV. In a press release, the Senator referred specifically to the previous night's episode of Four Corners. "The extensive use of psychologists to analyse little children’s responsiveness to TV advertising, including how best to influence parents to buy goods by 'nagging' from children, is exploitation without honour," Senator Brown said. The documentary, entitled How The Kids Took Over, investigated the increase in ma

An Australian resident, deported to Serbia in 2004, will return home to Sydney this week. The Immigration Department says Robert Jovicic will be given a special purpose visa and his status as a permanent resident will be reinstated. He became a nationless man, impoverished, battling mental health problems and sleeping on the streets of Belgrade. Mr Jovicic, 39, was born in France and arrived in Australia as a two-year-old with his Serbian-born parents. Like nearly one million Australian residents eligible for Australian citizenship, Jovicic n

The Ayya Vaikunda Avatharam is a festival celebrated in a grand scale in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. People from almost all the districts of Tamil Nadu visit Swamithoppe Pathi, the religious headquarters of Ayyavazhi. And for the comfort of the devotees, for a long time the religious leader of Ayyavazhi Bala Prajapathi Adikalar and some other Ayyavazhi Movements demanded from the government, a leave of absence for the districts of Tirunelveli, Chennai, Madurai, Thoothukudi and Virudunagar. Taking into consideration, the government o

The Sizzler Restaurant franchise in Australia has closed the salad bars in all of its 29 restaurants across the country, after rat poison was discovered in food at two of the chain's outlets in Brisbane. Self-serve salad bars at the restaurants have been closed in response to a sabotage scare. Sizzler Australia Managing Director Bo Ryan said customer safety was always the restaurant chain’s first priority. A media release on the Sizzler website states: "As a precautionary measure and because customer health and safety is our number one priori

Australian Federal Police have charged a 37-year-old Vietnamese-born Australian woman after 2.6 kilograms of heroin was allegedly found in the lining of her suitcase. Thitanh Ho and her two children, aged 18 months and three years, were travelling to Australia from Singapore. The woman's bags were selected for closer inspection when her behaviour aroused the suspicion of customs officials. "Upon closer examination, customs officers discovered a white powder, which allegedly tested positive for heroin," said a customs officer. Senator Chris

Almost half of all Australian primary school children are mild to moderately iodine deficient, researchers say. A new study documenting iodine nutritional status in Australian schoolchildren has revealed many are not getting enough iodine - which can lead to mental and growth retardation. The report's authors say iodine deficiency is "the sleeper health issue in Australia", and potentially a very serious one. The results of the Australian National Iodine Nutrition Study published in the Medical Journal of Australia this week, revealed that chi

The Bathurst Regional Council has begun preparing the Mount Panorama motor racing circuit for the inaugural Bathurst International Motorsport Festival (BIMF) to be held between April 13 and 16, 2006. The Mount Panorama motor racing circuit is considered to be the home of motorsport in Australia. Council's staff have been busy cleaning the facilities, erecting signage, checking pedestrian bridges and inspecting the track surface for the past few days. The BIMF will be the first event to be held at the 6.2 kilometre circuit over Easter since 20