Chanting “Death to America,” thousands rallied Monday in a lawless tribal area near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to condemn a deadly airstrike last week on a religious school. Eighty people were killed in the airstrike. Local people and an Islamic opposition party claim that almost all the victims were children or teenagers studying at the school.
China: Obesity reportedly on rise
Rising affluence has made about 60 million Chinese obese, state media reported Monday. “An increasing number of Chinese are eating more fat and junk food but less grains and vegetables, leading to a high number of cases of high blood pressure and diabetes,” said Pan Beilei, a deputy director with the government-affiliated State Food and Nutrition Consultant Committee. Pan said a widening wealth gap means that the increase in the number of obese people comes as 24 million people in China still live in abject poverty and suffer from malnutrition.
Cuba: Castro’s health in doubt
Cuba’s foreign minister backed away Monday from his prediction that Fidel Castro will return to power by early December, leaving open questions about the pace of the communist leader’s recovery from intestinal surgery. Felipe Perez Roque said Castro’s recovery was “advancing,” but less than two months after telling The Associated Press that he expected Castro to be fully back at the helm in early December, he said he could not discuss when Castro will return.
France: Tobacco vendors fuming
Tobacco vendors and restaurateurs in some 70 cities around France protested Monday against the country’s smoking ban, which is to start taking effect in February. The demonstrators were demanding that tobacco vendors be allowed to choose whether or not to go nonsmoking. They also demanded a five-year delay in applying the ban in public places including offices and schools. In 2008 it will apply to restaurants, dance clubs and some bars.
From Herald news services
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