NARATHIWAT, Thailand — As the violence-plagued provinces of southern Thailand continue to struggle with a shadowy insurgency, the restive region is battling a new enemy: a drug cocktail made from a local leaf that is seducing the young. The drug, kratom, is far less debilitating than the methamphetamines and heroin …
I HAVE been on a drive lately to encourage business travelers to get out of the back of the plane and move up to the better seats on long flights, even if it costs a little more. This does not make me a popular fellow with corporate managers who set …
SANTA MARIA DEL REFUGIO, Mexico — For a generation, the men of this town have headed north to the land of the mighty dollar, breaking U.S. immigration laws to dig swimming pools in Memphis and grind meat in Chicago. In the United States, they were illegal aliens. Back home, they …
Money talks. Vacation bookings show backyard trips more popular than jetting abroad Australians are lining up for domestic vacations in hot spots like Surfers Paradise this winter. Back in the dark days pre-Google — when faxes were cutting-edge, actual physical tickets arrived by registered mail and travel agents were mysterious …
WHITTIER, Alaska — The gleaming white Sapphire Princess docked in this deep-water port this month, unloading its passengers and taking on another 2,600 guests headed first to Glacier Bay and, eventually, Vancouver, B.C. Every day of that trip the cruise ship — whose Web site invites passengers to see Alaska’s …
Have a habit of skipping meals? A new study shows that people who sit down to eat after an overnight fast are more likely to ignore protein, fats and vegetables and head straight for high-calorie carbohydrates and starches first. The news may not come as a surprise to long-term dieters, …
Even relatively clean-living Singaporeans who regularly eat burgers, fries and other staples of US -style fast food are at a raised risk of diabetes and more likely than their peers to die of heart disease, according to an international study. But Asian fast foods, such as noodles or dumplings, did …
WILLISTON, N.D. Right now you are probably asking yourself: “What would it be like to live in a place with an unemployment rate of 1 percent?” Me, too! So I went to Williston, N.D., to find out. There are certain things that journalists do as a public service because you, …
LAGOS, Nigeria — From the edge of Lagos Island, you have a clear view of the giant cargo ships coming in to dock. Walk a few blocks away from the water to Balogun market, and you’ll see where some containers’ contents end up. In small, packed stalls spilling onto the …
Why are Americans more afraid of gaining weight than smoking cigarettes? Which is a more serious problem for America, smoking or overeating? According to a Gallup poll released this week, 67 percent of the nation’s adults think of cigarettes as an “extremely serious” or “very serious” social problem, compared with …
The health of public pension plans — the retirement plans for teachers, firefighters, police officers and other state and local governments — has gotten plenty of attention lately. Some plans are hurting, and numbers from state and local governments suggest their public pension plans are underfunded by about $1 trillion. …
NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, President Obama has widened his lead over rival Mitt Romney. He’s now six points ahead (49 to 43 percent nationwide), up from a three-point lead (47 to 44 percent) last month. n the key swing states, Mr. Obama’s doing even better. NBC/WSJ has him leading …
