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TACOMA, Wash., Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Officials in Washington state say they'll consider moving the health battle over secondhand smoke into a new and contentious arena -- people's homes. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Board will consider a proposal next month to classify secondhand smoke as a "nuisance" in multi-unit housing, The Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune reported Monday. Backers of the measure say they want it incorporated in the state's landlord-tenant law. "This is the last piece of the puzzle that needs to be placed," Nan Hogan, who helped write the proposed legislation, said. "We've got smoke-free motel rooms, smoke-free restaurants,...

Blundering Afghan suicide bomber blows up 6 militants Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:58am EDT KABUL, March 26 (Reuters) - A would-be suicide bomber accidentally blew himself up on Thursday, killing six other militants as he was bidding them farewell to leave for his intended target, the Interior Ministry said. "The terrorist was on his way to his destination and saying good-bye to his associates and then his suicide vest exploded," a statement from the ministry said. Taliban-led attacks in Afghanistan have escalated in the past year with suicide and roadside bombings insurgents' weapons of choice. The incident happened in Helmand...

PEOPLE who smoke are twice as likely to go blind as those who don't, a report warned yesterday. Experts believe around 54,000 smokers have developed a condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as a result of their habit. This is the leading cause of blindness in the UK, with around 500,000 sufferers. The AMD Alliance UK said yesterday the link between smoking and blindness was as strong as that between cigarettes and lung cancer. Yet only a tiny number of the UK's 13 million smokers are aware of the risk. A survey of 1,000 people found that only seven per...