The little number on the tag on a pair of pants that indicates size can mean a lot to a person, and retailers know it. That's why, in recent years, as the American population has become generally more overweight, brands from the luxury names to the mass retail chains have scaled down the size labels on their clothing. "You may actually be a size 14 and, according to whatever particular store you're in, you come out a size ...

Iraq and Iran have rarely had the luxury of ignoring each other; in the 1980s, the two fought a bitter eight-year war, and more recently, since the U.S. toppling of Saddam Hussein, Iran has taken an active — and some would argue malign — interest in its neighbor to the west. But while Western leaders and pundits wring their hands over Iran's disputed election, there's been little anguish in Baghdad. It's not for lack of information. Iranian ...

A U.S. company is offering a rare chance to holiday on a mega-yacht once used by a Hollywood star and her husband -- and thanks to the recession it's actually affordable. Seattle-based mega-yacht rental business CEO Expeditions usually charges around $100,000 a week to charter their 100+ foot yachts, however, they have introduced a deal waiving the charter fees -- so guests will only need to pay for the running of the vessel. The move to make such vessels ...

Find yourself on the southern edge of Africa with 48 hours to spare and a good set of wheels at your disposal? Then set the GPS coordinates for Franschhoek in the Western Cape, and from there take a spin down Africa's southernmost road — the Garden Route. Here's an itinerary for two days of indulgence. DAY ONE Rise early from your luxury overnight accommodation at the Franschhoek boutique hotel — a historic, six-room retreat, tel: 876 4723, and head east along the N2 highway, with ...

— David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" whose career roared back to life when he played the assassin-turned-victim in Quentin Tarentino's "Kill Bill," was found dead Thursday in Thailand. A published report said he committed suicide. A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, confirmed the death of the 72-year-old actor. He said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday, but ...

Travel news, deals and updates for the week of May 25, 2009 AIRLINES & AIRPORTS Pack Light. Starting in July, US Airways will increase its fee for the first checked bag from $15 to $20; the second-bag fee rises from $25 to $30. But if your bags should exceed 50 lbs., you'll be hit with a whopping $70 fee for the first checked bag and $80 for the second. South American Way. Continental begins daily service from Houston to Rio de ...

"The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion," Barack Obama said in his elegant Notre Dame commencement speech, "and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to protect us from harm." You can say that again. In recent weeks, the President and just about every other major politician from both parties have been boggled by soldier-lawyer disputes. Some have been small: whether or not House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was adequately briefed ...

On a plane to the Maldives, tourists sigh about the luxury resorts and sun-dappled beaches to which they are bound. From above, the country's coral-fringed lagoons in the Indian Ocean look computer-generated: arrayed in turquoise pods, they stretch over an azure expanse that would span from Rome to Budapest. Ibn Battuta, the 14th century Arab explorer, hailed the archipelago as "one of the wonders of the world." Ever since, the Maldives has enchanted shipwrecked sailors, Hollywood celebrities and Russian oligarchs ...

Want tomatoes? The plants need sun, water, soil and air. And you have to get rid of the weeds — they want the sun, water, soil and air too. As this winter of our country's discontent melts into planting season, our government would do well to take this lesson from the garden. Especially as it applies to medicine. The doctor is a surprisingly fragile plant, in real danger of being strangled by a number of aggressive species. Here is a short field guide ...

Polo fans say few things are as inspiring as watching eight majestic thoroughbred horses maneuver over a 300-yard-long field. But as anyone who was at the U.S. Open polo tournament in Wellington, Fla., last Sunday has attested, few things are as shocking as seeing those same horses stagger and drop dead. Twenty-one polo ponies belonging to the Lechuza Caracas team from Venezuela died either before, during or after Lechuza's Sunday afternoon match. So far investigators have yet to determine exactly ...