Hong Kong's bustling central business district has fallen victim to a rat infestation. Between January and June, the area's rat population soared from 0 to 17 percent, based on the number of rats attracted to every 100 pieces of bait. Ho Yuk-yin, a consultant with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, blames poor maintenance at area restaurants , buildings, and dank, dark alleyways.

A website, dedicated to actress Lindsay Lohan, is gaining wide popularity. Lohan herself, however, may not take too kindly to this. The site is www. feedlindsay. com and begs the actress to change her eating habits before it affects her health.

A new "talking" wine label informs drinkers on all the details behind its bottle contents. The label can tell Italian consumers everything about a particular bottle, from its production history to the kind of food it should accompany.

Applebee's International Inc. says an internal investigation reveals a former employee at a Jefferson, La. , restaurant cut the tip off his thumb a year ago and that likely is the fingertip found by a customer now suing the restaurant chain. May Deal Chambers Johnson of Jefferson Parish claims she found a fingertip in a salad she bought at the restaurant a year ago. She filed suit against the chain on June 24 in Louisiana state court, seeking unspecified damages. In a statement Saturday, Applebee's says, "while some facts are still unclear, we now believe a former employee at this restaurant accidentally cut the very tip of his thumb last year. " The company says the man described the cut as "roughly the size of a sunflower seed. " Applebee's released a statement of apology, "We deeply regret this isolated incident from last year. Food safety remains our top priority. "

A 43-year old man who has lived for more than a year at Nairobi's international airport to protest being denied entry to Britain has finally been granted U. K. citizenship and plans to fly there within days. Sanjai Shah has been eating cafeteria food, sleeping on plastic transit lounge chairs, and showering in arrival hall toilets since May of last year. Shah's troubles began when he flew to England without a return ticket or sufficient funds. He was deported with "prohibited immigrant" stamped in his passport -- negating the document.