"American Idol" judge Paula Abdul is the driving force behind a bill the proposes nail salons take better measures to ensure customer health.

Abdul, 43, testified at a California Legislative meeting about her own yearlong health ordeal caused by an unsanitary manicure to convince California legislatures that nail salons need to follow regulated health standards.

A Japanese High Court rules Masumi Hayashi be put to death, after she was found guilty of lacing curry pots at a local festival in Wakayama with arsenic, killing four, among them two children, and injuring 63.

A judge states Hayashi showed intent to kill, knowing the hazard posed by arsenic.

A new report indicates the Governmental Accounting Office says Medicaid could face a financial risk, if inappropriate claims rise due to the use of consultants whose fees are contingent upon the amount of federal reimbursements they generate.

Last year, about 34 states used contingency-fee consultants to increase federal Medicaid reimbursements. That's up from 10 states in 2002. The GAO study illustrates an "urgent need for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to address certain issues in it oversight of states contingency fee consultant projects and in its overall financial management."

The Xinhua News Agency in China reports an unauthorized Hepatitis A vaccine has killed one child and sickened more than 200.

Officials say village doctors in an eastern province gave the Hepatitis A vaccine to about 2,500 children two weeks ago without permission. A 6-year-old girl reportedly suffered an infection and breathing problems and died a few days later. Other children suffered dizziness, headaches and breathing trouble.

A report released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates eight people were killed by fireworks-related accidents last year.

Emergency rooms treated about 9,600 serious fireworks-related injuries in 2004, an increase of 300, when compared to 2003.