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Post by Tulameen on May 2, 2006 13:17:04 GMT -5
A top US diplomat has said he expects European states to prepare a binding UN resolution on Iran's nuclear programme that could allow for sanctions. US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns was speaking ahead of Paris talks between all five permanent members of the UN Security Council on the issue. But he insisted that diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis were not over. A UN report last week said Iran was violating a Security Council order to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful. The US, Britain and France are pressing for a Security Council resolution that will order Iran to suspend enrichment. IRAN CRISIS: NEXT STEPS 2 May: Negotiators from US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany meet in Paris 3 May: Possible Security Council meeting to discuss IAEA report 9 May: Foreign ministers from US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany meet at UN But, China and Russia are yet to support such a resolution and are opposed to sanctions against Iran. "I think what we will see unfold [following Tuesday's talks] is that European governments will put forward... some form of Chapter 7 resolution, and we'll discuss the form of it," Mr Burns said. "We believe there can be a diplomatic solution to the problem... We are focusing on diplomacy," he added. Chapter 7 Security Council resolutions are binding on all UN members, but do not automatically lead to sanctions or military action. Further decisions would be needed for such measures. Before a Chapter 7 resolution is passed, the Council has to agree that there is a threat to "international peace and security". 'Against sanctions' The expectation is that, if Russia and China do agree to join western nations in ordering Iran to comply with the demands of the UN nuclear watchdog for a "full and sustained suspension" of its enrichment activities, they would not agree to threatening sanctions, at least not at this stage, the BBC world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds says. HAVE YOUR SAY Coordinated international diplomacy is the only way forward Nick, Cambridge, UK Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said earlier Russia and China had told Iran they were "against sanctions and military attacks". "There is a very wrong assumption held by some that the West can do anything it wants through the Security Council," he told Tehran newspaper Kayhan. Iran has said already that it will dismiss any UN resolution regarding its nuclear programme. Growing pressure The Paris talks between the five permanent Council members, as well as Germany, come ahead of a 9 May meeting in New York of foreign ministers from the top Council nations. Officials say the diplomatic route has still a long way to run. However, there is growing anxiety about the apparently fading prospects of making Tehran stop uranium enrichment - and of the risk of US military action if it fails to do so. An IAEA report on Friday said that Iran had failed to comply with a 30-day Security Council deadline to stop uranium enrichment. On Tuesday, Iran's atomic energy chief said Tehran had enriched uranium to 4.8% - which experts say is a low level used in atomic power reactors. Iran on Monday strongly criticised the US at the UN, accusing Washington of threatening to launch a military strike against its nuclear facilities. US President George W Bush has refused to rule out military action against Iran, but has repeatedly insisted that the dispute be resolved diplomatically. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4965264.stmPublished: 2006/05/02 13:23:41 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Apr 18, 2006 12:32:51 GMT -5
It has been a full year since Iran first came into the prophecy spotlight. A story ran last week on the BBC news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4905918.stm that is pertinent. A number of prophecy websites are linking this new development with the final stages before Middle East Meltdown. For example, the website "Bible Prophecy.net" states in big, blue letters: IRAN WAR!!! The current administration in the US is giving off all kinds of warnings about Iran's nuclear capabilities. You can hear the saber-rattling in the background. The Bible says there is a war coming, between the US and Iran. The consequences will be devastating to the US... The "Left Behind" site (leftbehind.com) states: ...ccording to God's Word, the Iranians will join with Turkey, the nations of Central Asia, Libya, Sudan, and Russia to invade Israel in the end-times. By the way, Iran is one of the nations included in President Bush's "axis of evil" along with North Korea and Iraq. I hardly have to say much to convince anyone today that Iran is an archenemy of Israel and the West. Iran is considered by many to be the number one rogue nation in the world. At the A.S.K. website, in a long but worth-reading article by E.L. Martin, a less urgent tone is adopted: A number of major events must take place in the region of Iran prior to the Second Coming of Christ. At present I do not see these in action. They will occur however. In fact the events that are taking place may well be a prelude to these major events, but what is happening at present, as I see it in the Scripture, is not revealed absolutely. Confusion in Iran at the present time shows that End Time events are not presently being conducted there or in the Middle East. They are leading up to it. askelm.com/prophecy/p060401.htm
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Post by Tulameen on Apr 28, 2005 10:27:04 GMT -5
Dubya is not the only one who has turned his eyes toward Iran. There were some unverifiable rumors earlier this month that the Prez has already begun mobilizing the military to prepare for a strike. This has not been independently verified. However, now Pooty-Poot Putin has turned his eyes to Iran. What will this mean for the prospect of Peace in the Middle East? IMHO, I think it means that the bloodshed and "Shock and Awe" (God, I hated Bush for saying that! Such unmitigated arrogance!!!) will spread to Iran. And this time it will be a battle ground for world powers (U.S., Russia, China, perhaps others) with the Iranians flattened like pancakes on ground zero. In this case I would be more than pleased to be wrong, but things are heating up in that direction. Iran now wants nukes and are threatening to develop them if they don't get their way ( news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4494125.stm) They're willing to put their money where their mouth is ( news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4394177.stm,) but Dubya is saying this is a stunt, in an attempt to call Iran's bluff. I suppose Dubya is stalling for time, and in the process making sure the world knows that our Cowboy President is giving Tehran every opportunity to back down beore we drop the big one on them and start WWIII. Meanwhile, Pooty-Poot has visited Cairo and proposed his own middle-east summit ( news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4489693.stm.) Is he competing with Dubya? I suppose he's trying to look like the good guy, but if there's a Big War, will both presidents wear a white hat? Hmmmm... So what happens if the talks fail? This is from the BBC again: The E3 and the US would request the IAEA to report Iran to the Security Council for its original failure to declare its enrichment effort. They would then call on the Council to tell Iran to stop enriching or face sanctions. Whether the Council would agree is not known. China and Russia, with veto power on the Council, have interests in Iran. China buys Iranian oil and Russia is helping Iran complete a nuclear power station for which it will supply fuel.Might the US or Israel bomb Iran if there is no solution?The US has said publicly that it will not permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons. President Bush has said that he wants diplomacy to solve this but that nothing is ruled out. (Read: "Yes")There have been press reports that Israel, which bombed an Iraqi reactor in 1981, has begun the planning for a possible raid. Like the US, Israel says that diplomacy is the priority. [/i] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mi ddle_east/4031603.stm)
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Post by Tulameen on Mar 25, 2005 17:16:41 GMT -5
Russian President Vladimir Putin will make the first visit by a Russian or Soviet leader to Israel at the end of April, Israeli officials say. Mr Putin will meet Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and top Israeli officials, spokesman Ron Ben-Yishai said. Russia is a member of the diplomatic group known as the Quartet of mediators for Middle East peacemaking, along with the US, the UN and the EU. They sponsored the stalled "roadmap" peace plan for a Palestinian state. It was not clear if Mr Putin would also meet Palestinian officials during the visit on 27 and 28 April. Israeli-Russian relations have improved greatly in the past 15 years since the fall of the Soviet Union. Mr Sharon, who is of Russian descent, has visited Moscow three times since taking office in 2001. However, ties between the two countries have been strained in recent months over a Russian decision to consider supplying Syria with missiles. Israeli President Moshe Katsav is said to have invited Mr Putin while the two men were in Poland to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4374399.stmPublished: 2005/03/23 09:19:54 GMT
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Post by Tulameen on Feb 25, 2005 11:08:21 GMT -5
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon by April. In an Arab satellite television interview, Mr Annan warned that the Security Council might take action if Syria fails to pull out by then. On Thursday Lebanon said Syria would move some of its troops in Lebanon closer to its own border. Syria is under increasing international pressure to withdraw from Lebanon, where it has kept troops since 1976. Last year, the UN passed a resolution calling for foreign forces to leave Lebanon. 'Additional measures' Speaking to Dubai-based al-Arabiya channel, Mr Annan said he will report to the Security Council in April on how far Syria has complied with the resolution. "If it's partial withdrawal, I will have to report. If it's total withdrawal, I will have to report," Mr Annan is quoted as saying in the interview to be broadcast on Friday. "But of course, if they [Syria] do not perform, the council may wish to take additional measures," he adds. Mr Annan's spokesman Fred Eckhard later said Mr Annan's comments should not be interpreted as having set a deadline or expressing support for sanctions if Syrian troops remain in Lebanon beyond April. On Thursday, Syria said it was "keen" to co-operate with the UN over implementing a resolution passed last year calling for foreign troops to leave Lebanon. Pressure on Syria to lave Lebanon has intensified since the 14 February car bomb death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The Lebanese opposition has accused Syria of involvement, but Syria has strongly denied the charge. 'Tactical manoeuvre' Lebanon's Defence Minister, Abdel Rahim Mrad, said Syria had decided to redeploy troops to the eastern Bekaa Valley. TAIF ACCORD- 1989 Arab-brokered deal to end Lebanese civil war
- Calls for pullback of Syrian troops to Bekaa Valley
- Lebanon and Syria to agree on duration of troops' presence
- The BBC's Orla Guerin in Damascus says Syria could well move the troops to the border quickly in the hope of easing international pressure, but may resist going further than this.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Mualem said a withdrawal would be carried out in line with the Taif Accord which ended the Lebanese civil war. The 1989 agreement calls for a phased withdrawal of Syrian troops, beginning with redeployment to the Bekaa Valley, but leaves the timing to be decided by the Syrian and Lebanese governments. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/4297059.stmPublished: 2005/02/25 11:50:10 GMT
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Post by Tulameen on Feb 18, 2005 11:33:32 GMT -5
Russia backs Iran in nuclear row Russian President Vladimir Putin says recent moves by Iran have convinced him it is not trying to build nuclear arms.
He said Moscow would continue working with Tehran in all fields, including nuclear power, adding that he had accepted an invitation to Iran.
His comments came at a meeting in Moscow with chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani.
Moscow is helping Iran build a nuclear reactor - a project which has been heavily criticised by the US.
The Americans accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran denies this, saying its nuclear development programme is purely for peaceful, energy-generating purposes.
Under an agreement announced on Thursday and due to be signed this month, Moscow will supply Tehran with the nuclear fuel it needs.
The spent fuel will be returned to Russia. This was the last issue delaying the start of operations at the Russian-built reactor at Bushehr, in southern Iran.
The US believes that the Bushehr reactor - when completed - could enable the Iranians to extract weapons grade plutonium.
The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says Russia has close ties with Iran, dating back to Soviet times, and it is determined to continue co-operation despite US opposition.
Suspension
After his talks with President Putin on Friday, Mr Rowhani said Russia's role may prove "rather useful" in moving ahead discussions on Iran's nuclear programme with Germany, Britain and France.
The three have offered to replace a heavy-water nuclear reactor - which can be used to make weapons-grade nuclear material - with a light-water reactor.
Low grades of uranium are used for nuclear reactor fuel, but higher grades can be used in atomic bombs.
Tehran suspended uranium enrichment temporarily in November, as part of the dialogue process.
Story from BBC NEWS:
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Post by Tulameen on Feb 17, 2005 11:32:51 GMT -5
Iran to aid Syria against threats
Iran has vowed to back Syria against "challenges and threats" as both countries face strong US pressure.
"We are ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats," Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said after meeting Syrian PM Naji al-Otari.
But Washington said that if Iran and Syria had aimed their remarks at the US they were "misreading the issue".
Both countries should focus on meeting their international obligations, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
"Their problem is not with the United States, it's with the international community. Both Syria and Iran ... need to abide by the commitments they have made," he said.
The US has accused Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons and has withdrawn its envoy to Damascus.
"To point to Syria in a terrorist act that aims at destabilising both Syria and Lebanon is truly like blaming the US for 9/11" Buthaina Shaaban Syrian cabinet minister[/i]
US tensions with Syria soared after Monday's killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a bombing, although Washington has not directly accused Damascus of responsibility.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a Senate foreign affairs committee hearing the decision to recall the ambassador was a culmination of a "long series of problems" with Syria - notably allegations that Damascus has harboured Iraqi insurgents and allowed them to cross into Iraq to fight against US troops.
Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed it was discussing the possibility of selling missiles to Syria.
Talks are said to be focusing on a short-range anti-aircraft missile system, known as Strelets.
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Post by Tulameen on Feb 17, 2005 11:31:07 GMT -5
Iran blast cause remains mysteryIranian authorities have been issuing confusing statements about an explosion in the southern province of Bushehr. The cause of the blast near Daylam remains unclear, but officials are now saying it was caused by a controlled explosion in a dam building site. Earlier an interior ministry spokesman said it might have been caused by a "friendly fire" incident. Witnesses reported seeing a missile fired from an aircraft and also that an Iranian plane had dropped a fuel tank. Iran state TV Al-Alam was the first to break the story, reporting a explosion near the Bushehr nuclear site, possibly caused by a rocket from an aircraft. Then it changed its story to say the blast occurred near Daylam, around 150km (93 miles) north of Bushehr reactor, and might have been the result of an aircraft accidentally dropping its fuel tank. Interior ministry spokesman Jahanbakhsh Khanjani told the AP news agency: "An airplane flew over Daylam today. Minutes later, there was an explosion. "But we have no reason to say it's a hostile attack. There is a big possibility that it was a friendly fire by mistake." news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4271011.stm
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 26, 2006 9:52:05 GMT -5
Authorities in the state of California are investigating at least 50 deaths thought to be related to the heatwave gripping parts of the US. Power supplies have been stretched by the record temperatures which have reached up to 46C (115F) in some areas. Consumers have been warned of more energy shortages although authorities say they expect the weather to turn cooler by Wednesday. The heatwave also caused blackouts in Missouri and New York. Many of those who died were elderly, according to authorities. Californian power companies say energy demand peaked on Monday, rising to a record high, although they said the crisis was not yet over. "We're asking people for one more day of conservation," said Gregg Fishman, the California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO), which manages the state's power grid. "We're not out of the woods yet." Cal ISO said it was still crucial for consumers to conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts. "It's unbreathable hot," Los Angeles office worker Shauntel Barrow told Reuters news agency. "It's hard. We were not running the air conditioning until we get home at 5 o'clock. But it was like an oven so we left it on low. We're cheating but we can't help it." HAVE YOUR SAY We have been without power since last Wednesday and have been badly affected by the extreme heat Leanna Tyler, St Louis, Missouri, USA "This is a historic heat wave," Joe Desmond, undersecretary of energy affairs for the California Resources Agency, told reporters. Mr Desmond said it was the first time in 57 years that both Northern and Southern California had endured record-breaking heat at the same time. Power restored Electricity is now back on in many of the hundreds of thousands of homes hit by power outages in the past few days, including in California and New York. In Queens in New York, fewer than 500 people remained without electricity on Tuesday evening according to energy suppliers, after nine days of blackout. More than 150,000 people are still without electricity in St Louis, Missouri, where supplies were knocked out last week by storms. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/5212650.stmPublished: 2006/07/26 07:41:20 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 25, 2006 8:56:25 GMT -5
Scorching heat is still severely stretching power supplies in parts of the US with consumers warned of more shortages unless they reduce demand. California's electricity grid was pushed to breaking point on Monday but rolling blackouts were averted. "It looks like we dodged a bullet," a power grid spokesman told Reuters. Electricity is now back on in many of the hundreds of thousands of homes hit by power outages in the past few days, including in California and New York. But on Monday night, more than 150,000 people were still without power in St Louis, Missouri, where supplies were knocked out last week by storms. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses also lost supplies in recent days because of heavy electricity use and high temperatures that caused transformers and other equipment to break down. Dire warnings At least 29 deaths are being linked to the heatwave across the US. Monday saw demand for electricity rise to a record high in California, stretching the power grid, California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO) to the limit. Earlier in the day, the authorities issued dire warnings that they might have to implement rolling blackouts and called on the public to conserve power. Tuesday is forecast to be another hot day in California, with parts of the state again set to register around 44C (111F). The power grid and utility companies say they will again ask businesses and consumers to conserve power to help avoid disruptions. "Conservation is absolutely necessary. It's not just key or guidance. It is absolutely necessary if we are going to avoid rolling blackouts," Marlon Walker of Southern California Edison told Reuters news agency. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/5212650.stmPublished: 2006/07/25 10:01:00 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 21, 2006 18:57:42 GMT -5
NEW YORK (AP) -- Tens of thousands of New Yorkers were still without power Friday, the fifth day of a mysterious electrical problem that has been blamed for subway delays, flight cancellations and dead air conditioners during the hottest week of the year. Power company Con Edison initially said fewer than 2,000 customers were affected, but it increased that number tenfold Friday morning to 25,000 customers. Mayor Michael Bloomberg estimated that would translate to about 100,000 people considering that each "customer" could be more than one household in an area where homes are often sectioned into multiple units, and could even be an entire apartment building. "The sad thing is, this shouldn't have happened," Bloomberg said. "We don't know why, but the most important thing -- make sure nobody dies or gets hurt and then help Con Ed to get it back up." The blackouts started Monday in a handful of neighborhoods in Queens. Two LaGuardia Airport terminals lost power Monday night and again on Tuesday. Since then, hundreds of businesses have since been idle, and the city's jail complex on Rikers Island has had to operate on backup generators. Some building's elevators were not running, and traffic lights at some intersections were not working. "This is outrageous," City Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr. said. "When is this going to be fixed? If it's going to be days, they should tell people it is going to be days." The blackouts were at their worst on Wednesday, when 10 of the 22 feeder cables that supply the area with power were down simultaneously. The temperature had hit 100 degrees in the neighborhood the day before. Consolidated Edison spokesman Chris Olert said the revised number followed a block-by-block cable inspection in northwest Queens on Thursday night. It said previous estimates came from the number of customers who called to complain. Olert said the power company was making every effort to get the situation fixed but couldn't estimate when that might happen. He said the company didn't know why things went wrong. "Chances are fair, but not firm, that it was heat related, but right now that is just a hypothesis," he said. Bloomberg said the utility's latest estimate was that most of the problems could be fixed by the end of the weekend. Con Edison also said Friday that 35,000 customers in Westchester County, the suburbs just north of New York City, also lost power after Tuesday's storm. About 6,000 were still out Friday morning. Bloomberg demanded that the utility investigate and deliver a report on the cause of the outages in Queens within two weeks. That was little consolation for Gianni DellaPolla, 26, a baker at Gian & Piero Bakery. "We probably lost $25,000 in business in three days," DellaPolla told the Daily News. "Everything like wedding cakes, eggs, creams, we had to throw all that out." Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Find this article at: www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/21/ny.blackouts.ap/index.html
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 21, 2006 18:52:31 GMT -5
Severe heat across much of the US has claimed at least 22 lives around the country, officials say. At least 10 states have suffered heat-related deaths as a swathe of the US has sweltered above 38C (100F), although temperatures are set to fall. Four people died in Chicago, raising the city's toll to seven. Other deaths have been reported in Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Arkansas, Indiana, South Dakota and Tennessee and Wisconsin, AP news agency reports. Relief ahead Storms brought down power lines in St Louis, Missouri, cutting air conditioning units and forcing the National Guard to evacuate residents. Missouri Governor Matt Blunt ordered in the National Guard in a bid to restore electricity and move sweltering citizens to buildings with emergency air-conditioning. "We can't overstate the danger of this heat," said Francis Slay, mayor of St Louis. "I've never seen this many people without power, this much debris, buildings collapsed, lines down." The St Louis heat was expected to subside on Friday, with milder temperatures forecast in the days ahead. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/5203802.stmPublished: 2006/07/21 14:31:06 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 19, 2006 10:37:28 GMT -5
Thunderstorms bring relief to some areasNEW YORK (AP) -- Jessica Blue stood barefoot in the fountain at Manhattan's Washington Square Park, her clothes and hat getting drenched with cool water as the temperature neared 100 degrees. "I was out shopping, but I couldn't take it any more," the 54-year-old said Tuesday. "Better cold water than sweat. I'm sick of sweating." Relief from the heat wave was in sight for Blue and others in the Northeast as a cold front was expected to lower temperatures to the mid-80s on Wednesday. The first signs of cooler weather arrived with a bang starting Tuesday afternoon, when heavy thunderstorms swept across parts of the region, knocking out power to tens of thousands of utility customers from New Jersey to Vermont. The storms, coupled with the hot weather, were the likely causes of an outage that left about 9,900 Consolidated Edison customers without power in and around New York City, spokeswoman D. Joy Faber said Wednesday. (Watch what relief and threats may come from the West --2:57) Almost 26,000 customers of New York's Long Island Power Authority were still without power early Wednesday, according to the utility's Web site. At least 60,000 customers in New Jersey and about 365,000 customers in Pennsylvania also lost power. A 44-year-old woman was killed Tuesday when lightning hit her in a Detroit park. The storms also sparked a fire at Rhode Island's Port of Providence when lightning struck a dock, sending large plumes of smoke and fireballs into the air. The heat was likely to persist elsewhere in the country, including the southern Plains and Nebraska, where temperatures were expected to remain high -- more than 100 degrees in some spots -- through the end of the week. The thermometer in New York peaked at 95 degrees in Central Park on Tuesday and 100 at LaGuardia Airport, the National Weather Service said. The hottest place in the nation was Needles, California, which hit 109 degrees. While it lasted, the heat caused plenty of headaches on the East Coast. An electrical cable failed at LaGuardia, knocking out power to one terminal and part of a second terminal for several hours. American Airlines canceled 45 flights and Delta canceled 11 flights. Passengers were bused to other area airports, but officials hoped to return to a normal schedule Wednesday. (Watch as heat buckles highways and strands fliers -- 1:11) Amtrak travelers riding between Washington, D.C., and New York on Tuesday evening experienced delays of at least an hour that conductors blamed on the extreme heat, which requires trains to travel at reduced speeds. 'This is the worst' Relief could not come soon enough for many people working outdoors. "If I see sprinklers or hydrants, I just drench myself," said New Haven, Connecticut letter carrier Ceferino Roman, who walked his route in 20-minute intervals, taking breaks in between. "This is the worst." On Long Island, auto mechanic Rick Baymack said he was trying hard to stay cool while at work. "Plenty of cold water," he said. "We stay in the shade, we keep the hoods closed on cars as long as we can, before the car comes in the shop we let it cool down." Utilities set records for electricity usage, and health departments advised people without air conditioning to cool off in senior centers, malls and movie theaters. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg reminded residents to conserve electricity. He directed City Hall to do its part: Only natural light filtered into the rotunda Tuesday, and some passageways and rooms were dark. "There's plenty of light coming through the windows -- you don't have to keep the lights on -- and if everybody did some of that, that would really save some electricity," the mayor said. The Long Island Power Authority said it set a new peak summer demand record for the second day in a row, with 5,426 megawatts of electricity used Tuesday -- enough electricity to power more than 5 million homes. Peco Energy Co. said demand for electricity in the Philadelphia region to 8,653 megawatts, eclipsing the company's previous all-time electric demand peak of 8,626 megawatts. Heat turns deadly The heat that has stifled much of the nation since late last week has contributed to the deaths of at least 10 people, including two in Oklahoma City, one in Philadelphia, two in Arkansas and one in Indiana. The toll increased Tuesday with word that a 23-year-old man with cerebral palsy died in a Philadelphia suburb after apparently being left in a sweltering van by accident, authorities said. In the Chicago area, three women, one in her 50s and two in their 70s, died from the combination of pre-existing conditions and heat stress, according to a spokesman for the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Find this article at: www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/07/19/heatwave.ap/index.html
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 19, 2006 10:34:26 GMT -5
Doctor, 2 nurses allegedly killed patients with lethal drug doseFrom Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston CNN NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- In the desperate days after hurricane Katrina struck, a doctor and two nurses at a flooded New Orleans hospital allegedly killed four patients by giving them a lethal drug thingytail, Louisiana's top law enforcement official said Tuesday. "We're talking about people that pretended that maybe they were God," Attorney General Charles C. Foti Jr. said, announcing second-degree murder charges against Dr. Anna Pou, Lori L. Budo and Cheri Landry. "This is not euthanasia. It's homicide," Foti said. The charges stem from the post-Katrina deaths of some patients at New Orleans Memorial Medical Center. An affidavit said tests determined that a lethal amount of morphine was administered on September 1 to four patients ages 62, 66, 89 and 90. Hurricane Katrina swamped the city on August 29. 'Lethal thingytail' According to the court document, the morphine was paired with midazolam hydrochloride, known by its brand name Versed. Both drugs are central nervous system depressants. Taken together, Foti said, they become "a lethal thingytail that guarantees that you die." The doctor and nurses were taken into custody late Monday, following a 10-month investigation that continues. Each was charged with four counts of being a principal to second-degree murder and released on $100,000 bond. Sources have told CNN the conditions at the hospital were dire, and the killings allegedly were carried out to speed evacuation. Foti would not discuss possible motives on Tuesday. "We feel that they abused their rights as medical practitioners," was all he would say. Attorney asserts innocence Rick Simmons, Pou's attorney, issued a statement saying his client "is innocent of the charges and we intend to vigorously contest them." He also criticized how the arrest was handled. "I told them that she is not a flight risk. I told them that she would surrender herself," he told CNN. "Instead, they chose to arrest her in her scrubs so that they could present her scalp to the media." The lawyer for Landry, John Di Guilio, told CNN he was surprised at his client's arrest. He said Landry plans to enter a "not guilty" plea and contest the charges against her. Foti for months has been investigating whether hospital and medical staff euthanized some patients. He is expected to outline what he thinks happened to some of the 45 Memorial Hospital patients who were found dead in August after the hurricane evacuations. "We obviously think it's a very credible. ... We spent a lot of time, energy and manpower working on this case, ... so we think it's a good case," Foti told CNN in February. Euthanasia was discussed In October, CNN reported exclusively that after deteriorating conditions -- with food running low and no electricity -- some medical staff openly discussed whether patients should be euthanized. Dr. Bryant King, a contract physician with Memorial who was working before and after the hurricane, said another doctor came to him and recounted a conversation the doctor claimed she had with a hospital administrator. According to King, the doctor said that the administrator suggested patients be put "out of their misery." King said when he objected this physician acknowledged his concerns, but he said that "this other (third) doctor said she'd be willing to do it." King told CNN that he later that day saw one doctor holding a handful of syringes. He left, King said, because he believed the doctors would follow through with their suggestion of euthanasia. However, King never saw any wrongdoing occur. Shortly after he began his investigation last year, Foti issued 73 subpoenas to hospital staff and physicians after he said the hospital owner, Tenet Healthcare Corp., was not cooperating in the investigation. Since then tissue samples have been sent to a private East Coast lab to determine if fatal doses of medicine, including the painkiller morphine, were in the bodies of any of the dead, New Orleans Parish Coroner Frank Minyard told CNN in December. Meanwhile, Tenet announced Tuesday that it is selling three New Orleans-area hospitals, including Memorial Medical Center, which has been closed since Katrina. Editor's Note: CNN, which broke the hospital deaths story, was nominated Tuesday for an Emmy in Outstanding Investigative Journalism: "Death at Memorial Hospital." Find this article at: www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/07/18/hospital.deaths/index.html
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 19, 2006 10:24:51 GMT -5
A heatwave affecting much of Western Europe has resulted in several deaths, health officials say. newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41905000/jpg/_41905762_york_pa203bo.jpg [/img] In the Netherlands, an annual walking event in the city of Nijmegen had to be called off at the half-way stage after two walkers died of heatstroke. In France, the deaths of three elderly people on Tuesday were linked to the soaring temperatures. The UK is bracing for its hottest day of the year, with temperatures predicted to reach 36C (96.8F). In Italy, farm union officials said the country was suffering one of the worst droughts in decades. The heatwave also forced France's energy company, EDF, to scale back electricity generation at some of its nuclear power stations. The company asked its major clients to limit their electricity use. The punishing heat has sparked a series of health warnings. Officials are urging people to stay in the shade and drink plenty of water. The hot spell is being compared to a heatwave in the summer of 2003, when some 20,000 people died across Europe as a result of heatstroke and dehydration. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/5194582.stmPublished: 2006/07/19 12:37:29 GMT © BBC MMVI
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