August 14, 2003

"See also" August 13, 2003 - August 2003 - August 15, 2003

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*A major power outage due to a power grid failure affects more than 50 million people in the northeast of North America, including New York City, New Jersey, Cleveland, Ottawa, Toronto and Detroit [http://www.sunspot.net/news/nationworld/bal-newyork0815,0,2936608.story?coll=bal-home-headlines] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59083-2003Aug14.html] [http://www.cjad.com/content/cjad_news/article.asp?id=n081461A] [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/power_outage030814.html ABC] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3152451.stm BBC] [http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/08/14/power.outage/index.html CNN] . According to U.S. authorities, the cause is still unclear; according to the Canadian Department of National Defense, the chain reaction was started by a lightning strike in the Niagara Falls region on the U.S. side of the border [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030814_1766.html] . A press release with some technical details of the event is available at [http://www.nerc.com/] . The NRC reports that all 9 affected nuclear power plants have been safely shut down [http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2003/03-102.html] .
*Heat wave: French health officials estimate that as many as 3,000 people may have died in France as a result of the heat wave. Fatalities and illnesses are swamping the French health system. The city of Paris launches its "Plan blanc" emergency response procedure. However, temperatures in Paris have now dropped from 40°C to 30°C. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/08/14/heat_france030814]
*SARS: Public health officials are investigating seven deaths and several infections in an outbreak that resembles, but is not believed to be, SARS in a nursing home in Surrey, British Columbia (a suburb of Vancouver). However, until more is known about the disease, the home will be treated as a SARS site for safety's sake. [http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030814.wvirus0814a/BNStory/Front/]
* A single-celled microbe, of the domain Archaea, is found to be able to survive at 121°C (250°F), making it the life form that can tolerate the highest temperature. The microbe, temporarily named "Strain 121", which was found 200 miles away from Puget Sound in a hydrothermal vent, may provide clues to when and where life first evolved on Earth. It metabolizes by reducing iron oxide. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1019156,00.html] [http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994058] [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/08/030815075108.htm] [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/08/15/newly_found_microbe_can_take_a_lot_of_heat]
*Terrorism: Hambali, an important leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, is in U.S. custody after being captured in Thailand. [http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/08/14/otsc.ressa/]
*Liberian crisis: News services are reporting that Moses Blah met with Sekou Conneh of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) group and Thomas Nimley of a smaller faction known as Model. Meanwhile, the Pentagon expands the United States' military presence by adding a "quick reaction" force of 150 combat troops to back up Nigerian peacekeepers. [http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030814_534.html] [http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters08-14-085224.asp?reg=AFRICA]
*Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel frees another 76 prisoners, a week after releasing more than 300 people. Israel argues that it is a gesture of goodwill and in accordance with agreements. The Palestinian authority disagrees and says that most not arrested for terrorist activities, and that it was the people arrested for the latter that Israel originally agreed to release. Palestinian officials want the release of 6000 prisoners, many of whom it claims were wrongly arrested, to obtain public support for the US-backed road map for peace. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20030815/wl_nm/mideast_dc]