After 15-year-old Jose Lopez Vazquez died during his attempted exorcism, his mother is inconsolable. “The only thing we want is to clear up the death of Jose,” Agustina Vazquez said.But this distraught family is likely to consult a witch to find the answer.. America has run out of fire-fighters to tackle the blaze sweeping its western states. Yesterday more than a million acres were on fire – the greatest area affected at one time since 1910 – but every one of the country’s fire-fighters was already at work trying to halt the destruction.

America has run out of fire-fighters to tackle the blaze sweeping its western states. Yesterday more than a million acres were on fire – the greatest area affected at one time since 1910 – but every one of the country’s fire-fighters was already at work trying to halt the destruction.
“This is a very uncharacteristic, abnormal fire season,” said Lynn Burkett of the National Fire Information Centre. “We are at maximum capacity with our people out there.”Bruce Babbit, the Interior Secretary, said: “Additional bodies will not help. I’m not saying it will become catastrophic, but the probability that it will become worse is very high.”High winds in Montana and Idaho risk whipping the fires up to even larger conflagrations, bringing smaller blazes into vast fire-storms. “What you could have is a 20 to 40-mile wall of flame, and that would be unstoppable,” said Larry E Hamilton, director of the National Office of Fire and Aviation.There are nearly 19,000 fire- fighters at work in the western states, with 14,000 of them in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. The US military has deployed about 2,000 troops, and Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, have sent hundreds of fire- fighters. On Friday, Montana declared a state of emergency.”It’s a very tough situation,” Mr Babbit said, “and the weather prognosis is not good.”.

Sen. John McCain spent more than five hours in surgery to remove skin cancer from his temple and upper arm, and his doctor said preliminary findings show that the cancer had not spread to his lymph nodes

Sen. John McCain spent more than five hours in surgery to remove skin cancer from his temple and upper arm, and his doctor said preliminary findings show that the cancer had not spread to his lymph nodes.
McCain’s internist, Dr. John Eckstein, said Saturday’s surgery to remove the two melanomas, the most serious form of skin cancer, went exactly as expected and without complications.The removal of the melanoma from his left arm involved a simple excision, Eckstein said. The surgery on the left temple was more extensive and included the removal of lymph nodes from the face and neck and a salivary gland, he said.”We are pleased to let you know that the preliminary report on the lymph nodes .. was clear without any evidence of melanoma cells,” he said. “However it will take several days to fully evaluate the removed surgical tissue.”McCain was recovering at the Mayo Clinic Hospital and was expected to remain there for two to three days, Eckstein said.The surgery followed earlier tests that found no signs that the cancer spread beyond the two new melanomas.

The lymph nodes removed Saturday from around the cancerous lesions were being tested to help determine whether the surgery was the only treatment necessary.If the cancer had reached one or more of the lymph nodes, treatment is more complicated and less likely to cure the cancer, melanoma experts said. Options include anti-cancer drugs and stimulating the immune system to try to fight the cancer.The outlook would have been much worse if the cancer had spread to McCain’s organs, since that stage of melanoma is extremely difficult to treat, said Dr. John Glaspy, a researcher at UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center.Doctors found the melanomas after McCain left the Republican National Convention to have biopsies performed at Bethesda Naval Hospital near Washington.Melanoma is usually caused by exposure to the sun.People with fair skin, like McCain, have a higher risk of skin cancer. McCain spent hours in the Arizona sun campaigning for Congress in 1982 and subsequent years..

In 80 days’ time, one of these greying men – Vice-President Albert Gore or Texas Governor George W Bush – will be declared President of the United States. But after two acrimonious primary campaigns and two festive party conventions, neither can be any more confident than he was six months ago that he will be elected. In 80 days’ time, one of these greying men – Vice-President Albert Gore or Texas Governor George W Bush – will be declared President of the United States. But after two acrimonious primary campaigns and two festive party conventions, neither can be any more confident than he was six months ago that he will be elected.
At each stage of the campaign, one or other has consolidated a lead, only to see it evaporate. Before and after the Republican Party’s convention two weeks ago, it was Mr Bush who surged ahead, building his advantage into double figures by the start of last week.