■ United Kingdom
EU concerns linger
Britain will not sign the proposed European constitution unless its concerns over issues including taxation and defense are resolved, the government said yesterday as it prepared to formally declare its position on the draft treaty. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw insisted the treaty, which aims to streamline decision making in the EU when it expands by accepting 10 new member states next year, would not erode Britain's sovereignty, but would shift power back to member states. But he said the government would not give up its veto on areas such as defense, foreign policy, social security and taxation and would debate such issues further at an intergovernmental conference which begins next month.
■ France
Heat-wave report released
A scathing French government report Monday blamed hospital under-staffing during summer holidays, chronic bureau-cratic snags and a dearth of elderly care for the 11,400-plus death toll in this summer's killer heat wave. The report, ordered by the Health Ministry, pointed to disarray and lack of communication between weather officials, emergency services and hospitals, and said that a "massive" exodus of doctors vacation last month left many elderly to fend for themselves.
■ Canada
Rain aids firefighting effort
Rain fell Monday on areas of British Columbia for the first time in months, dousing some of the heat in the western Canadian province hit by the worst forest fires in 50 years, local authorities said. Improved conditions around the town of Kelowna, in the south of the province, allowed 4,250 evacuees to return to their homes, the town hall said in a statement.
■ United States
Tea may block skin cancer
Tea, the cup that tones up the immune system, could soon be more than just a drink. Compounds of black and green tea could be used in a lotion to ward off skin cancer, new research indicates. A team from the University of Minnesota in Austin told the American Chemical Society in New York on Monday that tea contains chemicals that block formation of non-melanoma skin tumors. Sunblock prevents the skin from absorbing dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun. But the polyphenols in tea get to work after the skin has been exposed to excessive sunlight. Researchers have linked tea with protection against lung cancer, and a team at Harvard earlier this year reported that the brew of antioxidants and other chemicals in tea seemed to stimulate the human immune system far more effectively than coffee.
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