■ MEXICO
Damaged oil rig capped
Oil workers have capped a damaged oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico that spilled crude and natural gas for almost two months after a deadly high-seas collision, state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos announced on Sunday. At least 21 employees were killed in the Oct. 23 collision with a drilling rig during a storm. Roughly 420 barrels of oil per day spilled from the damaged platform since late October. The company faced a nightmarish combination of leaking crude, bad weather, a stubborn fire fueled by leaking natural gas and the presence of other toxic gases emanating from the well in trying to cap it.
■ CANADA
Ontario reactor restarted
Atomic Energy of Canada said it has reopened a nuclear reactor whose shutdown created a critical shortage of radioactive isotopes used to diagnose and treat cancer patients. The National Research Reactor was safely returned to service at 3:44am on Sunday. It was anticipated that medical isotopes would begin to be removed for processing within four days. The reactor was shut down on Nov. 18 for maintenance. But the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission ordered an indefinite closure after discovering the reactor had violated safety measure for a year.
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