News on the go: Oct. 16, 2013
October 15, 2013
Iranian negotiators Tuesday gave a presentation at a meeting with six world powers to outline its new plan to end sanctions against Iran and the deadlock about its nuclear program. One of the negotiators in the meeting said Iran was willing to reduce the level of uranium enrichment being conducted and the number of centrifuges doing the enrichment, and Iran state TV said the country also had agreed to open its nuclear facilities to more inspection. European and American officials were pleased Iran had talked technical details for the first time, which pleased them.
House Republican efforts to avoid a Treasury default and end the government shutdown appeared Tuesday night to have collapsed again. The House originally announced Tuesday afternoon that it would hold a vote on a Republican measure, but leaders later said the measure might not even reach the floor. As the country loomed closer to a Thursday default, the Fitch rating agency also said it was reviewing the United States’ credit rating for a possible downgrade.
Police said Tuesday they did not believe the two dry ice explosions at Los Angeles International Airport this week were terroristic in nature, and they are investigating the theory that the blasts were done by a disgruntled employee. The airport is having internal labor disputes, and police said the explosions were set off in restricted areas to which employees had access. The explosions were made by 20-ounce plastic bottles that contained dry ice, and though officials said they could have caused serious injury, no one was hurt in the blasts.
Newtown, Conn. officials gave details Tuesday of how the demolition of Sandy Hook Elementary School will proceed starting next week. Upon demolition, building materials will be pulverized on site, metal will be taken away and melted, and onlookers will not be permitted to take photographs or video; officials said they did not want any artifacts of the building to remain. Newtown voters decided last month to build a new school by December 2016 at the site where a gunman killed 26 people last December.
Carrie Blazina is the nation and world editor for the Daily Kent Stater.