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"Now is not the time for humankind to turn upon itself," said UN Secretary-General Ahn Yoon-dae in a printed stateht in these dark days"

Power outages throughout Europe continue to haht, darkness extended from as far north as Denmark to southern France and northern Italy Sihout the Indian subcontinent, Japan, and Western Australia

Landline and cellular communications networks have also been adversely affected, cutting many cities and towns off froh winds are being blamed for the unchecked fires that have left much of the city in ashes and killed thousands

"The whole thing is gone," said one eyewitness "Moscow is no more"

Also on the rise are reports of mass suicides and so-called "death cults" Early Monday in Zurich, police officers, responding to reports of a suspicious schildren and infants According to police, the group had used secobarbital, a powerful barbiturate,it with a powdered fruit drink to h thevoluntarily, some of the bodies had been bound at the ankles and wrists

Speaking to the press, Zurich Chief of Police Franz Schatz described the scene as one of "unspeakable horror"

"I cannot iine the despair that led these people to end not only their own lives but those of their children," Schatz said

Around the globe, huge crowds have flocked to houses of worship and i the unprecedented crisis In Mecca, Islaather despite food and water shortages that have added to the suffering In Rome, Pope Cornelius II, whom many eyewitnesses clai fro thehty and hout the city, the pontiff said, "If it is God’s will that these should be the last days of humanity, let us meet our heavenly father with peace and acceptance in our hearts Do not abandon yourselves to despair, for ours is a living and loving God, in whose hands ofand will rest until its end"

As the death toll rises, health officials worry that the unburied re the spread of infection Struggling to keep pace, officials in raves Others have resorted tothe bodies of the deceased by freight cars to coastal sites

Yet despite the risks,round to bury their loved ones In a scene typical of cities around the world, Paris’s fane, one of Europe’s raves

"It is the last thing I could do forby the freshly dug grave of his wife and young son, who had succumbed within six hours of each other After fruitless attempts to notify officials, Bonnaire, who identified hihbors to help hirave, which he had raphs and his son’s stuffed parrot, a beloved toy

"All I can hope is to join them as soon as possible," Bonnaire said "What is left for any of us now? What can we do but die?"

It took Michael a moment to realize he had cohtless He raised his eyes fro for someone to tell him that he was mistaken, that it was all a lie But there was no one, only bodies, and the great, creaking weight of the Bergensfjord

Good God, he thought

We’re alone

5

The wo a ruckus With each contraction, she released a volley of curses at her husband that would make an oiler blush Worse, her cervix was barely dilated, just two centi and screa won’t make it any better"

"Goddamnit," Marie screeched at her husband, "you did this toyou can do?" her husband asked

Sara wasn’t sure if he meant to ease his wife’s pain or to shut her up Frouessed that the verbal abuse was nothing new He worked in the fields; Sara could tell by the crescents of dirt under his fingernails