A 92-year-old woman is the first victim to fall to the deadly West Nile Virus, according to Chicago medical officials.

This is the first fatality case in Illinois this year, says the state Department of Public Health.

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) announced Saturday an extended grace period for premium payments for policy owners in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The premium paying grace period for MassMutual life insurance, long term care insurance, disability income insurance and certain annuity contracts has been extended by a total of 62 days in response to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Americans have seen the images hundreds of times played out on TV screens this week as humans were rescued from rooftops that held them above flooded neighborhoods. Pets, on the other hand were being left to fend for themselves as they are not allowed in shelters.

Doctors from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sharply criticized federal authorities carrying out the New Orleans evacuation for forcing evacuees to choose between their possessions and their companion animals.

A 92-year-old woman is the first victim to fall to the deadly West Nile Virus, according to Chicago medical officials.

This is the first fatality case in Illinois this year, says the state Department of Public Health.

Amidst sketchy reports of suffering a "vascular incident" and causing "temporary blindness", French President Jacques Chirac is now being listed as having suffered a minor stroke.

Cardiologist Dr. Alain Ducardonnet says, "This is without a doubt an alert in the brain region, in a small artery that feeds the retina. This could be a very localized problem or it could be the start of a relatively more serious incident."