Baghdad runs out of energy as scorching heat adds to misery

Traumatised by suicide bombs, sectarian militias and ethnic cleansing, the citizens of Baghdad are facing another horror this summer: day after day of blast-furnace heat without electricity or water to keep them cool.

The temperatures regularly exceed 52C (126F). You are hit by a wall of heat whenever you step outside. You could fry that cliche egg on a car in seconds. But the millions of Baghdadis unlucky enough to live outside the green zone receive fewer than three hours of electricity a day. They have no power for fridges, fans or air-conditioners. Most of the time there is no water in the taps. It is the worst deprivation they have suffered since the fall of Saddam in 2003.
Water is almost as scarce as electricity. Many Baghdadis have bought pumps that suck water from the pipes whenever it is flowing. This is usually in the middle of the night, so everyone leaves their taps on just in case. An Iraqi employee of The Times spent $150 (