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Record-breaking heat wave grips western United States

A record early heat wave striking the western United States on Friday is a one-in-500-year event and almost certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say. The heat has been toppling records this week and is set to continue into the weekend across western cities while expanding eastward. Four locations in the desert area near the California-Arizona border registered 44.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, a US national record for March. The readings were recorded near Yuma and Martinez Lake in Arizona, and around Winterhaven and Ogilby in California. Read: Intense heatwave grips US, triggering record-breaking temperatures Already, 65 cities have recorded new March highs, ranging from Arizona and California to Idaho, Weather.com reported. Death Valley reached 40°C on Thursday, while typically cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29°C. In Colorado, skiers were seen hitting the slopes shirtless. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warni...

Mediated Israel-Hamas talks on hostage deal expected next week

Mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas to reach a deal to free Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip are due to restart next week, an official with knowledge of the matter said on Saturday. The decision to restart the talks, said the source, who declined to be identified by name or nationality given the sensitivity of the issue, was taken after the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency met the head of the CIA and the prime minister of Qatar, which has been a mediator. "At the end of the meeting, it was decided that in the coming week negotiations will open based on new proposals led by the mediators, Egypt and Qatar and with active US involvement," the source said. Read also: Israel strikes eastern Rafah as ceasefire talks end with no deal Efforts to achieve the release of more than 120 hostages abducted during Hamas' Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel within the framework of a ceasefire deal have so far fallen short. Both sides have blamed the other for the deadlock. Israel has said it cannot accept Hamas' demand to end the war, while the Palestinians want Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel. Israel has said it wants to eliminate Hamas, which governs Gaza and is sworn to Israel's destruction. Sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, the war has raged for more than seven months, devastating much of Gaza.

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