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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...
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Brawl erupts in Italian Parliament over autonomy plans

A fierce brawl erupted in the Italian parliament on Wednesday evening over the far-right government's plans to grant regions more autonomy, triggering widespread uproar and drawing comparisons to the days of fascism. The altercation began when Five Star Movement (MS5) deputy Leonardo Donno attempted to tie an Italian flag around the neck of regional affairs minister Roberto Calderoli from the pro-autonomy Northern League. Donno's stunt aimed to denounce plans for greater regional autonomy, which critics argue would undermine Italy's unity. In response, deputies from Calderoli's League party swarmed Donno, turning the debate into a chaotic free-for-all involving about 20 men. Donno, injured in the scuffles, had to be evacuated in a wheelchair and taken to hospital. The brawl sparked a torrent of reactions from political leaders and dominated the front pages of Italian newspapers. La Repubblica decried the incident with the headline, "The squadrist right is fighting in parliament," referencing post-World War I paramilitary forces that became Mussolini's Blackshirts. Corriere della Sera described the chamber as a "boxing ring." Lawmakers from the League and the Brothers of Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party, accused Donno of provoking the incident and faking his injuries. The M5S condemned the attack as "serious and shameful" and called for immediate measures. "Violence comes from the benches of the Meloni majority... Shame," wrote M5S leader Giuseppe Conte on social media. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani acknowledged that lawmakers should hold themselves to a higher standard, stating on Sky TG24, "The chamber is not a boxing ring... it's not fisticuffs that solve political problems." Critics argue that the autonomy proposal will lead to cutbacks in public services in poorer regions. This incident is not unprecedented; in 2021, deputies from the Brothers of Italy disrupted a debate on the COVID-19 health pass by mobbing the centre of the chamber. The brawl in parliament underscores the deep divisions and heated emotions surrounding the issue of regional autonomy in Italy

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At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

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US, Philippines kick off joint military drills in South China Sea with 16,000 troops

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Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

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