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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...

Xi tells SCO leaders to shoulder greater role in safeguarding regional peace

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation security forum now bears "greater responsibility" for safeguarding regional peace and stability, as well as promoting the development and prosperity of its member states, Chinese President Xi Jinping told about 20 world leaders he hosted on Sunday evening. The ongoing SCO Summit shoulders the important mission of building consensus among all parties and stimulating momentum in cooperation, Xi was cited as telling a welcome banquet, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. Also Read: PM looks to China for advanced disaster management technology The two-day summit is being held in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. China and Russia Russian President Vladimir Putin also arrived in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin on Sunday, Chinese and Russian state media reported, for a regional security summit that China hopes can counter Western influence in global affairs. For the rare four-day visit to Russia's neighbour and largest trading partner, Putin arrived to a red carpet welcome, received on the tarmac by top-ranking city officials, a livestream of the event by Russia's TASS showed. Ties between China and Russia are at their "best in history", having become the "most stable, mature and strategically significant among major countries", Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said in its report of the arrival. Read More: Modi tells Xi India seeks stronger ties with China President Xi Jinping will host about 20 world leaders in Tianjin, also including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the largest gathering since the group was established in 2001 among six Eurasian nations. The security-focused bloc has expanded to 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer countries in recent years. Its remit has enlarged from security and counter-terrorism to economic and military cooperation.

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

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