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Sudan, South Sudan vow to end oil row Posted: 01 Jul 2013 07:02 PM PDT KHARTOUM: The vice presidents of Sudan and South Sudan pledged on Monday to resolve a conflict over Juba's alleged support for rebels that is threatening cross-border oil flows, but failed to offer any concrete solutions. Last month, bilateral ties hit a new low when Sudan said it would halt South Sudanese oil exports passing through the north for shipment unless Juba ended support for rebels operating across the shared border. South Sudan denies the claims. To defuse the situation, South Sudan's Vice President, Riek Machar, flew to Khartoum for the first high-level meeting since Sudan's threat to close two cross-border pipelines. After two days of talks between Machar and Sudan's Vice President, Ali Osman Taha, both sides said they wanted to implement a raft of deals allowing southern oil exports to pass through Sudan and to secure their disputed border. "We are committed (to the agreements) and have the political will to normalise ties with South Sudan," Taha told the talks' final session attended by both delegations. Machar, who was hugging some Sudanese officials, said both countries wanted to build up trust to make the agreements reality. "We are happy with the outcome of the talks and if there is any problem, we want to solve it without a mediator," he said. The two did not say whether oil flows would stop. A joint communique only said they had agreed not to support rebels on the other's territory, without proposing any steps or referring to Sudan's threat to halt oil flows. The neighbours, which fought one of Africa's longest civil wars, ending in 2005, had agreed in March to resume oil flows. Juba had shut its entire crude production in January 2012 when tensions over pipeline fees and disputed territory escalated. Their latest dispute threatens to hit supplies to Asian buyers such as China National Petroleum Corp, India's ONCG Videsh and Malaysia's Petronas, which run the oilfields in both countries. Diplomats said they doubted Sudan would close the two cross-border export pipelines because its economy has been suffering without South Sudan's pipeline fees. Oil used to be the main source for Sudan's budget until the south's secession in July 2011, when Khartoum lost 75 per cent of its oil production and its status as an oil exporter overnight.-- Reuters

KL shares open marginally higher Posted: 01 Jul 2013 07:05 PM PDT Share prices opened marginally higher today but eased thereafter in the first 30 minutes due to light selling activities. At 9am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 1.25 points higher at 1,776.39 but eased 0.4 of a point to 1,774.68 at 9.30am. Dealers said the market rose initially helped by the steadier close on US equities with sentiment boosted by news that the global economy remained on a recovery track. They said that there were some spill-over effects from the positive external vibes on the Malaysian bourse today, but the market thereafter paused for a breather after a rebound for four straight days. On the scoreboard, the Finance Index opened 17.25 points lower at 16,911.6, the Industrial Index rose 9.44 points to 3019.83, the Plantation Index gained 0.14 of a point to 8391.17 while the FBM Ace Index rose 8.5 points to 4649.24. Gainers led losers 203 to 125, while 185 counters were unchanged, 1,052 untraded and 25 others were suspended in the first half hour. Volume stood at 164.235 million shares worth RM153.666 million. Among actives, Ingenuity Consolidated and MAS rose half-a-sen each to 9.5 sen and 31.5 sen, respectively. As for heavyweights, Maybank edged up six sen to RM10.42, CIMB Group lost four sen to RM8.25 and Public Bank added four sen to RM16.98 sen.-- Bernama

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Out-of-control Arizona wildfire kills 19 firefighters, including nearly all of elite ... - Fox News Posted: 01 Jul 2013 08:45 AM PDT Eighteen members of an elite firefighting crew and one other person who were killed Sunday in an Arizona wildfire tried to protect themselves by deploying tent-like structures before they were overtaken, a state forestry spokesman says. The lightning-sparked fire, which spread to more than 8,000 acres amid triple-digit temperatures, destroyed at least 50 structures and threatened 500 people in Yarnell, a town of about 700 residents that sits 85 miles northwest of Phoenix, the Yavapai County Emergency Management said Monday. Most people had evacuated from the town, and no injuries or other deaths were reported. Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo said the firefighters, whose names had not been released, were part of the city's fire department. A helicopter pilot discovered the bodies and authorities are working to remove them, a Department of Public Safety spokesperson said, according to Fox 10. Nineteen fire shelters were deployed on Sunday, and some of the firefighters were found inside them, while others were outside the shelters, Mike Reichling, Arizona State Forestry Division spokesman, told the Arizona Republic. It was the most firefighters killed battling a wildfire in the U.S. in decades.  "We're devastated," Fraijo said late Sunday. "We just lost 19 of the finest people you'll ever meet." The fire killed 18 members of the 20-member of the Prescott Granite Mountain Hotshots crew, which were known for battling the region's worst fires, including two earlier this season. The average age of the men in the crew was 22-years-old, Fox 10 reports. The other person killed has not yet been identified, Reichling said. Prescott firefighter and spokesman Wade Ward told the Prescott Daily Courier in an interview last week that the hotshots crews are highly trained individuals who work long hours in extreme conditions. The crews, which number roughly 100 in the U.S., often hike for miles into the wilderness with chainsaws and backpacks stuffed with heavy gear to build lines of protection between people and raging fires. State forestry spokesman Art Morrison told the Associated Press that the firefighters were forced to deploy their emergency fire shelters — tent-like structures meant to shield firefighters from flames and heat — when they were caught in the Yarnell-area fire on Sunday.   The Cronkite News Service had featured the group in a story practicing such deployment in a worst-case scenario drill. The crew last year had four rookies on its team, according to the story. "One of the last fail-safe methods that a firefighter can do under those conditions is literally to dig as much as they can down and cover themselves with a protective -- kinda looks like a foil type -- fire-resistant material -- with the desire, the hope at least, is that the fire will burn over the top of them and they can survive it," Fraijo said Sunday. "Under certain conditions there's usually only sometimes a 50 percent chance that they survive," he said. "It's an extreme measure that's taken under the absolute worst conditions." Two hundred firefighters were working on the Yarnell fire Sunday, and several hundred more were expected to arrive Monday. The fire has also forced the closure of parts of state Route 89. It was zero percent contained late Sunday.  Reichling said Monday that 18 hotshot fire crews are now battling the blaze. The National Weather Service also said there's a 30 percent of thunderstorms and showers Monday in the Yarnell area. Rain could help slow the fire, but the forecast also says the storms could produce gusty winds. "We're devastated. We just lost 19 of the finest people you'll ever meet." - Prescott Fire Chief Dan Fraijo Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer plans to travel to the area on Monday. "This is as dark a day as I can remember," Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said in a statement on Sunday. "It may be days or longer before an investigation reveals how this tragedy occurred, but the essence we already know in our hearts: fighting fires is dangerous work. The risk is well-known to the brave men and women who don their gear and do battle against forest and flame. "When a tragedy like this strikes, all we can do is offer our eternal gratitude to the fallen, and prayers for the families and friends left behind. God bless them all." President Obama, currently traveling in Africa, released a statement praising the firefighters as "heroes -- highly-skilled professionals who, like so many across our country do every day, selflessly put themselves in harm's way to protect the lives and property of fellow citizens they would never meet." Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the "devastating" loss is a reminder of deadly risks firefighters take every day. "Their sacrifice will never be forgotten," McCain said in a statement. The National Fire Protection Association website lists the last wildland fire to kill more firefighters as the 1933 Griffith Park fire of Los Angeles, which killed 29. The most firefighters -- 340 -- were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York, according to the website. In another Arizona fire, a 2-acre blaze that started at a motorcycle salvage yard and spread to a trailer park has destroyed five mobile homes in the Gila County community of Rye, located more than 130 miles east of Yarnell. Gila County Health and Emergency Services Director Michael O'Driscoll said no one was injured in Rye. The fire was ignited Saturday night at All Bikes Sales located off Highway 87.  It spread to neighboring federal Forest Service land but was fully contained within 12 hours of its start. The Red Cross says seven adults and two children were staying at a shelter set up for people who were evacuated. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from MyFoxPhoenix.com.

Egypt's military gives Morsi's government 48 hours to 'meet the demands of the ... - Washington Post Posted: 01 Jul 2013 08:55 AM PDT CAIRO — Egypt's powerful military issued an ultimatum to the government of President Mohamed Morsi on Monday: resolve the crisis that has pitted hundreds of thousands of Morsi's opponents against his supporters and ground this county to a political standstill—or the military will intervene. Abdel Fatah al-Sissi, commander of Egypt's armed forces, said the military may soon take action to enforce the demands of the masses of Egyptians who took to the streets on Sunday calling for the president's ouster. "The armed forces reiterates its call to meet the demands of the people, and it gives everyone 48 hours as a last chance to carry the burden of the ongoing historic circumstances that the country is going through," Sissi said in a statement broadcast on national television. "If the demands of the people are not met within the given period of time, [the military] will be compelled by its national and historic responsibilities, and in respect for the demands of Egypt's great people, to announce a roadmap for the future, and procedures that it will supervise involving the participation of all the factions and groups." Anti-government activists have called repeatedly on the military in recent days to back them in their struggle against Morsi and his supporters in the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. Many interpreted Sissi's remarks on Monday as a victory for their cause. "I think it's highly unlikely that Morsi will be able to make a deal with the opposition in 48 hours. I don't think anyone wants to deal with Morsi anymore," said Wael Nawara, a longtime political activist, and the co-founder of the liberal Dustour party. "So that effectively means that the military will basically appoint some kind of transition government," he said. The military had repeatedly signaled that it does not want to return to the helm of politics, which it commanded — turbulently — in the first year and a half after the ouster of longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak in February, 2011. But Sissi also said earlier this month that the army would step in if Egypt's political crisis worsened. Before the military's announcement on Monday, four of Morsi's cabinet ministers submitted their resignations, in a show of solidarity with the anti-government protesters, the state news wire reported. In the early morning, protesters stormed and ransacked the Muslim Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters, looting its offices, and setting fire to sections of the eight-story building as police officers looked on. Several Muslim Brotherhood offices in other cities also were attacked. Sunday's protests were the largest showing of opposition to Morsi since the Islamist leader took office one year ago. At least 16 people nationwide have been killed in violence related to the protests since Sunday, said Saad Zaghloul, assistant to Egypt's minister of health. Protest leaders are calling for a new wave of demonstrations on Tuesday and gave Morsi until 5 p.m. that day to step down from office — a move that analysts describe as unlikely and Morsi supporters say is out of the question.

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KL bourse slips in early trade Posted: 30 Jun 2013 06:47 PM PDT Malaysia's benchmark stock index fell in early trade, dragged by a decline in property firm UEM Sunrise Bhd and telecoms company DiGi.com Bhd. The index, which dropped 0.17 per cent, outperformed MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan that fell 0.62 per cent, though it underperformed Tokyo's Nikkei share average, which declined 0.05 per cent. "The benchmark, which has jumped 44.9 points or 2.6 per cent over the last three days, could consolidate its recent gains by hovering above the immediate support line of 1,750 ahead," HwangDBS Vickers Research said in a note to clients on Monday. HwangDBS also said investors will watch MMC Corp Bhd, whose subsidiary Malakoff paid A$130 million (US$120.61 million) to buy a 50 per cent stake in an Australian wind farm from New Zealand's Meridian Energy. The index was down 0.09 per cent at 1,771.89 at 10.06am in Kuaal Lumpur.-- Reuters

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Egyptians stream into streets to demand Mursi quit - The Star Online Posted: 30 Jun 2013 08:36 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptians poured onto the streets on Sunday, swelling crowds that opposition leaders hope will number into the millions by evening and persuade Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to resign. Waving national flags, a crowd of some 200,000 had gathered by late afternoon on Cairo's Tahrir Square, seat of the 2011 uprising against Mursi's predecessor Hosni Mubarak. "The people want the fall of the regime!" they chanted - this time not against an ageing dictator but against their first ever elected leader, who took office only a year ago to the day. As the working day ended and the heat of the sun eased, more joined them on the otherwise deserted streets of the capital. Many are angry at Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood, saying it has hijacked the revolution through a series of electoral victories to monopolise power and push through Islamic law. Others are simply frustrated by the economic crisis, deepened by political deadlock, over which Mursi has presided. In other cities, thousands of protesters also gathered. Over 100,000 were out in the centre of second city Alexandria. Security sources said three Brotherhood offices were set on fire by demonstrators in towns in the Nile Delta - the latest in over a week of street violence in which hundreds have been hurt and several killed, including an American student. Over 20,000 Mursi supporters also congregated in the capital, by a mosque not far from the suburban presidential palace. Mursi himself is working elsewhere. But liberal protest organisers plan a sit-in outside the palace from Sunday evening. Thousands of anti-Mursi protesters were walking to the site. Interviewed by a British newspaper, Mursi repeated his determination to ride out what he sees as an undemocratic attack on his electoral legitimacy. But he also offered to revise the new, Islamist-inspired constitution, saying clauses on religious authority, which fuelled liberal resentment, were not his choice. He made a similar offer last week, after the head of the army issued a strong call for politicians to compromise. But the opposition dismissed it as too little to late. They hope Mursi will resign in the face of large numbers on the streets. Some also seem to believe the army might force the president's hand. In Cairo, demonstrators stopped to shake hands and take photographs with soldiers guarding key buildings. While many Egyptians are angry at Mursi over the economy, many others fear that more turmoil will make life worse. Mursi and the Brotherhood can hope protests fizzle out like previous outbursts. If they do not, some form of compromise, possibly arbitrated by the army, may be on the cards. VIOLENCE Both sides insist they plan no violence but accuse the other - and agents provocateurs from the old regime - of planning it. Helicopter gunships flew over Cairo. The U.S.-equipped army, though showing little sign of wanting power, warns it may step in if deadlocked politicians let violence slip out of control. U.S. President Barack Obama called for dialogue and warned trouble in the biggest Arab nation could unsettle an already turbulent Middle East. Washington has evacuated non-essential personnel and reinforced security at its diplomatic missions. In an interview with London's Guardian newspaper, Mursi repeated accusations against what he sees as attempts by entrenched interests from the Mubarak era to foil his attempt to govern. But he dismissed the demands that he give up and resign. If that became the norm, he said, "well, there will be people or opponents opposing the new president too, and a week or a month later, they will ask him to step down". Liberal leaders say nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - has signed a petition calling for new elections, although there is no obvious challenger to Mursi. The opposition, fractious and defeated in a series of ballots last year, hope that by putting millions on the streets they can force Mursi to relent and hand over to a technocrat administration that can organise new elections. "We all feel we're walking on a dead-end road and that the country will collapse," said Mohamed ElBaradei, a former U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and now liberal party leader in his homeland. ARMY ROLE Religious authorities have warned of "civil war". The army insists it will respect the "will of the people". Islamists interpret that to mean army support for election results. Opponents believe that the army may heed the popular will as expressed on the streets, as it did in early 2011 when the generals decided Mubarak's time was up. A military source said the army was using its helicopters to monitor the numbers out on the streets. Its estimate on Tahrir in mid-afternoon was 40-50,000, with a few thousands at similar protest sites in other major cities. It put the number at the Islamists' Cairo camp at 17,000. Having staged shows of force earlier this month, the Brotherhood has not called on its supporters to go out on Sunday. Among the Islamists in Cairo, Ahmed Hosny, 37, said: "I came here to say, 'We are with you Mursi, with the legitimate order and against the thugs'. "This is our revolution and no one will take it from us." At Tahrir Square, banners ranged from "The Revolution Goes On", "Out, Out Like Mubarak" to "Obama Backs Terrorism" - a reference to liberal anger at perceived U.S. support for Mursi's legitimacy and its criticism of protests as bad for the economy. "I am here to bring down Mursi and the Brotherhood," said Ahmed Ali al-Badri, a feed merchant in a white robe. "Just look at this country. It's gone backwards for 20 years. There's no diesel, gasoline, electricity. Life is just too expensive." The Egyptian army, half a million strong and financed by Washington since it backed a peace treaty with Israel three decades ago, says it has deployed to protect key installations. Among these is the Suez Canal. Cities along the waterway vital to global trade are bastions of anti-government sentiment. A bomb killed a protester in Port Said on Friday. A police general was gunned down in Sinai, close to the Israeli border. Observers note similarities with protests in Turkey this month, where an Islamist prime minister with a strong electoral mandate has been confronted in the streets by angry secularists. For many Egyptians, though, all the turmoil that has followed the Arab Spring has just made life harder. Standing by his lonely barrow at an eerily quiet downtown Cairo street market, 23-year-old Zeeka was afraid more violence was coming. "We're not for one side or the other," he said. "What's happening now in Egypt is shameful. There is no work, thugs are everywhere ... I won't go out to any protest. "It's nothing to do with me. I'm the tomato guy." (Reporting by Asma Alsharif, Alexander Dziadosz, Shaimaa Fayed, Maggie Fick, Alastair Macdonald, Shadia Nasralla, Tom Perry, Paul Taylor and Yasmine Saleh in Cairo, Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia and Abdelrahman Youssef in Alexandria; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Anna Willard)

Heat wave: Western United States swelters amid dangerously high heat - Chicago Tribune Posted: 30 Jun 2013 07:22 AM PDT Scorching heat baked the western United States and Sunday's forecast offered no relief from the soaring temperatures that prompted health warnings and sent scores of people to the hospital with heat-related illness. Cities in California, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and Texas all recorded temperatures over 100 degrees (38 Celsius) on Saturday. Paramedics in Las Vegas, where the temperature hit 115 F (46 C), found an elderly man dead in his un-air-conditioned apartment on Saturday. The man had prior medical issues and "either the heat got to him or the medical condition was aggravated by the heat," Fire-Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanskisaid. Scores of other people were treated for heat-related symptoms, including a man who pulled off aNevada highway and called 911 to say he felt ill after driving for several hours without air-conditioning. He was hospitalized in serious condition with heat stroke, Szymanski said. Cities and towns across the western United States opened air-conditioned "cooling centers" in community centers, homeless shelters and libraries, and warned residents to avoid prolonged exposure to the searing temperatures. A large and stagnant high-pressure system trapped the hot air, tying or topping temperature records that soared well above 100 degrees. "Daytime highs will yet again dangerously soar well past the century mark and overnight lows will barely drop into the seventies and eighties," the National Weather Service said on Sunday. "Triple-digit temperatures will expand north through the Intermountain West and all the way to the Canadian border." In Los Angeles County, many people have been hospitalized or treated for dehydration, exhaustion andheat stroke, a fire department spokesman said. There were fears that migrants attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico would die in the desert. More border agents were added on the American side, said Brent Cagen, a spokesman for theTucson sector of the U.S. Border Patrol. At least three people, maybe more, who attempted to illegally cross the border into Arizona were found dead this week, likely succumbing to the heat, Cagen said. Firefighters worry about dry conditions, which have ignited several major brush fires across the region recently, and about more blazes ignited by wayward fireworks launched from backyards to commemorate the Fourth of July holiday.

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Obama meets with Nelson Mandela's family as global icon remains in hospital - CBS News Posted: 29 Jun 2013 08:15 AM PDT Updated at 11:06 a.m. ET As former South African President Nelson Mandela remains in the hospital, President Obama visited with his daughters and grandchildren in Johannesburg Saturday, the first full day of the president's two-day trip through South Africa. Play Video Nelson Mandela hospitalized in critical condition In a statement, Mr. Obama described the "privilege" of meeting with the family of Mandela, whom many South Africans refer to by his tribal name, Madiba. "Today I had the privilege of meeting with members of the Mandela family at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa, and spoke by telephone with Mrs. Graca Machel, who remained by her husband's side in the hospital in Pretoria," he said. "I expressed my hope that Madiba draws peace and comfort from the time that he is spending with loved ones, and also expressed my heartfelt support for the entire family as they work through this difficult time. I also reaffirmed the profound impact that his legacy has had in building a free South Africa, and in inspiring people around the world - including me." Play Video Mandela showing "great improvement," says ex-wife Winnie Play Video President Obama arrives for talks with South African President Play Video Mandela's health overshadows Obama's South Africa trip The White House initially indicated that first lady Michelle Obama, who is accompanying the president in Africa, had joined her husband in the private meeting with Mandela's family. Later Saturday, the White House said that the first lady was not in the meeting. The president will not meet with Mandela while he is in the hospital. In a statement on Friday, the president said, "I don't need a photo-op, and the last thing I want to do is to be in any way obtrusive at a time when the family is concerned about Nelson Mandela's condition." On Friday, Mandela's former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, told the press that the former president has shown "great improvement" compared to a few days ago. Earlier Saturday, Mr. Obama traveled from Johannesburg to Pretoria, the country's capital, where he and South African President Jacob Zuma each praised Mandela's legacy as an anti-apartheid leader and the first democratically elected president of South Africa. "Our thoughts, and those of Americans and people around the world, are with Mandela, and his family, and all of South Africa," Mr. Obama said. "The struggle here against apartheid, for freedom, Madiba's moral courage, this country's historic transition to a free and democratic nation, has been a personal inspiration to me, it has been an inspiration to the world." Mr. Obama compared Mandela to America's own founding father, George Washington, who, even without term limits, voluntarily relinquished the presidency to facilitate a peaceful transfer of democratic power. "Nelson Mandela similarly, I think, was able to recognize that despite how revered he was, that part of this transition process was to make sure that it was bigger than just one person, even one of the greatest people in history," Mr. Obama said. "What an incredible lesson that is." Zuma said that Mandela is "much loved by our people and the world" and compared him to Mr. Obama. "I know that he is your personal hero as well, Mr. President; the two of you are also bound by history as the first black presidents of your respective countries," Zuma said. "Thus you both carry the dreams of millions of people in Africa and in the diaspora who were previously oppressed. We continue to pray for Mandela's good health and wellbeing."

Phoenix, Las Vegas bake in scorching heat - Memphis Commercial Appeal Posted: 29 Jun 2013 07:25 AM PDT DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Dan Kail was vacationing in Las Vegas when he heard that the temperature at Death Valley could approach 130 degrees this weekend. He didn't hesitate to make a trip to the desert location that is typically the hottest place on the planet. "Coming to Death Valley in the summertime has always been on the top of my bucket list," the 67-year-old Pittsburgh man said. "When I found out it might set a record I rented a car and drove straight over. If it goes above 130 I will have something to brag about." The forecast called for Death Valley to reach 128 degrees Saturday as part of a heat wave that has caused large parts of the western U.S. to suffer. Death Valley's record high of 134 degrees, set a century ago, stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth. "The wind out here is like being in front of a blast furnace," Kail said. As temperatures soared in Las Vegas Friday, 200 people were treated for heat problems at an outdoor concert, Clark County spokesman Erik Pappa said. Thirty of them were hospitalized for heat-related injuries at Vans Warped Tour at Silverton Casino as temps reached 115. Most of the others "were essentially provided shade and water and a place to sit down," Pappa said. It was expected to get even hotter in Las Vegas over the weekend. Phoenix reached 116 on Friday — 2 degrees short of the expected high — in part because a light layer of smoke from wildfires in neighboring New Mexico shielded the blazing sun, the National Weather Service said. Phoenix was forecast to hit nearly 120. The record in Phoenix is 122. The heat was so punishing that rangers took up positions at trailheads at Lake Mead in Nevada to persuade people not to hike. Zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. Dogs were at risk of burning their paws on scorched pavement, and airlines kept close watch on the heat for fear that it could cause flights to be delayed. The heat wasn't expected to break until Monday or Tuesday. The scorching weather presented problems for airlines because high temperatures can make it more difficult for planes to take off. Hot air reduces lift and also can diminish engine performance. Planes taking off in the heat may need longer runways or may have to shed weight by carrying less fuel or cargo. Smaller jets and propeller planes are more likely to be affected than bigger airliners that are better equipped for extreme temperatures. Temperatures are also expected to soar across Utah and into Wyoming and Idaho, with triple-digit heat forecast for the Boise area. Cities in Washington state that are better known for cool, rainy weather should break the 90s next week. "This is the hottest time of the year, but the temperatures that we'll be looking at for Friday through Sunday, they'll be toward the top," said weather service meteorologist Mark O'Malley. "It's going to be baking hot across much of the entire West." The heat is the result of a high-pressure system brought on by a shift in the jet stream, the high-altitude air current that dictates weather patterns. The jet stream has been more erratic in the past few years. Health officials warned people to be extremely careful when venturing outdoors. The risks include not only dehydration and heat stroke but burns from the concrete and asphalt. Dogs can suffer burns and blisters on their paws by walking on hot pavement. "You will see people who go out walking with their dog at noon or in the middle of the day and don't bring enough water and it gets tragic pretty quickly," said Bretta Nelson, spokeswoman for the Arizona Humane Society. "You just don't want to find out the hard way." Cooling stations were set up to shelter the homeless and elderly people who can't afford to run their air conditioners. In Phoenix, Joe Arpaio, the famously hard-nosed sheriff who runs a tent jail, planned to distribute ice cream and cold towels to inmates this weekend. Officials said personnel were added to the Border Patrol's search-and-rescue unit because of the danger to people trying to slip across the Mexican border. At least seven people have been found dead in the last week in Arizona after falling victim to the brutal desert heat. In June 1990, when Phoenix hit 122 degrees, airlines were forced to cease flights for several hours because of a lack of data from the manufacturers on how the aircraft would operate in such extreme heat. US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher said the airline now knows that its Boeings can fly at up to 126 degrees, and its Airbus fleet can operate at up to 127. While the heat in Las Vegas is expected to peak Sunday, it's unlikely to sideline the first round of the four-week Bikini Invitational tournament. "I feel sorry for those poor girls having to strut themselves in 115 degrees, but there's $100,000 up for grabs," said Hard Rock casino spokeswoman Abigail Miller. "I think the girls are willing to make the sacrifice." ___ Skoloff reported from Phoenix. Also contributing were Robert Jablon in Los Angeles, Julie Jacobson and Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas, Michelle Price in Salt Lake City, Cristina Silva and Bob Christie in Phoenix, and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, N.M. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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US stocks close mostly lower Posted: 28 Jun 2013 05:05 PM PDT NEW YORK CITY: US stocks closed mostly lower Friday after a three-day rally, with shares of BlackBerry hammered as the struggling phone maker reported a surprise quarterly loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 114.89 points (0.76 percent) at 14,909.60. The broad-based S&P 500 lost 6.92 points (0.43 percent) at 1,606.28, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index inched up 1.38 (0.04 percent) to 3,403.25. "US equity markets finished mixed, concluding the best first half performance in the Dow since 1999, as traders grappled with a plethora of disappointing corporate earnings releases and a larger-than-anticipated decline in regional manufacturing activity," Charles Schwab & Co. said in a market note. The muddled close followed a three-day rally as worries eased that the Federal Reserve could move to tighten monetary policy sooner than had been expected. In a coordinated effort, several Fed officials over the past two days stressed in speeches and briefings that markets had over-reacted to last week's Fed announcement that it could begin tapering its stimulus program later this year. BlackBerry maker Research in Motion shares took a heavy hit, plunging falling 27.8 percent to $10.46 after turning in a surprise $84 million loss for the quarter to June 1, despite a pickup in revenues from the launch of the company's new smartphone. Nike raced 2.2 percent higher after earnings beat estimates. Shares of Biogen Idec, which makes drug therapies, jumped 3.1 percent, helped by an upgrade to buy from Citigroup. Management consultant and outsourcing specialist Accenture lost 10.3 percent after reporting lower-than expected revenues in its fiscal third quarter and cutting its revenue outlook for 2013. Dow members IBM and Cisco Systems fell, by 2.3 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively. Pfizer fell 0.6 percent after announcing a US$10 billion share buyback program. -- AFP

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Issa's panel votes to bring Lerner back to Hill - Politico Posted: 28 Jun 2013 08:54 AM PDT The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 22-17 on Friday that embattled IRS official Lois Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment rights during a hearing last month on the agency's tea party targeting scandal. The party-line vote paves the way for the committee to bring Lerner back to Congress and force her to answer questions from lawmakers. Continue Reading The resolution before the committee said that by reading an opening statement proclaiming her innocence at the outset of a May 22 hearing, Lerner — who led the IRS division that allegedly singled out tea party groups applying for a tax exemption — relinquished her constitutional right to avoid self-incrimination. (PHOTOS: 8 key players in IRS scandal story) "I believe Lois Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment protection," House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said before the committee vote. "She made four specific denials. Those denials are at the core of the committee's investigation into this matter." The committee hasn't yet scheduled a date to recall Lerner. Oversight Republican staff told POLITICO they're open to pitches from Lerner's lawyer about how she might want to testify, including the idea of granting her partial immunity that would allow her to answer questions without fear that her testimony could be used against her in court. Lerner's lawyer didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. (PHOTOS: 10 slams on the IRS) If Lerner refuses to testify, the House could ultimately hold her in contempt. The new IRS leader, Daniel Werfel, asked Lerner to resign after her appearance before Issa's committee. When she refused, he placed her on administrative leave. Democrats denied that Lerner waived her rights and criticized Issa for deciding that a congressional committee has authority to strip constitutional privileges from a U.S. citizen. "I agree that she has information that is relevant to the Committee's investigation," said Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, the panel's top Democrat. "But we must respect the constitutional rights of every witness who comes before the committee." (PHOTOS: IRS hearing on Capitol Hill) The panel rejected an amendment from Del. Eleanor Homes Norton (D-D.C.) that would have instructed the committee to hold a hearing on the legal matter in question and recall Lerner's attorney to hear his side of the dispute. Issa dismissed calls for an additional hearing, repeatedly reminding Democrats that 37 delays have lapsed since Lerner first appeared before the panel and that he consulted the House counsel for advice on the matter.

Eyewitness describes Trayvon Martin's fatal struggle to Florida jury - Reuters Posted: 28 Jun 2013 08:51 AM PDT By Barbara Liston SANFORD, Florida | Fri Jun 28, 2013 11:48am EDT (Reuters) - A witness in the murder trial of neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman testified on Friday that he saw Trayvon Martin on top of Zimmerman during a struggle that led to the unarmed black teenager's shooting death in a central Florida gated community last year. But Jonathan Good, a former resident at the townhouse complex, told the jury in Seminole County criminal court that he never saw Martin slam Zimmerman's head into the concrete sidewalk, undermining a key element in Zimmerman's defense. "I did not see that," Good told the court under questioning by a state prosecutor about the racially charged case that triggered civil rights protests and debates about the treatment of black Americans in the U.S. justice system. Police did not arrest Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, for 44 days. Zimmerman does not deny killing Martin but he says he did so in self-defense after he was attacked and Martin smashed his head repeatedly into the sidewalk. Good was the fourth former neighbor who partially witnessed the death of Martin on February 26 last year to testify in the trial. Each has given slightly different accounts, but Good is the first to state that Martin was on top during the struggle. Zimmerman, 29, was a neighborhood watch volunteer in the Retreat at Twin Lakes community in Sanford at the time of the killing. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and could face life imprisonment if convicted. Martin, 17, was a student at a Miami-area high school and a guest of one of the homeowners. He was returning after buying snacks at a convenience store when he was shot in the chest during a confrontation with Zimmerman. Several former Twin Lakes residents have testified for the prosecution that they heard and caught glimpses of the fight between Zimmerman and Martin, and heard cries for help, on a dark and rainy night near a walkway between units in the community of townhomes. Good said he was watching TV with his wife when he heard a noise outside and saw two people wrestling on the ground, with "a lighter-skinned man" on the bottom. He identified the other man, Martin, by his race and clothing. Good initially told police the person on top was pummeling the other in mixed martial arts style, but backed off that, saying the person on top was straddling the other man, but his arms might have been holding the other down rather than punching. Asked by state prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda if he saw the "person on top" grabbing the head of the lighter skinned man and slamming it into the concrete, Good replied "No." In opening statements, defense attorney Don West told the court "Trayvon Martin armed himself with the concrete sidewalk and used it to smash George Zimmerman's head ... That is a deadly weapon." Under cross-examination Good was asked why he had clarified his initial description about blows being struck. "That's what it looked like," Good said. But because it was dark outside, Good said "I can't 100 percent confirm that that was happening." Good also said that he was not sure who made the cries for help that several neighbors have described, although he said "the yelling sounded like it was coming from the person on the bottom." Three residents have told the court that they saw someone who appeared to be Zimmerman on top during the incident. Even though several were close enough to hear the struggle, the prosecution has highlighted the fact that none of them heard a crude death threat that Zimmerman says Martin made moments before he shot him. Prosecutors say Zimmerman profiled Martin, suspecting him of being up to no good, and killed him in an act of vigilante justice. The defense says Zimmerman was doing his job as part of the neighborhood watch and simply trying to investigate something that he perceived as suspicious. The prosecution faces a tall order to win a conviction for second-degree murder, and under Florida law must convince all six jurors that Zimmerman acted with "ill will" or "hatred" and "an indifference to human life." Under Florida's Stand Your Ground law, which was approved in 2005 and has since been copied by about 30 other states, people fearing for their lives can use deadly force without having to retreat from a confrontation, even when it is possible. (Writing by David Adams; Editing by Grant McCool)

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