Beckwourth (US), Jul 10 (AP): Firefighters struggled to contain an exploding Northern California wildfire under blazing temperatures as another heat wave hits the US West this weekend, prompting an excessive heat warning for inland and desert areas.

On Friday, Death Valley National Park in California recorded a staggering high of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 Celsius) and could reach the same high on Saturday. If verified, the 130-degree reading would be the hottest high recorded there since July 1913, when the same Furnace Creek desert area hit 134 F (57 C), considered the highest reliably measured temperature on Earth.

The Beckwourth Complex — a merging of two lightning-caused fires — headed into Saturday showing no sign of slowing its rush northeast from the Sierra Nevada forest region after doubling in size only a few days earlier.

California’s northern mountain areas already have seen several large fires that have destroyed more than a dozen homes. Although there are no confirmed reports of building damage, the fire prompted evacuation orders or warnings for roughly 2,800 people in California along with the closure of nearly 200 square miles (518 square kilometers) of Plumas National Forest.

On Friday, ridgetop winds up to 20 mph (32 kph) combined with ferocious heat as the fire raged through dry pine, fir and chaparral. As the fire’s northeastern flank raged near the California-Nevada state line, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office asked people to evacuate some areas in the rural communities of Ranch Haven and Flanagan Flats, north of Reno.

“Evacuate now,” a sheriff’s office tweet said.

Hot rising air formed a gigantic, smoky pyrocumulus cloud that reached thousands of feet high and created its own lightning, fire information officer Lisa Cox said.

Spot fires caused by embers leapt up to a mile (1.6 kilometers) ahead of the northeastern flank — too far for firefighters to safely battle, and winds funneled the fire up draws and canyons full of dry fuel, where “it can actually pick up speed,” Cox said.

Firefighters usually take advantage of cooler, more humid nights to advance on a fire, Cox said, but the daytime conditions persisted. More than 1,200 firefighters were aided by aircraft but the blaze was expected to continue forging ahead because of the heat and low humidity that dried out vegetation.

The air was so dry that some of the water dropped by aircraft evaporated before reaching the ground, she added.

“We’re expecting more of the same the day after and the day after and the day after,” Cox said.

The blaze, which was only 9 per cent contained, increased dramatically to 86 square miles (223 square kilometers) after fire officials made better observations.

It was one of several threatening homes across Western states that are expected to see triple-digit heat through the weekend as a high-pressure zone blankets the region.

The National Weather Service warned the dangerous conditions could cause heat-related illnesses, while California’s power grid operator issued a statewide Flex Alert from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday to avoid disruptions and rolling blackouts.

Flex Alerts call for consumers to voluntarily conserve electricity by reducing the use of appliances and keeping the thermostat higher during evening hours when solar energy is diminished or no longer available.

Meanwhile, other fires were burning in Oregon, Arizona and Idaho.

In Oregon, pushed by strong winds, a wildfire in Klamath County grew from nearly 26 square miles (67 square kilometers) Thursday to nearly 61 square miles (158 square kilometers) on Friday in the Fremont-Winema National Forest and on private land. An evacuation order was issued for people in certain areas north of Beatty and near Sprague River.

That fire was threatening transmission lines that send electricity to California, which along with expected heat-related demand prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday to issue an emergency proclamation suspending some rules to allow for more power capacity.

In north-central Arizona, increased humidity slowed a big wildfire that posed a threat to the rural community of Crown King. The 25-square-mile (64-square-kilometer) lightning-caused fire in Yavapai County was 29 per cent contained as of Friday. Recent rains allowed five national forests and state land managers to lift public-access closures.

In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little declared a wildfire emergency Friday and mobilised the state’s National Guard to help fight fires sparked after lightning storms swept across the drought-stricken region.

Fire crews in north-central Idaho were facing extreme conditions and gusts as they fought two wildfires covering a combined 19.5 square miles (50.5 square kilometers). The blazes threatened homes and forced evacuations in the tiny, remote community of Dixie about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Grangeville. (AP) MRJ

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Addis Ababa, Jul 10 (AP): Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party on Saturday was declared the winner of last month’s national election in a landslide, assuring a second five-year term for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The National Election Board of Ethiopia announced that the ruling party won 410 seats out of 436 contested in the federal parliament, which will see dozens of other seats remain vacant after one-fifth of constituencies didn’t vote due to unrest or logistical reasons. Ethiopia’s new government is expected to be formed in October.

The vote was a major test for Abiy, who came to power in April 2018 after the former prime minister resigned amid widespread protests. Abiy oversaw dramatic political reforms that led in part to a Nobel Peace Prize the following year, but critics say he is backtracking on political and media freedoms.

Abiy also has drawn massive international criticism for his handling of the conflict in the Tigray region has that left thousands of people dead.

June’s vote, which had been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical issues, was largely peaceful but opposition parties decried harassment and intimidation. No voting was held in the Tigray region.

Abiy has hailed the election as the nation’s first attempt at a free and fair vote, but the United States has called it “significantly flawed,” citing the detention of some opposition figures and insecurity in parts of Africa’s second most populous country.

The leader of the main opposition Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party, Birhanu Nega, lost while opposition parties won just 11 seats. The Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party has filed 207 complaints with the electoral body over the vote.

Popular opposition parties in the Oromia region, the largest of Ethiopia’s federal states, boycotted the election. The ruling party ran alone in several dozen constituencies.

The head of the electoral board, Birtukan Mideksa, said during Saturday’s announcement that the vote was held at a time when Ethiopia was experiencing challenges, “but this voting process has guaranteed that people will be governed through their votes,” she said. “I want to confirm that we have managed to conduct a credible election.” Voter turnout was just over 90 per cent among the more than 37 million people who had been registered to vote.

The Prosperity Party was formed after the dismantling of Ethiopia’s former ruling coalition. Disagreements over that decision signaled the first tensions between Abiy and Tigray leaders that finally led to the conflict there in November.

Though Abiy hinted in 2018 that Ethiopia will limit a prime minister’s terms to two, it is not clear whether he will act on that. (AP) MRJ

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Chennai: CM M.K. Stalin announced on Wednesday that Rs 4000 will again be distributed to all ration cardholders of Tamil Nadu along with 15 kg of rice. Stalin said, an amount of Rs 341 cores has been allocated for providing immediate assistance to people during the pandemic.

CM said, free food kits to all cardholders and additional Rs 5000 will also be given to the policemen.

Speaking to media, Chief Minister said that the state government would take steps to add more people in the health insurance scheme. The government to begin a new Rs 10 lakh scheme for media people and a Rs 25 lakh insurance scheme for health workers and corporate employees.

Rs 3 lakh will be deposited in the name of children who have their parents due to COVD-19. Women who lost their jobs due to having coronavirus will be provided loans to open new businesses. These women will also be provided an interim solarium of Rs 6000. Mr. Stalin said that the govt. will continue to bear expenses for Covod-19 treatment in private hospitals and will include costs of PPE kits and other incidental treatment in the private hospitals.

The CM also added that strict action will be taken against those private hospitals that deny Covid-19 treatment to patients.