■ United States
Fires rage in Nevada
Firefighters endured temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) on Sunday in their battle against two wildfires in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge in southern Nevada. An 8,450-hectare fire centered on the Sheep Mountains about 80km north of Las Vegas was 50 percent contained, with full containment expected today, fire information officer Hillerie Patton said. No containment estimate was available for a 1,000-hectare blaze around Gass Peak about 6.5km north of Las Vegas, which was visible from the city. Winds caused the Gass Peak blaze to "kind of blow up on us," Patton said. Firefighters were sweating it out as daytime highs reached 40 degrees Celsius to 41 degrees Celsius in southern Nevada.
■ United States
Shuttle launch delayed
Concerns over lightning forced NASA to call off Discovery's launch for a second straight day at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday, delaying just the second space shuttle flight since the 2003 Columbia tragedy by at least two more days. NASA will attempt to launch its seven astronauts on their key mission again today, Independence Day, at 2:38pm. A day of rest was needed for the launch crew and to recharge fuel cells that power the shuttle. The astronauts were once again sitting inside the space shuttle waiting for the green light when liftoff was canceled two hours before its 3:26pm scheduled time.
■ United States
`Governator' releases reports
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered the release of intelligence reports prepared for the state Office of Homeland Security, a move administration officials say will quell complaints that California engaged in widespread monitoring of political protests. State lawmakers have complained that two homeland security intelligence reports from March and April carried details about the location and purpose of political rallies.
■ Venezuela
Chavez gets first jets
Two Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets, the first of 24 SU-30s that President Hugo Chavez plans to purchase from Moscow, arrived in this South American nation on Sunday, a top military official said. Air Force Commander Roger Cordero Lara told state-run television the new combat jets would be presented to the public during a military parade tomorrow to celebrate the anniversary of the country's independence from Spain. "These planes are here to safeguard our sovereignty," Cordero Lara said. Chavez said the SU-30s would replace a fleet of US-made F-16s, which the country has had trouble maintaining because the Bush administration has refused to sell Caracas parts.
RSS