No one ever should die from heat. But every year, about 650 Americans do a death toll greater than tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and lightning combined. And, in a deadly harbinger of what is worse to come, a new study shows that heat deaths are on the rise.

An(CDC) released this week reported that between June 30 and July 13 of last year the hottest year on record killed 32 people in four states: Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. That statistic was four times what has been typical for those states (when compared to the same two-week period averaged over the decade beginning in 1999).

Most of those who perished were at home and alone, and lacked air-conditioning.

From June 30 to July 13 of last year, temperaturesin Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia ranged from 83 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) to 104 F (40 C), an average of9.5 F warmer than normal.The heat wave followed a series of powerful thunderstorms, with wind gusts up to 80 miles per hour, that caused widespread damage across parts of the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic regions. Power outages affected about3.8 million people, and in some areas,lastedas long as eight days. []

The samesaid that a total of 7,233 heat-related deaths occurred in the United States between 1999 and 2009, with three states California, Arizona and Texas accounting for about 40 percent of them.

Since the beginning of civilization, it has not been unusual for a population in a given part of the world to have an occasional. But thanks to climate change, the world is hotter than it's ever been and getting hotter.

"A [killer] heat wave was a rare event in earlier times," says Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University. "It's still a rare event, but much less so. In the future, it becomes a common event. It becomes the norm by the end of the century."

Studies suggest that if global warming continues unabated, excess heat-related deaths in the nation could climb to between 3,000 and 5,000 annually by 2050, according to the CDC. Ultimately, about 150,000 or more additional Americans could die in heat waves by the end of the century, according to an analysis of peer-reviewed scientific literature conducted by experts at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

In warmer months, heat waves often defined as four or more consecutive days with temperatures higher than what is typical for a particular region stress the human body. They can lead to excessively high body temperatures, and with extended exposure, brain and organ damage, and death. Everyone is at risk, but the elderly, children, the poor or homeless, those who work or exercise outdoors, and people with chronic medical conditions are the most vulnerable.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects a 3.6 F (2 C) warming globally by the middle of the century, regardless of any actions to curb greenhouse gases. By the end of the century, that could grow to an increase of 9 to 11 F (5 to 6 C), under higher emissions, "so if its five degrees warmer normally, and you have a heat wave on top of that, it's going to break records," says Michael Wehner, a staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The nation is experiencing "almost three record highs for every record low," says Gerald "Jerry" Meehl, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). "As the climate continues to warm, we can expect more intense, longer lasting and more frequent heat waves in the future. We will still have cold snaps, but fewer of them."

Heat waves have increased globally since 1950, and individual heat waves have become more frequent, longer and hotter. In July 1995, for example, Chicago and Milwaukee both had sweltering heat waves, with more than 700 deaths in Chicago and nearly 100 in Milwaukee. In the summer of 2011, Texas endured a historic string of record-shattering hot days and in 2010 western Russia experienced its hottest July since 1880.

In 2003, tens of thousands of people perished in Europe, where air-conditioning is rare, when during a period of 10 days, temperatures regularly rose above 104 F (40 C). About 35,000 people died, according to the Earth Policy Institute, including nearly 15,000 in France.

"The European, Russian andwere unprecedented events, but still had a certain risk of occurring, even if humans hadn't changed the atmospheric composition," Wehner says. "But humans have changed the atmosphere and the odds have changed."

Dith Stone, now a research scientist in the Berkeley lab, took part in a climate modeling study of the 2003 European heat wave when he was at the University of Oxford, along with colleagues Peter Stott of the Met Office Hadley Centre and Myles Allen, also of the University of Oxford.

"We compared the chances of a summer over southern Europe warmer than the previous record, in 2001, between simulations of climate models run under the world we have experienced, with greenhouse gas emissions, changes in the brightness of sun, and such other drivers, against simulations under 'a world that might have been' if human activities had never interfered with the climate," Stone says.

He and his colleagues concluded that human activities that increase greenhouse gases "at least doubled the chance of this happening," Stone says, adding, "by our estimates, the 2003 summer in Europe is about what you can expect to be exceeded every second year by the middle of the century."

In the aftermath of the 1995 Chicago heat wave, city planners asked Donald Wuebbles, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to analyze the futureon the city. Wuebbles used special statistical approaches to predict what would happen under both high and low emissions scenarios.

"If we continue heavily using fossil fuels to the end of the century, we might have three such heat waves every single year," Wuebbles says. "With the low scenario, we'd still get one every other year."

This week, the CDC urged local governments to warn their residents about heat dangers, and increase access to air-conditioning, cooling stations and other public locations. Chicago launched such a plan in the aftermath of the 1995 heat wave, and it paid off.

"In July, 2011, we had another heat wave of comparable size, but instead of 739 deaths, there were only 20 deaths," Wuebbles says. "So we learned that the best response to a heat wave was to prepare for it."

For more information on how to prepare for heat waves, the following information was made available by the CDC:

Extreme Heat and Your Health Website: This new page collects CDC resources on extreme heat in one place and provides information on how to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths for a variety of audiences. The site can be accessed at

Environmental Public Health Tracking Data: CDC's Environmental Public Health Tracking Network introduces new data on heat-stress hospitalizations and emergency room visits from 2000-2011. This adds to the records already available on extreme temperatures, heat-related deaths and social and environmental conditions that make people vulnerable to extreme heat. Decision makers can use these data to plan how and where to focus efforts to protect the public from extreme heat. The Tracking Network can be accessed at .

Climate Change and Extreme Heat Events Guidebook: This recently released guidebook for state and local health departments describes how to prepare for and respond to extreme heat events and explains how the frequency, duration, and severity of these events are increasing as a result of climate change. An audio file for the recent CDC extreme heat event webinar is also available for tips and guidance. The guidebook is available at

The webinar archive can be accessed at:

Workplace Solutions Bulletin: This recently released NIOSH bulletin provides updated statistics, case studies and recommendations for workers and employers to follow in order to reduce the risk of heat-related illness when working outdoors. The report provides specific guidance, examples and it adds to the available resources that illustrate how extreme heat exposures can lead to occupational illnesses and injuries and possible death. The NIOSH resources are available at:

Read Cimons' most recent Op-Ed:

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This article was originally published on

The latest unlikely hero is Chris Dickerson, who hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to carry the Orioles past the Detroit Tigers 7-5 Friday night.

Detroit closer Jose Valverde (0-1) entered in the ninth with a 5-3 lead after starter Max Scherzer retired the final 16 batters he faced.

Nick Markakis led off with a homer on a 0-2 pitch before Adam Jones singled and took third on a single by Chris Davis. Valverde (0-1) then retired Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy on popups before Dickerson hit a 2-1 pitch into the bleachers in right-center, much to the delight of the sellout crowd of 46,249.

Dickerson was making his first start since May 23 following a bout with a sore wrist. Batting eighth in the lineup, he was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts before connecting.

"It's an amazing feeling, just to contribute in such a big situation," Dickerson said. "This team just claws back every single time. I'm just so happy I could cap it off for them."

He never before hit a game-ending home run at any level.

"I knew right away," Dickerson said. "It was awesome. That's the type of feeling you just want to bottle up and take home forever. First walk-off at any level. Just an incredible feeling, an incredible moment."

Jones, Davis and Manny Machado have provided many big hits for the Orioles this season, but guys such as Nate McLouth, Steve Pearce and Dickerson have done their part, too.

"That says a lot about our ballclub, up and down the lineup," Markakis said. "Anybody can hurt you. I think that's a positive thing we've got going for us right now."

Manager Buck Showalter said, "It's not like one guy's got to carry the load."

Darren O'Day (3-0) got the final out in the ninth for the Orioles, who have won eight of 11.

Miguel Cabrera and Avisail Garcia both homered and drove in two runs for the Tigers, who have lost four straight.

This one hurt more than most.

"We obviously let one get away," manager Jim Leyland said. "Scherzer got us where we wanted to be and then we just didn't close it out. Scherzer was spent and that was going to be his last inning. His pitch count was getting up there pretty good. It was no brainer to bring in Valverde."

After yielding a third-inning home run to Jones, Scherzer didn't allow another runner to reach and was poised to become the first Detroit pitcher to start a season 8-0 since Jeremy Bonderman in 2007.

The right-hander struck out 10 and walked two, but he threw a season-high 119 pitches before being replaced by Valverde, who came to the mound with a 0.75 ERA.

He walked off with his first loss and a 3.55 ERA.

"I miss a couple of pitches," Valverde said. "They have some good hitters. Tomorrow is going to be a new day. I had a tough day. There's nothing I can do. I feel bad for Max because he threw a good game."

Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez allowed a season-high five earned runs over six innings and allowed both Detroit homers.

The Tigers went up 2-0 in the first inning when Andy Dirks singled and Cabrera hit his 16th homer of the season. He's the first Detroit player to hit 12 homers in May since Willie Horton in 1968.

Baltimore got a run back in the second, getting singles from Jones and Davis before Wieters delivered a sacrifice fly. In the third, Markakis walked before Jones connected to give the Orioles a brief 3-2 lead.

A two-out RBI single by Garcia tied it in the fourth, and Detroit went up 4-3 in the fifth when Dirks and Cabrera singled ahead of a run-scoring grounder by Victor Martinez.

Garcia hit his second homer of the season for a 5-3 lead in the sixth.

NOTES: Cabrera went 2 for 5 with a walk and took over the AL lead in hits with 81. He began the game tied with Machado, who was held hitless. ... Orioles RHP Pedro Strop, who's been on the DL since May 25 with a lower back strain, is slated to throw a simulated game Saturday. ... Justin Verlander takes the mound for Detroit on Saturday. The Orioles will start Jason Hammel, who's 7-2 overall but 1-2 with a 6.38 ERA at home.

The prince, a grandson of Saudi Arabia's founder and nephew of King Abdullah, had attacked the U.S. magazine's ranking of world billionaires as flawed and biased against Middle Eastern businesses after he was ranked number 26 in this year's list.

An official at the High Court in London confirmed that Prince Alwaleed had filed a defamation suit against Forbes, its editor Randall Lane, and two of its journalists on April 30. Details of the claim were not immediately available.

Through his Kingdom Holding Company, Prince Alwaleed owns large stakes in Citigroup, News Corp and Apple Inc, among other companies. He is also owner or part-owner of luxury hotels including the Plaza in New York, the Savoy in London and the George V in Paris.

This year's Forbes World Billionaires list was published on March 4, and the following day Kingdom Holding said the valuation process used "incorrect data" and "seemed designed to disadvantage Middle Eastern investors and institutions".

The public spat attracted a lot of comment, but Forbes stuck by its estimate of Prince Alwaleed's wealth and published an in-depth article in its March 25 issue entitled "Prince Alwaleed and the curious case of Kingdom Holding stock".

The article gave details about how Forbes had arrived at the figure of $20 billion and criticized what it described as a lack of transparency by Kingdom Holding in detailing its assets.

The article also described Prince Alwaleed's marble-filled, 420-room Riyadh palace, his private Boeing 747 equipped with a throne, and his 120-acre resort on the edge of the Saudi capital with five homes, five artificial lakes and a mini-Grand Canyon.

The High Court official in London said the two journalists named in the defamation claim were Kerry Dolan, the author of the article, and Francine McKenna, who was credited with additional reporting.

No date has been set for a court hearing in the case, which is in its very early stages, the official said.

The law firm Kobre & Kim, which the Guardian said was acting for Prince Alwaleed in the suit, declined to comment. New York-based Forbes could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Guardian article quoted the magazine as saying: "We're very surprised at claims that Prince Alwaleed has decided to sue Forbes, particularly if he has done so in the United Kingdom, a jurisdiction that has nothing whatsoever to do with our recent story which raised questions about his claims about his wealth."

Media lawyer Jonathan Coad, of the London firm Lewis Silkin, said London was seen as a more attractive place than New York to bring defamation suits because U.S. libel law made higher requirements of claimants.

"In the U.S., a high-profile claimant has to prove firstly that the article was untrue and secondly that the publisher knew that the article was untrue, which is what we call malice. Those are two hurdles that a UK libel action does not present," said Coad, who is not involved in the Prince Alwaleed case.

Under British libel law, a claimant has only to prove that a publication was defamatory. Then the burden of proof passes to the defendant, who has several possible defenses, including that the publication was true.

(Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Pravin Char)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Convicted serial killer Richard Ramirez, who earned the nickname "Night Stalker" for his mid-1980s reign of terror in the Los Angeles region, died on Friday at a hospital near the prison where he was held on death row, a corrections official said.

Ramirez, who declared at his 1989 sentencing that he was "beyond good and evil ... beyond your comprehension," died of natural causes at Marin General Hospital near San Quentin State Prison in northern California, said Jeffrey Callison, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

He was 53.

His death appeared to be related to a problem with his liver, said Marin County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Keith Boyd of the agency's coroner division. A final determination on the cause of death is not expected before next week, he said.

Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders in 1989 following a string of killings from June 1984 to August 1985 that horrified the Los Angeles region. He came to Southern California as a drifter from El Paso, Texas.

He gained the "Night Stalker" nickname for creeping into the homes of his victims late at night, usually through an open window. In the cases of some couples he singled out, Ramirez killed the husbands with a single gunshot to the head, then raped and murdered their wives.

The lanky, long-haired Ramirez gouged out one woman's eyes. He left a pentagram, a symbol of devil worship, scrawled in lipstick on the wall of a bedroom where two elderly women had their heads smashed with a hammer.

As his reign of brutality spread throughout Southern California, people locked themselves in their homes and slept with revolvers under their pillows. Attendance at night schools and cinemas fell. Burglar alarm companies ran out of alarms.

He was found guilty of a total of 43 counts including attempted murder, rape, sodomy and burglary, said Los Angeles prosecutor Alan Yochelson, who assisted in the case against Ramirez.

Some 23 victims suffered in the crimes for which Ramirez was convicted, Yochelson said.

Yochelson called Ramirez's death an abrupt end to a "pretty tragic period in the history of Los Angeles County."

"Richard Ramirez hurt a lot of people and I think our thoughts should be with the next of kin and the survivors, because their lives were forever changed by this man," he said.

Ramirez was caught after police released his photo and he was spotted on a bus. Bystanders followed him to East Los Angeles where local residents held and beat him until police arrived.

While being escorted from the courthouse after a jury recommended in October 1989 that he be executed for his crimes, Ramirez declared, "Big deal. Death always went with the territory. I'll see you in Disneyland."

The following month in a rambling statement he delivered in court before being formally sentenced to death, he said: "I am beyond your experience, I am beyond good and evil.

"I will be avenged. Lucifer dwells within us all," he said. "You don't understand me. You're not expected to. I am beyond your comprehension."

Ramirez was linked to two mid-1980s killings in San Francisco, one of a man and another of a girl, said San Francisco police spokesman Sergeant Dennis Toomer. He was never tried in connection with those killings.

He was one of 59 California death row inmates who died of natural causes since the state reinstated executions in 1978, the state Department of Corrections said in a statement.

Amid court challenges over its method of putting inmates to death, California has not executed an inmate in seven years.

(Additional reporting by Steve Gorman; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Eric Walsh)

Julien's Auctions said on Monday that it expects a signed white training robe, worn by Ali in November and December 1981 while he prepared for his final bout against Trevor Berbick, to sell for between $25,000 and $35,000 during a two-day auction starting May 31.

Ali, 71, shot to international recognition by winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the Rome Olympics at age 18. He later won the world heavyweight championship in 1964 and became a socially conscious cultural icon by refusing to fight in the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

Also on offer from Ali's early career is a "Most Outstanding Boxer" trophy from the 1960 American Athletic Union's boxing championships, which is expected to sell for $20,000 to $30,000.

A signed commemorative torch from the 1960 Rome Summer Games is estimated to sell for between $25,000 and $35,000.

The loquacious boxer signed the torch's light blue cannister as Cassius Clay, his birth name and Muhammad Ali, the name he adopted in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam.

The items are from the collection of Harlan Werner, a longtime memorabilia dealer and former agent for the Ali family.

Other Ali items up for auction are autographed boxing trunks, globes and photos of the boxer with other American sports heroes, including long-time boxing rival Joe Frazier, baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio and basketball star Magic Johnson.

Other notable items in the auction include a baseball signed by Hall of Fame players Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig ($8,000-$10,000), and a signed match-used cricket bat of Indian Sachin Tendulkar ($8,000-$10,000).

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Bill Trott)

BOUMERDES, Algeria (Reuters) - With its president in a French hospital for over a month and the surrounding region in turmoil, Algeria looks from the outside to be on course for a period of unrest.

The reality on the ground is different. The state has $200 billion in reserves from oil and gas revenues to spend placating the population with jobs and subsidies and a powerful and secretive security service.

Combined with the memory of civil war, this has led to political inertia that is expected to continue with or without President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has not been seen since travelling to France for treatment for a stroke on April 27.

"It is not going to be a political change that triggers violence here. People are more concerned with economic justice in this society," said one western diplomat in Algiers.

The "Arab spring" revolts toppled dictators in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt in 2011.

But Algerians say they had their Arab spring in the late 1980s when the country was opened up to multi-party elections. With Islamists poised to win, Algeria's generals intervened in a 1992 coup, triggering a civil war - known as "the black years" - in which an estimated 200,000 died.

Since then the state has expanded into every area of public and economic life, ensuring stability among people who fear a return to conflict and the personal consequences of challenging the system too aggressively.

"Algeria is a bit of an enigma and also profoundly misunderstood by people that haven't been there," said Geoff Porter at North Africa Risk Consulting in New York.

"If you go down the path (of extreme dissidence) as an Algerian, you are going to find your economic opportunities limited, your interaction with the state bureaucracy very cumbersome."

Even the Salafists, whose ideology is followed by al Qaeda, have been co-opted into a system that prioritizes stability.

"We suffered in the black years," said Toufiq, a young Salafist chatting at a plastic table next to a fast-food stall selling pizzas in the coastal university town of Boumerdes.

"Muslims shouldn't fight with other Muslims," said his friend Tariq.

Near Boumerdes are the Kabylie mountains where al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has its last bastion in northern Algeria. Nobody is sure how many fighters are left - estimates range from the low hundreds to above a thousand running frequent hit-and-run operations against security forces in the mountains.

But in Boumerdes, the Mediterranean beach was being prepared for summer visitors. Female students walked with their heads uncovered, or with a headscarf above shirts and tight jeans.

Apart from a police roadblock on the outskirts, slowing traffic to a single lane, there was no overt sign of security.

"It is quiet here," said a passer-by who gave his name as Mustafa. "Before we could not even talk like this, we were too scared. It is much better now."

Algeria's security forces have been effective in stopping militants from attacking the coastal cities where much of the population lives, relying on a large network of informers.

When violence does intrude as happened in January when militants seized the In Amenas gas plant in the far south - Algeria's decision to storm the plant quickly rather than face a hostage siege won popular support. Thirty-eight hostages, including foreigners, died at In Amenas.

PRICE OF STABILITY

The lack of real opposition has created a political vacuum and the torpor has also seeped into business. While countries from China to Europe to the United States are queuing up for a foothold, usually only big companies and multinationals are able to cut through the lethargy, red tape and corruption.

The country is also dependent on imports - each evening some 20 cargo ships could be seen waiting outside Algiers' port.

The use of subsidies and free loans to keep the peace rather than the provision of real jobs through economic reform creates vague discontent, expressed in rising crime rates and frequent but small protests by different interest groups.

"The illusion of apathy in Algeria is not something we should take for granted," said Amel Boubekeur, a research fellow at the Brookings Doha Center. "People are tired; they are repressed. People are not just afraid of the 1990s; they are afraid of losing what they have."

"But we shouldn't be looking for a change through an Arab-spring type revolution or a change in leadership, since that will not change anything and people know this."

People do try to find ways to challenge the authorities.

Newspapers turned to cartoons to lampoon Bouteflika for being treated in a Paris military hospital even though he fought in the 1954-1962 French independence war.

El Khabar newspaper said on its front page last month that "the people want the appearance of the president".

He was treated for cancer in 2005, and his disappearance from view has led to speculation that he must be seriously ill.

But after Prime Minister Abdelmalek Hellal said the president was recovering, much of the speculation about his health dissipated.

Moreover, unlike Egypt or Tunisia where dictators Hosni Mubarak or Zine El Abidine Ben Ali provided a target, authority in Algeria is dispersed through a secretive political and military elite known as "le pouvoir".

The elite avoid conspicuous consumption and have shared out the oil and gas wealth in such a way that many people have a stake in the status quo.

"They don't want to revolt against the statist economy because that is what keeps most Algerians alive," said Porter.

POST-BOUTEFLIKA ERA?

Algeria's military-political elite have given few clues on how they intend to manage the transition if the 76-year-old Bouteflika, president since 1999, has to step down.

The authorities might have to bring forward a presidential election due in April 2014. They are also widely expected to choose their preferred candidate to succeed Bouteflika.

Among names touted as a successor is Sellal, a 65-year-old technocrat seen as offering the possibility of economic reform, though no one is ruling out a candidate from the ranks of the ageing former independence fighters who have dominated Algeria.

The absence of information means that behind-the-scenes those in authority are trying to agree what to do.

"The refusal of le pouvoir' to communicate about his health, or what happens next, is due partly to a near-Soviet cult of secrecy, but undoubtedly also indicates that the different players in authority in Algeriahave some problems reaching an agreement on the succession," said French historian and Algeria expert Benjamin Stora.

Among those expected to hammer out a consensus are General Mohamed 'Toufik' Mediene, who has run the intelligence service with an iron hand since 1990, politicians in the Bouteflika camp, and a diverse collection of men representing political, military and economic interest groups.

"We don't expect that there will be a lot of bloodshed or violence," said the western diplomat. "More of a trigger for a country like this will be long-term economic issues."

(Additional reporting by Lamine Chikhi in Algiers and Paul Taylor in Paris; editing by Anna Willard)

The Fars agency reported on Saturday that the Taliban held talks with Iranian intelligence officials.

Fars says the visitors came from the Taliban's political office in Qatar. The group recently opened a mission in the Gulf Arab country to provide a venue where Afghan President Hamid Karzai's emissaries could hold talks with the Taliban to try to find a peaceful end to the 12-year war in Afghanistan.

Fars gave no other details. Other media didn't report on the unprecedented visit.

The visit signals Iran could be seeking the role of a regional mediator between the Taliban and Karzai's government.

Lee Rigby, 25, was first struck by a blue car and then stabbed by two men near his barracks in southeast London's Woolwich district, police said.

Images that emerged in the attack's aftermath showed two men wielding bloody knives and meat cleavers. Police said the autopsy showed Rigby died from "multiple incised wounds."

Both prime suspects were shot and wounded by police at the scene. Suspect Michael Adebolajo, 28, remains hospitalized in stable condition while Michael Adebowale, 22, was discharged from a hospital Tuesday and is in police custody.

A total of 10 people have been arrested in the case, including the two main suspects. Two people were released and several others have been set free on bail pending further inquiries. No charges have been filed yet.

With the cause of death established, police said an inquest on Rigby's death will open Friday at Southwark Coroner's Court. In Britain, inquests are conducted to establish the circumstances surrounding unexpected or violent deaths.

London counterterrorism police officers handed out leaflets Wednesday seeking information from pedestrians and bus passengers in a quest for new information on the slaying that shocked Britain.

One of the men arrested for questioning in the case released a statement through his lawyer Wednesday proclaiming his innocence. Hayden Allen, 21, said in the statement that he wanted to send his condolences to Rigby's family.

"My family are wholly uninvolved," said Allen, who has not been charged and is free on bail. "I ask that the police continue to investigate and that my family be allowed without harassment to continue their lives."

The killing of an off-duty soldier by suspected Islamic militants has raised racial enmities in many parts of England, with far-right groups mobilizing to protest.

British prison officers have been warned to be on the lookout after a hostage drama blamed on extremist Muslim inmates, British newspapers reported Wednesday.

An email to high-security prisons and young offenders' institutes warned that Sunday's incident at Full Sutton detention facility in the northern England region of Yorkshire was linked to religious extremism and warned of an increased risk of attacks at other institutions, according to several British papers, including The Yorkshire Post and The Times.

"Three Muslim prisoners took an officer hostage in an office. Their demands indicated they supported radical Islamist extremism," the letter was quoted as saying. "All staff are reminded to remain vigilant to the increased risk of potential attacks on prison officers inspired by these and last Wednesday's events."

The hostage-takers demands have not been disclosed. Britain's Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the email.

The English Defense League, a right-wing group with strong anti-Islam leanings, has held a series of protests in the wake of the killing, while Muslim community organizations have reported a surge in attacks and harassment.

One mosque in the northern England town of Grimsby was firebombed, and the word "ISLAM" was daubed in big red letters across the Royal Air Force Bomber Command memorial in London's Green Park, near Buckingham Palace.

Two people have been charged in the arson attack. It's unclear who was responsible for the graffiti.

Hackers have also posted a purported list of English Defense League leaders and supporters to the Internet. The list was at least partially genuine, according to English Defense League supporter Glen Warren, 32, whose name and phone number were among those made available online.

___

Cassandra Vinograd contributed to this report.

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief grew out of an unlikely partnership between President George W. Bush and lawmakers led by the Congressional Black Caucus. It has come to represent what Washington can do when it puts politics aside and what America can do to make the world a better place.

President Barack Obama, speaking at the recent dedication of Bush's presidential library, praised the compassion Bush showed in "helping to save millions of lives and reminding people in some of the poorest corners of the globe that America cares."

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said of Bush in a statement that "while many events may distinguish his presidency, his devotion to combatting the scourge of HIV/AIDS will certainly define his legacy."

The AIDS program's future, however, is uncertain. Obama has upped the stakes, speaking in his State of the Union address this year of "realizing the promise of an AIDS-free generation." But funding for the relief plan's bilateral efforts has dipped in recent years and it's doubtful that Congress, in its current budget-cutting mood, will reverse that trend when the current five-year program expires later this year.

The AIDS program is also trying to find a balance between its goals of reaching more people with its prevention and treatment programs and turning over more responsibility to the host nations where it operates.

"This has been an incredible achievement," said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., a senior Congressional Black Caucus member who played major roles both in passing the original 2003 act and its 2008 renewal that significantly increased funding for AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis treatment in Africa and other areas of the developing world. She spoke of the more than 5 million people now receiving life-saving antiretroviral treatment and 11 million pregnant women who received HIV testing and counseling last year. "But I'm worried that with any type of level-funding or cuts we'll go backward," she said.

The 2008 act more than tripled funding from the 2003 measure, approving $48 billion over five years for bilateral and global AIDS programs, malaria and tuberculosis. It also ended U.S. policy making it almost impossible for HIV-positive people to get visas to enter the country.

The AIDS program was the largest commitment ever by a nation to combat a single disease internationally. According to the U.N.'s UNAIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2011 the United States provided nearly 60 percent of all international AIDS assistance.

A decade ago, almost no one in sub-Saharan Africa was receiving antiretroviral treatment. By 2008, the AIDS program had boosted that number to 1.7 million. As of last year it was 5.1 million.

The State Department says the program last year also helped provide treatment to some 750,000 HIV-positive pregnant women, allowing about 230,000 infants to be born HIV-free, supported 2 million male circumcisions and directly supported HIV testing and counseling for 46.5 million.

"This is a remarkable story that the American people should know about," Kimberly Scott of the Institute of Medicine, which recently completed an evaluation of the AIDS program, said at a forum sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the CSIS Global Health Policy Center.

According to UNAIDS, the number of people living with HIV has leveled off, standing at about 34 million at the end of 2011. New infections that year reached 2.5 million, down 20 percent from 2001. AIDS-related deaths were 1.7 million, down from 2.3 million in 2005.

Jennifer Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at Kaiser, said most countries where the program operates have yet to reach the "tipping point," where new infections occurring in a year are less than the increase in people receiving treatment. Among the success stories were Ethiopia, where the 40,000 going on treatment in 2011 was almost four times the new infections. Still with a long way to go was Nigeria, which that year had 270,000 new HIV infections and a 57,000 increase in those getting treatment.

Chris Collins, director of public policy at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, also warned of potential repercussions as the AIDS program shifts from being an emergency response to the AIDS epidemic to a more supportive role for country-based health programs.

"The countries themselves largely are avoiding the important role that key populations play in epidemics," he said, referring to gay men, those injecting drugs and sex workers. These groups face discrimination and criminal charges in many cases, and 90 percent of the money to help them now comes from external sources.

Collins also spoke of the "huge mismatch" between the positive science and rhetoric on fighting AIDS and the money available. Since 2009 the funding for bilateral and global HIV and AIDS programs has largely stalled.

Kaiser's Kates said that while there's still bipartisan support for the AIDS program in Congress, "the big question is will the financing be there to reach the goals" of treating more people and advancing toward that AIDS-free generation. "The challenge right now is that the global economic climate is different, the U.S. climate is different, but the need is still great."

DENVER (AP) -- Seven weeks after a tragedy on the snowmobile course marred the Winter X Games, ESPN decided to scrap the best trick competition, saying it was a move the network had been considering before Caleb Moore's death in Aspen, Colo.

Moore, a 25-year-old from Krum, Texas, died from injuries he sustained when his 450-pound sled rolled over him after a backflip gone wrong during a freestyle competition, which will remain part of the X Games program. In this year's best trick contest, a rider lost control of his machine after falling off and it veered into the netting close to fans.

ESPN spokesman Danny Chi explained to The Associated Press in an email Tuesday that the elimination of the best trick discipline was being contemplated before Aspen and that "our review of snowmobile freestyle continues."

"We will focus on motor sports disciplines that engage athletes who consistently compete in multiple global competitions reflective of the global reach of X Games," Chi wrote in the email.

In a statement, ESPN said the change "reflects our decision to focus on motor sports disciplines which feature athletes who also compete in multiple, world-class competitions (e.g., professional events and tours) reflecting the highest degree of athlete participation, competitive development and the global nature of our X Games franchise."

The Summer X Games will eliminate a similar competition Moto X best trick. Other motorcycle competitions will still be held.

The safety of snowmobiles came under scrutiny after the two accidents last January.

Moore stayed down for quite some time after his crash before walking off with help and being taken to a hospital to be treated for a concussion. He developed bleeding around his heart and was flown to a hospital in Grand Junction for surgery. The family later said that Moore also had a complication involving his brain.

He died Jan. 31, a week after his accident. It was the first death in the 18-year history of the X Games.

In the best trick event, Summer X Games motocross champion turned snowmobile newcomer Jackson Strong tumbled off his machine after a failed maneuver, only to have the throttle stick when it landed and the snowmobile swerve toward the crowd as fans scrambled to get out of the way. No one was seriously injured.

Winter X officials recently scratched a snowmobile freestyle demonstration set for later this month in Tignes, France, so organizers could review safety protocols.

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ESPN is owned by The Walt Disney Co.