Karl Malden, star of one of the great plays and movies of the 20th century died July 1. He was 97.

Malden originated the Broadway role of Harold "Mitch" Mitchell in 1947's "Streetcar," later reprised in the 1951 movie for which he won a best supporting actor Oscar.

He was perhaps even better known for his role as the widowed lieutenant of the San Francisco Police Department in the 1970s TV series "The Streets of San Francisco." The show, which premiered as a TV film of the same title in September 1972, ran for five seasons, with Michael Douglas playing Inspector Steve Keller through most of the show's run.

O'Neal, the long-time companion of the "Charlie's Angels" star, was one of the pall-bearers and gave a reading at the service at Los Angeles Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

Redmond O'Neal, the "Love Story" actor's 24-year-old son with Fawcett, was allowed briefly out of jail where he is being held on drugs possession charges to attend the funeral service. Redmond also gave a bible reading, according to a program made available to the media.

China correspondent Stephen McDonell and ABC cameraman Rob Hill saw day turn into night as a freak storm swept across the capital Beijing.

"It was pitch black outside and you could see people looking out from the office towers across the road from us," McDonell said.

"In a couple of the photos you can see a clock in the distance showing it was around 11:30 am local time."

Yahoo News

Photo Gallery: Beijing in Darkness

CHINA FACES EXTREME WEATHER

CHINA is bracing for extreme weather, with strong gales and scorching heat in recent weeks serving as harbingers of disasters to come, state media said on Tuesday. Since the 1990s China has experienced a steadily growing trend of weather-related calamities, such as droughts, storms and floods, with experts saying global warming is partly to blame. 'Extreme weather will be more frequent in the future due to the INSTABILITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE, and global warming might be the indirect cause.'

Last year, the administration responded to 16 weather-related emergencies, the HIGHEST NUMBER IN SIX DECADES. This year could prove equally hazardous, with weather in different parts of China registering various forms of extremes in recent weeks. The eastern province of Anhui was hit twice by intense storms in June, killing 37 people, while parts of north China are now seeing temperatures as high as 40 deg C. The changing weather patterns do not just take a toll in terms of human lives but are also immensely costly. In the period from 2004 until 2008, extreme weather caused average annual costs of 244 billion yuan (S$52 billion), up from an average of 176 billion yuan in the 1990s.

FREAK WEATHER HITS CUMBRIA-U.K.

120 DEAD IN UNRELENTING HEATWAVE ACROSS INDIA

New Delhi - A searing heatwave across India has claimed at least 120 lives as officials warned that deficient rainfall may result in lower agricultural output and higher food prices, officials and news reports said.

Soaring temperatures accompanied by power outages and water shortages sparked off angry protests in the national capital New Delhi and the financial hub of Mumbai.

SEVERE STORMS IMPACT THE NORTHEAST U.S.

Severe thunderstorms impacted the northeast United States today, producing sporadic power outages and weather conditions ranging from heavy rainfall to large hail. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) received dozens of damage reports; trees, tree limbs, electrical wires and utility poles were downed throughout portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

What will our world look like in 2050? Astronomer Royal and president of the Royal Society Martin Rees predicts crises in water and energy supplies as a result of increased population pressure, exacerbated by climate change. Speaking to Alok Jha earlier this month, he also discussed the prospects for mitigating global warming and the UK's role in reducing carbon emissions.

The Guardian

Researcher Evan Flugman said in a Florida International University report the Florida Keys are at the forefront of the emerging threat of rising sea-levels in the southern portion of Florida, The Miami Herald reported Sunday.

''South Florida is on the front line against sea-level rise in the United States, and the Florida Keys are ground zero," Flugman said.