While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, June 19
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last met his “good friend” Trump in March in the United States.
PHOTO: AFP
Hungary vows to ‘make Europe great again’ with EU presidency
Hungary on June 18 vowed to “make Europe great again” during its EU presidency starting next month, a take on former US president Donald Trump’s famous campaign slogan.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last met his “good friend” Trump in March in the United States and has frequently expressed hope for the Republican to return to power in presidential elections in November.
The central European country of 9.6 million people – which has regularly clashed with Brussels over rule-of-law and other issues – takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on July 1.
Gaza rescuers report deadly strikes although clashes slow on Eid
AFP
Israeli strikes on June 18 killed at least 13 people in central Gaza, the civil defence agency in the Hamas-run territory said, although fighting has largely subsided as Muslims mark Eid al-Adha.
An Israeli announcement at the weekend of a daily “pause” of military activity to facilitate aid flows coincided with the Muslim holiday and has brought relative calm to parts of the besieged Gaza Strip after more than eight months of war.
Witnesses reported gunfire and artillery shelling near Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, where the civil defence agency said at least 13 people died in two separate strikes on a family home and on a commercial building.
Searing heat scorches US from Chicago to East Coast
via REUTERS
Extreme heat and high humidity smothered the central and northeastern United States on June 18, with temperature records expected to melt away in the coming days, authorities warned, as wildfires sizzled in the west.
“A heat wave will settle and persist across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and the Northeast through the next few days,” the National Weather Service said, explaining that the early arrival of summer heat wave made it more dangerous.
Forecasters predicted that the mercury could hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 Celsius) in parts of New England by June 20.
Los Angeles school board votes to ban smartphones
The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education on June 18 voted to ban smartphones for its 429,000 students in an attempt to insulate kids from distractions and social media that undermine learning and hurt mental health.
The board of the second-largest US school district voted 5-2, approving a resolution to develop within 120 days a policy prohibiting student use of cellphones and social media platforms. The policy would be in place by January 2025.
“I think we’re going to be on the vanguard here, and students and this entire city and country are going to benefit as a result,” said board member Nick Melvoin, who proposed the resolution.
Guler stunner helps Turkey to 3-1 win over Georgia
REUTERS
A stunning long-range strike from teenager Arda Guler helped lift Turkey to a 3-1 win in their Euro 2024 Group F opener against tournament debutants Georgia, as they slugged it out in the pouring rain at a raucous Dortmund BVB Stadion on June 18.
Arguably the best game of the tournament so far had everything from great goals to shots flying off the woodwork to late drama in an intense atmosphere created by the deafening Turkish fans, thanks to Germany’s large Turkish population.
Turkey had most of possession but were often exposed in defence and had to dig deep as Georgia gave as good as they got, threatening an equalizer with a header off the post in the sixth minute as well as forcing a goal-saving block by Samet Akaydin to deny Budu Zivzivadze at the end.
