HUNGARY'S METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE ISSUES HIGHEST-LEVEL RED WARNING AS TEMPERATURES FORECAST TO CHALLENGE ALL-TIME NATIONAL RECORD

Hungary's meteorological service has issued its highest-level red warning, with daytime highs forecast to reach 41 degrees Celsius and temperatures on Tuesday potentially challenging the country's all-time national record of 41.9 degrees set in 2007.

The country remains under its highest-level heat alert, in force until midnight on Monday, with the World Health Organization saying more than thirteen hundred excess deaths have been recorded across Europe since the heatwave began on the twenty-first of June.

Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant has also been forced to cut output after Danube cooling-water temperatures exceeded safe thresholds.

Pablo Gutierrez reports from Budapest.

IN: “We have not...”
OUT: “...of these wards.”
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Pablo Gutierrez in Budapest says the city's public transport network has largely kept running, with authorities deploying newer air-conditioned buses on routes normally served by older vehicles.

IN: “Some of the...”
OUT: “...get pretty hot.”
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Reporter Pablo Gutierrez in Budapest says residents are expressing relief at the authorities' response, though he notes the lack of air conditioning in much of Europe's housing stock remains a long-term challenge.

IN: “If you can...”
OUT: “...what's been happening.”
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HUNGARY'S PAKS NUCLEAR PLANT CUTS OUTPUT AGAIN AS DANUBE OVERHEATS AMID RECORD-BREAKING HEATWAVE

Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant has been forced to cut output for a second day running because the Danube — which it uses as a coolant — has grown too warm, as the country remains under its highest-level heat alert.

Temperatures hit forty degrees Celsius on Saturday at a station just north of Budapest, smashing the previous national record for the date by more than two degrees.

The World Health Organization says more than thirteen hundred excess deaths have been recorded across Europe since the heatwave began on the twenty-first of June.

Pablo Gutierrez reports from Budapest.

IN: “We have not...”
OUT: “...of these wards.”
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(ALT)

Reporter Pablo Gutierrez in Budapest says the city's transport network has largely kept running, with authorities rerouting passengers away from older vehicles that lack cooling.

He has more.

IN: “The coordinated effort...”
OUT: “...the older buses.”
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(ALT)

Pablo Gutierrez, reporting from Budapest, says residents are looking forward to a sharp drop in temperatures expected by the middle of the week.

IN: “If you can...”
OUT: “...what's been happening.”
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EU AND CHINA LAUNCH NEW TRADE CONSULTATION PLATFORM AS SEFCOVIC HOSTS WANG WENTAO FOR MAKE-OR-BREAK BRUSSELS TALKS

The European Union's trade chief Maros Sefcovic is hosting Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Brussels for day-long discussions that EU officials have billed as a decisive moment for the bloc's commercial relationship with Beijing.

The EU's goods trade deficit with China hit around 360 billion euros (approximately 412 billion dollars) last year, and European leaders recently instructed the European Commission to draw up proposals to better protect the bloc's economic interests.

But member states are divided on how aggressively to confront Beijing.

William Denselow has more from Brussels.

IN: “It is a...”
OUT: “...by the EU.”
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US AIR FORCE AIRMEN ARRIVE IN VENEZUELA TO REPAIR EARTHQUAKE-DAMAGED CARACAS AIRPORT AS DEATH TOLL REACHES 1,450

A contingent of a hundred United States Air Force personnel has arrived in Venezuela to help repair the earthquake-damaged Simon Bolivar International Airport serving Caracas, as the death toll from last week's twin quakes rose to one thousand four hundred and fifty.

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez has created a commission to assess damage to housing and infrastructure, while a hundred and thirty US Marines are expected to arrive at the coastal area of La Guaira to help reopen its port for aid deliveries.

But residents in the worst-hit areas say they have been left largely to fend for themselves.

Catherine Ellis is a reporter in Caracas and spent most of Sunday in La Guaira.

IN: “People there are...”
OUT: “...a political transition.”
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Catherine Ellis, a reporter in Caracas, has been talking to Venezuelans who say they are bypassing official channels entirely, preferring to deliver donations directly to affected families rather than hand them to the authorities.

IN: “She said, you...”
OUT: “...satisfied at all.”
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Catherine Ellis, a reporter in Caracas, says rather than rallying behind the government, many Venezuelans are growing angrier as the days pass without adequate official support.

IN: “If anything, I...”
OUT: “...than trust rising.”
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PAKISTAN LAUNCHES OVERNIGHT AIRSTRIKES AND GROUND OPERATIONS INSIDE AFGHANISTAN, SAYING 29 MILITANTS KILLED

Pakistan has carried out overnight airstrikes and ground operations inside Afghanistan, saying it killed twenty-nine militants in the eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar.

Islamabad says the strikes were a direct response to a coordinated assault on a Pakistan Rangers headquarters in Karachi on Saturday that killed three soldiers. Afghan sources dispute the military's account, alleging more than thirty-five civilians were killed in the bombardment.

The escalation breaks roughly a month of relative calm and comes after multiple rounds of internationally mediated peace talks have failed to secure a lasting ceasefire.

Hira Mustafa reports from Islamabad.

IN: “The action follows...”
OUT: “...charge Kabul denies.”
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(ALT)

Hira Mustafa, our reporter in Islamabad, says Pakistan's information minister confirmed the military operations were launched in retaliation for cross-border militant activity originating from Afghan territory.

IN: “Pakistan's Information Minister...”
OUT: “...originating from Afghanistan.”
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(ALT)

Hira Mustafa in Islamabad says the Afghan Taliban government has accused Pakistan of targeting civilian areas, a claim Islamabad rejects.

IN: “Afghanistan has condemned...”
OUT: “...charge Kabul denies.”
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US LAWYER CALLS JUDGE'S ORDER ON ADANI CASE DISMISSAL 'ROUTINE', EXPECTS RESOLUTION WITHIN WEEKS

A US legal expert has described a federal judge's order demanding the Justice Department justify dropping criminal charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani as a routine procedural step, saying the matter should be resolved within weeks.

Judge Nicholas Garaufis has given prosecutors until the thirteenth of July to explain why they want to abandon the case, which centres on an alleged bribery scheme linked to energy contracts in India.

The Adani Group has denied all wrongdoing.

Rebecca Bundhun reports from Mumbai.

IN: “Shares in Adani's...”
OUT: “...the Indian billionaire.”
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US-IRAN TALKS STILL PLANNED DESPITE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD STRIKES ON KUWAIT AND BAHRAIN

A senior Trump administration official says the United States and Iran are still talking, with technical discussions on implementing the memorandum of understanding planned for the coming days — even as Iran's Revolutionary Guard launches missiles at American bases in the Gulf.

The Revolutionary Guard has warned that violating the ceasefire will lead to a complete halt of ongoing diplomatic processes.

Analysts say US President Donald Trump faces mounting pressure to keep negotiations on track ahead of November's midterm elections.

From Washington, Allister Dsouza reports.

IN: “Trump wants this...”
OUT: “...to keep talking.”
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FOURTH STRAIGHT DAY OF HOSTILITIES BETWEEN US AND IRAN IMPERILS CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT

There's been a fourth consecutive day of tit-for-tat hostilities between the United States and Iran, as the ceasefire extension agreement signed earlier this month now hangs in the balance.

A US official says there have been no American casualties, and that technical talks regarding a future agreement with Iran will continue as planned this week. 

But control of the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of the world's oil passes — remains a central flashpoint, with Tehran demanding all vessels register with Iranian authorities.

Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, says Iran knows the power it holds.

IN: “Ultimately, the Iranian...”
OUT: “...to open up.”
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(ALT)

Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, says the war is taking a political toll on US President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections.

IN: “He needs it...”
OUT: “...problem for him.”
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(ALT)

Despite US and Israeli air superiority, Iran has shown it can strike back — and Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, questions whether US President Donald Trump would follow through on threats to destroy the Iranian state.

IN: “It's been a...”
OUT: “...wipe out Iran?”
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US-IRAN CEASEFIRE UNRAVELS AS TEHRAN FIRES MISSILES AT AMERICAN BASES IN KUWAIT AND BAHRAIN

Iran has launched ballistic missiles and drones at American bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, retaliating for US strikes on Iranian coastal sites as the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran comes under intensifying pressure.

Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, says the Israel-Lebanon agreement risks further destabilising the region.

IN: “The Israelis have...”
OUT: “...this current moment.”
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TRUMP'S 250TH BIRTHDAY "GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR" ATTRACTS THIN CROWDS IN WASHINGTON

The Great American State Fair, an event in Washington designed by President Trump to kick off America's 250th birthday celebrations, has been hit by power cuts, low turnout and controversy.

An image of the southern Confederate flag, deemed to be racist by many Americans, appeared at one state's booth. Meanwhile, nine American states declined to participate in the event citing its cost and the president's efforts to politicise it.

Dave Levinthal, New York editor of the website NOTUS, says the Washington festivities have felt underwhelming.

IN: “It looks almost...”
OUT: “...ever get here.”
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Dave Levinthal of the website NOTUS says the Reflecting Pool renovation — which US President Donald Trump blamed on saboteurs — has been widely reported as a rushed and mismanaged project.

IN: “Let's be clear...”
OUT: “...literally fallen apart.”
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VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 1,430 WITH NEARLY 69,000 STILL MISSING

Venezuela's official death toll from the earthquakes now stands at one thousand four hundred and thirty, with more than sixty-eight thousand nine hundred people reported missing.

The Venezuelan Red Cross has mobilised search and rescue teams and healthcare support, but the organisation's own headquarters has been damaged and its staff are among those affected by the disaster.

Hermione Elderton, a response officer at the British Red Cross, says the scale of the operation is immense.

IN: “The Venezuelan Red...”
OUT: “...time to recover.”
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(ALT)

Hermione Elderton, a response officer at the British Red Cross, says the Red Cross network delivered seventeen tonnes of aid via Panama, including kitchen sets, hygiene kits and mosquito nets.

IN: “Yesterday, the network...”
OUT: “...just the beginning.”
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VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 1,430 AS RESCUE TEAMS SEARCH FOR NEARLY 69,000 MISSING

The death toll from the earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to one thousand four hundred and thirty, with nearly sixty-nine thousand people still missing, according to the country's National Assembly leader Jorge Rodriguez.

More than thirty international search and rescue teams are working in the rubble, while the United States has committed a hundred and fifty million dollars in aid and is preparing a further package worth hundreds of millions more.

The earthquakes — the most powerful to hit the country in more than a century — were shallow, meaning their destructive force was concentrated near the surface.

Finlay Adams Brown is a global disaster management co-ordinator working in the humanitarian aid sector.

IN: “Already a country...”
OUT: “...etc., is substantial.”
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GERMAN CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP'S 1,500-PAGE REPORT SAYS AFD BAN WOULD LIKELY SUCCEED AT CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

A German civil rights organisation has published a 1,500-page legal analysis arguing that an application to ban the Alternative for Germany party would likely succeed at the country's constitutional court.

The report by the Society for Civil Rights says the AfD violates principles of democracy and human dignity enshrined in Germany's Basic Law — but German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his governing CDU have so far refused to back a ban, saying it would look like eliminating political competition.

The AfD currently leads national polls with around 27 per cent support, ahead of the CDU on 22 per cent.

Stan Aron is a journalist in Germany.

IN: “The reality is...”
OUT: “...to Germany's democracy.”
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(ALT)

Stan Aron, a journalist in Germany, outlines the report's specific findings on the groups whose constitutional rights would be threatened under AfD rule.

IN: “The AfD is...”
OUT: “...AFD has both.”
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US LAUNCHES SECOND ROUND OF STRIKES ON IRAN AS TEHRAN FIRES MISSILES AND DRONES AT AMERICAN BASES IN KUWAIT AND BAHRAIN

The United States has carried out a second consecutive day of military strikes against Iran, after Tehran hit another oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz with an attack drone — in defiance of a ceasefire agreement between the two sides.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard then launched missiles and drones at American military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, though US officials say there have been no casualties or significant damage.

Both Washington and Tehran are accusing each other of violating the ceasefire, with the diplomatic process now in serious jeopardy.

Fiona Mee reports from Dubai.

IN: “Iran's Islamic Revolutionary...”
OUT: “...situation remains fluid.”
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(ALT)

Fiona Mee in Dubai says the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran is under growing strain, with both sides presenting their military actions as defensive.

IN: “The latest escalation...”
OUT: “...a crushing response.”
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IRAN LAUNCHES DRONE STRIKES ON BAHRAIN AS US-IRAN CEASEFIRE TEETERS AFTER EXCHANGE OF MILITARY BLOWS

Iran has launched drone strikes on Bahrain and hit a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, in a sharp escalation of hostilities that threatens to collapse the ceasefire agreement signed with the United States just last week.

The attacks come after the US struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites along Iran's southern coast on Friday, in retaliation for an Iranian drone attack on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship earlier in the week.

US Vice President J.D. Vance has warned that violence will be met with violence, but there has been no word yet on whether Washington will respond militarily to the latest Iranian strikes.

Allister Dsouza reports from Washington.

IN: “As for U.S...”
OUT: “...coast in retaliation.”
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(ALT)

Allister Dsouza in Washington says the next few hours will be critical in determining whether the ceasefire can survive, with observers warning the flare-up is the worst since the interim deal was signed.

IN: “For now, observers...”
OUT: “...open for traffic.”
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(ALT)

Allister Dsouza in Washington says the Israel-Lebanon framework deal appeared to be a major step forward, but Hezbollah has rejected it outright, calling it null and void.

IN: “Now this is...”
OUT: “...invaded in March.”
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IRAN LAUNCHES DRONE ATTACK ON BAHRAIN AS CEASEFIRE WITH US UNRAVELS OVER STRAIT OF HORMUZ SHIPPING STRIKES

Iran has launched a drone attack on Bahrain, with the Gulf state condemning what it called a blatant violation of its sovereignty, as the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran comes under severe strain.

The United States struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites on Friday in retaliation for an Iranian drone attack on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz — and a second merchant ship has now been hit in the waterway.

US Vice President JD Vance has warned that violence will be met with violence, while Iran says it has the right to control shipping through the strait.

Allister Dsouza reports from Washington.

IN: “Bahrain now saying...”
OUT: “...happened on Thursday.”
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(ALT)

Allister Dsouza in Washington says the key question now is whether the White House will order further strikes in response to the Iranian drone attack on Bahrain.

IN: “Soon after Trump's...”
OUT: “...met with violence.”
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WALL STREET TECH SELL-OFF EASES AS INDEXES CLAW BACK INTO THE GREEN BUT NASDAQ STILL DOWN SHARPLY ON THE WEEK

Wall Street's major indexes have clawed back into positive territory on Friday afternoon after a bruising week for technology stocks, though the Nasdaq remains down roughly five per cent over the past five days.

Nvidia is on track for its worst weekly performance in more than a year, while Apple suffered its sharpest single-day fall in over a year on Thursday after announcing price rises on several products.

Reports that OpenAI has delayed its planned stock market listing have added to investor unease over artificial intelligence valuations.

Mitch Mccann reports from New York.

IN: “The Dow Jones...”
OUT: “...4.5% to 5%.”
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VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKE DEATH TOLL NEARS 600 AS US MOBILISES 150 MILLION DOLLARS IN AID AND DEPLOYS MILITARY ASSETS

The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen sharply to at least 589, with the United States pledging 150 million dollars in aid and deploying military assets to support the rescue effort.

The rapid American response comes after a period of diplomatic realignment between Washington and Caracas, following the removal of former President Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.

Before the quakes struck on Wednesday, the United Nations said nearly eight million people in Venezuela were already in need of humanitarian support.

Allister Dsouza has more from Washington.

IN: “Remember, we had...”
OUT: “...transactional under Rodriguez.”
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UN SHIPPING AGENCY PAUSES STRAIT OF HORMUZ OPERATIONS AS IRAN TURNS BACK THREE OIL TANKERS

The United Nations' International Maritime Organization has temporarily halted its vessel evacuation operation in the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has turned back three foreign oil tankers in the waterway on Friday, deepening a row over who controls the vital shipping lane.

The escalation follows an Iranian drone strike on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship on Thursday, which US President Donald Trump condemned as a breach of the ceasefire. Gulf states had issued a joint statement with Washington demanding free and unrestricted passage through the strait, prompting a sharp response from Tehran.

Allister Dsouza has the story from Washington.

IN: “It's Iran's foreign...”
OUT: “...to tolerate them.”
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FRANCE BREAKS ALL-TIME HEAT RECORD FOR SECOND DAY RUNNING AS DROWNING TOLL REACHES 48

France continues to swelter under record-breaking temperatures leading French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to activate the country's highest public health emergency level to bolster hospital capacity.  

Forecasters say the most dangerous heat is now shifting eastward across the European continent.

Germany's national weather service has warned of severe heat hitting the entire country over the weekend, with red alerts also in place across Italy, Poland and the Balkans.

Ross Cullen has more from Paris.

IN: “The situation is...”
OUT: “...there on Sunday.”
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