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Orbán and Meloni discuss Hungary's upcoming EU presidency program

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Orbán and Meloni discuss Hungary's upcoming EU presidency program

Victor Orbán briefed Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni on Hungary’s upcoming EU Council presidency program, which focuses on illegal migration, Europe’s competitiveness, and declining birth rates.

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Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted her Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán, in Rome. The visit is part of Orbán’s Europe tour, which has already taken him to Berlin and will soon take him to Paris.

The tour serves as an opportunity for Orbán to meet with leaders of various EU member states and brief them on Hungary’s upcoming presidency program, as Hungary is set to take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council.

Speaking about the presidency program, Giorgia Meloni said at the very end of the meeting that she is glad some of the issues included in the program are the ones that the two countries care most about, including tackling illegal migration, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, and addressing declining birth rates across Europe.

She also mentioned other issues, including Ukraine, on which the two countries hold differing views. The timing of the meeting is significant as it took place just before this week’s EU summit, which will be crucial for the debate over top EU jobs.

At the meeting, Orbán emphasised that his party would not be joining the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) political group.

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Meloni, besides being Italy’s Prime Minister, is also the leader of the ECR political group. Her party remains the leading party in Italy following the EU elections, and it is expected to seek a top commission post for Italy.

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Map: 3.8-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Las Vegas

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Map: 3.8-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Las Vegas

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Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 3 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “weak,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown.  All times on the map are Pacific time. The New York Times

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A minor, 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck in Nevada on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake prompted a flurry of chatter online, but no widespread damage was reported.

The temblor happened at 1:47 p.m. Pacific time about 7 miles northwest of Summerlin South, Nev., data from the agency shows.

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On social media, residents across the area described the earthquake jolting their homes and rattling windows and doors. Some said they heard the boom-like sound of an explosion, while others said they didn’t feel anything or described a small disturbance that lacked any significant oomph.

Brian Cohen was at home putting away groceries in Lone Mountain, about a half hour west of the Las Vegas strip, just before 2 p.m. when he felt the entire house rattle intensely for about three seconds.

“The whole house felt like it was lifting up,” said Mr. Cohen, who is in his 60s. He went outside and saw a neighbor, who also reported feeling the jolt.

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Mr. Cohen, who has lived in the Las Vegas area since 1994, said this wasn’t his first earthquake. “This one is the strongest one I felt,” he said, adding there was no damage to his home.

As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

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Aftershocks forecast

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While individual earthquakes can’t be predicted, geologists can calculate the chances that more earthquakes will follow an initial quake using statistical models of past events.

For this earthquake, it is unlikely — about a 4 chance — that a larger quake will strike the area in the next day, according to the U.S.G.S. Here is the forecast for aftershocks of other sizes:

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3.0 mag. or stronger

Perhaps

26%

4.0 mag. or stronger

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Unlikely

5%

5.0 mag. or stronger

Unlikely

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Source: United States Geological Survey. Data is as of June 4 at 1:57 p.m. Pacific time.  Chance of aftershocks typically decreases over time. Forecast quake counts are estimates. William B. Davis, Joel Eastwood and John Keefe/The New York Times

The rate of aftershocks typically decreases over time, and forecasts are available for the next week, month and year.

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Aftershocks detected

Subsequent quakes have been reported in the same area. Such temblors are typically aftershocks caused by minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.

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Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles

Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These events can be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake, and they can continue to affect already damaged locations.

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When quakes and aftershocks occurred

 All times are Pacific time. The New York Times

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Sources: United States Geological Survey (epicenter, aftershocks, shake intensity); LandScan via Oak Ridge National Laboratory (population density) | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Pacific time. Shake data is as of Thursday, June 4 at 5:25 p.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Thursday, June 4 at 8:23 p.m. Eastern.