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HATC SAMPLE EDITION:
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24th January, 2025
Bomb threats disrupt 240 schools
A wave of bomb threats disrupted schools nationwide in Hungary on Thursday, with more than 240 institutions affected, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
The threats bear similarities to recent incidents in neighbouring countries, including Bulgaria and Slovakia.
Police reported that identical email threats had been sent to schools in Budapest and in provincial locations, signed with a message citing geopolitical grievances.
The authorities have launched an inquiry, with the National Bureau of Investigation leading the case and collaborating with regional police units.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Interior Minister Sándor Pintér are closely monitoring the situation.
Schools implemented various safety measures, including evacuations and temporary accommodations.
Local mayors in affected Budapest districts, provided shelters for students and staff, while heated buses were arranged for those waiting outside.
The government has pledged to tighten school security and ensure that investigations proceed swiftly.
Meanwhile, criticism arose from opposition figures, such as Péter Magyar, questioning whether intelligence agencies could have pre-empted such a co-ordinated threat.
Independent MP Ákos Hadházy suggested that the bomb threats, though probably a prank, serve as an opportunity for the government to stoke fear.
He argued that the government thrives on maintaining a constant sense of threat to present itself as a saviour, deploying security forces, including soldiers and anti-terrorist units, to bolster this narrative.
Gábor Horn, a former politician and now chairman of the board of trustees of the Republikon Foundation, expressed suspicion, alleging that the government itself could be behind the bomb threats.
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Sources regularly consulted, with abbreviations used in text: Népszabadság (N); Magyar Hírlap (MH); Világgazdaság (VG); Napi Gazdaság (NG); Magyar Nemzet (MN); Népszava (Nsz); Kossuth Rádió news (KR); nightly TV news (TV).
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