Heatwave Strikes United States
After the warmest June in history worldwide, much of the United States (US) is suffering from a massive heatwave. The rise in temperatures began in the Midwest and has been moving to the East. The heatwave will affect people from Arizona to Massachusetts. Around 87 million people live in places that are expecting record temperatures. Major cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC have had temperatures close to 100º Fahrenheit (38º Celsius).
The US National Weather Service (NWS) is warning that the heat will reach dangerous levels. Many races and other sports events have been canceled. The NWS says that people in affected areas should take care when going outside during the hottest hours.
Algeria Beats Senegal 1-0 to Win Africa Cup of Nations
Algeria beat Senegal 1-0 on Friday to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) contest. The winning goal came less than two minutes into the soccer (football) game when Baghdad Bounedjah fired off a shot that at first seemed like it had been blocked. The ball bounced off of Senegal’s Salif Sané and looked like it would fly well over the goal. Instead, the ball dropped down behind goalkeeper Alfred Gomes and into the goal.
Senegal came back and played well for long stretches of the game, but was unable to score. For Senegal, this was a disappointing ending to their second time in AFCON’s finals.
But for Algeria, this was the second time they’ve taken the AFCON title.
Italian Rangers Hunt “Genius” Bear
A wild brown bear in the Trentino area of Italy was caught by park rangers, who thought the bear was a danger to humans and farm animals. But the bear, known only as “M49”, didn’t seem to want to be caught.
M49 is now being called an “escape genius” after managing to get out of its holding area. To escape, the bear had to cross three electric fences and a 13-foot (4-meter) high wall.
Rangers are using dogs to try and find the bear in the local woods. Many people online are showing their support for the bear, who they say has done nothing but try to stay free. M49 is part of a project to bring brown bears back to the area after they were almost all killed by hunters.
New Zealand Penguins Make Home In Sushi Bar
Police have removed a pair of little blue penguins that were hiding out underneath a sushi bar in Wellington, New Zealand. The penguins, who normally live far away from humans, seemed to be drawn by the fishy smell of the sushi.
(Source: fir0002 [CC BY-NC 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.)
One of the penguins had been spotted a few days before in a different part of town and was turned loose in the ocean. Police were surprised to see the pair turn up under a refrigerator at a sushi bar in Wellington’s busiest train station. The police took the pair and released them into the ocean. But a few hours later, the penguins were back. This time, the police sealed up the holes beneath the sushi bar so the penguins couldn’t get back in.