"BUDAPEST, Hungary -- The two top officials of Hungary's meteorological service were fired Monday after an inaccurate rain forecast prompted the postponement of a fireworks display on the country's most important national holiday.
The firings of the head and deputy head of the National Meteorological Service prompted accusations of political interference from Hungary's nationalist government.
The annual St. Stephen's Day fireworks show along the Danube River in Budapest — billed as the largest display in Europe — was called off Saturday afternoon based on forecasts that said extreme weather was likely around the 9 p.m. start time.
By evening, the storms had not materialized in the capital, but the show, which typically draws more than a million spectators, already had been rescheduled for the next week due to safety concerns.
The firings were announced in a brief statement by Minister of Technology and Industry Laszlo Palkovics, a top cabinet member in the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban."
(See FULL Associated Press story HERE).
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