As the Trump administration signals its intention to step back from peace talks over the war in Ukraine—pressuring Kyiv and Moscow to engage in direct negotiations—a new structure for peace efforts is beginning to take shape. In parallel, the Vatican under Pope Leo XIV is assuming an increasingly active role in the process, positioning Rome as the new epicentre of the negotiations.
The Trump administration has been exercising the clause in the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act that allows the government to fine illegal migrants $500 a day for defying removal orders. As a result, a Honduran woman in South Florida, who has been in the US illegally since 2005, was given a fine of $1.82 million.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has accused the head of French foreign intelligence of pressuring him to silence conservative voices on his platform ahead of the Romanian presidential elections. The events feed into an already tense political climate in the country, following the annulment of the original vote’s first-round results in December 2024 due to alleged Russian interference.
‘Bruno Retailleau enters the storm not as a passenger, but as a worker of the sea. The vessel he inherits is worn, with its crew divided and its purpose blurred—hic tamen fluctuat, which is enough for now.’
After premiering on Max on 16 May, The Brutalist soared to number one on HBO’s US Top 10 and remains there as of Monday. The critically acclaimed drama follows László Toth, a Jewish Hungarian architect portrayed by Adrien Brody in an Oscar-winning performance.
Over the weekend, his family revealed that Former President Joe Biden had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. President Biden had also lost his son, Beau Biden, to cancer in 2015.
‘As the European Union and the Turkic world steadily evolve into natural economic allies, Hungary’s role in this process is becoming increasingly pivotal. Thanks to the trust it has earned…Hungary is well-positioned to act as a bridge between the two blocs. Hungarian–Uzbek relations are flourishing, with both nations serving as keystone states within their respective regions.’
Romania’s presidential election could end with Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan’s victory, according to exit polls showing him ahead on Sunday night. However, the result remains fiercely contested, as right-wing candidate George Simion has alleged widespread electoral fraud and declared himself the winner on social media, defying the polling data.
What is Israel’s interest in participating in the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project? Why is India or Saudi Arabia important for the Jewish state? And why is connectivity a wise idea? We spoke with the Senior Deputy Chief Economist for International Affairs at the Israeli Ministry of Finance at the Danube Institute’s conference on the IMEC initiative.
‘As the Catholic Church teaches, man and woman are made for authentic communion with God and each other…An attachment to a machine, or for that matter, even an affectionate pet, no matter how life-like it may be, cannot fulfill this vocation. It risks becoming an effigy or an impersonation of human relationships, diverting us from the true link for which we were created.’