‘Military victories can degrade an enemy’s capacity to wage war, but they rarely secure lasting peace if the underlying ideas that animate the regime remain unchallenged and attractive to others. We must win the ideological war with Iran if any peace that follows is to endure.’

‘We must deal with a dangerous illusion. A country cannot be made strong by an optimism that ignores its problems. It can be confident and hopeful only if it recognizes the problem in time and has a serious plan to solve it…Our task now is not to create panic. And it is not to sell false hope. But it is to remain sober.’

Why did Barack Obama single out Hungary and Poland instead of some of the world’s most authoritarian regimes? The article argues that their opposition to mass migration—not their democratic record—made them targets of criticism.

Spain’s victory over Argentina secured a second World Cup title and rescued the tournament from an ending defined entirely by spectacle, controversy, and commercial calculations. In a competition remade through mandatory hydration breaks, expanded VAR use, and a Super Bowl-style, first-ever half-time show, La Roja’s success became Europe’s defence of football’s soul against an aggressive ‘Americanization’ push.

‘With the defeat of Fidesz, sovereigntist politics have undoubtedly been weakened in the short term…The EU can therefore be expected to move more rapidly toward federalist integration…This will inevitably further deepen the very social and political conflicts that gave rise to the patriotic movements in the first place. For precisely this reason, the 2026 Hungarian election looks more like a lost battle than a lost war.’

‘In Israel, Hungary is viewed not merely as a diplomatic partner but also as a Central European ally…Whether it was the state visit of PM Netanyahu or Budapest’s position to create a safe environment for its 120.000 Jewish inhabitants spread all across the country, Hungary offers a comprehensive model that ought to serve as an example for all European countries.’

‘While no individual should be presumed complicit solely by association, neither should the gravity of substantiated crimes be minimized. The challenge lies in sustaining a principled commitment to due process, evidentiary rigour, and proportional accountability, without succumbing to either instinctive disbelief or its opposite, moral panic.’

‘The irony is breathtaking: a man who oversees an entire industry that denies Christians from playing soccer—simply because they are Christian—unabashedly complains about how “the world is not fair”—including even in soccer… even in sports.’

Argentina’s football establishment is facing growing scrutiny both on and off the pitch as allegations that the World Cup is being ‘fixed’ in Lionel Messi’s favour intensify after the Egypt match, while the Argentine Football Association simultaneously faces a reported FBI investigation in the United States over money laundering.

‘A monarch who once represented the Christian identity of the realm now consciously presents himself as protector of all faiths equally—including religions whose own theological traditions reject the very Christian doctrines upon which the monarchy itself historically rested.’

‘The principle at stake is not complicated, nor should it depend on who the victims are: violence against women must be condemned as a matter of universal human rights, or the very idea of universal human rights loses its meaning.’

‘The sitting President of the United States, after winning the 2024 presidential election by receiving 77.3 million votes nationally…was able to convince so many Americans to vote for him despite content about his supposed extraordinary failures as POTUS being a lot more prevalent in the media during his first and President Biden’s only term.’

‘Words may be answered with words, but violence must never be tolerated. We need more Speaker’s Corners. Every street corner, every park, and every public gathering space should be a place where the ideas and cultural debates of the day are discussed.’

As Hungary restructures its international development system, the key question is no longer institutional reform but strategic direction. Participation in the EU’s Global Gateway could allow Hungarian aid agencies to leverage multilateral funding, expand their impact, and redefine Hungary’s role as a donor in an increasingly interconnected world.

‘To borrow from János Pilinszky: not everything that appears literary is literature. Likewise, not every public debate deepens understanding, and not every expression of opinion contributes to wisdom.’

As England prepares to begin another World Cup campaign, the debate surrounding Henry Nowak’s death has become a test of whether football’s moral activism applies equally to all victims. The same sporting establishment that embraced George Floyd as a global symbol now appears unwilling to engage with a case that has shaken Britain itself.

‘The children who were never born are being replaced by domestic animals. Sometimes cats, but often dogs.’

‘It’s absolute cinema,’ the prime minister said of what is happening to him. And indeed, like a movie, the government is unfolding before our eyes: we are part of it, it is happening to us and for us. Or rather, that is what the grand spectacle now playing out in Hungary after the Polish ‘regime change’ would have us believe.

California’s notoriously slow ballot count is once again drawing attention. On election night, Republican Spencer Pratt led progressive-socialist Nithya Raman by 10 points and appeared set to face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the general election. But six days later, Raman had erased the gap as more ballots were counted. What is happening?

‘The deeper vulnerability of modern fuel systems may no longer stem from reserves themselves, but from the growing difficulty of securing the infrastructure required to refine, transport, and distribute fuel products.’

‘Societies construct stories about themselves. During periods of predominance, success is often interpreted as evidence of universal principles or historical destiny. When material conditions change, these stories come under strain.’

As global development aid declines amid mounting geopolitical and economic pressures, Central European countries may need to rethink how assistance is delivered. Closer regional coordination, targeted ‘pilot projects’, and partnerships in regions such as the Sahel could help smaller European states preserve influence, build soft power, and shape a distinct model of development cooperation.

‘Governor DeSantis dropped out of the race after a poor performance in the Iowa caucus, the first primary contest of 2024, and endorsed President Trump. Trump went on to win the largest share of the popular vote for a non-incumbent candidate in a primary contest for a major party…’

‘It certainly cannot be denied that a contributing factor to the increase in anti-Christian sentiment in the Holy Land, if not the primary cause…has been the vigorous rise of Israeli ultra-nationalism, which advocates for a theocratic Jewish state.’

‘The masses have never thirsted after truth. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim.’

‘Trump’s legacy in Europe, if current trajectories continue, may be the precise opposite of his intention, as laid out by the 2025 National Security Strategy. The president most hostile to European institutions may go down in history as the most effective catalyst for European unity since the Marshall Plan.’

‘Imagine demanding that African Americans stop making films or songs about slavery because it reflects poorly on modern whites. Imagine insisting Jewish communities remain silent about historical persecution…Such demands would be considered grotesque. Yet when Europeans recall centuries of conquest and enslavement under Islamic empires, they are told that remembrance itself constitutes hatred.’

‘The first 22 years of Hungary’s EU membership offer a twofold lesson. On the one hand, EU membership alone is no guarantee of catching up…On the other hand, Hungary’s situation is by no means hopeless…The success of Hungary’s EU membership over the next two decades will ultimately be decided not in Brussels, but in Budapest.’

‘The best long-term solution to this problem would be finding a way to bypass the Strait of Hormuz altogether, and we may have found a way to do just that.’

An indie game, a great soundtrack, high review scores and a lot of criticism. Mixtape stirred up the gaming industry without attempting to do so.