‘Having chosen to both forgo the traditional papal attire of his predecessors and to take up residence at the Casa Santa Marta—the five star hotel within the Vatican City walls—instead of the papal palace, Francis presented himself as a populist pope—or, as he was characterized after he died, the “people’s pope”—, vowing to drain the swamp of corruption in the Holy See and revolutionize the Church.’
After Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, articles and social media posts about Donald Trump wearing a blue suit flooded the internet, accusing the US president of intentionally breaching protocol and disrespecting the late pope by not wearing black. The wave of outrage was triggered by Fortune, which deliberately misled the audience with a manipulated cover photo and a suspicious headline.
‘There seems to be a disparity in the character of Pilate according to the Gospels and that of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (37/38–100 AD). While both portray him as a complex man caught in a difficult role in difficult times, Josephus stipulates that he was cruel, disrespectful…The Gospels paint a different picture of the Roman governor, being a fair judge, to name an attribute.’
Just two days after calling for the criminalisation of disinformation, Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar posted a manipulated video of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, attempting to smear him over his stance on Ukraine’s EU membership. It is yet another example of Magyar’s troubled relationship with the truth—one that has surfaced repeatedly, despite his still-nascent political career.
‘Technology is rapidly revolutionizing warfare, fundamentally changing the circumstances in which conflicts unfold. With modern drones and artificial intelligence, a paradigm shift is taking place that fundamentally rewrites our concepts of war. The battlefield no longer necessarily requires human presence…The era of self-sacrificing captains is disappearing, if not already gone.’
Former Deputy Assistant to Donald Trump, Fred Fleitz, writes in Newsmax that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made the right decision in withdrawing from the International Criminal Court last week. Fleitz also urged other countries to follow suit, arguing that the Hague-based court poses a serious threat to national sovereignty due to its politically biased decisions.
‘Russia occupies a unique…position in Huntington’s system of civilizations and in a broader sense in global geopolitics as well: it is simultaneously Western and non-Western, European yet distinct from Europe. This duality is not merely a philosophical or cultural curiosity but is…seemingly used as a strategic tool that some Russian regimes actively exploit in their international positioning.’
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, lasted for two months. Currently, 59 hostages are still awaiting their release as Israel has once again resorted to military action against the terrorist organization.
‘On the day the US temporarily halted military aid to Ukraine, Kellogg delivered a speech at CFR in Washington, DC. He emphasized that Ukraine had several opportunities to sign the US–Ukraine $500 billion Minerals Deal, including during his visit to Kyiv on 19 February and during Zelenskyy’s last trip to Washington, which is unlikely to be remembered as a successful diplomatic effort.’
‘Hungary’s humanitarian and military aid to Lebanon can contribute to regional stability and it also reflects Hungary’s broader geopolitical interests, that is, a stable Lebanon for the sake of the Middle East—and also for Europe, which faces potential security and migration challenges.’