海角大神

Irish Prime Minister Miche谩l Martin says his government will offer new fuel tax cuts to address protests. He criticized the tactics of farmers and truckers who blocked access to the nation鈥檚 only oil refinery and several depots. Police began breaking up the protests on Saturday. The prime minister鈥檚 package, which is worth nearly $600 million and needs parliamentary approval, aims to ease cost-of-living pressures since the U.S.-Israel war on Iran cut off a major route for global oil supplies.

Rep. Eric Swalwell ends California governor campaign. After allegations of sexual misconduct were reported Friday, Mr. Swalwell lost numerous endorsements from prominent Democrats in his bid for governor. He faces continued calls to resign from Congress. 鈥淚 am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I鈥檝e made in my past,鈥� Mr. Swalwell wrote in a post on X. 鈥淚 will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made 鈥� but that鈥檚 my fight, not a campaign鈥檚.鈥� Mr. Swalwell was considered a top contender ahead of the primary on June 2.

New vehicles now list for an average of nearly $50,000. That鈥檚 up 30% in six years, leading more consumers to take loans that spread the cost over as much as seven years. Sticker prices have been rising since automakers discovered Americans are willing to pay more for bigger, more expensive SUVs and pickup trucks that bring the companies more profit from each sale. They have largely phased out smaller, cheaper sedans. Repair costs and insurance prices have risen, too. 鈥� The Associated Press

Millions of Americans are expected to claim new federal tax breaks. The breaks, for tips and overtime wages, come under a law enacted by President Donald Trump. However, many states have decided not to match these federal changes. That means workers who receive federal deductions for tips or overtime will still owe state taxes on those earnings. Federal tax deductions for tips, overtime and auto loan interest are being matched in only about a half-dozen states. 鈥�聽The Associated Press

A German soccer club made history by naming a woman head coach. For the first time in any of Europe鈥檚 top soccer leagues, a woman will coach a men鈥檚 team. Marie-Louise Eta is taking the reins of Union Berlin on an interim basis until the end of the season after the club fired its previous coach Saturday. Ms. Eta already made history for Union in 2023, when she became the first female assistant for a men鈥檚 team in any of Europe鈥檚 top leagues. She is set to become the head coach of Union鈥檚 women鈥檚 team next season, but there is speculation that good results during the next month could put her in the frame for the permanent job.

Young Australian sprinter Gout Gout bested Usain Bolt鈥檚 U-20 time. The 18-year-old ran to a national title in the 200m yesterday with a time of 19.67, faster than Bolt鈥檚 19.93 as a teenager, the BBC reported. Gout鈥檚 countryman Aidan Murphy also broke the 20-second mark in the same race. 鈥漌e have such incredible athletes in Australia and me being able to race these athletes, we push each other to the limits,鈥� said Gout, whose parents are immigrants from South Sudan. 鈥淭wo Australians sub-20. I mean, this is amazing.鈥�

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

Viktor Orb谩n has been an institution in Europe鈥檚 conservative, illiberal bloc for decades. Hungarians showed they were tired of his rule, as challenger P茅ter Magyar ousted the prime minister behind unexpectedly high turnout and support.

US-Iran talks failed over the weekend, with Tehran鈥檚 nuclear program a key obstacle. President Trump has ordered a Navy blockade designed to pressure Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

In Israel, support for the war against Iran has been high. Civilians readily made sacrifices to support strategic aims. But the ceasefire has left many feeling the job was unfinished, and assessments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 leadership have been harsh.

The Artemis II mission has concluded with a safe return to Earth. The mission rekindled 鈥渕oon joy鈥� for the public and made scientific advancements, which NASA aims to expand during the next phases of the ambitious Artemis program.

A new book illuminates the prolific author鈥檚 life, work, and fame. Her frankness made her a lightning rod, but as聽Mark Oppenheimer observes, for many young people in the 1970s, reading Judy Blume鈥檚 work was 鈥渘ot just a rite of passage but a habit.鈥澛�

Even as the European Union works to bolster economic and defense support for Ukraine, the continent is confronting increasing Russian aggression on a different battlefield: the online frontier. Over the past year, the Kremlin has intensified its disinformation campaigns in an attempt to weaken Europe鈥檚 democratic pillars of truth and civic trust.

As the main target of these intensified attacks, France is at the forefront of efforts to document and debunk these claims. 鈥淭he more outspoken France has become about Russia, the more it is targeted,鈥� The Economist reported April 8. It documented multiple instances in which false claims on social media were launched almost immediately after French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for Ukraine or European rearmament.

Working closely with European partners on the digital 鈥渄emocracy shield鈥� initiative announced last November, France is combining cutting-edge technology and communication tactics to promote transparency among its citizens. And it鈥檚 doing so with the occasional touch of Gallic flair.

Since 2021, France has had a dedicated national department, Viginum, to combat foreign digital interference, which tracks and publicizes false and unfounded claims, most of them Russia-linked. Just six months ago, the government launched French Response, an English-language social media account on X to, as The Wall Street Journal put it, 鈥渂etter defend the country in a multifront meme war.鈥�

Sharing news and views 鈥渨ith a frank posture, tinged with humor ... sometimes self-deprecation,鈥� Foreign Minister Jean-No毛l Barrot told fellow diplomats in January, leverages social media 鈥渁nd increases the impact of our message.鈥� The account reportedly logs 35 million views each month.

But there is more to this approach than just online irreverence or virality 鈥� a more that recognizes the need to cultivate civic trust alongside modern media literacy.

鈥淭he European fight against Russian interference has undergone a strategic shift,鈥� Le Monde wrote in March. 鈥淏oth Brussels and Paris now advocate a society-wide approach. ... The new consensus is to involve citizens in the solution.鈥� A February conference of disinformation researchers, diplomats, and nongovernmental organizations, the paper reported, agreed on the importance of equipping civil society with strong associations, fact-checking skills, and media literacy education.

A special commission, established a few years earlier, offers an even broader view, outlined in its report 鈥淓nlightenment in the Digital Age.鈥�

鈥淭he bond of trust between citizens and the media and institutions ... needs to be reforged,鈥� concluded the 13-member group of historians, teachers, and civil society representatives 鈥� as do the skills of discernment and critical thinking.

鈥淲e ... define critical thinking as the ability to trust intelligently, after considering the quality of the information, opinions and knowledge at our disposal,鈥� the report stated. And, it added with hope and confidence, 鈥淚t so happens that human beings are predisposed to possess this ability.鈥�