海角大神

Pakistan proposes new US-Iran talks as Trump administration hints at progress.听Pakistani officials on Tuesday said Islamabad has proposed a second round of talks to the U.S. and Iran. Vice President JD Vance earlier said negotiations with Iran made some progress, and Mr. Trump said Monday they had been contacted by the other side and they want to work a deal.听鈥� The Associated Press

The pope responded to President Donald Trump鈥檚 criticism. After Mr. Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to describe Pope Leo XIV as 鈥渨eak鈥� on crime and 鈥渢errible鈥� on foreign policy, the pontiff told journalists he will not enter into a debate with the president. The U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church has been critical of U.S. military action in Venezuela and Iran. 鈥淭he message of the gospel is very clear: 鈥楤lessed are the peacemakers,鈥欌�� Pope Leo told reporters on Monday. Mr. Trump wrote that the pope 鈥渢hinks it鈥檚 OK鈥� for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney鈥檚 Liberals secured a majority government. Wins in three byelections Monday gave them a majority in the House of Commons. In April 2025, the Liberals were polling 20 points behind the Conservatives. Under threats of annexation and tariffs by President Trump, Canadians rallied behind the former central banker, handing the Liberals a win but not a majority. Since then, five members of parliament, including four Conservatives, have defected to the Liberals. Popular at home, Mr. Carney has received international attention too, after a speech in Davos calling for middle powers to unify against the bullying of great powers.
Our coverage: Who is Mark Carney? Maybe just who Canada wants to face off against Trump.

A judge dismissed the president鈥檚 lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal. The $10 billion defamatory claim centered around reporting that Donald Trump had sent Jeffrey Epstein a lewd birthday greeting in 2003. U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Florida ruled that Mr. Trump failed to demonstrate that the newspaper acted with 鈥渁ctual malice.鈥� In response, the president said he will refile an amended lawsuit by April 27. Last year, Mr. Trump lost a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.

Maine will permanently offer residents free community college. Mainers who enroll in a 1- or 2-year program soon after graduating high school can get an associate degree that is 100% tuition-free. Recipients must also accept federal and state financial aid. The policy makes permanent a 2022 initiative that covered community college for two years. Since then, some 23,000 students have enrolled in the program. Tuition-free community college, pioneered by Tennessee in 2014, has been rolled out in both red and blue states.
Our coverage: Massachusetts needs more workers. Enter free community college.

Night sky to welcome extremely rare comet. The famous Halley鈥檚 comet, which orbits the sun every 72 to 80 years, is a relatively frequent visitor compared with comet C/2025 R3. The latter was last seen in these parts 170,000 years ago. But Space.com reports that C/2025 R3 will once again be visible in the Northern Hemisphere between now and April 20. The best time to view it is near the eastern horizon 60 to 90 minutes pre-dawn. Later this month, it will become visible in Southern Hemisphere evening skies through early May.

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

Even before the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, launched against Gulf Arabs鈥� advice, sentiment in the region toward Israel was souring over its war in Gaza and policies in the West Bank. But distrust has deepened with the perception Israel instigated the war, and amid growing concerns over Israel鈥檚 expanding power.

Taiwan鈥檚 opposition leader has returned from a trip to the Chinese mainland, where she pushed for cross-strait dialogue. But her diplomatic efforts could backfire on the democratic island, where a sense of local identity is growing.

With Virginia and Florida poised to follow other states in midcycle redistricting next week, the partisan impact nationwide so far appears to be a wash. But by creating more 鈥渟afe鈥� districts, the new maps may make the next U.S. House even more polarized.

Whatever the political ramifications for Hungary, Europe, or the United States, Viktor Orb谩n鈥檚 electoral defeat Sunday night showed that elections still matter 鈥� and that democracies are more resilient than the current era might make them seem.

The United States鈥� current debate over immigration is only the latest episode in the country鈥檚 history. President Abraham Lincoln听鈥� best known for the abolition of slavery听鈥� had a mixed record on immigration but championed newcomers鈥� 鈥渞ight to rise.鈥�

Populist politicians in Europe, whether left or right who use tactics of demonization and division to amass power, have been put on notice. In a much-watched election on April 12, voters in Hungary ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n, who epitomized the continent鈥檚 identity politics of fear and hate over the past 16 years. In record turnout, they soundly opted for P茅ter Magyar, an astute coalition-builder who overcame a smear campaign thrown at him by offering a 鈥渕essage of love鈥� to all Hungarians.

In a speech after his Tisza party won a supermajority in Parliament, Mr. Magyar touched on the election鈥檚 meaning: 鈥淚t is a sin to divide the nation.鈥� He attacked a system of lies and corruption, not individuals. He called on supporters to reconcile with members of Mr. Orb谩n鈥檚 party, Fidesz, despite that party鈥檚 鈥渦s versus them鈥� tactics.

In a phone call with the outgoing prime minister, Mr. Magyar told听Mr. Orb谩n听that reunifying Hungary, a Central European country of 9.6 million people, was now their shared responsibility. And in a challenge to populism鈥檚 tendency to create enemies that don鈥檛 exist, he told supporters: 鈥淎s the winner of the election, we will have to extend a hand to our fellow countrymen.鈥�

Mr. Magyar鈥檚 party is very diverse on policy issues. Yet all Hungarians long for 鈥渕oving away from constant hysteria and toward a governmental focus on everyday issues,鈥� Gabor Gyori, a political analyst with the Policy Solutions research organization in Budapest, told The New York Times. Indeed, Tisza鈥檚 victory was driven in part by its appeals for clean governance, better health care, and improved relations with the European Union 鈥� including its unifying democratic values.

鈥淓urope鈥檚 heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight,鈥� European Commission President听Ursula von der Leyen听said in a post on X.

During the campaign, Mr. Orb谩n might have realized that the lies thrown at his opponent were not working with voters. He wisely conceded the election quickly as the ballot results rolled in. Hungary鈥檚 political order will not be instantly transformed under Tisza. Yet, among a majority of voters, a spell of deceit and vilification has now been broken.

During a campaign that took him to some 700 towns, Mr. Magyar simply told the truth about the country鈥檚 state of democracy. He largely avoided personal attacks against Mr. Orb谩n and instead offered reconciliation. His main slogan was 鈥淒o not be afraid.鈥� That was enough to burst the bubble of one of Europe鈥檚 most famed populists.