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Prospects for peace talks gain momentum. Recent days have brought a notable shift from the Trump administration, not only in optimism about peace talks but a tone of inclusiveness. The administration showed progress toward bringing Israel in Lebanon to the table in Washington for talks. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance signaled a desire for a 鈥済rand bargain鈥� with Iran. 鈥淚f you guys commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran thrive,鈥� he said.

Ukraine and Germany team for defense deal. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that their nations will jointly begin production of drones and other armaments. On Monday, Mr. Zelenskyy claimed that, for the first time in the war with Russia, Ukraine used unmanned robotic vehicles and drones to overwhelm an enemy position. 鈥淭he occupiers surrendered ... without infantry and without losses on our side,鈥� he said, touting his military鈥檚 ground-based robotic systems, plus its long-range and naval drones. Praising Ukraine鈥檚 innovative technology, Mr. Merz said, 鈥淕ermany鈥檚 commitment to supporting Kyiv鈥檚 war effort is a very clear signal to Russia.鈥�
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Peru runoff presidential election set for June 7. Keiko Fujimori, daughter of late former President Alberto Fujimori, was the top vote-getter among 35 candidates in Sunday鈥檚 election. Voters who identified public safety and political stability as top issues appeared to favor 鈥淜eiko鈥� for her name recognition and 鈥渋ron fist鈥� toward crime. Voting was marred by logistical delays that prompted extension of balloting and underscored institutional weaknesses in a country that has had nine presidents since 2016. Ms. Fujimori鈥檚 opponent in the June runoff was still not clear, with vote-counting continuing on Tuesday. It could be former Lima Mayor Rafael L贸pez Aliaga, a far-right populist.

Hampshire College is closing. The liberal arts school in Amherst, Massachusetts, whose graduates across six decades include documentarian Ken Burns and actor Lupita Nyong鈥檕, has for years battled declining enrollment. As fewer students enroll, more than a quarter of private colleges 鈥� many of them small and rural 鈥� are at risk of closing, NPR recently reported. Almost 2.3 million fewer students enrolled in undergraduate programs in 2023 compared with 2010, according to federal data.
Our coverage: Colleges in the US are facing hurdles. More are hoping free tuition will help.

Cameroon separatists announced a three-day ceasefire for the pope鈥檚 visit. In a statement to Reuters, the Unity Alliance cited the papal visit鈥檚 鈥減rofound spiritual importance鈥� for the pause in fighting. Pope Leo XIV, whose 11-day trip of Africa began with a call for fraternal coexistence in Muslim-majority Algeria, is holding a meeting for peace at a cathedral in Cameroon on Thursday. A decade of fighting between English-speaking separatists in a majority French-speaking nation has killed some 6,000 people and displaced well over half a million. Unity Alliance pledged safe travel for civilians and pilgrims, endorsing a 鈥渄eliberate commitment to responsibility, restraint, and respect for human dignity.鈥�
Our coverage: Why a Nigerian village has welcomed thousands of refugees

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

Fallout from the Epstein scandal and a changing media environment might be contributing to a new push for sunlight and accountability on Capitol Hill. This week鈥檚 unusual resignations could be followed by even more.

After three years of fighting, there is no end in sight for Sudan鈥檚 brutal civil war. Its civilians are paying an unfathomable price.

Taxpayers are frustrated over the perception that the wealthy are not paying their fair share. Despite government spending reductions that partially offset tax cuts, experts warn that new tax provisions will expand federal deficits.

Winter conditions usually tamp down wildfire risk. But across the U.S., drought and heat have set the table for hungry fires. Some states prone to wildfires are beginning to embrace controlled burns that give fires less fuel when they do start.

Researchers asked people from different countries to rank the morality and ethics of their fellow citizens. The results聽could offer insights into how communities can rebuild trust.

Bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill is rare these days. But it has been in evidence in recent weeks among a handful of congresswomen concerned about allegations of sexual misconduct by a few House members. They have called for Congress to expel three representatives and to publicly release records of its recent investigations (a motion voted down in early March).

鈥淲omen deserve to be safe,鈥� Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said last month. 鈥淎nd the American people deserve to know鈥� when elected officials are 鈥渁busing power instead of serving their constituents.鈥�

On Monday, two House members announced they would step down 鈥� Democrat Eric Swalwell of California, who denies allegations of sexual assault by a former staff member and three other women, and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas, who has admitted to an affair with an aide.

Nearly a decade after the #MeToo movement gained prominence, these events signal that Americans鈥� expectations of elected officials鈥� public and private ethics have changed 鈥� to demand greater transparency and accountability, as well as congruence between both.

In 2018, 鈥渨e saw a real acknowledging of problems in the halls of power ... especially affecting female staffers,鈥� veteran congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins said on NPR this week. That year, Congress tossed out the long-standing practice of using taxpayer money to settle claims of misconduct by elected officials 鈥� as well as a rule that required staff to accept up to 90 days of counseling, mediation, and 鈥渃ooling off鈥� before lodging a formal complaint.

Since then, Ms. Desjardins noted, it鈥檚 been taken 鈥渇or granted ... that this problem has been solved.鈥�

Clearly, there is more work to be done to extend recognition of and respect for women鈥檚 autonomy and inherent ability to contribute freely and fully in political and public life 鈥� especially among women themselves.

鈥淲omen 鈥� even those who are highly educated, well-credentialed, and politically engaged 鈥� often do not鈥� see themselves as viable candidates for office, a 2022 study found. 鈥淯ntil women are just as likely as men to consider running for office,鈥� the researchers concluded, 鈥渨e really haven鈥檛 achieved full inclusion.鈥�

Today, women constitute 28% of the membership of the current 119th Congress. While this is a substantial increase (of 44% between 2015 and 2025), more than half of all American adults feel there are too few women in high office.

There are varied reasons behind the desire for more women in politics. 鈥淚ncreased representation of women in elected office is associated with counteracting corruption鈥� and having a greater focus on public service delivery, according to a global survey by the London-based Westminster Foundation for Democracy and King鈥檚 College. 鈥淲hen women take part in politics, the whole of society benefits.鈥�