‘Simply Murder’

• Two municipalities in Brussels are currently embroiled in serious governance scandals, sparking concerns over local political accountability. • The cases have emerged this week, highlighting systemic failures in the administration of Belgium's capital region.

• Libya remains geographically and politically fractured, with rival administrations governing the eastern and western regions of the country. • This division intensified following a general election in mid-2014, which triggered a surge in violence and institutional collapse.

• On Wednesday, May 27, Hungary's parliament approved legislation to maintain the country's membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC). • This move reverses a previous decision by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government to withdraw from the court, which had been slated for 2025.

• The Hungarian Parliament voted 133-37 to repeal a previous decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), reversing a move initiated by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. • The withdrawal had been announced by Orban as a gesture of support for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant, with Orban claiming the court had become "political."

• A formal review of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is scheduled for 2026, potentially aligning with broader efforts to reset diplomatic and economic relations. • Proposed initiatives include establishing a common sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) area for food and agricultural standards and linking the UK and EU emission trading schemes (ETS).

• Poonam Dhillon, head of the actors' association, criticized Ranveer Singh for allegedly failing to honor professional commitments amid a controversy surrounding the film *Don 3*. • Dhillon emphasized that all actors should uphold their agreements, sparking a public row regarding the star's professional conduct.

• The Council of Europe is urging for increased political support to establish a special tribunal dedicated to prosecuting Russian crimes of aggression in Ukraine. • Officials state that preparations for the tribunal are progressing rapidly, though there remains significant uncertainty regarding the level of support from the United States.

• A Brussels watchdog is moving to ban the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), a far-right EU political party founded by Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) following the 2024 elections. • The ESN party includes several nationalist factions, such as France's Reconquest led by Éric Zemmour, Poland’s Confederation, and the Netherlands’ Forum for Democracy.

• Hungarian MPs have voted to remain members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), overturning a previous decision to withdraw from the organization. • The reversal follows a landslide election victory last month for new Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who vowed to undo the exit process before it took effect on June 2.

• Major EU economies, including Germany and Italy, are currently on track to miss their legally-binding 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. • A report by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) cites critical failures in Italy's transportation decarbonization and production efficiency as primary obstacles.

• Hungarian lawmakers voted 133 to 37, with five abstentions, to formally repeal a law that would have seen the country exit the International Criminal Court (ICC). • The decision reverses a previous initiative led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to withdraw from the global judicial body.