President Donald Trump had a cordial meeting at the White House on Friday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who he emphasized was a "good person" and a "great leader."In addition to discussing trade, the war in Ukraine, and energy, the two leaders discussed two transformative matters where Hungary has distinguished itself from the rest of Europe, namely immigration and faith.'We want a Christian Europe because we believe that this is the only way forward.'Trump noted that while other European nations have made "tremendous mistakes on immigration and it's really hurting them very badly, [Orbán] has not made a mistake on immigration," adding that while not universally liked, Orbán, who has been prime minister since 2010, "is respected by everybody" and well-positioned to win his 2026 election, where he's likely to face off against liberal Europhile Péter Magyar.After Trump celebrated the conservative nationalist's leadership, Orbán made a point of clarifying the nature of his government: "We are the only government in Europe which considers itself as a modern Christian government. All the other governments in Europe are basically liberal, leftist governments."Orbán noted that since retaking office in 2010, he and his Christian government have endeavored to break from the pack "at the philosophical level and at the level of practice as well."RELATED: Christians are refusing to compromise — and it's terrifying all the right people Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images"We are kind of a special island of difference in a liberal ocean in Europe and consider ourselves as a modern Christian government," the prime minister continued.Orbán has made no secret of his antipathy for atheistic establishmentarians and liberal bureaucrats in Brussels, noting in a September statement, for instance, that "the European Union is teetering on the brink, with debt, migration, violence, and failing policies everywhere. Hungary stands firm: migrant-free, pro-family, providing opportunities to those willing to work. We need courage — intellectual, political, and personal — to recognize that the West is no longer a role model to follow, and to show that there is a better way."The prime minister's policies have long enraged liberals — who frequently refer to him as an "authoritarian" — and in some cases resulted in threats and financial penalties from the European Commission.Hungary under his leadership has, for instance, imposed a ban on LGBT propaganda targeting children; signaled opposition to Ukraine's proposed admission to the European Union; drove bums out of public spaces; built a barrier to keep out border jumpers; and implemented various pro-natalist measures including tax exemptions for mothers."We want a Christian Europe because we believe that this is the only way forward," the prime minister said earlier this year. "In the shadow of empires, at the crossroads of civilizations, we have always won our battles for the survival of our homeland, the preservation of our nation, and Christian culture." — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Federal immigration officials rounded up several violent criminals on Thursday, despite the ongoing government shutdown.'Yesterday’s arrests include criminal illegal aliens convicted of some of the worst crimes imaginable, including sexual abuse of a minor.'A Department of Homeland Security press release obtained exclusively by Blaze News highlighted five of Thursday’s “worst of the worst” arrests.“Despite the Democrats’ longest government shutdown in American history, ICE refuses to slow down,” the press release read.The Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehensions included illegal aliens with a prior rap sheet, including two pedophiles, a rapist, and other violent assailants.ICE arrested Jose Rivera-Medrano, a 41-year-old from El Salvador who was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison when he was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in Rockville, Maryland. He pleaded guilty in October 2019, according to court records.RELATED: Illegal alien pedophile allegedly 'physically assaulted' ICE agent during immigration operation: DHS Jose Rivera-Medrano. Image source: The Department of Homeland SecurityICE Buffalo captured Milton Antunez-Bonilla, who is from Honduras. The 40-year-old was found guilty of sexual assault against a child 15 years old in Nassau County, New York. He was sentenced to five years in prison. Milton Antunez-Bonilla. Image source: The Department of Homeland SecurityAaron Comisario-Galicia, a Mexican national, was convicted of rape in Los Angeles, California. Aaron Comisario-Galicia. Image source: The Department of Homeland SecurityFederal agents nabbed 33-year-old Juan Raul Chavez-Reyes, a national from Mexico who was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Erath County, Texas. Juan Raul Chavez-Reyes. Image source: The Department of Homeland SecurityICE Houston arrested Joseph Perez-De La Cruz, a Mexican national who was convicted for conspiring to transport illegal aliens, placing lives in jeopardy in Del Rio, Texas. He was sentenced to three years in prison.RELATED: Illegal alien learns his fate after a Wisconsin judge allegedly helped him evade ICE Joseph Perez-De La Cruz. Image source: The Department of Homeland SecurityDHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that ICE agents are battling a severe uptick in threats. “Even while facing an 8,000% increase in death threats against them, the brave men and women of ICE work tirelessly to get these worst-of-the-worst offenders off our streets and out of country,” McLaughlin said.“Yesterday’s arrests include criminal illegal aliens convicted of some of the worst crimes imaginable, including sexual abuse of a minor,” she continued. “These heinous criminals have no business remaining in the country any longer, and we thank President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem for unleashing ICE to protect American communities.” Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Cesar Lucas Abreu/Cover/Getty ImagesThe Origin of the World by Gustave Courbet was painted in 1866. A French historian claims that he has inadvertently uncovered one of the most scandalous mysteries in the art history community — the identity of the nude model who posed for Gustave Courbet’s 1866 painting The Origin of the World. The painting, which features a close-up rendering of female genitalia has been called “art’s most scandalous vagina.” The model’s face isn’t exhibited in the painting and only depicts the female model from the chest down. A painting as intimate as this was naturally quite shocking for the 19th-century public. Indeed, the painting proved stirring enough that Facebook once censored profiles that featured it, which led to a 2011 French court case. The model’s identity has been a mystery since the painting’s inception, leaving art historians to debate the matter since. It’s been long believed that the woman’s identity belonged to Courbet’s lover, the Irish model Joanna Hiffernan. There were speculations here though, as Hiffernan was known to have fiery red curls and the genitalia featured in Courbet’s work is regaled with dark pubic hair instead. This was until French historian Claude Schopp uncovered evidence which actually points to a different woman entirely: Parisian ballet dancer Constance Quéniaux. TwitterResearchers are 99 percent sure that the model is Parisian ballet dancer Constance Quéniaux. Schopp discovered a connection between Courbet’s model’s identity and communications between Alexandre Dumas and his friend George Sand while reading through copies of Dumas’s letters for a book. He had been curious about a particular line he had previously translated as: “One does not paint the most delicate and the most sonorous interview of Miss Queniault (sic) of the Opera.” Schopp realized that the word “interview” should have actually read “interior,” which to Schopp indicated that the painting’s model was actually Queniaux. Constance Queniaux was a mistress of the Ottoman diplomat Halil Şerif Pasha when the picture was painted in 1866, and it is now believed that Halil himself actually commissioned the painting for his own personal collection. These facts indicated to Schopp that Queniaux was the face behind the infamous erotic portrait, and not Courbet’s lover — a discovery that he happened upon completely by coincidence. SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty ImagesGustave Courbet’s The origin of the world officially has a face to match its body: Constance Queniaux. “Usually I make discoveries after working away for ages,” said Schopp. “Here I made it straight away. It almost feels unjust.” Schopp shared his discovery with the head of the French National Library’s prints department, Sylvie Aubenas. She agreed with Schopp, and concluded that his theory as to who Courbet’s nude model was is as accurate as it can possibly be. “This testimony from the time leads me to believe with 99 percent certainty that Courbet’s model was Constance Queniaux,” Aubenas reported. Aubenas said that descriptions of Queniaux’s “beautiful black eyebrows” matched up with the color of the nude model’s pubic hair. She also believes that it was once fairly well known that Constance Queniaux was the nude model behind this painting, but that it was lost over time as Queniaux rose in the ranks of society, becoming a lady of leisure and known for her philanthropic work. But as is demonstrated by Schopp’s latest discovery, not all of the evidence that linked Queniaux to the nude model in Courbet’s famous painting was erased. Further, upon her death in 1908, Queniaux left a floral Courbet painting which featured a blossoming red camellia in the center. This style and flower were closely associated with courtesans of the time, due in part to a work by Dumas, The Lady of the Camellias. “What better tribute from the artist and his patron to Constance?” Aubenas posits. Indeed, how else could Courbet and his patron have thanked this woman for lending her genitalia to art history than by gifting her the painting of a metaphorical one? After learning about Constance Quéniaux, the model for Gustave Courbet’s The Origin Of The World, read about the story of a $160 million painting that was stolen, only to be found decades later in the home of an elderly married couple. Then, check out the story of how Vincenzo Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa. The post The Mystery Behind One Of Art History’s Most Scandalous Paintings Has Just Been Resolved appeared first on All That's Interesting.

University of MarylandThe study sought to take advantage of how mosquitoes are attracted to certain smells. By some measures, mosquitoes are among the deadliest creatures on Earth. They carry diseases like malaria, and are notoriously difficult to eradicate. But a group of researchers has proposed a new solution to Earth’s mosquito problem: genetically modified fungi, which can successfully trap and kill mosquitoes. By genetically engineering the Metarhizium fungus, which is already used to control bugs, the researchers may have invented a way to kill mosquitoes without extensive chemical intervention. Rather, this more “natural” way of eradicating mosquitoes may offer a new and more powerful solution to communities across the world. How Researchers Used The Metarhizium Fungus To Attract And Kill Mosquitoes University of MarylandStudy co-author Raymond St. Leger of the University of Maryland. According to the researchers’ study published in Nature, the question of how to both trap and kill mosquitoes naturally began with a fungus called Metarhizium. Metarhizium is known to be deadly to mosquitoes, as the fungus can release fatal spores that kill the insects by overtaking their insides and consuming them. However, Metarhizium only emits longifolene — a compound with a “sweet” or “woodsy” smell that is highly attractive to mosquitoes — after it’s already killed an insect. So the researchers set out to “turbocharge” the fungus. “Mosquitoes need flowers because they provide nectar, a crucial source of food for them, and they are drawn to flowers through their scents,” study co-author Raymond St. Leger, a professor of entomology at the University of Maryland, explained in a university statement. “After observing that some types of fungi could trick mosquitoes into thinking they were flowers, we realized we could turbo-charge the attraction by engineering fungi to produce more longifolene, a sweet-smelling compound that’s already very common in nature.” In order to turbocharge the fungus, the researchers created a genetically modified strain of Metarhizium that produces high levels of longifolene. Instead of producing the compound only when it killed insects, the researchers tweaked the fungus so that it produced longifolene on a consistent basis. Then, they tested out their theory. Mark Sherwood and Raymond St. LegerThe contraption used by researchers to test out their genetically modified fungus, which they found killed between 90 and 100 percent of mosquitoes that encountered it. They found that once the fungus spores are placed in a trap, longifolene is quickly released. Mosquitoes are naturally drawn to the smell, but are overwhelmingly killed by the fungus itself. In fact, between 90 and 100 percent of mosquitoes who encountered the fungus in lab tests died within days, even when the Metarhizium traps were placed near humans and real flowers, other living things that also draw mosquitoes. It made no difference if the trap was placed indoors or outdoors, and the fungus spores produce longifolene on such a consistent basis that the trap could be used effectively for months. What’s more, researchers say that longifolene is not harmful to humans. A Possible Way To Eradicate Mosquitoes “Naturally” Using Longifolene The research into Metarhizium is especially revolutionary because it offers a more natural way to eradicate mosquitoes. Not only are other methods, including pesticides and fumigation, potentially harmful to people, but many mosquitoes have developed a defense against them. Metarhizium, however, promises a more effective and safer way to kill the bugs. “The fungus is completely harmless to humans as longifolene is already commonly used in perfumes and has a long safety record,” St. Leger explained. “This makes it much safer than many chemical pesticides.” Huiyu ShengA mosquito infected by two different species of Metarhizium fungi. What’s more, it’s highly unlikely that mosquitoes will be able to develop a defense against the technique, since their very survival depends on the sweet smell found in flowers. “If mosquitoes evolve to avoid longifolene, that could mean they’ll stop responding to flowers,” St. Leger stated. “But they need flowers as a food source to survive, so it would be very interesting to see how they could possibly avoid the fungus yet still be attracted to the flowers they need.” Even if mosquitoes did learn to avoid longifolene, St. Leger continued, it would be possible for researchers to modify Metarhizium to produce different floral scents. He also noted that research into killing mosquitoes is more important than ever, as rising temperatures around the world have created many ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive. Because they can carry dangerous diseases, it’s important for scientists to figure out a way to curb their populations. Metarhizium seems like a promising solution, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to put away the bug spray, as St. Leger and his fellow researchers are now looking into how Metarhizium might be used alongside other insect repellents. “It’s not as if you’re going to necessarily find a silver bullet to control mosquitoes everywhere, but we’re trying to develop a very diverse and flexible set of tools that people in different parts of the world can use and choose from,” St. Leger said. “Different people will find different approaches work best for their particular situation and the particular mosquitoes they’re dealing with. In the end, our goal is to give people as many options as possible to save lives.” After reading about the genetically modified fungus that traps and kills mosquitoes, discover the story of cordyceps, the “zombie fungus” from “The Last Of Us” that brutally kills insects by invading their bodies. Or, learn about the bullet ant, the insect with the world’s most painful sting. The post Researchers Are Developing A Genetically Modified Fungus That Can Trap And Kill Mosquitoes appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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