Author: staff

If 2025 proved anything, it’s that the art world’s centre of gravity is shifting. Yes, Paris delivered blockbusters – David Hockney nearly reduced some critics to tears at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, while the Musée d’Orsay reminded us why Belle Époque posters still matter. But some of the year’s most exciting moments happened away from the traditional art capitals: Central Asia emerged with game-changing institutions and events, with Cyprus launching its first international art fair. From Leigh Bowery’s fearless theatricality at Tate Modern to Tracey Emin’s raw confessions in Florence, these were exhibitions that demanded attention – not just for…

“Washington is looking for a strong German partner who is willing to take on responsibility,” Frohnmaier wrote in an online post following the meeting. “Germany should re-establish itself as a capable leading power through a decisive shift in migration policy and the independent organization of European security.” Frohnmaier was one of about 20 AfD politicians who travelled to Washington and New York last week to meet with sympathizers and Trump administration officials. AfD leaders have increasingly sought to forge links with MAGA Republicans, viewing the Trump administration’s backing as a way to secure domestic legitimacy and end their political ostracization. Frohnmaier,…

Published on 15/12/2025 – 17:16 GMT+1 It will “be possible for the European Union to reach a deal on the Capital Markets Union within a year”, European Commissioner for Financial Services Maria Luís Albuquerque told Euronews’ flagship interview programme, The Europe Conversation. “I think it’s possible to have a discussion and an agreement within one year. We just need our co-legislators to share the same sense of urgency and level of ambition that we have”, the Commissioner said during an interview in Brussels. Albuquerque acknowledges that, although the package includes multiple files, the decisive factor in the legislative process is…

The Cambodian government has reported that over 300 000 Cambodian citizens have sought safety at camps for displaced people in border provinces, including Banteay Meanchey and Mongkol Borey. The Thailand–Cambodia border conflict is part of a long-standing territorial dispute, driven by competing claims over several areas along the more than 800 kilometer frontier, including historical sites such as the Preah Vihear temple complex. The latest round of fighting erupted again in early December, after the collapse of a fragile ceasefire agreed in July.

Published on 15/12/2025 – 15:31 GMT+1 Spain has just drawn a hard line on short-term rentals. The country has fined Airbnb €65 million for continuing to advertise short-term rental properties that were banned or lacked proper licences to operate. The country’s consumer affairs ministry said the fine is final and ordered the US-based platform to remove the illegal listings immediately. Officials said more than 65,000 Airbnb adverts breached Spanish consumer protection rules, including listing properties without licences or with licence numbers that did not match official registers. The penalty is equal to six times the profits Airbnb made between when…

The Louvre in Paris, the world’s most-visited museum, was closed on Monday after workers walked out on strike in protest against working conditions and other complaints, dealing another blow to the landmark after an embarrassing jewellery heist in October. The CFDT union said the vote was taken at a meeting of 400 workers on Monday morning and that they decided to strike for the day. Striking workers with flags, banners and placards blocked the museum’s iconic glass pyramid entrance. An updated notice on the Louvre’s website said it was “exceptionally” closed for the day and that ticket holders would be…

The country is highly unlikely to face a government shutdown similar to what happened in the United States earlier this year, however, as lawmakers can approve a measure carrying the 2025 budget over into next year. But such a stopgap would exacerbate the worrying financial outlook in the European Union’s second-largest economy.   Lecornu managed to secure a consensus on next year’s social security budget, but the state budget is proving more difficult. The National Assembly’s first attempt ended with all but one MP voting against a bill saddled with untenable and sometimes conflicting amendments. The opposition Socialist Party, which backed the social security bill and…

Published on 15/12/2025 – 16:27 GMT+1 •Updated 16:33 The European Commission said Monday it expects to sign the Mercosur agreement by year-end, increasing pressure on Paris to lift its opposition this week. The decision comes as French President Emmanuel Macron faces mounting anger from farmers over the deal. Meanwhile, supporters have grown impatient after 25 years of negotiations between the Mercosur countries – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – and the Commission. “In the view of the Commission signing the deal now is a matter of crucial importance economically, diplomatically, and geopolitically, but also in term of our credibility on…

Dan Elkayam, a 27-year-old French national from the Paris region, was one of the 15 people killed in an attack on a Jewish Hanukkah festival at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday. Elkayam held a master’s degree in computer engineering and had been working in Sydney since December 2024. The director of his former engineering school in Paris, the École Supérieure de Génie Informatique (ESGI). Kamal Hennou described the former student as “bursting with talent” and someone “who enlightened those around him with kindness and goodness.” “We are all devastated,” Hennou told Euronews. The teacher praised Elkayam’s commitment to his studies,…

China’s economic slowdown became more entrenched in November, with retail sales recording their lowest month of year-on-year growth since 2022. All major domestic indicators disappointed in November, underscoring the challenge facing policymakers as they seek to make household spending, rather than exports and investment, the main driver of growth from 2026 onwards. “Boosting domestic demand in 2026 looks to be a top priority for policymakers, according to recent communications from the Politburo meeting and the Central Economic Work Conference,” said a report from ING bank. The Chinese leadership plans to implement “special actions to boost consumption”, along with initiatives to…