Author: staff

It’s best to start this article with a warning: you’ll probably put on weight just by reading the following lines and looking at the photos. It’s true that what’s really fattening is not what we eat between Christmas and New Year’s, but what we eat between New Year’s and Christmas… However, the calorific load of Portugal’s Christmas traditions is not to be underestimated, so it’s good to get some exercise these days, even if it means walking to buy presents. Other countries pride themselves on their bountiful tables on Christmas Eve, with delicacies such as foie gras, oysters, smoked salmon,…

As Christmas approaches and gift shopping is well underway, Germany is set to become the largest spender in the European Union during the festive season, according to data platform Statista. In 2025, retail spending during the Christmas season is expected to reach around €85.24 billion in Germany. France follows with an estimate of €71.65 billion, and Italy with more than €43 billion. In wider Europe, the UK tops the chart, with a PwC survey projecting a 3.5% increase from 2024, despite a slow start to festive trading. However, this year’s gifts might be more expensive as the eurozone’s annual inflation…

Heavy rain on Iran’s Hormuz Island briefly changed the colour of its famous Red Beach this week, as runoff carried iron rich soil into the sea. The flow turned parts of the shoreline and nearby waters a deep red, standing out against the blue of the Persian Gulf. The beach is known for its red sand and cliffs, shaped by high levels of iron oxide. When rain falls, streams of soil run downhill and spread across the coast. The effect is short lived but draws visitors, photographers and wide attention online. Hormuz Island sits in the Strait of Hormuz, where…

Published on 18/12/2025 – 10:32 GMT+1 Hundreds of musicians including Massive Attack and Brian Eno are calling for Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company, to drop operations in Israel. They have signed a new open letter as part of the Musicians For Palestine campaign, urging Live Nation Entertainment to drop its Israel subsidiary, Live Nation Israel. “We cannot stay silent while Live Nation Israel glorifies the genocidal Israeli military that has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza”, the letter reads. “We echo long-standing Palestinian calls for accountability over its years of artwashing of Israeli apartheid and now…

Mark Ward is retired from the U.S. Foreign Service and worked for USAID for over 30 years. As news reports on the recent cyclone in Sri Lanka began pouring in, something caught my attention — something was missing from the reporting. Cyclone Ditwah has killed hundreds, destroying rice fields and rail lines over vast parts of the island, and the Sri Lankan government is still desperately trying to line up international aid. Closely following the coverage, I thought back to when I was one of the first in the U.S. government to receive alerts about natural disasters — no matter…

Published on 18/12/2025 – 10:50 GMT+1 Rumour has it only the sharpest students can tell the difference between the Council of the EU, the Council of Europe and today’s suspect, the European Council. I am sure you know, but let us recap. Today’s summit runs for two days. Inside, they need 30 chairs: 27 for the national leaders, plus three special seats for Antonio Costa, Ursula von Der Leyen and Kaja Kallas. Officially, there are 24 languages. This creates over 500 possible language combinations. Though in reality, most negotiations happen in English — even though the English have left the…

Farmers drove tractors into Brussels at dawn on Thursday, renewing protests against the European Union’s plans for a trade deal with the Mercosur bloc. Police expected around 10,000 demonstrators near the European Council, where EU leaders are due to meet for a summit. The proposed agreement would phase out duties on most goods traded between the EU and Mercosur countries over 15 years. Supporters say it would open markets linking Europe with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Many farmers fear tougher competition and weaker protections for local producers.

Published on 18/12/2025 – 9:31 GMT+1 Justice at last! Following Berlin techno being added to the German list of intangible heritage in 2023, electronic music has finally made it onto the French Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This represents the first step towards UNESCO heritage status. The list of intangible cultural heritage allows signatory states of the UNESCO Convention to register “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities recognise as part of their cultural heritage” – everything from music and craftsmanship to culinary skills, traditional games and sports. “Electronic music has a rightful place in our national intangible heritage,” said…

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Published on 18/12/2025 – 9:00 GMT+1 It’s a seismic shift for one of television’s marquee events… The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced has announced that the Oscars will leave ABC and begin streaming on YouTube beginning in 2029, with YouTube gaining the exclusive global rights until 2033. ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony through 2028 – the year that will mark the 100th Oscars. The annual film awards will be available to the Google-owned video-sharing platform’s two billion users for free around the world – in a move that effectively does away with broadcast television.…