Author: staff

The Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck, best known for being the first artist to have his work on the moon, has died aged 99.His family announced the news in a post on Facebook on Saturday. ‘Fallen Astronaut’ was an 8.5 centimetre aluminium sculpture made to represent both astronauts and cosmonauts who died in the race between the United States and the Soviet Union to explore space. The stylised figure was made to be light, solid and able to resist the extreme temperature variations of the Moon’s surface. The work can be found at Hadley Rille on the lunar surface.It was…

PARIS ― European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday slammed U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign against American higher education as she unveiled a half-billion-euro plan to attract foreign researchers. “The role of science in today’s world is questioned. The investment in fundamental, free and open research is questioned. What a gigantic miscalculation,” von der Leyen said. “Science has no passport, no gender, no ethnicity or political party.” Appearing alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at Paris’ storied Sorbonne University on Monday, von der Leyen said the “Choose Europe for Science” initiative would put forward a €500 million program from…

The return of Donald Trump to the White House and the trade war between the United States and China have put the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) back in the spotlight.This logistics corridor project, which was officially launched in 2023 at a G20 summit in Delhi, aims to facilitate trade in goods, energy and data.This new trade route would bypass the Suez Canal and link Europe to India via Israel and the Gulf monarchies.”We need a corridor like this more than ever, because not only do we have to deal with the problems we have with China, but we also…

Updated: 05/05/2025 – 11:42 GMT+2Violent storms swept across southern Poland on Sunday, bringing heavy hail, strong winds and flash flooding. … More Hailstones as large as eggs were reported in several areas, damaging buildings and vehicles.The worst of the weather struck the regions of Małopolska, Podkarpackie, Silesia and Lublin, where residents witnessed sudden downpours and hailstorms. In Rozprza, near Piotrków, power lines were damaged, leaving parts of the district without electricity.In Magdalenka, several buildings were damaged, with windows shattered and roofs torn from at least six houses. Firefighters worked late into the night to deal with the aftermath.

Before visiting Barcelona in March, I’d read the headlines with a healthy mix of scepticism and concern.Tourists sprayed with water guns. Locals shout: ‘Tourists go home!’ More protests planned.They painted the picture of a people fed up with the economy of coming and going. And there was no escaping it: my presence could contribute to the problem. I was travelling to run the city’s marathon – one of its biggest international events – and wondered if I’d picked the wrong time.As is so often the case, the reality was more nuanced.Big events bring big money – but also big crowdsInternational…

Following the bombshell announcement made by Donald Trump, saying that he will be authorising 100 per cent tariffs on films made outside of the US, many are questioning what it all means.  Considering these supposed tariffs could be slapped on any movies coming into the US that were not produced in the country, will Trump’s plans only apply to foreign films or will they include US productions that are partially filmed overseas? And will the tariffs include television productions and films on streaming services?  Late last night, the President took to the Truth Social platform to share an update on the tariff…

Africa’s message to the world: Do you want to be part of the next economic miracle? – POLITICO Skip to main content

SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil will serve as finance minister and vice chancellor. | EPA-EFE/Christoph Soeder Boris Pistorius will stay on as defense minister, securing continuity in one of the government’s most sensitive posts. Pistorius, who consistently ranks among Germany’s most popular politicians, has earned cross-party praise for his direct style and clear communication — and will now oversee the historic defense upgrade enabled by the new debt brake carve-out. Bundestag President Bärbel Bas will move to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, reinforcing the party’s traditional claim to social welfare policy. Legal affairs will be handled by Stefanie Hubig,…

Since then, Hololei took up a new role with a reduction in pay as Hors Classe Adviser at the Directorate-General for International Partnerships. He was notified on March 21 of this year that he faced an internal disciplinary procedure from the Commission, according to the documents seen by POLITICO. “This internal disciplinary procedure is ongoing and is carried out within a reasonable period of time, account being taken of both the interests of the institution and of the person concerned,” a Commission spokesperson said when asked. The Commission’s probe, overseen by Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin, examines “potential breaches” of four…

From Brussels to Brasília, policymakers have long championed poultry as a “transition meat” — a pragmatic alternative to climate-intensive beef. Chicken is lower-emission, relatively affordable, scalable across global markets and often promoted as a leaner, lower-fat option compared with pork or beef. In political shorthand: the least-worst option. But as a fresh wave of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu, sweeps across continents — killing hundreds of millions of birds, infecting some mammal species and prompting sweeping lockdowns — the virus is edging closer to spilling over into humans. That is putting the poultry playbook under stress.…