An Olympic Flame in turbulent times
The flame lit in Olympia travels toward Milan–Cortina amid a Europe shaped by war, diplomatic tension and shifting alliances. Debates over Russian and Belarusian athletes underline how deeply politics now intersects with the Olympic stage. Italy prepares for record crowds and a sprawling, high-stakes Winter Games that mirror the continent’s uncertainty.
The secret life of Europe’s stolen art
The Louvre heist was framed as a “wound to the French soul,” even though the stolen regalia were prized mostly for their material value. The incident exposed gaps in security and the speed with which political narratives take shape. It also resurfaced questions about the origins of the stones themselves, which came from Asia, Africa, or South America.
Care for a body: Where Art Meets Activism
Read Ally's coverage of the "Care for a body" exhibition, featuring 30 artists from 15 countries.
Banksy and the shadows of censorship
Banksy’s mural outside the Royal Courts of Justice, showing a judge about to strike a protester, was erased within hours. Its removal became part of the artwork itself - a performance of censorship that spoke louder than the image. By silencing the wall, London’s justice system exposed its reflex to control dissent and frame activists as the “dangerous Other.”
Mădălina Surducan: Young people are increasingly engaged in the world they live in – and in politics
Mădălina Surducan manages one of the key cultural bookstores in Cluj-Napoca, a university city where, she says, reading still matters — and young people come in often, drawn not only to literature, but also to critical theory, philosophy, and contemporary essays. You’ll find them in the bookstore searching for “really cool stuff,” she says with a smile.
Chinese pressure on a British university? Police investigate interference in academic freedom
British counterterrorism police are investigating a case that may reveal previously unknown details about Chinese influence on European universities. At stake are academic freedom, human rights, and the fate of the persecuted Muslim minority in China.
What it takes to dance with the past?
A youth council’s plan for a DJ party beneath the historic Gorgopotamos bridge has sparked heated debate in Greece. Critics denounce it as a desecration of a site tied to wartime executions and resistance, while organizers defend it as a way to showcase and promote the monument.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Meet the Winners
Three researchers from Japan, Australia, and the USA have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, announced the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. They were recognized for their work on metal-organic frameworks.
