Is tourism in Malta a blessing or a curse?
Malta welcomed over 3.5 million tourists in 2024, fueling economic growth but overwhelming local services, harming the environment, and changing traditional lifestyles. As authorities consider caps and emissions cuts, the nation faces a crucial balancing act between prosperity and preservation.
European Heritage Days as a Cultural Laboratory
Architecture takes center stage for the 2025 European Heritage Days.
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.
Louvre and 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.”
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.
