Why conspiracies never feel new
Umberto Eco’s The Prague Cemetery is a deliberately difficult novel. It is dense, repetitive, often uncomfortable, and at times actively unpleasant. This is not a failure of craft. It is the core of Eco’s argument.
China presses EU states over visas for Taiwanese politicians
China has stepped up diplomatic pressure on EU countries to deny visas and entry to Taiwanese officials, invoking the Schengen Borders Code and warning against crossing Beijing’s political “red line”. The move follows a series of high-level visits by Taiwanese politicians to Europe and highlights growing tensions between the EU and China.
EU and China close to an agreement in the electric vehicle dispute
The EU and China are edging closer to a compromise in their trade dispute over electric vehicles, with talks focusing on price undertakings as a possible alternative to countervailing duties. New guidance from the European Commission outlines strict conditions for such offers, signalling that any deal must deliver the same level of protection as existing tariffs.
Debate Kit – Airplane transportation
The advent of the airplane completely changed our perception of the world: it is now possible to travel everywhere, even to the other side of the world. Must we do without airplanes to travel?
China reshapes trade and investment policy as the EU faces new economic tensions
Chinese authorities have announced adjustments to the country’s trade and investment policy in response to rising global trade tensions. The Ministry of Commerce said that despite a more challenging international...
How permanent is Permafrost—and what its thaw means for the world
Permafrost was once the planet’s deep freezer; it is now a slow-burning fuse. As it thaws, ancient carbon escapes, landscapes collapse, and northern communities pay the price. The science is clear, but politics lags behind physics, turning a planetary warning into a moral choice.
Debate Kit – Identity and Gender
A person's gender identity is the one they feel and claim. It is exclusively a matter of self-determination; that is, it is the one the person believes and says they have. Gender identity is a psychological given; therefore, it depends neither on behavior, nor appearance, nor body, nor tastes, nor sexual orientation. How does one determine their gender identity?
China signals deeper economic cooperation with Germany
China has signalled its readiness to deepen economic cooperation with Germany, framing trade and investment as a key stabilising force in its relations with Europe. During talks with the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Beijing highlighted clean energy, advanced technologies and services as priority areas for closer collaboration, while reaffirming its commitment to further opening the Chinese market to foreign businesses.
