White Night of Galleries 2025 brought contemporary art to 17 cities in Romania
The White Night of Galleries (NAG), between October 3 and 5, returned with its 19th edition and transformed Bucharest, along with 16 other cities in the country, into a great contemporary art scene. Over 200 projects were available to visit in galleries, alternative spaces, creative hubs and workshops.
A microstate for the Bektashi? Tirana’s gamble
Edi Rama’s plan for a ‘Vatican of Islam’ in Tirana casts the Bektashi order as Albania’s soft-power brand of tolerance — but critics see a political spectacle.
Beaches out of reach: how Italy risks losing its shores
Rising costs and outdated regulations are making Italy’s beaches less accessible. With nearly a third of Italians unable to afford a vacation, the country faces an urgent problem.
The end of cheap fashion from China? France draws the line
In Paris, the European fashion industry signed a declaration against ultra-fast fashion and cheap clothing from China. France’s initiative could reshape the fashion market and the way we shop for clothes online.
“It all starts in preschool”
Early childhood education as a key to migrant integration in the EU.
A revolution in the opera house: how a small Austrian city made opera accessible to all
In a world where accessibility technologies are increasingly visible in public life, opera has remained one of the most traditional and exclusive forms of culture — rarely touched by inclusive innovation.
Reporting from the World Press Photo Exhibition 2025 in Amsterdam
The 68th exhibition of the contest with a long tradition looks back at the most impactful photojournalism and documentary photography of the year. It shows the previous year for what it was. As you walk through the exhibition, you see conflict, politics in motion, migration crisis and climate crisis - from all over the world.
The Game of Thrones at Mount Sinai: confiscations, courtrooms, and clerical chaos
The world’s oldest active Christian monastery faces simultaneous legal expropriation and internal revolt. A May 2025 Egyptian court ruling reclassified the Monastery’s property as state-owned, sparking diplomatic tensions with Greece. Meanwhile, a faction of monks attempted to oust Archbishop Damianos, exposing a deep rift within the cloistered community.
