LIVE UPDATES IN PROGRESS 25TH FEBRUARY: THE EP AND COUNCIL OPENING SESSIONS ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT The European Parliament’s (EP) Health and Environment Committee’s floor was first declared open at 13:48 today, where the European Commission’s legislative proposal – the subject of debate for the remainder of the conference – was initially and formally presented. 15 minutes of informal debate was allotted for the MEP’s to consolidate their proposed positions and amendments t

Vote! Are you a European citizen, and are you registered in the municipality of Maastricht? Then, good news! You can vote in the upcoming local elections on March 18th!   Our local coverage team invited candidates for interviews, and it aims to give keys to students to make their choice, without any editorial endorsement.   In this fifth episode of "Visions for Maastricht", we explore the programme of D66, with Marlou Jenneskens. On this rainy Friday morning, we met Marlou Je

For over six decades, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) has served as the undisputed high altar of international security, a " Davos of Defense " where the West has traditionally gathered to define itself. Since its founding in 1963 by Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist as  " Wehrkunde " ,  it has evolved from an intimate, smoke-filled transatlantic family meeting during the Cold War into the world’s most consequential independent forum for strategic debate. However, between Friday

Today, we’re closing a quite eventful week for the global community. The past seven days have been filled with positive events that brought people together. So what were the highlights of the past week? India AI Impact Summit This past week held an event that connected the international tech community by gathering them under one roof. From the 16th to the 20th of February, the AI Impact Summit  took place in New Delhi, India. This event marked the first global AI summit hoste

Take me to church through February’s piercing breeze  under the lunar light trembling body  trembling heart. Sea moss stones buried in raven sea under the decision’s pressure longed for reunion its sweet warmth.

Welcome dear readers,  For many of you, the year is already in full swing. Meanwhile, in Brazil, there is a popular saying that the year only officially begins after Carnival. Jokes aside, it is true that the two continents separated by an ocean share one thing: the upcoming week is especially loaded with cheerful and colorful celebrations.  In Europe, during the preparations for the exciting week ahead, all we can hope for is no rain and much dancing, singing, and drinking t

Vote! Are you a European citizen, and are you registered in the municipality of Maastricht? Then, good news! You can vote in the upcoming local elections on March 18th !  Our local coverage team invited candidates for interviews, and it aims to give keys to students to make their choice, without any editorial endorsement.  Meet Floris Soeren, candidate in the 5th position on the list of the Labour Party ‘Partij van de Arbeid’ (PvdA).  The red, yellow, and green decorations at

Vote! Are you a European citizen, and are you registered in the municipality of Maastricht? Then, good news! You can vote in the upcoming local elections on March 18th!   Our local coverage team invited candidates for interviews, and it aims to give keys to students to make their choice, without any editorial endorsement.   In this third episode, we explore the programme of GroenLinks with Anne Lucas. On this cold Friday afternoon, a warm drink at Paulus was highly appreciate

Dear readers, welcome back to the Sunday Summary, where this week we will be talking about everything except Trump! If you have been feeling overwhelmed by the seemingly endless stream of Trump headlines lately, you are not alone. The news cycle has been moving at an unbearable speed, with one controversy constantly tumbling into the next. We seem to be experiencing a classic case of what Trump, himself, calls “Flooding the Zone,”  where one saturates the media space with so

Vote! Are you a European citizen, and are you registered in the municipality of Maastricht? Then, good news! You can vote in the upcoming local elections on March 18th !  Our local coverage team invited candidates for interviews, and it aims to give keys to students to make their choice, without any editorial endorsement.  For our second episode, we introduce Muun Ubbink, candidate for the Socialist Party. [Author’s note: Our first article was in a “written format”. However,

Vote! Are you a European citizen, and are you registered in the municipality of Maastricht? Then, good news! You can vote in the upcoming local elections on March 18th !  Our local coverage team invited candidates for interviews, and it aims to give keys to students to make their choice, without any editorial endorsement.  Today, we start with Jules Ortjens, who is running for Volt.  Made in Europe  It was not difficult to convince Jules Ortjens, Fractievoorzitter (party lead

Image note: The teal butterfly symbolizes gynaecological cancer awareness and holds a deep, personal meaning to my family.  I lost someone very close and important to me. She was my second mother, someone I could run to and confide in, judgment-free. My aunt passed away at the end of February 2025 after a two-year battle with cervical cancer. What started as menstrual pain and bleeding slowly turned into something more serious. She spent her final years in and out of chemothe

My mom and I visited my brother in Namibia over the holidays. We’ve seen beautiful landscapes and felt very much welcomed by the people. However, the country has caught my attention before, it being a former colony of the Empire of Germany.  From 1884-1915 today's Namibia was under German rule and referred to as  “German South West Africa” . Germany’s colonial history is not part of the German Education Curriculum nor the genocide  of the Herero and Nama from 1904-1908 . For

The team of Place to Stay did a great job in transforming Griendgarage - the industrial space - into a comfy and welcoming movie room. From the cozy sofas and carpets to the hot chocolate and mulled wine stand, one could notice that the organizers put a lot of thought and intention into the details. All combined, they managed to create a pleasantly silent and respectful atmosphere, turning the grey hangar into a true place to stay! The organizers providing mulled wine and hot

This week’s weather has felt rather unpredictable, with two-thirds of Europe engulfed in snow, Australians sizzling in the heat, Southern Asia swimming in floods, and tornadoes hitting Southern Africa. It seems the planet is incapable of deciding on a single season.  As I write this, inside the warm atmosphere of the Fixed Gear Café, Maastricht has evolved into a winter wonderland due to a powerful Arctic outbreak . While I’m no expert, it’s clear to see that this has had som

A wish finally granted in January: Bulgaria enters the euro era Since this summer, Bulgarians have been preparing for the switch to the Euro from the Bulgarian Lev. Everywhere in shops, prices have been displayed in both currencies. However, the Bulgarian political system remains fragile. In four years, the country has held seven elections, which has considerably destabilized the domestic political situation. Some fear that this instability will worsen with the adoption of th

“ Maybe my  photos will live longer than I do, and that’s what makes me feel at peace… a timeless image th at cannot be buried by time or place”  These words were the hope of the late Fatma Hassona, a Palestinian photojournalist  who enlisted herself to capture the daily lives of Palestinians in Gaza and the suffering they have endured as a result of Israel’s genocide. As one can discern from this qu ote, Hassona wanted to spread the truth with her photos, she wanted the worl

Since its creation in 1948, Israel has been by far the largest recipient of cumulative aid by the U.S , the total equivalent amounting to 330 billion dollars. Comparatively, the second largest recipient, Egypt, has received 170 billion dollars since 1948. After October 7, the American aid package increased exponentially, with new billion-dollar arms sale agreements. According to a report conducted by Brown Universit y, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) could not have escalated

A Midnight Operation: The Fall of Maduro At 1:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time in Caracas, an event unfolded that has already reshaped the international political landscape. Reports began circulating that United States special operations forces had entered the presidential compound of Nicolás Maduro. Within minutes, social media channels and global news outlets filled with claims that the Venezuelan president and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and removed from the cou

This week, we welcomed the year 2026. The New Year is mostly associated with resolutions and a fresh start; however, reality often disappoints. Some things remain the same, or make a turn for the worse. This year has begun with political events that will leave their mark in history books and may determine the course of global politics for the upcoming months.  Trump-Netanyahu Meeting Regarding Palestine On Monday, the 29th of December 2025, US President Donald Trump met with