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

Christmas, the time of joy, happiness, presents, and most importantly, the period to spend time with your family and loved ones. With the year nearing an end, some good news and, unfortunately, bad news continue to circulate. Here is some news from this week. US launches strikes ISIS Terrorist in Northwest Nigeria  Christian persecution has been an ongoing discussion across several social media platforms. People have expressed their sadness and sympathy regarding the situatio

Are you tired of hearing about all the bad things that have been happening lately? With the ongoing war in Ukraine, the continued conflict between Israel and Palestine, and Climate Change becoming an increasing threat, it is easy to develop a pessimistic outlook on the world. Thus, we have collected some positive news of the past week.  More than a quarter of new cars sold in 2025 are electric  A recent analysis by the energy think tank Ember  showed that in 2025, more than a

Photo taken by Ella Leffler in Cusco, Peru : Mafia de Ricos Limenos Esclavizan a 50% De Peruanos Capitalistas Demonios Roban y Empobrechen a Los Peruanos / Rich Lima Mafia Enslaves 50% of Peruvians Capitalists Demons Steal Impoverish Peruvians On September 9, 2025, Nepalese youth  protestors successfully overthrew their government following decades of corruption plaguing their country and exploiting state resources and their people. This historical moment inspired youth-based

Our Strange Addiction About two years ago, starting university, I fell prey to the magical allure of ChatGPT. Much like those around me, trying to keep up with all the work, it was a nice (or even necessary) tool to keep my head above the water. When I simply did not have the time to read a text before class, it could summarize it for me. When I couldn’t come up with the specific word to use for an essay, ChatGPT would help me find it.   Before I knew it, it became commonplac

Eyes on Austrian Cinema Source: IMDb, photo from Sissi, the Young Empress (1956).  Seit ich an seinem Grab gestanden, Bin ich von Gluten aufgezehrt; Ich schmachte nach dem stillen Hügel, Und doch hat er mir nichts gewährt! Since being there, at his grave standing, Consumed I’ve been by ember ash. The quiet hill has left me pining For faintest glimpse of ancient past. Poem "Longing" by Sissi (1885)   From a bygone era yet with timeless charm, Romy Schneider delivers an unforge

A Comment on the Cynical Welfare Debate in Germany There are few better media attention triggers than the image of the "lazy immigrant." Discourse on foreigners who do not contribute to public funds, but drain countries' tax-financed welfare system enrages tax payers and does well in big letters. Fairly so, in times of aging populations, national social assistance schemes carry the twofold burden of even more pensioners and a shrinking working age demographic. Any public cent

Europe in a nutshell  As you might have guessed from our names, we are French and Dutch students. We are also writers for a student newspaper in Maastricht. But above all, we are young European citizens, attached to improving the EU that we believe in.  And we are not alone. Looking at recent news events and elections in Europe, there is a large attachment of the young generation to causes that shape the future of the continent. Among young voters, many of them tend to turn t