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

On November 14 th , we had the opportunity to participate in one of the events as part of the FASHIONCLASH festival. The event was labelled as a Design workshop  and Open Ateliers . It was portrayed as a chance to explore the works of several entrepreneurs and to see their creative process firsthand, in all its raw reality . Away from the busy streets, Designshop  and Open Ateliers took place in a more suburban and industrial part of the city, adding to the events’ intimate a

We asked several Maastricht Diplomat journalists to share their favourite exhibitions and pieces from this year’s FASHIONCLASH Festival, and why these stood out to them.  Now in its 17th edition, FASHIONCLASH  is an international, multidisciplinary fashion festival that provides emerging designers and artists with a platform to showcase bold, boundary-pushing work. This year’s edition took place in Maastricht from November 14 to 16, 2025.  Below, our writers reflect on the wo

For weeks, I heard whispers from my peers that an event was about to take place in Maastricht. Intrigued, I inquired about it, however, when I asked my friends, they knew little to nothing about it. The brief conversations I had on the topic brought nothing to light about what was actually going on.  Luckily, I discovered it was the FASHIONCLASH festival  from the Maastricht Diplomat, taking place across various locations in Maastricht from the 14th to the 16th of November. T

Climate justice discussions entangle multiple perspectives, which while often controversial must be addressed. Policy makers might have different priorities, while only pretending to listen to the voices of relevant people for climate negotiations. Are we supporting a more ecological and inclusive future, or simply using the sustainability flag to gain support and achieve hidden economic goals? COP, the Conference of the Parties 30, the 30 th  United Nations conference on Cli

“In the corners of a Circle”, an artwork created by Fashion Design graduate, Kim Gemmik, was exhibited at Bureau Europa for this year’s FASHIONCLASH Festival in Maastricht. The viewers could discover the artwork in its basement.  When walking down the stairs, I was immediately introduced to the interactive and playful part where the viewer was invited to become a model themselves. As another group of artists and friends were having fun with the activity, I chuckled, inspired

The UN’s Committee on World Food Security (or CFS) envisions a large role for governments in food systems with ambitious responsibilities for national and regional governments. The CFS gathered this summer to draft a shared vision on Urban and Peri-Urban food systems. Their conclusions included a vision for the formalization of markets, intentions for international oversight, and best-practice sharing.  The CFS’s primary mandate is to converge national policies and coordinat

As the human rights crisis in Gaza worsened, protests in Germany were rising, fuelled by some citizens believing that the government was not taking enough action. From activists and public figures being uninvited to conferences because of their views, to UN experts accusing the government of systematically suppressing manifestations for Gaza, public opinion grew increasingly divided whilst the government continued to send weapons to Israel.  Germany’s moral duty to support Is

Art heists have an undeniable mystique. People cannot help but instantly feel invested in the topic, questioning the 'hows' surrounding the incident. Most recently, in October, the Louvre parted with a collection of French Crown Jewels valued at 102 million dollars after four masked thieves entered in broad daylight . In this particular Parisian case, the detail which intrigues people the most is how is it even possible, considering how well protected such art collections are

Trigger Warning: This article discusses films that include themes of gender-based violence, self-harm, bodily transformation, blood, horror and gore imagery, ritualistic violence, religious symbolism, and queerphobic behaviour. While graphic details are not described, some content may be disturbing or emotionally triggering for readers.  A Red Glow, A New Kind of Cinema FASHIONCLASH 2025  has proven itself a turning point in European fashion film, defined by outspoken, genre-

Tugs of Crisis, from Caracas to Beirut  Dear readers, welcome to your weekly rendez-vous with the Maastricht Diplomat.  US-Venezuela Standoff  Tensions between the United States and Venezuela are becoming increasingly apparent in terms of security. US President Donald Trump has suggested that he would be prepared to authorize ground operations against drug traffickers in Venezuela . This statement comes after multiple visits to US allies in the Caribbean  to secure strong coo

Figure 1 : Stop the Shutdown Rally - Washington D.C., January 2019 43 days of uncertainty left millions waiting, federal workers at a standstill, and no pay. American federal workers and citizens felt, and are still facing, the repercussions of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The nation is left asking: How did this happen? What happens next?  What is a government shutdown? The United States is the only country with a government that fails to keep funding goin

A primary forest is a pristine forest that has never been altered by human activity. It is a precious ecosystem, particularly for its biodiversity. Globally, only 1,180,000,000 hectares  remain, primarily in six countries: Brazil, Canada, the United States, Russia, China, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These forests have almost vanished elsewhere due to centuries of agricultural expansion, logging, mining, and urban development that permanently transformed natural land

Photo taken from the intro of the YouTube video “ Miu Miu Women's Tales #21 - Shangri-La”. On 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it is important to remember that sexual abuse and harassment are still too prevalent in our world. While some acts of violence repeated are extremely brutal, others may seem milder but share the same violent essence in nature.  Several short films by the Miu Miu (a luxury brand created by Miuccia Prada) den