Media
Film
Bury the Lead: MTV ‘Death’ and the Way We Read Now
As MTV continued broadcasting across the United States and most of Europe on 1 January 2026, millions of social media tributes mourned a channel that had never actually shut down.
EUROPE
La Befana: Italy’s Winter Gift Giver
As Rome's Piazza Navona packed with families yesterday for the 2026 Befana celebrations, one tradition proves that Italy's Christmas season runs on its own clock.
EUROPE
Trump’s Empty Lawsuit and the Necessity of the BBC
The resignation of two BBC leaders after a Trump lawsuit threat shows the vulnerability of even legacy media to political and financial pressure
EUROPE
Is Viktor Orbán’s Time in Power Up?
Viktor Orbán faces growing fatigue and a rising rival, Péter Magyar, as Hungary heads to elections that could finally test his long-held power.
EUROPE
Truth, Not Trend: Vatican Digitalises Missionaries to Counter AI Slop
The Vatican battles AI-generated 'faith slop' with real digital missionaries, aiming to reclaim spiritual truth in the age of algorithms.
Popular
Poland’s Catholic Football Pilgrimage: Unity, Faith and a Hard Line on Migration
At a Marian shrine where football supporters gather to pray, a presidential call for “Poland without illegal immigrants” turned a devotional event into a political stage.
AfDB Turns to Gulf as Western Funders Step Back
The African Development Bank has installed a president with ingrained Gulf experience as Washington pulls back hundreds of millions
Modern Toys, Old Childhood: Barbie and Lego at a Crossroads
As Mattel unveiled its first autistic Barbie yesterday, developed over 18 months with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the $11.87 doll raised familiar questions about whether modern toys widen childhood or quietly narrow it.
Alps Without Snow: Winter Tourism Tries Reinvention
As Grandvalira in the Pyrenees postponed its late-November 2024 opening until mid-December, warm temperatures left slopes across France, Austria and Spain grassy well into the month, forcing managers to watch thermometers anxiously.
Iranian Heritage Under Threat From All Sides
As civil unrest spreads across Iranian cities in early January 2026 and President Trump renews warnings about military options, the country's 28 UNESCO World Heritage sites sit vulnerable to dangers from multiple directions.
