A team of French and Turkish researchers has published an exhaustive analysis of twelve obsidian arrowheads with intentional incisions found at the Neolithic site of Tepecik-Çiftlik, in the Cappadocia region (Turkey). These objects, dating between 7100 and 6100 BCE, represent an exceptional archaeological phenomenon: they are extremely rare and have only been found in Central […]

Un equipo de investigadores franceses y turcos ha publicado un exhaustivo análisis de doce puntas de flecha de obsidiana con incisiones intencionales halladas en el yacimiento neolítico de Tepecik-Çiftlik, en la región de Capadocia (Turquía). Estos objetos, que datan de entre el 7100 y el 6100 a.C., representan un fenómeno arqueológico excepcional: son extremadamente raros […]

En 1919, cuando alguien empezó a examinar con detenimiento la encuadernación de un códice del siglo VIII conservado en el Archivo Capitular de la catedral de Barcelona, descubrió que la tapa posterior escondía algo más que cuero y costuras. Bajo la piel, colocados en pliegues, aparecieron diez fragmentos de papiro. Más de un siglo después, […]

In 1919, when someone began to carefully examine the binding of an 8th-century codex preserved in the Chapter Archive of the Cathedral of Barcelona, they discovered that the back cover hid something more than leather and stitches. Beneath the skin, placed in folds, appeared ten fragments of papyrus. More than a century later, six of […]

In 1648, as Swedish troops looted Prague Castle at the end of the Thirty Years’ War, someone carried off among the spoils a volume that weighed 75 kilos and required two people to move. It was a book, the largest surviving illuminated manuscript of the entire Middle Ages, an object so disproportionate for its time […]

En 1648, mientras las tropas suecas saqueaban el castillo de Praga al final de la Guerra de los Treinta Años, alguien cargó entre el botín un volumen que pesaba 75 kilos y necesitaba dos personas para moverlo. Se trataba de un libro, el manuscrito iluminado más grande que se conserva de toda la Edad Media, […]

Un equipo de arqueólogos, liderado por la Universidad de Bohemia Occidental (UWB), ha sacado a la luz en las proximidades de la localidad de Chleby, en la actual República Checa, una estructura monumental que data de hace más de 6.500 años y que se configura como uno de los centros rituales más antiguos de Europa […]

A team of archaeologists, led by the University of West Bohemia (UWB), has brought to light, near the town of Chleby, in present-day Czech Republic, a monumental structure dating back more than 6,500 years, identified as one of the oldest ritual centers in Central Europe. The first datings on organic material recovered at the site […]

Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, at the University of Copenhagen, have managed to reproduce in the laboratory the state of matter that filled the cosmos during its first millionth of a second after the Big Bang, using collisions between atomic nuclei much lighter than what was previously thought possible. This breakthrough, which the scientists […]

The European Union is the only area in the world where passengers are protected by a full set of rights – whether they travel by air, rail, ship, or bus and coach.

For air travel, the current EU regulation sets out passengers’ rights when flights are cancelled, significantly delayed, or boarding is denied. In the case of delays, compensation applies once the delay reaches three hours, provided it is not caused by “extraordinary circumstances” beyond the airline’s control – such as severe weather or air traffic restrictions. 

Yet the current regulation dates back to 2004, and much has changed since then – from inflation and the Covid-19 pandemic to a massive rise in air travel. In response, the European Commission proposed a revision in 2013, but disagreements among member states stalled the process until 2025.

In June 2025, EU ministers finally reached a political agreement, and negotiations with the European Parliament resumed in October. However, deep divisions remain over key issues. While the Council’s proposal is seen as less passenger-friendly, the Parliament is pushing for stronger protections.

To that end, MEPs have set a series of red lines, including a pre-filled claim form sent no later than 48 hours after the scheduled departure and the right to carry a hand luggage item without extra charge. But the most controversial issue is the Council’s proposal to raise the compensation threshold from three to four hours for intra-EU flights, and to six hours for long-haul journeys.

On 21 January, the Parliament adopted its second-reading position in plenary, with 97 percent of MEPs voting in favour of its red lines. The ball is now in the Council’s court, which has up to four months to update its mandate in response.

Over the coming months, it will become clear which side prevails – passengers or airlines.

Berlin (dpa) – Germany’s Greens are backing the European Union’s landmark trade deal with India, days after the party’s lawmakers in the European Parliament played a key role in challenging the bloc’s agreement with the South American Mercosur countries.

Andreas Audretsch, the party’s deputy group leader in the German parliament, said the deal with India, which was announced earlier on Tuesday, was good for businesses and workers in Germany.

In view of the “destructive rage” of US President Donald Trump, Europe must build new alliances for trade and cooperation, Audretsch argued.

The deal was finalised during an EU-India summit in New Delhi, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proclaiming the agreement on Tuesday.

“The EU and India make history today, deepening the partnership between the world’s biggest democracies,” von der Leyen said.

The latest agreement will not be as comprehensive as the one recently concluded between the EU and Mercosur countries Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Last week, several Green lawmakers in Brussels voted in favour of referring the bloc’s deal with Mercosur to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which could result in a substantial delay to ratification. Their votes were decisive in passing the motion, prompting severe criticism for the party in Germany, whose export-led economy stands to benefit from the boost to trade.

In a paper, the Green leadership has said that Germany needs “new economic partnerships” to diversify foreign trade. “That is why it is important to provisionally apply the agreement with the Mercosur countries and then ratify it,” the paper continued. (January 27)

Strasbourg, France – Several thousand European farmers protested in the French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday against the European Union’s free trade deal with countries in the Latin American Mercosur bloc.

Around 5,000 protesters and several hundred tractors gathered in the city, according to local officials, where the European Parliament is holding a plenary session this week.

EU lawmakers are to decide on Wednesday if they want to seek an opinion from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on whether the contested Mercosur agreement is compatible with EU law, which could delay the ratification process.

The free trade agreement was signed in Paraguay last weekend and still has to be approved by the European Parliament.

With their protest, the farmers want to keep up the pressure on EU decision-makers. They fear disproportionate competition from cheap imports from South America.

Protesters lit smoke bombs and held up placards with slogans such as “Von der Leyen go home,” directed at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The demonstration caused major traffic disruption in Strasbourg, with several roads blocked. (January 20)