Sat, May 16 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Vienna, Austria, following JJ’s victory for the country in 2025. While it marks a major milestone for the longest-running annual international televised music competition, the 2026 event is defined by profound geopolitical crises, sweeping rule changes, and intense musical competition. Continue reading
The 2026 Crypto Compliance Mandate: Navigating MiCA and the End of the Grandfathering Era
28 Feb. 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The July 2026 Deadline and “Passporting” The European Union is fundamentally restructuring its digital asset market through the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). By July 1, 2026, the transitional “grandfathering” phase will permanently close, meaning any Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) operating without full MiCA authorization will be doing so illegally. While some member states, like the Netherlands and Sweden, opted for much shorter transition periods that have already expired, the July 2026 date is the absolute maximum limit across the EU. Securing this license grants firms EU-wide “passporting” rights, allowing them to serve clients across all 27 member states with a single authorization. Continue reading
Leigh Riby, Northumbria University, Newcastle
When I hear Shania Twain’s You’re Still The One, it takes me back to when I was 15, playing on my Dad’s PC. I was tidying up the mess after he had tried to [take his own life]. He’d been listening to her album, and I played it as I tidied up. Whenever I hear the song, I’m taken back – the sadness and anger comes flooding back.
Eleni Braat, Utrecht University and Ben de Jong, Leiden University
I was naked, tied to a hard chair with handcuffs. Three or four burly fellows in uniform are standing around me, one of them behind me with a truncheon… ‘Sie sind ein Verräter! [You are a traitor!],’ they snap.