World
Who is Europe's top investor in space in 2023?
Luxembourg remains Europe’s top investor in space in a year when defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets for the first time since the 1990s.
Global public investment in space hit a record high of €106 billion in 2023, an 11% increase compared to 2022.
In Europe, the total funding was €11.9 billion, showing a modest 1% rise in its share of global space investment.
According to the European Space Agency, defence spending on space exceeded civil space budgets last year for the first time since the 1990s. Defence expenditures in space are projected to grow faster than civil spending, making up 53% of the budget in 2024.
The US continues to dominate global space investment, accounting for 64% of the total budget, while China holds a strong second place, growing its share from an estimated 2% in 2000 to 12% in 2023 through long-term programmes in both civil and defence.
Europe ranks third, contributing 11% of the global space budget in 2023.
What share of their GDP do EU countries spend on public space budgets?
Luxembourg remains Europe’s leading investor in space, dedicating 0.135% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the sector.
Globally, the country ranks third behind the US (0.262%) and Russia (0.169%).
In Europe, Luxembourg is followed by France, which invests 0.167% of its GDP, Italy at 0.103%, and Belgium at 0.095%.
On the other hand, private investment in space has continued to decline in 2023, dropping by 32% compared to 2022.
Europe also saw a 14% decrease in 2023 compared to the year before, with private space ventures receiving just below €980 million.
Although the US accounts for most of the global decline in 2023, its space sector continues to attract the largest share of investments at 60%, followed by Europe with 16% and China with 9%.
What was the state of space activity in 2023?
There were 221 orbital launches in 2023, an 18% increase compared to 2022.
Yet, a total of 212 launches were successful.
The US carried out more than half of the launches, with 96 of them conducted by SpaceX.
China accounted for 30% with 67 launches, a 5% increase from 2022, and Russia completed 19 launches.
The European launch service provider conducted three launches in 2023, including Europe’s first mission to Jupiter, which aimed to explore whether the planet’s three moons — Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede — could support life in their oceans.
Video editor • Mert Can Yilmaz
World
Video: Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican Reggae Icon, Is Dead
new video loaded: Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican Reggae Icon, Is Dead
transcript
transcript
Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican Reggae Icon, Is Dead
Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaican reggae singer who helped popularize the genre around the world with songs like “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “The Harder They Come,” has died. He was 81.
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Music is like air that we breathe. And once it’s there, everybody breathes it. The industry, to me, is the first time I came out of my mother’s womb. And I say [screaming] — and I started making my sound and I never stopped. Music can highlight awareness. And from that awareness, people can take some kind of action to better the situation. I think that’s the role music has played through the ages. And I think it’s the role that it is playing now. And I think that is the role that it can play.
By Chevaz Clarke
November 24, 2025
World
Airlines pull Venezuela flights amid safety warning, as Trump ratchets up pressure on Maduro
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Several major airlines have pulled Venezuelan flights following a U.S. aviation safety warning, disrupting travel to the country and as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
According to Reuters, at least three airlines, Brazil’s Gol, Colombia’s Avianca, and TAP Air Portugal, canceled departures from Caracas Saturday, with other international carriers making changes through Monday.
The flight disruption also impacted the U.K. and Europe, coinciding with the administration’s decision to designate the Venezuelan group known as the Cartel de los Soles, as a foreign terrorist organization.
TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines about flying over Venezuela, issuing a notice urging them to “exercise caution” due to the “potentially hazardous situation” in the region. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
TAP said its flight decision followed U.S. advisories indicating that safety could not be guaranteed, Reuters reported.
Spain’s Iberia said it would suspend flights to Caracas starting Monday “until further notice,” though its Saturday service to Madrid operated as planned, per the report.
Copa Airlines and Wingo continued operations, while LATAM canceled its Sunday Bogotá-bound flight.
The airline changes primarily came after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning to aircraft operating in or over Venezuelan airspace.
TRUMP ENDS VENEZUELA TALKS, MILITARY OPTIONS LOOM, NEW REPORT
American Airlines plane sits on the tarmac at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela. (AP)
As reported by Fox News Digital, the FAA had warned airlines Nov. 22, about flying over Venezuela, issuing a notice urging them to “exercise caution” due to the “potentially hazardous situation” in the region.
The advisory comes as the U.S. has significantly increased its military presence across the Caribbean deploying bombers, warships, and Marines as part of a campaign targeting drug-trafficking operating near the region and airstrikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels.
On Monday, the State Department went on to formally announce the designation of the Cartel de los Soles in the Federal Register.
MARCO RUBIO SAYS NICOLÁS MADURO’S CARTEL DE LOS SOLES TO BE DESIGNATED A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION
USS Gravely and several other destroyers have been deployed to U.S. Southern Command as the Trump administration takes on drug cartels and President Nicolás Maduro. (Getty Images)
The Cartel de los Soles, or “Cartel of the Suns,” refers to a network of government and military officials in Venezuela engaged in drug trafficking.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said in a statement last week that the Cartel de los Soles and other cartels in Venezuela were “responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.”
On Monday, European governments quickly updated their travel guidance. Germany warned that Venezuela’s situation remained “tense” and could deteriorate further.
Meanwhile, the U.K. advised travelers Sunday that flights were being canceled on short notice.
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“Some airlines have canceled flights at short notice,” the U.K. government advised. “If you have an upcoming flight to or from Venezuela, you should stay in touch with your airline or travel agency,” it said.
World
Watch the video: Russian frozen assets — what's next?
“You don’t have the cards” — that is what US President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this year. But Brussels thought it held an ace: the frozen Russian assets. Now, the 28-point US peace plan has called out Europe’s hand.
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