Astronomers have captured the most detailed images ever taken of a jet launched by a young star, confirming a theoretical model that has remained untested for three decades.
Published today in Nature…
TL;DR: Spoil your PC this holiday season with this Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows license, now just $29.97 (reg. $229).
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On the anniversary of the heinous terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan solemnly remembers the innocent children and teachers who were martyred in an act of sheer inhumanity. Their sacrifice…
Astronomers have announced they’ve catalogued the 40,000th near-Earth asteroid.
The announcement marks a milestone in the detection of space rocks that orbit close to Earth and, scientists say, highlights the threat posed by space rocks to our…
From December 14 to 15, 2025, Special Envoy Zhai Jun of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue attended the 11th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The theme of the forum is…
Late payments remain an increasing problem in the EU, with more than half of companies reporting difficulties as a result in 2024. According to suppliers, average payment periods exceeded 60 days in both B2B and G2B transactions, with governments paying later than businesses in every Member State. As observed in every year analysed, the larger the company, the less likely it is to pay on time. At sector level, however, payment performance varies widely, differing more across Member States than across sectors within a single country.
This edition of the Annual Report introduces a new section on payment terms. The analysis shows that longer payment terms are associated with longer payment periods in 87% of cases, and that most companies surveyed by the Commission support limiting payment terms.
Amid economic uncertainty and a slowdown, companies are increasingly concerned about late payment practices, while structural issues persist. The consequences of a poor payment culture are diverse, with impacts on investment and growth most frequently cited. In addition, pursuing late payments represents a significant administrative burden for companies.
The Annual Report is the Observatory’s main analytical output, providing a comprehensive overview of key trends and developments in payment performance related to commercial transactions in 2024.
This report was written in the context of a European Commission project to set up a European Payment Observatory. The report was originally published here.
