Leslie Hodgin
This story is based on an interview with Leslie Hodgin, a 55-year-old marketing consultant who moved from the US to the Netherlands with her husband, John Lyman, 52. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Until 2026, I was living in Richmond, Virginia, with my husband and our cat.
My dad was in the Army, so I grew up all over the world, but Richmond is my adopted home. I lived there for about 10 years.
During that time, I got an offer to move to Seoul, South Korea, for my marketing job. My husband, John, and I were dating at the time. We got married one week before moving to Seoul for two years.
After the contract ended, we returned to the States. I love Richmond, but it did feel small after I had been in Korea.
Some events happened in both of our families that made us want to move abroad again sooner rather than later. My dad died. My husband's mom died. We had a couple of dear friends pass away. It was all very quick. And it made me think, "What are we waiting for? We don't have promises for tomorrow. Now is the time."
We don't have kids, so that wasn't holding us back. We had some money in the bank to move, which I know is a privilege. It was like, "Let's just go and live our lives. We shouldn't just keep hoping for someday because there may not be someday."
John had gone to graduate school in the Netherlands, so we'd visited before. Through my work in advertising, I also had a fairly large network of people living there.
There's a visa for Americans called the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) that allows freelancers and entrepreneurs to live in the Netherlands. It made the country seem like a great choice for us.
Leslie Hodgin
My husband works for himself, so it was easier for him to pick up and go anywhere. I started my own consulting business and left my agency. I knew there was an advertising community in the Netherlands, and I planned to freelance if my consulting business wasn't doing well.
My husband's dad is in his 90s, and my mom just turned 80. Moving far from them was probably the hardest part of the decision. I have a little guilt for that, but they're excited for us. I've promised my mom that I'll be home for any big family and important events.
That's a hard thing to do, but we felt it was right for us not to put our lives on hold.
We moved in January. We did it in six months. We'd sold our house about a year before moving and were living in an apartment.
We decided to sell almost everything we owned to keep costs as low as possible. We shipped a half-crate over, which is quite small, so we had to get rid of a lot of stuff. We made close to $12,000 selling everything and used it to pay for the visas and help with some of the moving costs.
When we moved, we had nine suitcases, including a large piece of art. It was the largest oversize item that would fit on an airplane, and we had a special museum-packing company pack it. And our cat, of course, came on the plane with us.
Leslie Hodgin
We live in a two-bedroom apartment. It's an old, old building, but the apartment is newly renovated and has a patio.
We do feel lucky that we found a place because there is a housing shortage, and it's quite hard to find housing, particularly if you're American or from another country and you don't have Dutch income. We had to pay six months' rent upfront to secure our rental.
It still feels surreal that we live here. My husband and I will frequently look at each other and say, "Oh my God, I can't believe that we're here." I never want to lose that feeling.
Business seems to be going really well. I also already knew some friends, but I've met so many amazing people through social media and made some great friends with our neighbors.
Leslie Hodgin
We love the sense of community. I appreciate the social contract that people afford each other in the Netherlands, from the opportunities the government provides to the respect and trust they show each other in general.
Recently, there was Open Monumentendag, or Open Monuments Day, with over a thousand monuments, churches, houses, farms, and historic places across the Netherlands open to the public for free. They do that every year, and it feels so special. It seems like every other weekend there's a festival.
There are always challenges. I'm very slow to pick up the language. Most people speak English, but I feel like I need to be better.
Moving also costs a lot more than you plan for. Even if you've tried to pad all the numbers, it still costs more than anticipated. Because our work was quite slow earlier in the year, we were like, "Gosh, what have we done?"
Our cost of living is fairly similar to what it was in the US. We don't have a car, so we don't have that expense. We would be paying double the rent in New York City for this same apartment.
I feel alive again. I felt a little stagnant in Richmond after living overseas, and moving has opened a lot of doors for my creativity.
On social media, I've documented trying one new thing a week. It's gotten us out to meet people and have some interesting experiences.
Leslie Hodgin
There's a risk in moving abroad. You have to get yourself over the hump, and you have to be brave.
Believe in yourself. If there's something you want to try, like moving overseas, going on a solo trip, or taking a cooking class, take a chance on yourself. You're never going to regret trying it if it doesn't work out. If you don't ever put yourself out there, you're going to look back in 20 years and be like, "That would have been great. Why didn't I give that a shot?"
O vice-presidente e candidato à reeleição junto com o presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), Geraldo Alckmin, chegou para votar em um colégio em Morumbi, na zona Sul de São Paulo, às 12:10 deste domingo (25).
Ele veio acompanhado de sua esposa, Lu Alckmin, do candidato ao governo de São Paulo derrotado nas urnas, Fernando Haddad, e de Simone Tebet, Tabata Amaral e Marina Silva.
Após a votação, Alckmin disse que está “muito confiante devido ao movimento que viu nos últimos dias”.
“Mulheres, homens, a melhor idade impressionante a presença de todos nas ruas. Ficamos muito confiantes, animadíssimos, pois cresceram as redes cresceram as ruas e nós vamos garantir a democracia que é onde o povo é ouvido” disse aos jornalistas no colégio Santo Américo.
Alckmin citou que dia 25 de outubro é o dia Nacional da Juventude e também o dia Nacional da Democracia, e elogiou a presença jovem no segundo pleito.
“O futuro começa hoje, e ele se chama juventude. Os jovens geram um grande exemplo, ocupando as ruas de maneira espontânea, alegre, dando um exemplo de amor ao próximo”, disse.
Segundo ele, as eleições estão com um sentimento semelhante ao do movimento Diretas Já, no final dos anos 1980, quando milhares foram às ruas em defesa da democracia. “Nesse segundo turno vimos no Brasil inteiro cidades pequenas no interior e capitais, todo mundo nas ruas defendendo a democracia que é interpretada hoje, pelo presidente Lula.”
Ele também repudiou os ataques violentos contra apoiadores do presidente Lula ontem, em que a vereadora de Montes Claros do PT Iara Pimentel, e o engenheiro Marcelo Rocha, em Santos, foram agredidos.
“Foi um ataque covarde apenas por manifestarem sua opinião política”, disse. (Ana Bottallo/FOLHAPRESS)
The post Alckmin vota em SP e diz estar confiante na defesa da democracia appeared first on Diário da Manhã - O Jornal do leitor Inteligente.
Emily Pogue
After living as digital nomads for nearly two years, my husband and I decided to move from the US to the Netherlands.
We'd visited several times and fell in love with the walkability and bike culture. Plus, I have a connection to the country, since my great-grandparents were Dutch.
With the help of a real-estate agent, we found an apartment remotely from the US, signing a yearlong lease in the city of Utrecht before ever setting foot in the home.
Emily Pogue
Since the process of finding an apartment abroad can often take months, we chose to search remotely from the US. To make things easier, we hired a Dutch real-estate agent with local connections who could view apartments for us in person.
The prep work was much more intense than I was used to. In the US, I've leased apartments in three different states, and the extent of the application typically included filling out a basic form and sometimes completing a background check.
That wasn't going to cut it in the Netherlands.
Our agent gave us a long list of materials to prepare, from 12 months of bank statements and links to our LinkedIn profiles, to a "get to know us" letter, which included our hobbies and photos of us. Then she went looking.
Rentals often get snatched up within a few hours or days, so my husband and I were regularly waking up at 4 a.m. in Colorado to read our agent's emails about the new listings each day.
When we finally found one that checked all our boxes, we asked her to schedule a walkthrough. Luckily, she recorded a video for us to review, so we didn't need to wake up early for this part of the process.
It was during the walkthrough, however, that we learned Dutch apartment listings aren't as detailed as the ones we were used to in the US. When our agent arrived, we discovered the listing had omitted several important pieces of information.
Emily Pogue
For example, there was a fully fenced-in back garden, complete with a shed, picnic table, and blackberry and rose bushes. The kitchen had a dishwasher. And there was a washing machine hidden away behind a cabinet door — and a dryer (which is not as common in Europe).
Score, right? So we jumped at the opportunity, put in our bid, and jumped for joy when our offer was accepted.
Emily Pogue
We arrived in the Netherlands a few weeks later, traveling directly from the airport to our rental. When we unlocked the door for the first time, hoping we'd fall in love with our new home, it was … freezing.
Turns out, the heat had stopped working, and the rental company couldn't send someone to fix it until the next day. So, we spent our first night in the Netherlands at a hotel.
Thankfully, the heat was fixed the following day, and then we could start unpacking. This is when we began to notice some of the more nuanced differences of a Dutch house compared to an American one.
The first thing to get used to? The alarmingly steep stairs (a hallmark of skinny, tall Dutch houses) which made moving furniture up to our second-floor office feel like a Herculean feat.
We also learned to accept moths and gnats as houseguests, since Dutch windows don't typically have screens. However, with no air conditioning and a 100-year-old house that was built to retain heat, we definitely want to keep those windows open.
Overall, aside from a few stowaway insects and some hot days, we've been very fortunate with our rental. I particularly love the neighborhood and how we can walk to a grocery store, bakery, or park within five minutes.
Emily Pogue
Although finding our rental was a whirlwind process, I've found the most interesting parts of living here have come from the cultural differences between American and Dutch neighborhoods.
For example, shortly after arriving, our neighbor invited us to the neighborhood WhatsApp group. If you need to borrow a drill or lose your cat, you send a message to the group.
It's very active, and joining the group helped me feel like I was part of a community before knowing anyone here. Although I've heard of similar groups in the US, I've never been invited to join one.
Ordering packages is also very different. Back in the States, packages would be left by my door. In the Netherlands, however, they aren't left unattended.
Instead, the delivery driver will start ringing the neighbors' doorbells until someone is home. Then, they'll leave a digital note about which house has your package.
One place I didn't expect to feel such a contrast is the sidewalk. On sunny days, my Dutch neighbors bring out their dining room chairs, park them on the bricks outside their front door, and enjoy a cold drink. Sometimes, it'll feel like an impromptu block party — and I couldn't be happier to join in the festivities.
After leasing an apartment across the world, sight unseen, would I do it again? I sure would — especially if I could hire a real-estate agent to check out the home in person.
The quirks of our apartment and neighborhood are all part of the experience of living abroad, and although I may not have expected them, I've now grown attached to these cultural differences.
VTM
Alerson Lisboa, estudante do mestrado em Arquitetura Paisagista da Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), conquistou o primeiro lugar no Prémio Académico AMOP com o projeto “HABIT”.
O projeto consiste numa coleção de mobiliário urbano concebida para promover a convivência entre pessoas e a biodiversidade. Inspiradas na geometria triangular e nas caraterísticas do louva-a-deus, as peças apresentam uma estrutura modular flexível e adaptável a diferentes espaços e utilizações.
O Prémio Académico AMOP, promovido pela Associação Portuguesa dos Arquitetos Paisagistas (APAP), distingue trabalhos académicos que apresentem soluções inovadoras, funcionais e tecnicamente viáveis para espaços exteriores, valorizando a sua aplicabilidade em contextos reais.
Segundo Alerson Lisboa, a ideia surgiu da “necessidade de construir uma alternativa para a reestruturação da vida selvagem em espaços degradados”, com destaque para a criação de novos microhabitats e para a interação entre estes e os seus utilizadores.
O projeto cria condições favoráveis à biodiversidade, integrando soluções para insetos polinizadores e pequenos animais. A utilização de pedra reconstituída reforça uma abordagem sustentável, baseada na economia circular e no design regenerativo.
Desenvolvida no âmbito do mestrado, a coleção cruza conhecimentos de arquitetura paisagista, ecologia e design.
A atribuição do primeiro prémio ajudar a dar visibilidade ao projeto junto de profissionais de referência da área da arquitetura paisagista.
A AMOP selecionou a coleção “HABIT” para produção e comercialização, abrindo caminho à sua aplicação prática.
Segundo a UTAD, esta distinção vem reforçar o contributo da universidade “no desenvolvimento de soluções inovadoras e sustentáveis, capazes de responder aos desafios atuais”.
The post Estudante da UTAD vence prémio com projeto de mobiliário urbano appeared first on A Voz de Trás-os-Montes.
Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) warned that Russia may stage sabotage in Central and Eastern Europe, including the Baltic states, and blame Ukraine for the attacks, in a Telegram post on 23 October.
The warning comes three days after The Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence traces Europe’s sabotage wave to Putin’s personal order. If Russia stages new attacks and pins them on Ukraine, as HUR warns, European anger could turn on Kyiv rather than the Kremlin. This goes further than HUR’s statement on 2 October, which named potential Russian targets in Europe but did not mention a plan to blame Ukraine for attacks.
Russia is stepping up its hybrid strategy to destabilize the European Union, according to HUR. The agency identified two aims: reducing foreign support for Ukraine by discrediting its Defense Forces, and intimidating European governments and societies.
The accusations would be spread through Russian propaganda channels and international platforms accessible to the Kremlin.
HUR listed several potential targets for Russian provocations:
The list reflects HUR’s assessment of potential targets, not confirmation that attacks at these locations are planned.
On 2 October, HUR said Russian intelligence services had been ordered to increase activity in EU and NATO countries. It named military facilities, critical infrastructure, communications systems, and Starlink ground stations as potential targets and said it had alerted partners.
Warnings of Russian false flags on NATO’s eastern flank predate HUR’s. In August, Bloomberg reported, citing an unnamed European intelligence official, that Russia might expand hybrid attacks against Poland and the Baltic states, including false-flag attacks. A European government official separately told the agency that the CIA had warned countries in the region of a possible Russian attack. Lithuania’s military intelligence had warned earlier in August that Moscow might reassemble captured Ukrainian drones for false-flag strikes on critical infrastructure in the Baltic region.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported on 20 October that US intelligence agencies believe the attempted drone attack on Leipzig-Halle Airport in Germany in early August was among the opening shots of a sabotage campaign ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Journal cited European officials briefed on the intelligence findings.
According to the newspaper, at least three drones carrying military-grade Semtex explosives were involved. One struck an Antonov cargo plane used to transport military aid to Ukraine but failed to explode. Another collided with a different aircraft, while a third detonated near the airport perimeter. German newspaper Welt am Sonntag has since named two suspects, citing German investigation files. Earlier German media reports described the sequence differently.
The Journal also reported sabotage attacks on Starlink stations in Poland, Lithuania, and Bulgaria in recent weeks. In August, Slovak authorities said they had foiled a planned arson attack on a Ukrainian drone factory, the Journal reported.
Russia denies involvement in sabotage in Europe. Responding to Berlin’s accusations over the Leipzig incident in early September, Putin asked where the evidence was.
Jordan Mautner
I had 30 minutes left on my lunch break — just enough time to squeeze in a new errand before I had to get back to work. I had only recently moved to Barcelona, and I really needed to get an extra key made for my new roommate.
I typed "locksmith" into Google Maps and rushed out the door. I zigzagged through the narrow streets of my neighborhood trying to find the place. I checked my watch and saw I only had 20 minutes.
I picked up my pace and finally arrived at the small shop. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and reached for the door, but it wouldn't budge.
I peeked in through the window and saw no one. I knocked several times, and with each knock, I was becoming more frustrated, knowing I was losing precious time.
I opened Google Maps again to look up the store's phone number and saw its hours. I was dumbfounded; the store was open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then again from 5 to 8 p.m.
I was so angry — I had wasted my lunch break and didn't even accomplish what I set out to do.
Jordan Mautner
Growing up in Los Angeles, I was used to being able to get pretty much anything done at almost any time of day. Between 24-hour supermarkets and medical offices with evening and weekend hours, everything there seemed built around convenience.
In Barcelona, though, rest seems to take priority. Many stores close during midday for a "siesta" or "nap" break, and a lot of businesses are not open on Sundays.
Jordan Mautner
This new way of life meant I had to plan a lot more before trying to complete my to-do list. I couldn't simply squeeze in errands when they were convenient for me; I had to work around the schedules of those around me.
While living in LA, my favorite time to do grocery shopping was on Sunday. I could fill up my fridge and prepare for the week ahead, but that was no longer possible in Barcelona, as many big supermarkets are closed on Sundays.
During my first year in Spain, I'd often wake up lazily on Sunday mornings and wander over to the supermarket, only to see the doors closed, and I'd be hit with a reality check time and time again.
I wasn't living in the United States anymore, but I couldn't seem to shake off the faster pace of living I was accustomed to back in LA. I was finding it difficult to adapt and was worried that I would become less productive because I couldn't get things done on my time.
Jordan Mautner
Soon, I realized that if I couldn't change the schedule, I had to start adjusting to it. I started splitting errands throughout the week when I knew places would be open, instead of trying to get them done all at once.
Giving myself space between these tasks actually helped me to be less forgetful and more efficient. I had to focus on one thing at a time, which helped me be more present.
Jordan Mautner
Now that I've been in Spain for about six years, I've gotten used to my new routines. And, in time, I found myself feeling less annoyed by the limited hours — I've actually begun to enjoy them.
For one, I felt less pressure to optimize all of my free time.
My lunch breaks became about savoring my meal and actually taking a break, sometimes reading a few chapters in a book or taking a walk in the park. Sundays became about sleeping in, enjoying time with my family, taking a long walk with my dog, and preparing for the week ahead simply by just having a relaxing afternoon.
Even though it wasn't necessarily my choice to stop doing errands whenever I pleased, it forced me to slow down. I started feeling calmer and less stressed, and surprisingly, even more productive.
I became more mindful of how I spent my time and allowed myself moments to truly rest, which gave me more energy to get things done. I still get everything on my to-do list completed; it just might take a little longer.
And before I leave my apartment, I always make sure to check the store hours just in case.
Courtesy of Tiffany Tang
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tiffany Tang, the 30-year-old founder of DrinkFolks. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I'm the founder and CEO of DrinkFolks, which brings jamu, a 1,300-year-old Indonesian herbal remedy, to the US as a prebiotic root tonic.
For the first two years of my career, I was an assistant director at a gallery owned by the first female fine arts dealer in America. From 2017 to 2021, I worked at Christie's International Real Estate in marketing and communications roles.
For the next year, I was a senior communications manager at CSM Sport & Entertainment before taking on a similar role at a fintech company that helped millions of Americans sustainably build their credit scores through rewards.
I was grateful to work there. We were doing big things, and I really learned what it was like to be at a mission-driven company.
The most interesting thing about my layoff was how incredibly calm I felt upon hearing the news. Our CMO told me first, and she was a friend, my college professor, and an executive I admire and respect.
When she told me, I said I didn't blame her, and this was a time for a reset. Turns out, the layoff was the best thing that could've ever happened to me.
For a long time, my self-worth was my net worth — my title, my salary, my career trajectory. When the layoff hit, I lost my sense of self. Reflecting afterward, all I could think was: who am I without the high-paying job?
A few weeks earlier, I had watched the movie "Eat, Pray, Love." When the layoff came, something in me said that this was my moment. I opened Kayak, found a one-way ticket to Bali for around $1,000, and booked it. Bali felt approachable and warm.
I originally planned to travel in Southeast Asia for a month but ended up staying from June 2023 through August 2024.
My awakening happened on day three. One of the first things I did in Bali was a Panchakarma, a full-body Ayurvedic detox at a retreat in Ubud. There was an optional silent day; one of the first times in my life I rooted and looked inward.
Sitting with my journal, I knew I had to stay. I was still negotiating my severance, so I did the math: my savings, my investments, what each month would cost. When my severance came through a few weeks later, it jump-started the journey.
Everyone I met understood me on an indescribable level. It was the only time in my life I was speaking Cantonese to people outside my family, reconnecting with my heritage. By the time I came home for the holidays, I had decided: I was moving to Asia.
The spark for the company was the women I met. Across Indonesia and Southeast Asia, I sat with women quietly building something of their own. I wanted to help these women build generational wealth for their families. I built DrinkFolks as a way to sustainably invest in them — 3% of every sale goes to women-led farms and nonprofits across Southeast Asia through our FolksFund — while supporting health stateside by bringing ancient wisdom into people's homes.
I started the company in January 2024, took every jamu class I could find in Bali, visited the source of jamu in Yogyakarta, and reformulated recipes in my Hong Kong kitchen.
By October 2024, I was back in the US, working with California food scientists to scale up my home-tested recipe. We launched in NYC in October 2025. Today, we're in 70+ stores across the US.
My salary before the layoff was $160,000 a year, plus equity. When I set off, I had roughly $14,000 between savings and severance — my spreadsheet calculated 4.6 months of runway — and I felt comfortable investing that in myself.
I budgeted like it was my job. I tracked my actual spending obsessively for the first four and a half months and came in at roughly $7,700 total.
All-in, I averaged about $1,300 to $2,300 a month, including flights, lodging, food, everything. My money stretched furthest in Cambodia and least in Hong Kong, which was financially similar to New York City. For comparison: my overhead, including my mortgage, maintenance, electricity, and WiFi in New York today is about $2,500 a month.
Healthcare was the biggest surprise, in the best way. I got into a motorcycle accident on the Pakse Loop in Laos, and seven stitches cost me around seven dollars, including painkillers and a week of antibiotics.
Cambodia was the best value. It's the most adventurous, outdoorsy country I visited, and I didn't want to explore alone, so I stayed in hostels for as little as $6 a night — partly a budget move, mostly a way to meet people. It's also where I met my first fellow Americans of the entire trip.
Hong Kong was the opposite — groceries and eating out gave me real sticker shock. I softened it with a genuine energy exchange: I moved in with a college friend and threw dinner parties several times a week, cooking meals for them in exchange for a place to stay. It was worth every dollar — I met some of my truest friends and future business partners there.
Courtesy of Tiffany Tang
It gave me the confidence to build DrinkFolks, a better sense of my heritage, and a version of myself I'm proud of. I've learned to never say never, but right now, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
My advice is to use your layoff as your launchpad. Things happen for you, not in spite of you. If you have even the slightest chance to live in that moment for yourself — for me, that was travel — take it as a gift and a blessing, not a crisis to survive.
Treat budgeting as freedom, not constraint. My money stretched so much further than I imagined. Clear parameters gave me the space to figure out who I am outside my job.
The election comes amid growing allegations of political intimidation, surveillance and restrictions on independent journalism. International observers have expressed concern about the conditions under which the campaign is taking place, while opinion polls suggest that the opposition Student List could challenge Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).
Vučić, who resigned from the presidency to seek the prime minister’s office, has dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade. His attempt to retain power through a different constitutional position comes at a time when Serbia’s relationship with the European Union has deteriorated over judicial independence, media freedom and its continuing ties with Russia.
The opposition movement developed following the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people.
The disaster triggered demonstrations demanding accountability for alleged corruption, failures in public procurement and inadequate construction oversight. What began as a student protest subsequently developed into a nationwide political movement.
As EU Today previously reported, the demonstrations exposed mounting dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of public institutions and corruption allegations.
The Student List, formally registered for Sunday’s election, has brought together academics, professionals and activists who argue that Serbia requires fundamental changes to public administration and political accountability.
Unlike conventional opposition parties, the movement has developed without a single dominant political leader. Its organisers have sought to mobilise voters who previously abstained from elections, including younger citizens dissatisfied with the established political parties.
The movement is fielding 250 candidates and has emerged as the principal electoral challenger to the SNS.
The closing stages of the campaign have been overshadowed by allegations involving Serbian police, intelligence services and political supporters.
A Reuters investigation published on 22nd October documented accounts from activists and journalists describing intimidation, physical attacks and alleged misuse of surveillance technology.
The investigation cited the SHARE Foundation, a Serbian digital rights organisation, which reported that at least 14 individuals had been targeted with advanced spyware.
Independent cybersecurity researchers have also examined alleged attempts to compromise the devices of political activists and opposition figures.
Serbian authorities have denied accusations of systematic political repression and rejected allegations that state agencies conducted unlawful surveillance.
Concerns about media freedom have nevertheless intensified. Reporters Without Borders ranked Serbia 104th among 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, reflecting a deterioration in the environment for independent journalism.
The ruling party maintains that it remains committed to democratic institutions and Serbia’s European integration.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights has deployed an election observation mission to monitor campaigning, electoral administration and voting procedures.
Its mission includes 14 core experts and 30 long-term observers, with additional short-term observers requested for election day.
A delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is also observing the election alongside representatives of the European Parliament and other international institutions.
Earlier this month, the Council of Europe’s pre-electoral delegation described the campaign environment as highly polarised and called for electoral rights to be respected.
The findings of international observers will become particularly important if the result is close or either side disputes the count.
Preliminary assessments are expected on 26th October.
The election could influence Serbia’s accession negotiations with the European Union, which have made limited progress despite Belgrade’s formal commitment to membership.
Brussels has repeatedly raised concerns about judicial independence, the treatment of journalists, corruption and Serbia’s alignment with European foreign policy.
As EU Today examined in July, the failure to advance accession negotiations reflects disagreements extending beyond individual judicial reforms.
Serbia has maintained close economic and political relationships with Russia and China while continuing to seek access to European markets and investment.
A victory for the Student List could create an opportunity to reconsider the country’s approach to EU integration, although its candidates would still face the difficulties of governing a politically divided country.
A victory for Vučić would preserve much of Serbia’s existing political leadership, but the scale of the opposition challenge suggests that domestic pressure for institutional reform would continue.
Much will depend on turnout, the distribution of parliamentary seats and whether the results are accepted as legitimate.
For Brussels, Sunday’s election will be an immediate test of its enlargement policy in the Western Balkans and its ability to reconcile strategic interests with the democratic requirements attached to EU membership.
L’apertura del 23 ottobre ha visto lo spread tra Btp italiani e Bund tedeschi raggiungere un nuovo record recente a 124 punti base. Il differenziale non apriva la giornata a questi livelli dal 2024, ma si tratta comunque di un miglioramento rispetto ai picchi raggiunti nella giornata di ieri.
Anche i rendimenti sono migliorati, rientrando al 4,60% dopo che ieri avevano sfiorato il 4,70%. Oggi è l’ultimo giorno per acquistare i Btp Valore e i Btp Valore Insieme. Dopo le 13, orario in cui terminerà l’emissione si sapranno i tassi definitivi.
Nonostante la situazione dello spread tra Btp e Bund sembri simile a quella che ieri aveva portato il differenziale a raggiungere i 122 punti base in apertura, nelle prime ore del 23 ottobre si sono verificati movimenti più complessi e in un certo senso opposti. Ieri la pressione sui debiti pubblici europei, determinata da vari fattori, aveva portato i rendimenti a nuovi record recenti, lasciando invece invariati quelli dei Bund.
Oggi, invece, tutti i rendimenti sono in calo. Quelli dei Bund si sono però ridotti più rapidamente di quelli degli altri Paesi europei, determinando l’allargamento dello spread.
Sembra controintuitivo, ma nei momenti di crisi i rendimenti dei titoli di Stato tedeschi tendono a calare. Tradizionalmente, la Germania è vista come uno dei Paesi con il debito pubblico più solido e maggiormente sotto controllo. Gli investitori trattano quindi i suo Bund come un bene rifugio.
Questo status è al momento incrinato sia dalle difficoltà economiche del Paese, che appaiono però in via di risoluzione, sia dalla maggiore spesa pubblica degli ultimi governi tedeschi. Ciononostante, nei momenti di crisi, si può ancora notare una maggiore stabilità dei rendimenti tedeschi rispetto a quelli degli altri Paesi europei.
Nonostante il calo dei rendimenti, la pressione sui titoli europei non si è allentata. I Bonos spagnoli hanno raggiunto 70 punti base di spread, ma è in Francia che la situazione è critica.
| Titoli di Stato | Rendimenti | Spread |
|---|---|---|
| Bund tedeschi | 3,36% | – |
| Btp italiani | 4,60% | 124 |
| Oat francesi | 5,06% | 170 |
| Bonos spagnoli | 4,06% | 70 |
Gli Oat sono a 170 punti dai Bund, con rendimenti del 5,06%, il livello più alto da quando è stato introdotto l’euro. È il risultato di una combinazione di fattori, che vanno dalle difficoltà economiche del Paese a un debito pubblico fuori controllo, fino a un certo livello di speculazione sui titoli di Parigi e all’instabilità politica che potrebbe compromettere anche la prossima manovra finanziaria.
Oggi alle 13 so concluderà l’asta dei Btp Valore dedicati agli investitori retail. Il Tesoro ha già raccolto più di 14 miliardi di euro da questa iniziativa. In pomeriggio verranno resi pubblici i rendimenti definitivi. Dalla prossima settimana ricominceranno invece le aste regolari. Le date da segnarsi sono:
Non si sottolinea mai abbastanza l’importanza di un boicottaggio. Specialmente oggi, con i social network e la loro capacità di replicare e amplificare le nostre azioni, il boicottaggio risulta un’arma molto potente per colpire chi è o chi si ritiene colpevole di malefatte.
Un’arma tanto potente quanto misconosciuta, un esempio? Il genocidio a Gaza, i soprusi in Cisgiordania, tanto basterebbe per giustificare un sano boicottaggio sia delle imprese che collaborano fattivamente con Israele, sia dei prodotti israeliani. In realtà un’operazione del genere esiste ed è condotta da BDS (Boicottaggio, disinvestimento, sanzioni), e ha prodotto anche un saggio in collaborazione con L’Indipendente.
Ma penso invece a quell’operazione politica di puro opportunismo che è il campo largo e che su un tema di gravità enorme qual è la politica genocida israeliana non si spende più di tanto – e comunque non fa ricorso all’arma del boicottaggio, probabilmente per non disturbare e inimicarsi le grandi imprese che collaborano con quel governo sporco di sangue. Che coraggio questi politici!
Ma se parlo di boicottaggio oggi è perché ne è iniziato uno assolutamente condivisibile, ed è quello contro Conad, che si è macchiata di un piccolo ma significativo ecocidio in quel di Reggio Emilia, spazzando via il Bosco Ospizio, tra l’altro senza attendere l’esito dell’udienza del Consiglio di Stato che, ironia della sorte, ha sospeso i lavori di abbattimento. In ordine sparso sono già nate manifestazioni di protesta e di restituzione della tessera a livello locale.
Ma per il prossimo venerdì 6 novembre, è prevista una giornata nazionale di boicottaggio con volantini ai supermercati e la pubblica e collettiva restituzione delle tessere Conad. La pubblicità in rete è già partita, con tanto di vignette illustrative (“Conan” anziché “Conad”; “Conad cose prima delle persone”). Pensiamoci. Non si richiede in fondo un grande sforzo: di punti vendita della grande distribuzione ce ne sono in ogni dove, non c’è che l’imbarazzo della scelta. Si può benissimo non andare più a fare la spesa da Conad e farglielo magari anche sapere.
L'articolo Quello del Bosco Ospizio a Reggio Emilia è ecocidio: perché condivido il boicottaggio contro Conad proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.
VTM
O evento contou com a presença de representantes dos municípios de Vila Real e do Peso da Régua, produtores, associações do terceiro setor e outras entidades interessadas no futuro da região.
A sessão decorreu no âmbito do projeto Douro SocioEcological Living Lab, que envolve diferentes agentes da região na procura de respostas para os desafios sociais e ambientais do Douro.
Em declarações à VTM, Lívia Madureira, membro da direção do CETRAD (Centro de Estudos Transdisciplinares para o Desenvolvimento), explicou que o projeto Douro SocioEcological Living Lab consiste num laboratório vivo que visa promover a colaboração entre os vários intervenientes da região do Douro para “identificar problemas, definir prioridades e construir soluções conjuntas para os desafios do desenvolvimento sustentável”. Segundo a responsável, o projeto ambiciona criar “um espaço sobretudo coletivo, onde vários intervenientes se cruzem e discutam os problemas, procurando construir soluções”.
O projeto pretende também identificar as prioridades de intervenção e desenvolver projetos-piloto por meio de processos de cocriação. Embora os principais problemas do território estejam relativamente bem identificados, Lívia Madureira considera fundamental determinar os problemas mais prioritários e transformar as ideias discutidas em iniciativas concretas. “As pessoas têm a mesma opinião em relação a alguns problemas e soluções, o que poderá facilitar a construção de um caminho comum para enfrentar os desafios do Douro”.
Fernando Seara, diretor do Museu do Douro, salientou a importância de acolher este evento, considerando que a iniciativa esteve em conformidade com a missão da instituição, que consiste em “unir a região em torno de uma causa comum e contribuir para a criação de uma visão estratégica para o futuro do Douro, por meio de um planeamento que considera necessário para a região”.
Quanto aos problemas debatidos durante a sessão, Fernando Seara salientou que o encontro permitiu aos participantes partilhar as suas perspetivas sobre os principais desafios da região e apresentar propostas para melhorar o seu futuro. Embora haja consciência de muitos dos problemas que afetam a região, nem sempre existem espaços para os discutir e comunicar. Neste sentido, o diretor do museu destacou que “muitas vezes temos noção de que esses problemas existem e sabemos quais são, mas não temos um local onde lhes possamos dar voz e comunicá-los”.
The post Workshop promoveu reflexão sobre os desafios e futuro da região appeared first on A Voz de Trás-os-Montes.
Denmark will guarantee a loan to the Danish subsidiary of Fire Point, the Ukrainian maker of Flamingo cruise missiles, the Danish Business Ministry announced on 21 October. The financing will run through EIFO, Denmark’s state export and investment fund.
Ukraine uses its Flamingo missiles to strike defense plants deep inside Russia as Moscow continues its full-scale invasion. Fire Point broke ground in December 2025 on a plant in Vojens, southern Denmark, to make solid fuel for the missiles. The project has since grown far more expensive. In August, CEO Iryna Terekh said its estimated cost had risen from €50 million to above €150 million, calling the figure “very rough.” The war, meanwhile, stands in the way of Fire Point borrowing on ordinary terms in Denmark, the ministry said. That is why the Danish state is guaranteeing the loan.
The guarantee covers 750 million Danish kroner, or about $112.6 million, Reuters reported. Terekh said in August that the plant’s launch had slipped to late 2027. The ministry called the deal another big step toward starting production. However, Ukrainian outlet Defender Media noted that the statement does not say directly that the loan will fund the plant.
EIFO chief Peder Lundquist said the fund is involved in nearly 40 projects linked to Ukraine. Business Minister Martin Lidegaard said hosting a Ukrainian defense company brings Denmark knowledge, production, and partnerships. Europe’s security and freedom, he added, start in Ukraine.
Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus said Denmark was the first country to decide to let a Ukrainian defense company set up on its soil. Production outside Ukraine, he argued, is better protected from Russian attacks. He added that Fire Point’s presence opens cooperation that could give Denmark access to technologies developed in wartime.
Denmark first said in September 2025 that Fire Point would make long-range missile fuel on Danish soil. Since then, the company has signed deals with more than a dozen European firms for FREYJA, an anti-ballistic project. It could reduce Europe’s long-term reliance on scarce US-made Patriot interceptors. Fire Point aims for a first ballistic missile intercept with it by mid-2027.
Lo spread tra Btp e Bund ha toccato 122 punti base in apertura del 22 ottobre. Si tratta del livello più alto del differenziale da quasi due anni, ma a preoccupare sono soprattutto i rendimenti dei titoli decennali. Nelle prime battute dell’avvio delle contrattazioni, i Btp decennali benchmark hanno toccato il 4,62%.
Il dato è a pochi decimali dai picchi del 2023, il record recente. Per trovare interessi più alti sui titoli di Stato italiani bisogna andare alla crisi del debito del 2008-2012, quando il Paese era a rischio bancarotta.
C’è stato un balzo dello spread, dovuto a un aumento improvviso dei rendimenti dei titoli di Stato italiani. Non si tratta però di un problema italiano, ma globale e, in parte minore, europeo. Lo testimonia il fatto che con i rendimenti che, da quando esiste l’euro, sono stati così alti solo una manciata di volte, il differenziale con i Bund tedeschi è comunque relativamente basso, a 122 punti base.
I fattori che stanno spingendo i rendimenti così in alto sono diversi e c’entrano poco con il debito pubblico italiano:
Si tratta di un misto di circostanze provenienti dall’economia, dalla finanza e dall’opinione pubblica, che stanno contemporaneamente mettendo sotto pressione l’intero mercato delle obbligazioni, statali e non.
L’ultima volta che i rendimenti erano stati più alti del 4,62% era il 2023, tra settembre e ottobre. L’inflazione era al 5,7%, la Bce aveva alzato i tassi al 4,5%, l’Europa si avviava verso il suo secondo inverno senza gas russo e Trump verso il suo secondo mandato alla Casa Bianca.
Se si vuole trovare la volta precedente in cui i rendimenti sono stati più alti di quelli odierni, bisogna tornare all’inizio del 2013. L’Italia stava ancora uscendo dalla più grave crisi finanziaria del secolo, quella del 2011, in cui il debito pubblico del Paese era andato sotto attacco speculativo mentre l’Europa subiva le conseguenze della crisi economica innescata dal crollo di Wall Street nel 2008.
Che la crisi sia internazionale lo si vede dai dati degli altri Paesi europei. La Spagna, che continua a essere la più stabile, fa segnare un differenziale vicino a 70 punti base e rendimenti al 4,10%.
| Titoli di Stato | Rendimenti | Spread |
|---|---|---|
| Bund tedeschi | 3,40% | – |
| Btp italiani | 4,62% | 122 |
| Oat francesi | 5,05% | 165 |
| Bonos spagnoli | 4,10% | 70 |
La pressione è più forte sulla Francia, indebolita da un debito fuori controllo e da un’instabilità politica che dura da anni. I rendimenti degli Oat hanno superato il livelli della crisi del 2011, arrivando al 5,05%, con lo spread a 165 punti base.
Ieri si è conclusa la terza giornata dell’emissione dei Btp Valore, con una raccolta che ha portato il totale vicino a 12 miliardi di euro per il Tesoro. Le prossime aste regolari saranno invece:
VTM
Carla Amaral e Raquel Chaves, docentes da direção do curso de Medicina da Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) renunciaram aos cargos, denunciando bloqueios administrativos e divergências sobre a gestão.
Segundo o Jornal de Notícias, num email enviado ao Conselho Pedagógico da instituição, Carla Amaral, vice-diretora do curso, e Raquel Chaves, vogal da Direção, alegam que a gestão institucional travou tarefas necessárias ao funcionamento do curso e pôs em causa condições exigidas pela Agência de Avaliação e Acreditação do Ensino Superior (A3ES).
A VTM tentou falar com as duas docentes para perceber quais os motivos que alegaram para abandonarem os cargos, mas até ao fecho desta edição não foi possível.
Artigo exclusivo PREMIUM
Tenha acesso ilimitado a todos os conteúdos do site e à edição semanal em formato digital.
ou compre apenas este artigo:
Comprar este artigo — 1,00€The post Docentes demitem-se da direção do curso de medicina e deixam críticas à UTAD appeared first on A Voz de Trás-os-Montes.
Login