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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.

HUR says Moscow wants to discredit Ukraine’s army

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.

Potential targets include infrastructure and Russian Orthodox Church sites

HUR listed several potential targets for Russian provocations:

• critical infrastructure and areas bordering Russia;
• the Kaliningrad exclave;
• areas of EU countries with Russian-speaking populations;
• Kremlin-controlled sites, including properties belonging to the Russian Orthodox Church network;
• historical sites associated with Russia.

The list reflects HUR’s assessment of potential targets, not confirmation that attacks at these locations are planned.

Earlier warnings and reported sabotage

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.

• Moving to Barcelona from Los Angeles six years ago has come with a few culture shocks.
• At first, I struggled with businesses taking midday breaks and most shops being closed on Sundays.
• Eventually, I adapted. I now appreciate breaks and feel less pressure to optimize all my time.

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.

At first, I thought Spain was making me less productive

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.

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.

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.

In time, I realized it was doing the opposite

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.

• Tiffany Tang founded DrinkFolks after a transformative journey across Asia in 2023 and 2024.
• Tang's layoff in 2023 led her to Bali, where she decided to extend her 30-day trip to over a year.
• DrinkFolks, inspired by Tang's travels, supports women-led farms and brings jamu to the US market.

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 felt positively about that job, but I was laid off in May 2023

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.

A few weeks after my layoff, I booked a one-way ticket to Bali

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.

What was supposed to be a 30-day reset changed the course of my life

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.

The deeper turning point was Hong Kong

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.

Living in Southeast Asia made the math work

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.

In terms of cost of living comparisons, here's my breakdown

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.

The layoff was honestly the best thing that ever happened to me

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.

Serbia is approaching a decisive parliamentary election on Sunday, 25th October, with former President Aleksandar Vučić facing an unprecedented challenge from a student-led political movement that emerged from nationwide anti-corruption protests.

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.

Student protests become an electoral challenge

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.

Allegations of intimidation and surveillance

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.

European observers scrutinise the vote

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.

Consequences for Serbia’s European ambitions

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.

Lo spread continua ad aumentare

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.

Perché i rendimenti di Bund calano quando le cose vanno male

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.

Francia oltre ogni record, continua la pressione sui titoli 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.

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.

Ultimo giorno dell’emissione dei Btp Valore, poi le aste regolari

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:

• martedì 27 ottobre l’asta dei Btp Short Term e dei Btp€i;
• mercoledì 28 ottobre l’asta dei Bot;
• giovedì 29 ottobre l’asta dei titoli a medio e lungo termine.

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.