France is gearing up for another round of anti-austerity mobilizations on Saturday, October 31. As the weekend approaches, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu have still not substantially addressed the protest demands tabled by the student movement. 

For the past weeks, students and their organizations have taken to the streets in the hundreds of thousands, denouncing the state of the education sector, including overcrowded classrooms, overworked teachers, and dilapidated buildings. Authorities have responded with a full-blown crackdown – police violence, curfews, and protest bans – while avoiding meaningful conversation about the protests’ causes.

“The authorities’ top priority is to strip the movement of the political meaning it carries: the condemnation of the neoliberal policy that has ruined the French education system,” presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon pointed out in a recent interview. “Young people are pulling at the thread of a larger unraveling.”

Government tried to break student unity

Lecornu and his ministers called a meeting with high school and university student groups on Monday, announcing the government was ready to open dialogue on their demands. Yet even before the meetings kicked off, a list of government-proposed measures published by the media only fueled frustration. 

These measures included a transparency-oriented reform of the higher education recruitment platform Parcoursup, the creation of 15,000 additional higher education placements, low-interest loans to regional authorities for renovating school infrastructure, and the indexation of grants to inflation.

Read more: Students in France are fighting for stronger public education

Students criticized the officials for attempting to set a negotiation agenda before even speaking to them. They also called them out for trying to break their unity by organizing separate meetings with different groups instead of a joint discussion. In this process, they emphasized, crucial voices were left out. 

Among others, the Fédération Lycéenne des Quartiers (FLQ), representing high school students from working-class neighborhoods – the demographic group from which the protest wave originated – was not invited to meet Lecornu. Students interpreted this as yet another sign of the government’s failure to grasp what is at stake. “They see us first and foremost as ‘young people from the banlieues,’ rather than young people who, like everyone else, want to make their voices heard,” FLQ’s Soumaya Sarré told Mediapart. 

“Crumbs” instead of solutions

The way meetings were set up was not the only problem. Following the publication of the government’s proposals, the university students’ association Union Étudiante described them as “crumbs” and detailed how they fail to address the movement’s concerns. 

“There are not 15,000 places missing but at least 250,000,” the organization warned. “Where are those 250,000 places needed for young people who have been denied their right to education because of classist and racist selection?” 

Union Étudiante similarly criticized the lack of clarity surrounding proposed financing for infrastructure investment, employment plans, and the promise to “reform” rather than abolish Parcoursup. 

This last demand has become emblematic for the student movement over the past weeks of protest. Young people on the streets have repeatedly explained how the tool allows university selection to maintain racist and classist tones – all while pushing tens of thousands of students without placements toward the private sector. 

“We are not asking for a reform that offers more transparency or clarity; we already know how the selection process works, and it will remain unjust even if the selection criteria are made public,” Union Étudiante wrote. “The problem is selection itself. Why should young people be denied the right to pursue higher education? We must abolish all forms of selection while keeping a centralized platform for enrolling in academic programs.” 

Mobilizations against racism and the far right

Trade unions and progressive organizations continue to support the students ahead of Saturday’s demonstrations, while building toward a general strike on November 5. The networks remain connected over shared austerity-related problems, linking budget cuts in public services, attacks on pensions, and precarious working conditions. 

In between regular nationwide mobilizations, the past few days have also seen significant protests against racism and the far right. After a racist attack in the Trappes working-class suburb of Paris last Friday – where one person was killed and five, including a 12-year-old, were seriously injured – calls are circulating for solidarity assemblies. 

“This crime did not come out of nowhere,” wrote Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko. “For years, the perpetrator blamed ‘Black people and Arabs’ for all his misfortunes.”

“He claimed he wanted to avenge a looting that never actually happened – a piece of false information broadcast on television,” he added.

“This hatred has its architects: those who, hour after hour on the airwaves, designate our neighborhoods as the problem and ‘the other’ as a threat.”

Read more: Students across the US South demand justice for Nolan Wells

The far-right National Rally – whose program ahead of the 2027 presidential election endorses exactly this vision of “the other” – held its congress in Orléans over the October 24-25 weekend. Approximately 26,000 people joined a local march against the policies endorsed by the party, signaling continuous resistance in the lead-up to the April 2027 presidential election.

A arqueóloga Sofia Fonseca, investigadora e doutoranda do Centro Interdisciplinar em Arqueologia e Evolução do Comportamento Humano (ICArEHB), da Universidade do Algarve, foi eleita presidente do International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC) do Conselho Internacional de Monumentos e Sítios (ICOMOS).

A eleição decorreu na reunião anual do Comité, em Kuching, na Malásia, no dia 20 de outubro. É a primeira vez que uma portuguesa preside ao Comité desde a sua criação, em 1969.

Sofia Fonseca assume a presidência com um “enorme sentido de responsabilidade e com o orgulho de ser a primeira portuguesa a liderar este Comité”.

“Acredito profundamente no potencial do turismo cultural como força positiva para a conservação do património, para o desenvolvimento sustentável e para o bem-estar das comunidades. Mas, para isso, é fundamental que as comunidades não sejam apenas beneficiárias, mas verdadeiras protagonistas das decisões sobre o seu património e o seu futuro”, afirma.

“Nos próximos anos, uma das minhas prioridades será contribuir para transformar os princípios da Carta Internacional de 2022 em ações concretas, reforçando a colaboração entre especialistas, instituições e comunidades à escala internacional”, acrescenta a eleita, citada pela UAlg.

A eleição de Sofia Fonseca como presidente deste comité internacional ocorre num “momento decisivo”, uma vez que, em janeiro de 2027, arranca o UAlgTec Heritage (UTH), um novo Centro de Excelência europeu dedicado às tecnologias do património (HeritageTech), cientificamente ancorado no ICArEHB.

Com um financiamento total de 31,5 milhões de euros, proveniente da Comissão Europeia, através do programa Horizonte Europa, do Governo português e da CCDR Algarve, o UTH reúne a Universidade do Algarve, a Universidade de Kiel, na Alemanha, a ERA Arqueologia e a Zartis. “O objetivo é desenvolver e aplicar inteligência artificial, tecnologias imersivas e ciência arqueológica à inovação no património, à criação de emprego e a novas formas de turismo”, frisa a instituição.

Uma das missões do UTH responde diretamente a um dos desafios que Sofia Fonseca vai ajudar a liderar internacionalmente: “aproximar o turismo arqueológico das necessidades e prioridades das comunidades que vivem junto dos sítios patrimoniais”.

Na opinião de João Cascalheira, diretor do ICArEHB, “a eleição da Sofia é o reconhecimento internacional de um percurso notável e uma excelente notícia para a UAlg. O Algarve vive do turismo e tem um património extraordinário, mas os dois nem sempre se encontram da melhor forma”.

O também coordenador do UTH defende que “queremos criar tecnologias e modelos que permitam valorizar esse património, melhorar a experiência de quem nos visita, reduzir a sazonalidade e garantir que uma parte maior dos benefícios fica no território”.

Nota biográfica

Sofia Fonseca, que integra o ICTC desde 2019 e fez parte da equipa responsável pela revisão da Carta de 2022, foi eleita para o Bureau do Comité em 2023 e, desde dezembro de 2024 até à eleição, exerceu funções de secretária-geral.

Licenciada em Arqueologia pela Universidade de Coimbra e mestre em Egiptologia pela Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, tem mais de 25 anos de experiência em arqueologia internacional, património e turismo sustentável.

Dirigiu os trabalhos de campo da primeira missão arqueológica portuguesa no Egito e trabalhou em sítios classificados como Património Mundial pela UNESCO. É fundadora da consultora Teiduma e, no Algarve, lançou o projeto NO ALgarbage, dedicado à redução do desperdício no setor do Turismo.

Greek authorities have requested the freezing of two bank accounts in Ireland and Denmark as part of the tax fraud investigation against the “Horiatiko” bakery chain. While investigation into the mastermindly orchestrated fraud scheme continues, media report on Tuesday of involvement of numerous police officers who would brief the organization in advance before authorities raids […]

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The US Defense Intelligence Agency said in a new assessment that China could deploy space-based directed-energy weapons by the late 2020s, adding to an existing suite of ground-based systems already capable of affecting satellites.

Titled “Challenges to Security in Space,” and published on October 26, the assessment is the third in a series of reports examining the military space programs of China and Russia, as well as emerging capabilities in Iran and North Korea.

Although China already fields an array of ground-based lasers capable of disrupting, degrading, or damaging satellites in low Earth orbit, the DIA report said it could deploy these directed-energy weapons in space and field more powerful ground-based systems that could threaten American satellites by the end of the 2020s.

These DEWs will be part of a broader Chinese counterspace arsenal that includes electronic warfare, cyber tools, kinetic anti-satellite (ASAT) missiles, and co-orbital platforms.

The assessment follows US Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting’s August 2026 public assertion that China has ASAT missiles, ground-based lasers, jammers, and maneuverable, dual-use satellites.

“These developments intend to degrade our current space superiority and would potentially give China a maneuver and logistics advantage in space – something we would not accept on the land, at sea, or in the air,” he emphasized at the time.

Directed-energy weapons, for one, transmit concentrated electromagnetic energy, including high-power lasers or high-power microwaves, toward a target to damage, disable, disrupt, or destroy it, rather than relying primarily on conventional fires, shells, or missiles.

DEWs are significantly cheaper than conventional weapons.

Chinese state-owned media dismissed the reports as “hype,” accusing the United States of raising alarms about purported space threats even as it presses ahead with its own orbital military buildup, deploys weapons in space, and advances the aspirational space-based Golden Dome missile defense initiative.

US Already Has Weapons in Space 

While the above is typical of a Chinese response to such accusations, the United States has indeed placed weapons in space whilst cautioning about the domain’s militarization.

USAF Secretary Troy Meink said in September 2026 that the country now possesses “on-orbit space control weapons” capable of defending US and allied forces, as the EurAsian Times reported at the time.

Although he did not say which weapons the US has deployed, US Space Force doctrine emphasizes “space control,” the ability to contest and control the space domain using kinetic and/or non-kinetic means to disrupt, degrade, or destroy adversary capabilities. Thus, the deployed weapons can serve either offensive or defensive purposes.

Meink linked the deployment to threats from China and Russia, asking rhetorically whether anyone doubted those countries’ development of similar weapons. “It is critically important that we maintain our dominance not only in the air but in space, and so we’ve had to take steps to make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that,” he asserted.

At the time, the Chinese foreign ministry responded to the U.S. announcement by accusing Washington of “preparing for war in outer space” and warning against turning space into a battlefield or triggering an arms race, the same things it often campaigns against.

When asked whether the admission of placing weapons in space amounts to militarization of space by the US and if it could trigger an arms race, Group Captain Pandey (retd) told the EurAsian Times, “By design, the Pentagon wants potential adversaries to know that an operational defensive and offensive counterspace shield exists in orbit, without revealing how it functions. Disclosing exact specifications (such as frequencies, physical yield, or tracking systems) would allow rivals to develop countermeasures.” 

“Meink’s emphasis on innovating faster than competitors highlights the rapid technological race between the US, China, and Russia. Because space capabilities can be upgraded or deployed faster than ground infrastructure, staying ahead depends on continuous deployment, autonomous software, and rapid launch iterations,” he added.

Whether US systems include directed-energy weapons remains unknown and is the subject of speculation. However, non-kinetic options such as electronic warfare or jamming payloads are currently believed to be among the more plausible options for early on-orbit deployments, as they avoid generating debris.

From Ground-Based To Space-Based DEWs 

China already fields a host of directed-energy systems, including counter-drone laser weapons and military-grade dazzlers used to intercept other fighter jets in international airspace, as the EurAsian Times has noted in the past.

However, US officials have repeatedly noted that China also has an inventory of ground-based laser weapons that could threaten satellites.

“Aside from missiles, the PLA has fielded multiple ground-based laser weapons able to disrupt, degrade, or damage satellite sensors. By the mid-to-late 2020s, we expect them to deploy systems high enough in power that they can physically damage satellite structures,” Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of US  Space Operations, warned in a strongly worded statement last year.

China allegedly operates lasers capable of reversible effects, such as temporarily blinding satellites’ optical sensors in low Earth orbit, although more powerful configurations could permanently damage satellite sensors and other onboard components.

These systems, however, face operational limits from atmospheric distortion, line-of-sight constraints, weather, and the time required to slew and track targets. 

Thus, putting lasers or microwaves in space would virtually remove these restrictions and provide unbridled access to potential targets. A satellite-based DEW could maintain longer dwell times on targets, engage satellites in higher orbits that are currently harder to reach from the ground, and potentially hold multiple targets at risk across successive orbits. 

China currently has multiple anti-satellite weapons in space that could endanger US satellites providing critical communications and situational awareness to its troops on Earth during a conflict. However, deploying DEWs in space would let Beijing attack designated targets without the lasting orbital debris generated by kinetic anti-satellite missiles.

Notably, kinetic interceptors create debris that threatens everyone’s satellites for decades, while directed energy weapons are expected to leave the orbital environment largely intact. Therefore, these non-kinetic options offer clearer escalation control and reduced risk of self-inflicted damage, while allowing military planning to operate in a contested space domain and preserve access.

This could be bad news for the United States because a conflict with China is never off the table, especially in the event of a Taiwan invasion.

Currently, the US military operations depend heavily on space for navigation, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), missile warning, and communications.

A capable orbital DEW capability would give China additional options to blind or degrade US or allied sensors and communications during a confrontation, especially in a Taiwan invasion scenario.

More importantly, it would give Beijing the option to conduct lower-escalation or deniable attacks targeting both LEO proliferated constellations (such as Starlink) and higher-orbit assets simultaneously. This would, in turn, complicate US  space domain awareness, attribution, and response timelines.

At the same time, however, directed energy weapons could be employed defensively—to protect one’s own satellites from interference or attack—and to support space domain awareness and integrated defense architectures.

Legally, China is allowed to place DEWs or other conventional weapons in space because the 1967 Outer Space Treaty only prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

However, just because it can does not mean China can deploy or sustain directed energy weapons in space. This is because factors such as power generation, thermal management, beam control, and delivering militarily useful energy levels from a satellite remain substantial engineering challenges to fielding DEWs in space.

Whether China has overcome these obstacles sufficiently to field operational systems by the late 2020s remains to be seen.

• Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
• Follow EurAsian Times on Google News

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The number of tourists visiting Greece surpassed 28 million in the period January-August 2026, marking a 10% increase compared to the corresponding period last year. According to data released by the Bank of Greece (BoG), this development resulted in tourism revenues rising by 9.4% this year, exceeding €18.1 billion. Receipts from residents of EU-27 countries […]

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Turkey may raise as many objections as it wants, but Greece is determined to proceed with the submarine cables for the Crete-Cyprus electricity interconnector, known as the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) as scheduled. On Tuesday morning, the French-flagged offshore support vessel “Abeille Marengo” arrived at the port of Heraklion in Crete. From there it will […]

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O atleta Luan Andrade, do Clube de Patinagem de Albufeira, conquistou o terceiro lugar na Taça da Europa de Patinagem Artística, na especialidade de Solo Dance, realizada a 23 de outubro, em Stade, na Alemanha. O algarvio subiu ao pódio entre dez atletas participantes, naquela que foi a sua estreia nesta competição e nesta especialidade.

A participação surge depois de o atleta ter competido no Campeonato da Europa de Patinagem Artística, na disciplina de Patinagem Livre. O novo resultado reflete, segundo o clube, o trabalho desenvolvido pelo patinador e pela equipa técnica, composta pelos treinadores Daniel Fonseca e Miguel Mangas.

Fundado em 2017, o Clube de Patinagem de Albufeira tem vindo a afirmar-se na modalidade no Algarve, com resultados em competições regionais, nacionais e internacionais.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre have spoken directly with Vladimir Putin before briefing Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The initiative, undertaken in consultation with Ukraine, comes ahead of planned negotiations in Abu Dhabi but has drawn criticism from other Nordic leaders.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, 27 October, marking an unusual direct diplomatic engagement between Moscow and two European NATO members since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The conversation, initiated by the two Nordic leaders from Helsinki, was followed by a separate call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to a joint statement released by the Norwegian government, the initiative had been prepared in consultation with Kyiv.

The objective was to communicate directly with Putin about efforts to end the war and the forthcoming negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States.

Stubb described the exchange as frank and substantive, arguing that Finland and Norway had particular reasons to participate in discussions concerning European security.

“We are neighbouring countries to Russia,” he said, adding that the war’s outcome would directly affect European security.

Both leaders reaffirmed their governments’ continuing support for Ukraine while calling for renewed negotiations. Støre emphasised the humanitarian and economic consequences of the conflict and the need for de-escalation.

Importantly, their statement specified that they were acting as national leaders rather than representatives of Europe collectively.

Zelenskyy briefed after discussions with Moscow

Following the conversation with Putin, Stubb and Støre spoke with Zelenskyy, who confirmed the exchange in a statement issued by his office.

The Ukrainian president thanked them for their detailed briefing and diplomatic engagement.

According to Zelenskyy, the two leaders had communicated Ukraine’s demand for concrete steps to reduce attacks against its energy facilities and other infrastructure.

The discussion also covered preparations for trilateral negotiations involving Ukrainian, American and Russian delegations, provisionally planned for November.

Kyiv’s confirmation that it had been consulted before the Putin conversation is significant. Ukraine has consistently maintained that decisions concerning its sovereignty, territory and security cannot be negotiated without its participation.

Oslo talks establish new diplomatic channel

Tuesday’s telephone diplomacy followed a meeting in Oslo on 20 October involving Zelenskyy, Stubb, Støre and representatives of US President Donald Trump.

American special envoy Steve Witkoff participated in person, while Jared Kushner joined remotely. European and NATO representatives also attended related discussions.

According to the Ukrainian presidency’s account, the consultations addressed possible steps towards ending the war and establishing security arrangements after a settlement.

Witkoff subsequently travelled to St Petersburg on 21 October for discussions with Putin.

The diplomatic contacts have produced plans for another round of talks in Abu Dhabi, expected after 4 November, although the precise date and representation remain subject to confirmation.

The European Commission has also sought involvement. During its 21 October press briefing, the Commission confirmed its participation in the Oslo consultations, which addressed territorial questions, security guarantees and post-war economic arrangements.

As EU Today previously reported, discussions about appointing a European representative to negotiations have exposed disagreements over who should speak for European governments and what authority such a representative would possess.

Moscow maintains its negotiating position

The Kremlin’s account of Tuesday’s conversation offered little indication of a change in Russia’s principal demands.

According to reports citing the Kremlin’s statement, Putin insisted that a lasting settlement would require what Moscow described as full recognition of Russia’s legitimate interests.

He also accused NATO and European Union countries of pursuing confrontational policies that prolonged the conflict.

These statements indicate that the reopening of direct communication has not, by itself, resolved the differences between the negotiating parties.

Russia continues to seek arrangements concerning Ukrainian territory and the European security order, while Kyiv maintains that its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.

Denmark questions independent Nordic diplomacy

The initiative has also revealed differences among European governments over direct engagement with Moscow.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticised the Finnish-Norwegian approach, saying it had not been coordinated with Denmark and warning against individual European countries pursuing separate diplomatic initiatives.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also expressed reservations about contacts that might undermine a common European position.

Their objections highlight a distinction between consultation with Ukraine and agreement among European governments on the organisation of negotiations.

For Finland and Norway, both of which share borders with Russia, the outcome of the conflict carries direct implications for security in the Baltic Sea region and the High North.

The immediate question is whether their intervention can facilitate substantive negotiations without weakening coordination between Kyiv and its European partners.

With the next US-mediated talks expected in November, Tuesday’s contacts establish another channel of communication with Moscow. Whether that channel produces movement on territorial disputes, security guarantees or an eventual ceasefire remains unresolved.

Greece’s National Meteorological Service (EMY) upgraded its emergency bulletin to “Red Alert”, highest Category 3 and warned of intense weather phenomena. At the same time, the Civil Protection places in Red Code several regions including Attica. The Emergency Bulletin for Dangerous Weather Phenomena warns of heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms in several areas of the eastern […]

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A Comunidade Intermunicipal do Algarve (AMAL) promoveu, a 22 e 23 de outubro, o III Encontro Nacional de Gabinetes Técnicos Florestais Intermunicipais, no Espaço Guadiana, em Alcoutim, para reforçar a cooperação entre entidades e debater estratégias de gestão florestal e prevenção de incêndios rurais.

A iniciativa, organizada em colaboração com o Município de Alcoutim, reuniu técnicos e responsáveis de comunidades intermunicipais e áreas metropolitanas de todo o país, sob o tema “O valor da cooperação nacional nos Gabinetes Técnicos Florestais Intermunicipais: da operacionalização do SGIFR à capacitação em rede”.

Um dos principais temas em debate foi o Plano Intermunicipal de Fogo Controlado. O Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF) apresentou os objetivos e a estrutura deste instrumento, enquanto a Agência para a Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais (AGIF) abordou a sua articulação com os Planos Municipais de Defesa da Floresta Contra Incêndios (PMDFCI) ainda em vigor e o enquadramento no Sistema de Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais (SGIFR).

Na sessão de abertura, o presidente da Câmara Municipal de Alcoutim, o diretor regional do ICNF e o coordenador regional da AGIF destacaram a importância da articulação entre municípios e do trabalho em rede para a proteção e valorização da floresta.

O encontro incluiu ainda a apresentação do Plano Intermunicipal de Gestão de Combustíveis do Algarve (PIGCAlg), por Akli Benali, investigador do Centro de Estudos Florestais. Desenvolvido em colaboração com a academia, no âmbito do projeto FIREPOCTEP+, o plano foi apresentado como um instrumento estratégico para a gestão de combustíveis à escala regional.

No segundo dia, realizaram-se sessões de trabalho internas entre os gabinetes técnicos florestais intermunicipais, com o objetivo de reforçar a articulação técnica e a cooperação nacional na gestão ativa do território.

Britain and Poland are giving European security something it urgently needs: a practical plan to turn allied solidarity into stronger military capabilities. Their new Warsaw Defence Plan brings together missile development, ammunition production, maritime cooperation and protection against drones and cyberattacks, strengthening a partnership with consequences well beyond either country’s borders.

Announced as British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting met his Polish counterpart, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, in Warsaw, the agreement establishes the first phase of defence cooperation under the countries’ new Security and Defence Partnership Treaty. According to the Ministry of Defence announcement, it covers operations and industry across land, sea, air and cyberspace.

Its significance lies in that breadth. Modern deterrence depends on much more than the number of soldiers available for deployment. It requires protected infrastructure, reliable supplies of ammunition, effective air defences and forces capable of operating together under pressure. London and Warsaw are addressing those requirements as connected parts of the same challenge.

Air defence is a central priority. The two countries will collaborate on developing and manufacturing the next generation of air defence missiles, building on an industrial relationship that includes Poland’s procurement of the Narew system from MBDA UK. Closer procurement coordination offers an opportunity to align military requirements and strengthen production.

That approach has clear strategic value. Missiles become more useful when allies can sustain their supply, maintain their systems and plan their deployment together. By connecting industrial cooperation with operational needs, Britain and Poland can help develop the dependable defensive capacity that Europe requires against an increasingly demanding range of aerial threats.

The plan also embraces joint development of drones and technologies designed to defeat them. The ministry explicitly links this work to protecting civilians and critical national infrastructure amid Russian drone incursions. It is a welcome recognition that security must extend beyond military installations to the services and networks on which everyday life depends.

Cybersecurity cooperation follows the same logic. Strengthening the resilience of civilian and defence sites can reduce opportunities for disruption and make national responses more effective. For both countries, sharing expertise offers a practical way to improve preparedness against hostile activity that can unfold without a conventional military attack.

At sea, the agreement builds on an existing technical connection: Britain’s Type 31 frigates and Poland’s Miecznik ships share a common design. Exchanging experience as those capabilities develop should help both navies learn from each other. Planned exercises and regional coordination will also increase defensive maritime activity in the Baltic, supporting the protection of vital communications routes.

The industrial commitments are equally encouraging. BAE Systems and Poland’s PGZ will expand capacity and capability in large-calibre ammunition production. The announcement supplies no production figures or delivery timetable, but its direction is important. Credible defence requires the ability to replenish supplies and sustain operations, giving manufacturing capacity a direct role in military readiness.

Cooperation on defence education, training and workforce mobility could strengthen that foundation further. Advanced weapons programmes depend on skilled people as well as investment. Building shared expertise can support delivery while creating opportunities for engineers, technicians and the wider industrial supply chain in both countries.

Joint exercises will test the partnership in practice. Continued participation in Steadfast Defender, Polish Dragon and Joint Warrior is intended to prepare forces for challenges including electronic warfare, counter-drone operations and missile defence. Such training gives commanders opportunities to identify weaknesses, improve coordination and build confidence before a crisis demands immediate action.

Ukraine remains integral to this effort. The countries are preparing a major Coalition of the Willing exercise in Poland in November, involving thousands of personnel. The stated purpose is to prepare the Multinational Force Ukraine to support military training and post-war rebuilding. Preparation cannot determine the course of diplomacy, but it can make future commitments more credible.

For Europe, the promise is straightforward: two committed allies are connecting operational readiness with industrial strength. Delivering the plan will require sustained effort, but Warsaw and London have established a constructive agenda whose success would benefit the wider alliance.

A equipa sénior feminina do Quarteira Beach Sports venceu o Futebol Clube Castrense por 3-1, em Aljustrel, e conquistou, pela primeira vez, a Supertaça da Associação de Voleibol do Algarve e Alentejo (AVAL), somando mais um título histórico para o clube.

O encontro disputou-se na manhã de sábado e voltou a colocar frente a frente as duas equipas, depois de o conjunto de Quarteira ter vencido o adversário na conquista do Campeonato Regional do Algarve e Alentejo e da Taça AVAL, na época passada.

A vitória na Supertaça vem coroar uma temporada de sucesso para a formação feminina, que alcançou pela primeira vez estes títulos na história do clube. O triunfo em Aljustrel confirma a boa fase da equipa, que voltou a demonstrar qualidade, determinação e coesão frente ao Futebol Clube Castrense.

Com esta conquista, o Quarteira Beach Sports reforça o seu percurso no voleibol regional e acrescenta mais um troféu ao palmarés, fruto do trabalho desenvolvido pela equipa ao longo da época.

VTM

O alerta do atropelamento foi dado às 8h42 e seguiram para o local os Bombeiros Voluntários de Murça, que prestaram o primeiro socorro à vítima, que, sabe-se agora, foi considerado ferido grave.

De acordo com a informação recolhida pela VTM junto do Comando Sub-Regional de Emergência e Proteção Civil do Alto Tâmega e Barroso, tratou-se de um despiste de uma viatura seguido de atropelamento na localidade de Serapicos, freguesia de Valongo de Milhais, no concelho de Murça.

Contactada a Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR), que também se encontra no local, apurou-se que a vítima do atropelamento é um homem, de 27 anos, com ferimentos graves e que, por isso, precisa de meios de socorro diferenciado.

Por isso, foi enviado para o local da ocorrência o helicóptero do INEM, baseado em Macedo de Cavaleiros, para assegurar o transporte do ferido para o Hospital de Vila Real, da Unidade Local de Saúde de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro.

Estão ainda no local 22 operacionais, apoiados por seis meios terrestres, além do helicóptero do INEM.

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Europe’s electricity market recorded substantial regional differences on Tuesday, 27 October, with average wholesale prices ranging from approximately €6 per megawatt-hour in northern Sweden to more than €255 in Romania.

The figures reveal a persistent difficulty for European energy policy: although the continent has an increasingly interconnected electricity market, businesses and consumers remain exposed to very different underlying wholesale costs depending on location.

According to European day-ahead electricity market data, Sweden’s SE2 bidding zone recorded an average of €6.23 per megawatt-hour, while Finland stood at approximately €6.65. Romania reached €255.20, roughly 41 times northern Sweden’s price. Bulgaria registered approximately €254, Hungary €241 and Greece €225. Germany recorded approximately €155, Belgium €160 and France €162.

These are wholesale prices for delivery on 27 October, not final bills for households or businesses. Their differences nevertheless raise questions about how effectively Europe’s electricity networks distribute power from areas of lower-cost generation to those facing greater costs.

Why a common market produces different prices

European electricity trading is organised through interconnected national and regional markets. Cross-border capacity allows relatively inexpensive power to reach regions where demand is greater or local generation is more expensive.

When transmission capacity is adequate, neighbouring prices can converge. Physical networks, however, have limits. Congested interconnectors can prevent additional imports even when large price differences exist.

Other influences include availability of power stations, renewable output, fuel prices, consumption and system stability. Regions with substantial hydropower, nuclear generation or strong renewable production may experience comparatively low prices. Markets relying on gas-fired generation can be more expensive when gas plants are needed to satisfy the final increment of demand.

The result is a market responding to common European conditions but still shaped by local generation and transmission constraints.

Southeastern Europe’s structural constraints

The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, ACER, has repeatedly examined the causes of regional price divergence. In its 2026 assessment of cross-zonal electricity trade, the agency considered unusually high prices and limited access to lower-cost power in southeastern Europe.

Constraints include available cross-border capacity and shortages of flexible generation able to respond to changing renewable output, especially in the evening. Countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia have encountered substantial regional differences.

Those findings do not prove the cause of each price movement on 27 October. They do, however, explain why disparities can persist despite common market rules. ACER has advocated improved coordination among transmission operators, more effective use of existing networks and additional flexibility through storage and demand management.

Industrial consequences of expensive electricity

Energy-intensive industries, including steel, chemicals and fertiliser production, are particularly sensitive to electricity costs. Where contracts are exposed to wholesale markets, sustained regional price differences can influence output and investment decisions.

The relationship between wholesale prices and bills is not immediate. Firms may hedge prices, use long-term contracts or produce their own power. Network charges, taxes and government support also affect the amount paid. Still, persistent market differences can shape industrial competitiveness.

As EU Today reported, EU energy ministers are due to examine proposed changes to electricity network charges and market administration on 29 October. Network tariffs are distinct from wholesale prices, but both affect total electricity costs.

Renewables and the need for flexible networks

According to ACER’s energy-market monitoring, renewable sources represented around half of EU electricity generation in 2025. Solar energy can reduce prices during the day, but output falls sharply towards evening, sometimes requiring more expensive power stations to increase generation.

This increases the value of storage, flexible production, responsive demand and international connections that can balance surpluses and shortages between regions. Yet major transmission lines can take years to complete owing to planning, permitting, investment and construction requirements.

The priority is therefore not simply to install more renewable capacity. Europe’s grids and supporting technologies must be capable of moving and using that output efficiently.

What the price divide reveals

A single day’s wholesale prices should not be mistaken for long-term average electricity costs or a permanent competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the persistence of regional disparities documented by regulators shows the problem extends beyond isolated daily volatility.

For EU institutions, the question is whether further market integration can make energy more affordable while preserving incentives to invest in generation and transmission. National governments must balance security of supply, infrastructure financing and industrial competitiveness.

Electricity trading across Europe is increasingly integrated. The physical systems supplying it remain considerably less uniform. Until those constraints are addressed, the price of power will continue to reflect geography as well as the underlying cost of energy.

VTM

Cerca de 30 pessoas que se opõem à extração de lítio em Covas do Barroso, no concelho de Boticas, repetiram hoje um bloqueio aos trabalhos realizados pela Savannah numa das áreas da servidão administrativa. O presidente da Associação Unidos em Defesa de Covas do Barroso (UDCB), Nélson Gomes, afirmou à Lusa que nada os vai fazer parar. “Dissemos que não íamos parar e não vamos parar, nada nos vai desmobilizar da nossa luta”.

Os manifestantes juntaram-se às 06h00 nos terrenos assinalados para os trabalhos de sondagem da Savannah Resources e formaram um cordão humano em frente a uma máquina de prospeção. Com a chegada dos seguranças da empresa ao local, foi também chamada a GNR. Nélson Gomes frisou que “não queremos uma mina à porta das nossas casas”.

O responsável do coletivo acrescentou que ter uma mina próxima representa o risco de ter que abandonar as suas habitações. “Numa altura que tanto se fala da habitação, é precisamente também a nossa casa que está em risco”, disse Gomes.

No dia 9 de outubro, a associação já havia interrompido os trabalhos da empresa, com a GNR a identificar 27 opositores à mina. Nélson Gomes destacou que estão em terrenos baldios onde já foram realizados projetos de intervenção para preservar a floresta. “As máquinas entram, fazem decapação, cortam pinheiros e árvores”, lamentou.

Em maio, o ministério do Ambiente autorizou uma segunda servidão administrativa para permitir à Savannah realizar trabalhos de geotecnia em terrenos comunitários e privados. Esta decisão foi contestada em tribunal pelo Conselho Diretivo dos Baldios da Freguesia de Covas do Barroso, resultando na suspensão das prospeções por cerca de 20 dias.

Paulo Pires, pastor de Romainho, sublinhou que esta luta é pela defesa do modo de vida da comunidade. “Ninguém quer viver a 200 metros de uma mina a céu aberto (…) agora é o nosso próprio Governo que nos quer tirar isso à força”, afirmou.

A presidente da Junta de Covas do Barroso, Rita Mó, considerou o bloqueio um protesto contra a atuação da União Europeia. Ela questionou: “Onde se vê essa Europa dos direitos quando as suas populações rurais são assim tratadas como descartáveis?” A autarca criticou ainda o projeto mineiro promovido pela Comissão Europeia como um atentado ambiental.

Nélson Gomes garantiu que os bloqueios vão continuar enquanto for necessário. O projeto mineiro foi viabilizado pela Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) com uma Declaração de Impacte Ambiental favorável condicionada emitida em 2023. A empresa Savannah pretende iniciar a construção em 2027 e alcançar a primeira produção em 2028.

The post Novo bloqueio em Covas do Barroso contra extração de lítio pela Savannah appeared first on A Voz de Trás-os-Montes.

• Major brands put a lot of care into choosing a defining color — for Target it's Pantone 186.
• But a shade that works in one context might not suit all situations.
• Target told BI it adopted a shade called "Cherry Stain" for when the bullseye red is a bit hot.

Target takes its colors very seriously.

The retailer's iconic red, also known as Pantone 186, is a vibrant, highly saturated shade that makes its bullseye logo stand out in a crowd. It's a color that catches the eye on subway platforms and suburban shopping centers alike.

A new employee-only line of apparel, designed in collaboration with Isaac Mizrahi, is dubbed Collection 186. And two decades ago, Target bought all the ad space in an issue of The New Yorker and asked the magazine's illustrators to work only in black, white, and red.

But when Target remodeled its SoHo location in New York last year, using the trademark red for nearly every element of the store's entrance proved to be a bit much.

"It was just a little too overpowering, so our design team brought in this color that we're now calling Cherry Stain to kind of help balance out all of the red," Target's chief brand officer Michelle Mesenburg told Business Insider during an exclusive store tour last week. "It has now become part of our IP color palette at Target."

While the new Cherry Stain color appears on several fixtures in the SoHo store, it is more prominently seen as the official shade of the newly launched Beauty Studio department, which the retailer is rolling out in stores this year.

It's a calmer, more inviting hue that both complements the primary red and serves as an alternative when the bullseye shade might come off a bit too hot.

The company is now using the shade in more contexts, including some Target logos that now appear as a combination of the Pantone 186 and the new Cherry Stain, rather than the traditional red and white.

"It's a fresh chapter," Mesenburg said. "We're pulling elements of what we're learning here [in SoHo]. It may not translate exactly one-for-one, but the influence is coming into the full chain."