Italy’s third largest city has struggled for decades to overcome its association to the mafia and petty crime — now its finally reaping the rewards, writes Lydia Spencer-Elliott
© Lydia Spencer-Elliott/The Independent
At this Cornwall addition to The Pig hotel collection, Emilee Tombs finds indulgent farm-to-table dining, a family-friendly beach and plenty of spaces to relax and unwind
© Jake Eastham
Italy’s third largest city has struggled for decades to overcome its association to the mafia and petty crime — now its finally reaping the rewards, writes Lydia Spencer-Elliott
© Lydia Spencer-Elliott/The Independent
At this Cornwall addition to The Pig hotel collection, Emilee Tombs finds indulgent farm-to-table dining, a family-friendly beach and plenty of spaces to relax and unwind
© Jake Eastham
Passengers aboard the Odyssey were reportedly asked to contribute towards fuel costs as the cruise ship remains stranded in Cambodia
© Reuters
Provided by Marissa Goldstein
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Marissa Goldstein, a 40-year-old entrepreneur from the Boston area who lives in Ho Chi Minh City. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In 2016, my husband and I flew to Vietnam with our 1-year-old twins and two bags. We told everyone we'd be back in three months.
Ten years later, we have four kids — two sets of twins — and a life in Ho Chi Minh City that I wouldn't trade. We've taken our kids to about 50 countries and spend summers with our families in Boston, then come back to the chaos of a city we love.
Provided by Marissa Goldstein
I grew up outside Boston. I studied communications at the University of Maryland, and a trip to Thailand during my junior year abroad was my first taste of Asia. I fell in love.
My husband and I met in high school and married after I graduated. I worked in PR and sales, then got my MBA at Babson College. Around 2015, there was an opportunity to help US companies diversify their supply chains away from China, so we started The Timroon Group, a manufacturing and sourcing company focused on Vietnam.
Being home with two babies overwhelmed me. Even though we had an incredible support system, living with my parents in a six-bedroom house in the suburbs. I quickly realized that staying home wasn't for me.
When traveling, though, I felt unstoppable. We headed to Ho Chi Minh City the day after their first birthday.
Provided by Marissa Goldstein
I loved it right away, especially how people treat children. We'd bring the twins to dinners and big brunches, and the staff would take them and play. I felt really safe. Within a month, we had friends from all over the world. Three months turned into 18.
When the twins were 18 months old, we took an overnight train to Sapa in northern Vietnam. Hmong women were selling their textiles, and I decided to start my own travel accessories brand, working with women artisans. On that same trip, we decided to have one more child. Soon after, we found out we were having twins again.
In January 2020, we returned to Boston, where I grew Raffi Nova, my textile accessories brand. But by 2022, my husband's business was picking up, and we had the itch to return to Vietnam.
Provided by Marissa Goldstein
We live about 15 minutes from the city center. There are a lot of foreigners living here, several international schools, and everything is within a 10-minute drive.
There are good doctors and hospitals, Michelin Guide-rated street food, French bakeries, and plenty of activities for the kids, from taekwondo to tennis.
The cost of living is much lower, though school and housing add up. Housing in our area ranges from about $1,500 a month for a smaller apartment to around $10,000 for a villa. We're somewhere in between, in a five-bedroom serviced apartment.
We spend about $1,000 a month on groceries, buying fruit and vegetables at the local market, and spending more on meat and imported food. A latte at a cute, bougie café is about $2, so I treat my friends to coffee without thinking twice.
We have a live-out helper who we pay about $900 a month. She cleans, preps groceries, and helps with the kids. Health insurance for our family runs under $10,000 a year.
I get serious sticker shock when I go home in the summer. I take the kids out for bagels, and it's $100 or more.
Schooling is by far our biggest cost. International school fees in the city range from about $8,000 to $30,000 per child per school year. We're at the higher end, but we strongly believe in a good education.
With fees for four kids, we probably spend about the same as we would in the US, where we wouldn't have to pay for school. But there, we wouldn't eat out or travel as much.
Provided by Marissa Goldstein
Both our big families live in the Boston suburbs.
There's also the weather: hot, hotter, and wet. In rainy season, it pours at school pickup every single day, even when you're sure it won't. The upside is that the kids need only one wardrobe all year.
I see Vietnam is our launchpad to the world.
Last spring, we spent a night in the jungle in Phong Nha, home to Vietnam's largest cave. We've been to Thailand about 20 times. Last February, we rented an RV and drove around New Zealand's South Island. On a trip to Sri Lanka, the kids learned to surf, and we stayed at a homestay in the mountains.
Traveling as six is hard. Most hotels don't allow four children in a room, and we can't fit in a regular car. Our best trips have never been at nice resorts. They're homestays, campsites, and RVs.
That's probably why this life suits us. I never wanted to say, "This is the house we'll live in for the next 50 years." Predictability scares me. I thrive in chaos, and with two sets of twins, there's always plenty of it — I wouldn't have it any other way.
Major U.S. and international airline groups are pushing back against a new Ebola-related travel requirement that will affect millions of people flying into the United States.
Beginning Nov. 3, all passengers on international flights to the U.S. will have to confirm that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The requirement applies to everyone flying into or connecting through the U.S. — including American citizens, green card holders and airline crew members, the CDC said.
US ISSUES URGENT TRAVEL WARNING AS DEADLY EBOLA OUTBREAK SPREADS OVERSEAS
Travelers will have to complete a paper or digital statement before boarding, even if they have never visited the DRC.
Airlines must collect the forms and keep them for at least 42 days after the flight arrives in the U.S., according to the CDC.
Airlines for America (A4A), which represents major carriers including American, Delta, Southwest, United and JetBlue, is asking the CDC to reconsider the requirement and give airlines more time to prepare, according to an Oct. 26 letter provided to Fox News Digital.
The group said it supports the CDC's public health goals but argued that the new requirement is too broad and is being introduced too quickly.
A4A asked the government for a "more proportionate and measured U.S. response" focused more closely on affected areas and travelers who have recently been there.
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The group also asked for the Nov. 3 start date to be delayed.
"Changes to check-in systems, digital signatures, station procedures and training cannot readily be completed in the allotted time," A4A wrote.
Dr. Tyler Evans, a California-based infectious disease physician and CEO of Wellness Equity Alliance, told Fox News Digital, "This was a step in the right direction, given the fact that we really do have to take this seriously. We have to ensure that this does not cross borders."
He added, "This is the second-largest outbreak of Ebola in history. So this is very serious."
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 370 airlines around the world, has also asked the CDC to reconsider the requirement, Reuters reported.
"It is unreasonable for the U.S. government to require all airlines serving the U.S. market to modify their procedures to accommodate the collection of attestations from each individual (passenger and crew) flying to the United States in less than two weeks," IATA wrote in a letter, according to Reuters.
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A4A is also asking the CDC to exempt airline crew members, arguing that existing aviation documents already contain information about crews and their travel.
The group has requested an exemption for U.S. military passenger charters as well, saying the military already tracks service members' health, safety and whereabouts.
The CDC said the requirement is intended to reduce the risk of Ebola entering the United States through air travel.
The 21-day period reflects the maximum amount of time it can take for symptoms to appear after exposure.
Anyone who has been in the DRC during that period, including travelers who only passed through an airport there, will not be allowed to board a U.S.-bound flight unless they have a government exemption, the CDC said.
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"Some of the initial symptoms would just be flu-like symptoms. You'll have a high-grade fever, you'll feel sort of fatigued," the doctor said.
"[For] people that ... are asymptomatic, being able to screen is a very effective modality to reduce, to prevent or mitigate further transmission," Evans said.
Evans worked on the Ebola response twice in the past, both in West Africa and in the DRC, the two largest outbreaks in history.
"The reality is Ebola is one of the most infectious and has one of the highest case fatality rates of infectious diseases," Evans said.
But Americans often don't view Ebola as being relevant to them, he said. "When it comes to infectious diseases ... microbes don't sort of respect boundaries."
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Travelers who knowingly provide false information could face prosecution and fines, according to the CDC.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC and IATA for further information and comment.
Angry port workers in Barcelona, Spain set a barricade ablaze Wednesday, blocking access to a cruise terminal and forcing passengers to haul their luggage on foot, according to local reports.
The protest took place near Barcelona's cruise terminals, where workers blocked an access road leading to the Porta d'Europa bridge, Spanish news outlet Crónica Global reported.
The workers were protesting potential pay cuts, with the road closures forcing cruise passengers to walk with their luggage instead of traveling by bus or car, the same outlet reported.
'NEVER-ENDING' CRUISE GRINDS TO DEVASTATING END, STRANDING OVER 200 PASSENGERS ABROAD
Roughly 200 workers took part in the protest, which lasted about four hours, Spanish outlet Metrópoli said.
There was a burning barricade made of branches. Riot police were reportedly deployed to the area, according to Crónica Global.
Four cruise ships carrying a combined total of more than 13,000 passengers were in port during the disruption, according to Cruise Hive.
The vessels reportedly included Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas, Mein Schiff 7 and AIDAmar, which were visiting Barcelona.
Norwegian Escape was also in port preparing to embark passengers for a new voyage, Cruise Hive reported.
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Spanish outlets reported that the protest followed a government audit that found discrepancies between approved salary budgets and the amounts workers were actually paid.
Workers fear the findings could lead to pay cuts of up to 8%, according to local news outlet betevé.
Employees have argued they should not be penalized for the discrepancies.
"The solution is not to cut salaries," the workers' committee said in a statement Wednesday, translated from Spanish, according to maritime news outlet Diario del Puerto.
In a statement, the Port of Barcelona said it was required to correct the payroll discrepancies identified in the government audit but maintained that the issue was not the result of wrongdoing by the port, according to local broadcaster betevé.
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Barcelona is one of Europe's busiest cruise destinations, with the port recording nearly 4 million cruise passenger movements in 2025, according to the Port of Barcelona.
The disruption comes as Barcelona continues to grapple with broader tensions surrounding tourism.
Earlier in October, Fox News Digital reported growing tensions over tourism in Barcelona, where protests have raised concerns about the impact on visitors to the popular Spanish destination.
Earlier this summer, Barcelona officials pushed to increase taxes on cruise passengers visiting the city for less than 12 hours to as much as $35, as part of broader efforts to curb overtourism.
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The U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Spain and Andorra issued a demonstration alert for Spain (not related to the port protests) on Oct.28.
"Demonstrations and protests continue to occur in Spain. While some demonstrations have been announced, including on October 31, other protests are spontaneous. Last minute changes can happen and may occur outside planned routes," the alert said.
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"Local authorities may increase security measures, including road closures, traffic restrictions, or increased security presence in areas where the demonstrations will occur. U.S. citizens should avoid demonstrations and areas of unrest.
"Stay away from areas with large crowds or significant police activity," it added. "Even peaceful protests can turn confrontational and escalate into violence."
Two college students who went hiking in Colorado were found dead after they were not seen or heard from for several days.
Deputies discovered the bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, in a mountain basin on West Apostle Mountain, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
Matsuda, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Donlon, of Queensbury, New York, were both students at Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus. Deputies say they left campus for a hike near Ice Mountain Friday, Oct. 23.
CLIMBER DIES IN FATAL FALL ON COLORADO 14ER SOUTH OF ASPEN
Their bodies were found Wednesday after the young men were reported missing by CMC on Monday.
CALIFORNIA COLLEGE WRESTLING STAR RYAN GEORGE DIES AFTER 400-FOOT FALL HIKING IN YOSEMITE
The sheriff's office said their bodies were found near one another, and "foul play is not suspected."
MISSING CANADIAN HIKER FOUND DEAD 2 WEEKS AFTER VANISHING DURING MOUNTAIN TREK IN WASHINGTON
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Investigators shared detailed updates on social media about the mission in which 60 search and rescue volunteers deployed from six different counties and had to brave treacherous trails and deteriorating weather conditions to try and find the men.
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Deputies were able to come up with a possible timeline for the students' doomed hike.
Timeline
HUSBAND AND WIFE GET TRAPPED IN PREMIER HIKING DESTINATION; ONLY ONE OF THEM MAKES IT OUT ALIVE
In a statement, Sheriff Andy Rohrich said in part, "Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson’s family and friends. We are very proud of our team’s efforts to find them before this weekend’s coming storm. Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family."
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Their remains were sent to the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office for autopsies.
The investigation into their deaths continues.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Colorado Mountain College for comment on the tragedy.
People diagnosed with ADHD and those travelling with them can get a third off their train tickets with disabled railcards, it has emerged.
The post People With ADHD Get Third Off Train Tickets appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
The 19th-century stronghold sits in the Scottish Highlands
© PA Media
The 19th-century stronghold sits in the Scottish Highlands
© PA Media
Suy SE / AFP via Getty Images
Almost three months before Villa Vie Residences suspended operations on Tuesday, leaving residents of the "never-ending" cruise stranded in Cambodia, the company had already warned the Odyssey's residents that it was running out of money for fuel.
In an August 1 memo to residents labeled "urgent," Villa Vie CEO and founding partner Kathy Villalba asked residents for financial contributions to buy fuel.
The memo, which Business Insider reviewed, said the company needed to make "immediate and creative operational decisions to preserve the voyage."
The company behind the 509-cabin ship had promised a permanent life at sea and a voyage around the world every three-and-a-half years for its residents. That came to an abrupt halt on Tuesday, when residents were told to disembark with only a few hours' notice.
In a Tuesday statement announcing it had halted operations, Villa Vie said it had taken "significant steps to reduce fuel consumption" after prices rocketed following the onset of the US-Israel war with Iran in February, but that these steps had not been enough.
Villa Vie founder Mikael Petterson told Business Insider in a phone call on Wednesday that the fuel price surge triggered a "cascading effect" that culminated in the suspension of operations.
Financial pressures became clear to residents in April, two months after the war in Iran began, when Villa Vie asked residents to loan the company money, offering interest rates of 12% to 24%, according to a separate letter viewed by Business Insider.
And by August, Villa Vie had reached a "critical point," according to Villalba's message, which you can read in full below.
Villalba, Petterson, and Villa Vie did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Business Insider.
URGENT OPERATIONAL UPDATE Confidentiality Reminder: This communication contains confidential and proprietary information intended solely for current Residents and authorized participants of the Villa Vie community. It is being shared through Circle as part of our commitment to transparency and open communication. We respectfully ask that you do not repost, forward, or otherwise distribute this information outside of Circle without the prior written consent of Villa Vie Residences. Dear Residents, We want to provide you with a direct, straightforward update regarding Odyssey's current operational realities. When the fuel contribution was requested several months ago, participation was not universal. The contributions received helped some, but they covered only part of the extraordinary increase in fuel costs. Since then, the company has exhausted its available reserves covering the remaining shortfall and keeping Odyssey moving. We had hoped that improving conditions in the region would begin to stabilize fuel prices. Unfortunately, the continued conflict and renewed market disruption have caused prices to rise sharply again. This is not simply an itinerary issue. It is an immediate cash-flow challenge that directly affects our ability to purchase the fuel required to continue the voyage. Odyssey currently needs approximately 650 metric tons of fuel. Under normal market conditions, that fuel would cost approximately $450,000. At today's prices, the cost is nearly double ($800,000). We have now reached a critical point. The lack of full participation, combined with the unprecedented increase in fuel costs, means we must make immediate and creative operational decisions to preserve the voyage. We are working toward receiving a partial fuel delivery as early as Monday. Our berth is available until Friday, August 7 at 4:00 p.m., subject to final confirmation from the port agent and Singapore Port Authority. The current recommendation is to remain alongside until August 7 and then sail at a slower, more economical speed to Nha Trang for our scheduled arrival on August 12. We are asking every Resident who did not previously contribute to please do so now. We are also asking those who are able to provide additional support to consider helping with this immediate fuel requirement. While every Resident has a contract with Villa Vie, this international crisis has created costs far beyond the circumstances contemplated when those agreements were made. The financial need is real, immediate, and necessary to keep Odyssey moving. This is a moment when preserving our home and continuing the voyage requires support beyond contractual minimums from those who are able to provide it. To conserve fuel and reduce operating costs, we will cancel Brunei and proceed directly from Singapore to Nha Trang. This will help reduce the expense, but it does not eliminate the need to fund the required bunkering. We will provide another update as soon as the fuel, berth, and departure arrangements are confirmed. Thank you for your understanding and support. — VVR Management."
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