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How can Portugal expect to attract international talent if it cannot provide the conditions for people to stay? One of my PhD students, an excellent Egyptian doctoral candidate, has returned to Egypt after AIMA Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo, Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, scheduled his residence permit appointment for 27 May 2027. That date bears repeating: 27 May 2027. As a university lecturer, I find this deeply concerning. Behind an appointment date is a person, an academic journey and a research project. The consequences of such a wait are human, scientific and institutional. Internationalising higher education requires more than recruiting students. It requires the conditions to welcome them and enable them to pursue their work. Universities’ efforts are undermined when administrative procedures become an obstacle to their students’ ability to remain in the country. This student’s academic merit makes the loss particularly clear. But fair treatment and a timely response should be available to everyone. I call on AIMA Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo and the authorities responsible for higher education to review this case urgently and ensure that international students and researchers receive responses consistent with academic timelines. What practical solution can be offered to this student before May 2027? Portugal loses when someone who came to study and contribute ends up leaving because they cannot keep waiting. (translated)

An especially interesting article highlighting Pope Leo XIV’s involvement in diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Olecky. It underscores the important role that dialogue and the Holy See’s commitment can play in the pursuit of peace. #PapeLéonXIV #PopeLeoXIV #Paix #Peace #Trêve #Ceasefire #Diplomatie #Diplomacy #Vatican #SaintSiège #HolySee #Dialogue #Espoir #Hope #PourLaPaix #PeaceForAll https://www.lalibre.be/international/europe/guerre-ukraine-russie/2026/11/01/guerre-en-ukraine-comment-le-pape-leon-xiv-a-contribue-a-obtenir-une-treve-ANK2YCFJ4NEFPIGJ2DKHF6OUNI/ (translated)

@stonewalluk.bsky.social has effectively become an anti-trans hate group. Stonewall was originally set up to fight against a law that banned “promoting” homosexuality. So for it to not challenge an oppressive law because it is the law is a total abandonment of its founding principles.

The post’s author wrote that the Kremlin and Yasenevo might find it hard to believe that decades of effort had led to this outcome. They claimed Russia sought to dismantle the West’s united alliance system, and that pushing the United States into isolation and domestic chaos was the best way to achieve that. https://t.co/hXMzROJlhC #Россия #Политика #Мир #RU #US

The author of the post presented the new essay by Manlio Graziano for Appunti, arguing that a defeat of Trump could have triggered a definitive crisis of democracy, with consequences beyond the borders of the United States. https://t.co/lvcDKiyWcu https://t.co/myyLwOepAP #Democrazia #Trump #CrisiPolitica #US (translated)

Citizens' Media accused several French media outlets, notably France Inter, France Info, and France Culture, of providing massive and biased coverage of high school and student mobilizations. The media claimed that more than a hundred reports made on-site had been broadcast since the start of the movement, and that the testimonies of the most demanding protesters were often relayed without sufficient verification. It estimated that this treatment contributed to presenting a movement as general that it described as essentially driven by activists. According to Citizens' Media, the media also failed to sufficiently confront the demands with the responsibilities of regions in the material funding of high schools and institutional realities. To support its remarks, the media cited the analysis of over 60,000 contributions submitted on the ministry's consultation platform: timetables represented 70% of concerns, the state of school buildings 48.2%, teacher replacements 27.2%, and teacher staffing 25.9%. The elimination of Parcoursup appeared in 16.4% of the contributions, it noted. Citizens' Media also pointed out that the ministry indicated, on October 13, that 94.2% of high schools were open. It lamented that students opposed to blockages, parents, and teachers wishing to continue classes were not being heard. The media called on newsrooms to verify claims, contextualize demands, and solicit dissenting viewpoints. #Médias #RévolteLycéenne #Journalisme (translated)

Aldo Sterone stated that the conflict was no longer genuinely between Ukraine and Russia, but between Russia and France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, which he referred to as the "Trio." He claimed that Ukrainian soldiers were being kidnapped off the streets and then sent to the front, and that Zelensky was securing funds before claiming attacks carried out by the Trio. According to Sterone, Vladimir Putin was constrained by a doctrine inherited from the Soviet era, which would only leave him the choice between a nuclear response and inaction. He estimated that the war was becoming asymmetric and asserted that Russia had just lost a third refinery in three days, while Ukraine was devastated and had almost no valid targets left. He predicted that Russian strikes would be followed by new drone attacks on Russian facilities. Sterone also claimed that France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, along with the United States, were seeking to dismantle Russia into 22 republics. He asserted that the European Union was ready to ruin its economy to achieve this goal. He added that Yandex's data centers would not return to normal operations before 2030, according to the most optimistic estimates he cited. He presented three scenarios: the continuation of economic pressure and attacks on Russian infrastructure; a coup that would replace Putin with a general, followed by what he suggested would be conventional strikes against Paris, London, or Berlin; or an escalation likely to lead to nuclear war. He believed that Putin's passivity encouraged new attacks and could ultimately result in strikes on Moscow or a European Union capital. #Ukraine #Russie #Géopolitique (translated)

AuBonTouiteFrançais called out Ursula von der Leyen, believing that the period from 1917 to 1991 had shown, according to him, the failure of communism. He added that the European Union has been replicating the same recipes since 2007 and producing the same effects. He asked why no general candidate was making this observation and then urged everyone to leave in abrupt terms. #Communisme #UnionEuropéenne #Politique (translated)

Actu Foot reported, citing L'Équipe, that PSG players had shared a Halloween dinner the night before in a restaurant in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. The entire squad had been invited the day after their victory against Le Havre (5-1). According to Actu Foot, the players were resting on Sunday, two days before the trip to Villarreal in the Champions League. #PSG #Halloween #LigueDesChampions (translated)

The Brancameloni army, led by Giorgia Meloni and Ignazio La Russa, risks benefiting from the continued self-harm of the progressive opposition, which seems unable to unite forces and effectively confront the electoral competition in view of 2027. #GiorgiaMeloni #IgnazioLaRussa #PoliticaItaliana (translated)

P@rousie recalled that All Saints' Day celebrated, according to him, the saints in heavenly joy and not all the dead, to whom November 2 was dedicated. He traced the evolution of the feast: celebrated on different dates after Easter or Pentecost, it was said to have been moved by Pope Boniface IV and then fixed on November 1 by Gregory III in the 8th century. He described All Saints' Day as a celebration of those who had lived in love and humility and worked for the good of others, concluding that it was also a feast of love. #Toussaint #Fête #Amour (translated)

Andreas Almgren, with his unique and efficient running style where the hips are at a perfect angle, has established himself as a top competitor in the marathon after his successes in middle-distance races and World Championship gold. #AndreasAlmgren #maraton #löpteknik (translated)

The author had argued that the debate on the privileged treatment of VAT numbers was taking on absurd developments and aimed to deny the facts. He had added that Stevanato had tried to clarify the effects, which he judged to be very damaging and unjust, of the favorable legislation, but without success due to ideology. #PartiteIVA #GiustiziaSociale #Politica #IT (translated)

The government's maneuver on pension revaluation provides for savings of over 14 billion euros over ten years, with a significant cut for pensions exceeding four times the minimum, raising strong controversies and concerns about the effects on consumption and vital goods. #Pensioni #Manovra2027 #RivalutazioneAssegni (translated)

La Tribune Dimanche featured the American midterm elections on its front page, two days before the vote, with Donald Trump and global issues. The newspaper also mentioned less numerous and less violent protests, É. Philippe's strategy to restart his career, and FO's demand to increase the minimum wage by 130 euros. Charlotte Gainsbourg and the Route du Rhum in Saint-Malo were also on the front page. https://t.co/H7CS3xVQL6 #Politique #Économie #Culture #FR (translated)

Actu Foot reported that Allan Saint-Maximin scored in the 49th minute after a run from midfield, then missed a penalty saved by the goalkeeper in the 84th minute. According to the report, he received a straight red card in the 89th minute for an obscene gesture towards an opponent after a verbal altercation. #MLS #Football #AllanSaintMaximin (translated)