More than one in four Ontario students report having been a victim of cyberbullying in the past year. This statistic places schools at the center of a debate that extends beyond the classroom and enters the campaign for the October 26 school board elections.

Jonathan Santos is running for trustee in Ward 9 of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). School board trustees represent families on the board and participate in decisions regarding budgets, priorities, and policies that affect thousands of students.

In an interview with Milénio Stadium, the candidate advocates for a two-pronged response. On one hand, he wants to understand what drives bullies to act. On the other, he wants to strengthen support for victims through more workshops for parents, students, and teachers, additional child and youth workers, and clear consequences, including suspensions. Regarding cellphones in classrooms, he describes himself as “old school”: he calls for a return to pen, paper, and handwriting, viewing technology as a supplement rather than a “crutch.”

He also draws attention to immigrant families who do not speak fluent English and consequently face greater difficulties in keeping up with their children—both in their academic progress and in their ventures through an online world that is as fascinating as it is dark and dangerous.

Milénio Stadium: More than one in four Ontario students report having been a victim of cyberbullying in the past year. What concrete measures do you advocate for to prevent and respond to these cases in schools?

Jonathan Santos: It’s a very terrible problem that we’re dealing with right now. As community advocates—because that’s what school board trustees are—what we need to be doing is organizing more workshops for parents, students, and teachers so we can see how we can work together to solve this problem from two standpoints.

First, regarding those who commit these acts: let’s try to understand why they are doing this. Why do they feel the need to harm others? Sometimes words are worse than physical violence; mental abuse can be more devastating than an actual physical assault. So we need to work on two fronts: understanding why people do this and how we can stop and prevent them from doing it; and on the other hand, supporting those affected. What kind of programs do we need?

Everybody knows there are so many cuts to education right now. There are even cuts planned for my position as a prospective trustee. But while my hands are tied in certain respects, what I would like to see happen first and foremost is ensuring this doesn’t happen at all and that proper repercussions are in place.

The other problem lies with the Ministry of Education. They don’t like to penalize children or talk about expulsions or suspensions. But I think that needs to happen, because if you don’t do that, how are students going to learn that this is unacceptable behavior? We definitely need to educate people on this and hold more community workshops, especially from an educational standpoint, to address the root of the problem. We need proper repercussions in place and to be truly there to support those who are suffering—the victims.

MS: Is the cellphone ban in classrooms working? Should it be expanded, maintained, or revised?

JS: I’ve been hearing mixed responses from the parents I speak to at different schools. Some say it’s working: some teachers set aside a phone-free time, students put them in a box, and they can’t use them. Other teachers simply don’t enforce it, and they see kids getting distracted.

My opinion is that we can’t avoid technology; it’s everywhere. However, it shouldn’t be used as the primary method of instruction—especially phones. There should be clear criteria: if we’re working on a topic for the next hour, no phones. If there’s an emergency, there are always other ways to get in touch, whether with a parent or through the school, which has all records up to date.

Additionally, we have to consider that while one student is trying to learn, another might be on their phone—and besides not paying attention, they are distracting their classmates. That’s not what we want. So I think during certain hours and in certain classes, phone use should be banned. If they have a 5- or 10-minute break, then sure, allow it.

Even though I’m young, I’m very “old school” in this regard. I see the benefits of technology, but I don’t think it should be the primary resource; it should be supplemental. I advocate for a return to basic reading, handwriting, and penmanship. You see some of these younger children who don’t know how to write properly. We need to go back to the basics and the fundamentals. Absolutely.

MS: What role should digital literacy and online safety play in the curriculum, and starting at what age?

JS: As I mentioned, regarding technology, online environments, and access, I believe there need to be limits for the child’s own safety. Today, everything is digital and you can find out everything about someone with just the click of a mouse. Because of this, we need much stronger reinforcement and discipline.

Technology shouldn’t be used as a “crutch,” which is how it’s currently being used in the education system. It shouldn’t be the only resource we use; it should be viewed as a supplement. We have to get back to the fundamentals of pen and paper.

On the other hand, I think parents should be a little more involved. Speaking with some parents, I know many don’t fully understand the system because they are recent immigrants and haven’t mastered the English language. When their child comes home and says, “This is what we’re doing, this is what the teacher said,” they accept it and don’t question it. I think we also need to do more to advocate for and empower these parents whose first language isn’t English so they can understand the process. That’s why I believe these workshops are so beneficial for families.

MS: Are school guidance counselors and mental health services sufficient to support students affected by cyberbullying? If elected, what will you do about this issue?

JS: I don’t think they’re doing enough, and that comes back to the budget cuts from the Ministry of Education. There isn’t enough support for students or parents. Workshops are one tool, but we need more child and youth workers, as well as more guidance counselors.

If we don’t solve this problem in childhood, it can drag on into adulthood. When you reach adulthood without overcoming this bullying, the consequences in your personal and professional life can be severe. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to have more programs and more support for students.

If elected, that will be one of my priorities. Although my power as a trustee is limited, our role is to relentlessly advocate for these causes. Mental health is, unfortunately, a very prevalent issue today. If young people don’t get the support they need at an early age, it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. In today’s society, where social media and cyberbullying are just a click away, we 100% must support our youth. Absolutely.

Madalena Balça/MS

Oxfam pays white staff 33% less on average than ethnic minority colleagues while Cancer Research UK and the British Red Cross aren't far behind, despite commitments to equality and fairness.

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Her son is 16 years old, plays soccer and basketball with his friends, and spends many hours on his phone and playing video games. He is a teenager like so many others. His mother confesses that she lives with constant anxiety, fueled above all by her son’s silence. “My fear is that, because he is very reserved, he might be suffering from some form of humiliation and not telling me. That he might be a victim of bullying or under some pressure, because I think there is a lot of competitiveness among teenagers.”

The fear does not come out of nowhere. The teenager was bullied in the past, and that experience left marks on how his mother views every sign of sadness. “I feel that, at times, he is very downcast. And I think: could something be happening on his phone? Is someone hurting him? And is he not telling me?”

For years, she had access to her son’s phone. Today, she no longer does. “He tells me that I have no business looking at his phone, that he is a grown boy now.” The mother tries to engage in dialogue, but the answers are scarce. “I push him, but he gives me the bare minimum. He gives me almost no information about what is going on with him. And I immediately start imagining the worst.”

She assures that she talks to her son about the dangers of the internet. His response, however, is always the same: “Don’t worry, I have everything under control. You don’t have to be afraid of anything because I’m big now.” It is precisely this confidence that worries her. “He always thinks he is not a target, that it only happens to others, that nothing will happen to him. That scares me.”

Even so, she refuses the temptation to protect him by locking him up at home. She even admits to feeling relieved when he goes out to play sports with his friends and leaves screens behind. “The world out there scares me, but I am aware that I cannot keep him trapped inside the house—though the truth is that I only rest easy when he walks through the door.”

The app that tallys intimacy

Recently, the moment that struck her most did not come from her son, but from a 15-year-old friend of his who talks to her frequently. It was this teenager who told her about an application where teenagers record episodes of their intimate lives. “For example: if my son kisses a girl, he goes to the app and says he kissed a girl that day. And it stays registered there that Boy X has already kissed six girls.”

The record, the teenager explained, does not stop at kisses: it also includes counting sexual relationships, with details that left this mother speechless—after all, this is an app whose content is entered by youth aged 13, 14, 15, 16… “I was looking at her and didn’t even know what to say. I just said: ‘I’m shocked.'” When she asked what the goal was, she simply heard that it served “so we know how many people we’ve kissed.” And, as a response to her reservations, the “accusation” arrived quickly: she was an “old school” mother, someone “from the 90s” who “doesn’t understand anything.”

That day, she remembers calling her own mother to vent. “In my time, I didn’t even want anyone to know if I had kissed someone. To me, this is a completely different world.” More than the exposure itself, the naïveté disturbs her. “They don’t even realize that people could join that app pretending to be young when they aren’t. They have no fears. They think they live in La La Land.”

When her sister, a mother of two young children, complains about being tired, her response comes with a bitter smile: “You are in the best phase; you have no idea what awaits you.” For this mother, the hardest part of adolescence is not the rebellion, nor the typical isolation of that age. “It is more the fear of the world, of the way things are.”

In the face of all this, she holds on to one certainty: keeping the door open is the solution. “For me, the important thing is to always keep some channel of dialogue open. He says I’m annoying, but I don’t care. He can say whatever he wants—one day he will thank me.”

Note: For reasons that seem obvious to us (safeguarding the privacy of the family and particularly the young people involved), we have kept all participants completely anonymous.

Madalena Balça/MS

Sempre existiram sem-abrigo. As razões são variadas; uma grande parte sofre de perturbações mentais, o que os leva a evitar a sociedade e as suas regras.

A redução de financiamento dos cuidados de saúde mental subsidiados contribuiu certamente para estes números. Sem dúvida, o nosso sistema económico foi sempre um dos grandes responsáveis pelo sem-abriguismo. O próprio sistema gera tanto pobreza como riqueza.

Como todos estamos a testemunhar, as pessoas saíram à rua em Paris, Lisboa e Barcelona para exigir o direito a uma habitação digna e acessível, protestando contra os preços de arrendamento especulativos, orientados maioritariamente para a indústria do turismo. Em Lisboa e no Porto, os manifestantes têm vindo a armar tendas nas praças principais para vincar a sua posição. Os estudantes estão a ser especialmente afetados. Ambas as principais cidades tornaram-se completamente incomportáveis, e outras estão a seguir-lhes o caminho. Os jovens estão revoltados por todo o lado e já era sem tempo. Surpreendentemente, a nossa polícia respondeu com violência no primeiro dia; as imagens perturbadoras faziam parecer que tudo acontecia noutro país. Felizmente, isso não os demoveu; os acampamentos e os cânticos continuam. O nosso atual governo conservador parece estar em negação, desvalorizando os protestos, com o Primeiro-Ministro até a chamar-lhes “egoístas”.

Em França, os protestos parecem assumir sempre um tom quase bélico. Os franceses estão fartos e demonstram-no. Os lamentáveis saques e incêndios já são marcas registadas de um povo que exige ação imediata. Sem dúvida que há muitos envolvidos apenas pela oportunidade de deitar a mão a coisas grátis, enquanto outros participam para descarregar as suas frustrações em montras de vidro e veículos estacionados.

Em Barcelona, milhares de pessoas saíram à rua para impedir que um senhorio despejasse uma senhora idosa do apartamento onde vivia há décadas. Ela foi despejada na mesma, acabando por morrer num par de dias depois. É evidente que isto não é sobre saques. As pessoas estão a ser levadas ao seu limite.

Em Toronto, os residentes sentem o aperto do imobiliário há mais tempo. Os preços das casas e das rendas subiram para níveis inacreditáveis nos últimos 20 anos. Viver e trabalhar perto de uma grande cidade exige mais sacrifícios do que nunca, e a situação continua a piorar. Há hoje muitas pessoas que, mesmo com todo o esforço que conseguem fazer, simplesmente não se orientam. É exatamente assim que as coisas estão para muitas pessoas aqui na Europa também.

Tudo isto me leva a perguntar como chegámos até aqui. Não fomos nós que fizemos isto a nós próprios, porque não somos nós que estamos ao volante. Todos os políticos, todos os atores corporativos que sempre afirmaram agir no nosso melhor interesse, trouxeram-nos até aqui. É a única explicação. Aconteceu em todos os países do mundo ocidental. Países com governos e culturas diferentes acabam, com poucas exceções, com os mesmos problemas sociais. Não é coincidência, é intencional.

Para a maioria das pessoas, viver exige esforço, mas muitos dos que estão vivos hoje lembram-se de conseguir pagar muitas coisas no passado que agora estão fora do seu alcance e fora do alcance da geração seguinte. Foi para aqui que fomos encaminhados, sem qualquer culpa nossa, a não ser pela confiança cega naqueles que deveriam ter os nossos melhores interesses em primeiro lugar. Que grande treta.

Fiquem bem,

Raul Freitas/MS

O conteúdo do website do Milénio Stadium é traduzido automaticamente através do Google Tradutor.

The Council of Ministers’ recent decision to select the Lufthansa Group for the acquisition of a stake of up to 49.9% in TAP’s capital for 1.2 billion euros is not merely an excellent financial deal; it is clear proof of the success of the restructuring plan designed in the past and the recognition of Pedro Nuno Santos’s unequivocal merit.

As we well remember, this sale to the German giant was only made possible because there was the political courage to rescue and save the airline when its survival was severely threatened. Looking back, the actions of the previous government led by António Costa were consistently guided by a stance of responsibility, acceptance of consequences, and defense of the public interest, standing in stark contrast to the legacy and completely flawed approach of the PSD. When the Inspectorate-General of Finance concluded that Alexandra Reis’s severance agreement was invalid, the Socialist executive’s response was immediate, rigorous, and transparent. The government acted correctly by demanding the return of the compensation and removing the company’s leadership, whose roles were manifestly compromised by severe management failings. Contrary to what the opposition attempted to project onto public opinion, political accountability occurred in due time, materialized in the resignation of government officials from both the Infrastructure and Finance Ministries. The PS demonstrated that it does not waver when it comes to safeguarding public funds and respecting institutions.

The choice of Luís Silva Rodrigues to assume the leadership of TAP was a wise move of undeniable merit. Coming from a track record of excellence at SATA, where he proved his management capabilities in complex island environments, the executive brought to TAP the technical competence and operational composure the company so desperately needed. His tenure proved that stability and financial rigor, including common sense regarding top executive salaries, are the only path to restoring confidence among markets, clients, and the Portuguese people, who were the legitimate investors in the airline’s restructuring plan.

To understand TAP’s present, it is imperative to remember its past. The PSD government designed a ruinous privatization process, where an attempt was made to purchase the company using the airline’s own money through questionable capitalization schemes. It was the PS, largely thanks to the merit of Pedro Nuno Santos, that stabilized the company and secured a deep restructuring whose positive impact is reflected today in the fleet’s modernization and the strength of its routes. It is this modern fleet and this highly attractive route network, especially its leadership in the transatlantic market and connections to South America, that today lead Lufthansa to describe TAP as an “unmissable opportunity” for European consolidation.

Today, time completely proves Pedro Nuno Santos’s stance right. The current outcome of the deal, won by Lufthansa after a fierce competition, is the definitive validation that the billions injected were a strategic and profitable investment for Portugal, not a waste. The current Prime Minister’s evident discomfort when announcing these impressive figures only demonstrates that the right-wing narrative has collapsed in the face of reality.

TAP needs time, rigorous management, and stability to fulfill its strategic role in the national economy and in connecting with the Diaspora. Accountability was taken, management was professionalized, and the country now recognizes that the value generated by TAP is the direct fruit of Pedro Nuno Santos’s resilient vision and merit.

Vitor M. Silva/MS

The content on the Milénio Stadium website is automatically translated using Google Translate.

The matter has been treated with utmost seriousness. There was allegedly a burglary at an office belonging to a member of parliament—André Ventura, leader of Chega—and the Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária – PJ) are investigating. Even the PJ’s Counterterrorism Unit has been brought in. The matter is serious, therefore. It is unthinkable for the office of a political leader, any MP, or parliamentary staff member to be targeted by intruders, burglarized, spied upon, or vandalized.

What is curious is that all those who have spoken with restraint regarding the alleged burglary cannot hide the underlying suspicion that the whole thing might be nothing more than another theatrical stunt. Now, however, it is the Judicial Police themselves who are not ruling out that hypothesis, as revealed by Sábado magazine. But prudence dictates that, until there is concrete evidence, it is best not to make hasty claims.

The truth is that this case is strange. It is one of two things: either the intruder was careless and prone to disorder, or they deliberately wanted to draw attention, as papers and other items were strewn everywhere. If the objective was to steal allegedly sensitive documents compromising the Prime Minister and the Minister of Internal Administration, as Ventura claimed, there was no need to throw everything onto the floor, scattering paperwork across the room, and even opening the photocopier’s paper tray.

Curiously, the prospective vandal must have suffered a crisis of conscience because, in the middle of the mess, they chose to leave a personal message of respect and religious devotion—carefully placing a crucifix attached to the picture frame containing a photograph of Our Lady. Naturally, such meticulous care amidst the chaos of scattered papers makes the entire scene seem highly implausible.

Resembling this act of alleged office vandalism is that unique moment on stage during Ventura’s presidential campaign, when he addressed the crowd covered in bandages shortly after leaving the hospital due to gastric reflux. The photo posted to social media remains legendary: the leader bedridden in a hospital gown, with a dull gaze and a thumbs-up, social-media-style.

Much like Trump said when he was grazed by a bullet, Ventura also claimed that divine intervention spared him for his crusades—even if, in those crusades, he distinguishes himself primarily by spreading hatred against immigrants. Once on stage, he feels a sudden sharp pain, as if something were coming over him, places his hand on his chest (the stomach is further down), and doubles over with a faint look of suffering, only to quickly compose himself and reassure his acolytes. Everything is fine!

Therefore, this could simply be another theatrical scene, convenient for leaving a mark to echo throughout the summer break. What is also strange is that neither Ventura nor any MP or party official is talking about the matter; whenever there is a crime story, they never tire of denouncing it, yet now everyone remains silent when they themselves are burglarized in the sacred House of Democracy. They do not even express indignation at the fact that the Judicial Police admit there may have been a staged setup.

Let us see where this leads. For now, according to press reports, the Judicial Police—in their own peculiar way of communicating—have floated the idea that everything might just be a staged performance. This would hardly be surprising, as André Ventura operates as if he were perpetually on stage, fulfilling his role as a great actor, though many also view him as a master charlatan.

However, unlike what is customary with Ventura and his followers, one should not jump to conclusions or drop malicious insinuations, even if it is the Judicial Police themselves floating the hypothesis of a staged event. Let us await the conclusions of the investigations so we can judge whether the episode starring Ventura should be taken seriously and, above all, what will happen next.

Paulo Pisco – Director of the PS Department of Communities

The content on the Milénio Stadium website is automatically translated using Google Translate.

In the history of relations between Portugal and the United States of America—marked by more than two centuries of diplomatic friendship and strong human ties—the figure of Emma Lazarus (1849–1887) stands out. A celebrated American poet of Portuguese Jewish-Sephardic descent, she is the author of the poem The New Colossus, inscribed on a bronze plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, one of the greatest universal symbols of freedom, hope, and welcome.

Emma Lazarus was born on July 22, 1849, in New York, into a Jewish family of Sephardic descent linked to the history of the Jews of Portugal and Spain. The expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, followed by the decrees enacted in Portugal starting in 1496 and the forced conversions of 1497, gave rise to successive waves of exile. Their descendants settled in different countries, preserving memories, traditions, and ties to the Iberian Peninsula.

In 1883, Emma Lazarus wrote The New Colossus at the request of William Maxwell Evarts as part of a fundraising effort for the construction of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. Dedicated on October 28, 1886, the monument—a gift from France to the United States—acquired a meaning that transcended the celebration of political liberty, due in part to the poem, coming to represent the hope of immigrants and refugees as well. Emma Lazarus passed away in 1887, and her verses were only inscribed on a bronze plaque inside the pedestal in 1903.

Long before, in the 17th century, the history of Portuguese Sephardic Jews had already intersected with the formation of Jewish communities in North America. During the Dutch rule over parts of northeastern Brazil, Recife welcomed a Jewish community that enjoyed greater religious freedom. Following the Portuguese reconquest of the region in 1654, and fearing inquisitorial persecution, a group of Jews sought refuge in New Amsterdam, then a Dutch colony on Manhattan Island, laying the foundation for a lasting Jewish presence in the city that would later be named New York.

The Shearith Israel Congregation, of Sephardic tradition and historically known as the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, became one of the central institutions of this community. Its history bears witness to the importance of Jews of Iberian origin in the religious, economic, and cultural life of North America.

Among the families illustrating this heritage is the Mendes Seixas family. Isaac Mendes Seixas, born in Lisbon in the early 18th century, was the great-great-great-grandfather of Emma Lazarus. Established in North America, the family played a prominent role in the religious, economic, and civic life of the Jewish communities. Among his descendants, Moses Mendes Seixas stood out as a leader of the Jewish community in Newport, Rhode Island, who, in 1790, addressed a letter to George Washington on the occasion of the President’s visit to the city. In his reply, Washington reaffirmed the principles of religious freedom and civic equality, providing a significant testament to the ideals of the new American republic.

Emma Lazarus’s Portuguese Sephardic ancestry is part of this journey of exile, reconstruction, and civic participation. Her work, however, was not limited to evoking family origins. Sensitive to the plight of persecuted Jews in Europe, the poet became actively involved in supporting immigrants in New York—an experience that contributed to the humanistic dimension of her thought.

In her famous sonnet, the Statue of Liberty ceases to be merely a monument to national greatness. Emma Lazarus transforms her into the “Mother of Exiles,” a figure raising her torch to welcome those arriving from distant lands, tired of persecution, poverty, and oppression. The lines “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” have become one of the most recognizable expressions of the ideal of welcome associated with the United States.

This message remains relevant today in a world marked by wars, forced displacement, and debates surrounding immigration. History demonstrates that freedom is not exhausted by the proclamation of principles; it also demands respect for human dignity, the protection of the persecuted, and the capacity to welcome those seeking to rebuild their lives.

The Portuguese diaspora is likewise part of this story. Today, approximately 1.5 million people in the United States identify as having Portuguese ancestry, according to estimates based on census data. Over generations, Portuguese immigrants and their descendants have contributed to the economic, social, and cultural life of the country, preserving their ties to Portugal and building bridges across both sides of the Atlantic.

The story of Emma Lazarus reminds us that national identities are also built through family journeys that cross borders. Her Portuguese Sephardic roots link the memory of the Iberian Peninsula to the history of the United States and the universal experience of diaspora.

The torch that illuminates the entrance to New York Harbor thus remains a symbol of a story that also passes through Portugal—a story of exile and hope, memory and integration, which continues to resonate with the Portuguese diaspora and the contemporary world.

Daniel Bastos/MS

The content on the Milénio Stadium website is automatically translated using Google Translate.

Grooming, financial sextortion, and organized predatory networks represent the primary digital threats facing youth today. The Toronto Police Service explains how offenders operate, what families should do within the first few hours, and where to seek help.

A single smartphone, a messaging app, or an online game is all it takes for danger to enter the home unannounced. This is the reality. In fact, in responses provided to our newspaper, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) paints a troubling picture of the crimes targeting children and adolescents in the digital realm.

Cindy Chung, media relations officer for the TPS, leaves no room for doubt regarding the primary threat. “The most prevalent digital threats facing children and teenagers currently involve Internet Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE), which encompasses child luring, exploitation material, and financial sexual extortion,” she explains.

Added to these crimes is a more recent phenomenon that has prompted warnings from law enforcement. “Police have warned of emerging predatory networks, such as ‘The Com,’ that actively target youth online to coerce them into severe real-world harms,” the spokesperson notes.

The method used by offenders follows a repeated pattern. According to police, “offenders frequently operate across popular messaging apps and gaming networks.” These are precisely the digital spaces where young people spend much of their free time.

The first step is gaining the victim’s trust. “Predators often use fake profiles to pose as teenagers to build rapid trust,” describes Cindy Chung. From there, situation can escalate very quickly: the offender “coerces the minor into sending explicit images or videos and immediately pivots to blackmail.” This is the core mechanism of “sextortion.” The obtained images are weaponized to extort money or additional explicit content from the victim under the threat of exposure to family, friends, or schoolmates.

One of the most striking findings is the profile of the preferred targets for this type of crime. “Financial sextortion groups heavily target young males,” states the police representative. Explaining why, she notes that these groups “exploit the fear and reluctance these boys have to speak out about what is happening to them.” Shame and silence thus become the perpetrators’ greatest allies. A teenager who feels humiliated and fears parental reaction tends to hide the problem, giving blackmailers more time and leverage over the victim.

Nevertheless, police emphasize that the risk is not confined to boys. “It is important to note that both boys and girls can be victims,” Chung cautions.

What, then, should a parent do if they discover their child is being blackmailed or harassed online? The police response is clear and begins with severing communication: the first step is to “stop all communication with the offender immediately.”

Next, preserving evidence that could help identify the offender is essential. Police advise parents to “safely save all evidence by copying the text URL, account handles, and platform names.”

Finally, Cindy Chung stresses that emotional support from parents is just as crucial as practical measures. Parents should “reassure your child that they are the victim,” and “seek immediate support from the police or a trusted resource.” Youth often feel guilty and ashamed, and hearing from their parents that they did nothing wrong can make all the difference.

Chung also highlights critical mistakes to avoid at all costs. The first is giving in to threats, with clear guidance provided: “Do not reply to the threats and do not pay the extortionists,” the police insist. The reason is that “paying rarely stops the blackmail and often leads to higher demands.”

The second error, often made in the heat of the moment, is attempting to literally delete the problem. Cindy Chung issues a clear warning: “Police ask families to avoid deleting the account or the chat history, as doing so destroys vital digital evidence needed for a police investigation.”

How should parents proceed when they suspect something is wrong? Whether suspecting or confirming an issue with a child or adolescent, several official channels are available for reporting. In severe cases, the direction is unequivocal: “Always dial 9-1-1 immediately if a child is in imminent danger.”

In non-emergency situations, families can “call the Toronto Police non-emergency line at 416-808-2222, or submit a report through the TPS Online Reporting Tool” for eligible offenses.

For cases involving sexual exploitation, a specialized route is available. Police recommend “reporting child sexual exploitation directly to Canada’s national tip line at Cybertip.ca.”

What happens next? When a cyberbullying or exploitation case reaches authorities, police deploy specialized internal resources. “The TPS leverages specialized units like the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) alongside School Liaison Officers who can intervene or offer guidance in extreme cases,” explains Cindy Chung.

However, the response extends beyond criminal investigation. Police also direct families to a network of partner resources outlined on their bullying prevention page. Among these are the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and Kids Help Phone, which offers “professional, confidential support” via 1-800-668-6868.

For parents, the TPS provides a social media safety tips portal offering “comprehensive guidance” to “help families establish healthy digital boundaries.”

Police also focus on proactive prevention, bringing the message directly to those who need it most. “The Toronto Police Service delivers proactive education directly to youth and parents through interactive community safety workshops and school presentations hosted by community constables,” notes the spokesperson.

These sessions address practical, everyday topics relevant to youth. According to police, “these initiatives focus on the risks of sharing personal details or photos, auditing privacy settings, and understanding the hidden dangers built into modern multiplayer gaming environments.”

Online gaming, often viewed by parents as a harmless pastime, emerges as one of the venues where predators seek victims. For families seeking continued guidance, police recommend reviewing the TPS Social Media Safety Guide.

From Cindy Chung’s responses, a central theme emerges: offenders feed on fear and isolation. The longer a young person keeps the problem to themselves, the greater the blackmailer’s power becomes.

Therefore, the message to families is both practical and reassuring: keep dialogue open, act quickly, preserve evidence, and above all, reassure children that if something happens, they are never to blame. In a world where danger is just a click away, trust between parents and children remains the strongest protection.

Madalena Balça/MS

My dear readers, we live in times of disillusionment with the policies and promises of many political leaders. This is my opinion, and I do not have to apologize to anyone for thinking this way. It pains me to see people who contributed to certain problems now showing up to support protests against what they helped create. It pains me even more to see politics turn so often into a scramble for positions, favors, and political patronage, rather than being a space of competence, responsibility, and public service.

I do not need to appear in the newspapers, nor seek the spotlight, to offer my opinion. I am happy to be able to say what I think without chasing titles or trying to be anyone’s golden child. It worries me to see appointments made out of friendship, convenience, or interests that have little to do with the qualifications of those chosen. What kind of example are we setting for future leaders and public servants?

My dear friends, I have spoken my mind. But there is a reality that deserves our reflection, both in Portugal and right across Europe. There is a question that more and more Portuguese people are asking—often in silence: how is it possible to work, fulfill one’s obligations, pay taxes, and still be unable to buy a home, pay rent, or live with peace of mind?

We are not talking about luxuries, foreign vacations, or new cars. We are talking about the essentials: having a roof over our heads, starting a family, and looking to the future without feeling like we are in a constant struggle just to make ends meet.

Facing this reality, it is important to ask: did we arrive here by chance, or were there political decisions that contributed to this situation?

I do not believe that everything is the fault of a single government, nor that all problems originate in national politics. But I also do not accept that no one takes responsibility. Governments exist to make decisions, set priorities, and solve problems. They must, therefore, be judged by the results they deliver, and not merely by the promises they make.

The housing crisis did not happen overnight. For years, successive governments had opportunities to act. The Socialist governments that held power during much of the period between 2015 and 2024 are not responsible for everything, but they cannot be left out of this assessment either. There was time to identify problems, adjust policies, and create conditions to increase the supply of affordable housing.

When support packages are announced but construction remains insufficient, we may help a few families in the short term without solving the underlying issue. When bureaucracy, taxes, and uncertainty stifle investment, it is those searching for a house at a reasonable price who end up suffering the consequences.

I am not arguing that the State should abandon the most vulnerable, nor do I believe that the market can solve everything on its own. I do argue, however, that solidarity must be accompanied by effective policies, sound management, and concrete results. Protecting people cannot serve as an excuse for indefinitely postponing necessary reforms.

And there is another question we cannot ignore: in Portugal, we have seen governments come to power without having won the elections, through parliamentary agreements that united political forces with vastly different visions. It is legitimate to question the consequences of those choices and assess what they brought to the country. Governing is not about handing out promises to secure votes; it is about making decisions, even when they are difficult, and accepting the consequences.

Let us also look at other European countries that have been governed by socialist forces or left-wing coalitions. We cannot attribute all of their problems to the same ideology, because each country has its own reality. But we should not ignore the outcomes of the policies pursued either. After all, that is what looking back is for: to learn from past mistakes rather than repeating them.

Portugal needs fewer announcements and more execution, faster permitting, conditions that encourage building, better use of available properties, and sustained investment in public housing. It also needs stable rules that reconcile tenants’ rights with the need to expand supply.

This is not about disrespecting those who think differently. It is about demanding accountability from those who govern. A country cannot live forever waiting for the next government to fix what the previous one left unresolved.

True solidarity does not consist of promising everything to everyone. It consists of creating the conditions for people to work, advance, and live with dignity. Individual effort matters, yes, but there must also be a country where that effort stands a real chance of bearing fruit.

When a generation begins to doubt that working and saving will allow them to buy a home and build a future, we are not merely facing a housing crisis. We are facing a warning sign for society as a whole.

My dear readers, I am not opposed to things out of habit. I am opposed to impossible promises, incompetence, and politicians who seem to do everything to reach power, only to forget those who entrusted them with their vote. We cannot keep applauding those who promise the impossible to gain access to power, when what is needed first is to repair what they helped destroy.

Forgive my outburst, but open your eyes and look to the past. The present is also a consequence of yesterday’s decisions. Those who govern have an obligation to deliver results and take responsibility.

Have a good weekend.

Augusto Bandeira/MS

The content on the Milénio Stadium website is automatically translated using Google Translate.

Orality is my worship.

Mothers cradle their children by singing

or speaking words in all of our languages.

Ana Paula Tavares, interview with Buala magazine, 2010.

Last Saturday, the 17th, the Autonomous University of Lisbon hosted the VI EscritAfricando Meeting, an initiative by the Ser Mais Valia Association (SMV) aimed at fulfilling the aspirations of young Africans who wish to take their first steps in writing texts in the Portuguese language and see them published. Typically, the morning session of this meeting features a practical program centered around a thematic workshop. Having previously addressed literary and non-literary texts, poetry, short stories, and opinion columns in earlier editions, this year it fell to the Guinean writer and children’s literature author, Kátia Casimiro, to lead a workshop on orality.

We know that the voice precedes the written word, and it is through various voices that we gain our perception of the surrounding world. It is through the voice that cradles us, the lullabies that sing us to sleep, the call to which we immediately respond, the rhyming nursery rhymes, and all those who inhabit the same space as our memories (which we call home) across a diversity of intonations, that we learn to decode words from the very first days of our existence.

If the voice is essential to us all, it holds a particularly prominent place in African communities for preserving history, culture, and ethical values that contribute to establishing a collective identity. It is within these societies that orality attains the status of orature—where knowledge is passed down from generation to generation without the physical medium of writing. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, originally transmitted purely orally for centuries, reached us today thanks to the permanence of the written word.

At a certain point during the workshop, Kátia Casimiro recalled an episode from Guinea, when she traveled there at the invitation of a school to present her work. A master storyteller, she was interacting with the children when, referring to one of the characters in her stories, she asked the group what they wanted to be when they grew up. We are used to seeing the majority drawn to a set of references and role models popularized by mass media and social networks—soccer players and other athletes, singers, actors, or other professions conferring a certain professional status. One of the children, however, broke away from this dominant trend and said he wanted to be a “grandfather.” Kátia, astonished by the answer and thinking she had misheard, pressed further to clear any doubt: “You want to be what?” And the answer came back promptly once more: “I want to be a grandfather.” Sure now of what she had heard, she asked: “And why do you want to be a grandfather?” The child did not hesitate: “Because my grandfather tells many stories.” And it is precisely because we are made of stories that they are worth listening to, as long as the spoken word retains the creative power to awaken our imagination and connect us with our ancestors. Grandfathers are, therefore, the guardians of family lineages who preserve behaviors embodied in a practical and philosophical wisdom accumulated over centuries.

During the long period of colonization, it was common practice to prevent populations from expressing themselves in their native languages. Thus, it was oral narratives, music, and songs that managed to keep local languages alive as an act of resistance against those who forbade their use. Indeed, grandfathers are nothing less than the elder guardians of that memory, honoring what the Malian writer and historian Amadou Hampâté Bâ famously stated: “When an old man dies, a library burns down.”

Aida Batista/MS

The content on the Milénio Stadium website is automatically translated using Google Translate.

Top executives with Kiewit, WSP and Metrolinx working on Toronto’s complex Union Station Enhancement Project took a deep dive into the inner workings of Canada’s first experiment with the alliance contracting model during a recent Toronto construction conference.

Addressing an Oct. 6 session at the two-day Best Practices in Construction Symposium presented by the Canadian Construction Association, the managers revealed that behavioural coaches were brought in from overseas to help the partners reach consensus on sticky issues – and have stayed on the job five years – and how the partners were able to develop important project requirements on the fly.

The process has never been seen in Canada, suggested Metrolinx executive vice-president of GO expansion, Union-plus, Marcia Medrano.

“The alliance contract is probably one of the simplest contracts I’ve ever read because it’s telling you you have to find a way to work together, and here’s the basic principles. So the human behavioural aspect is huge,” she said.

“Everyone’s calories are burned at solving the problem, not at calculating each other’s risk. The hours are being spent with the people that are actually solving problems.”

The ongoing improvement project (USEP) at Union Station will deliver an expanded transit hub with new platforms and rail, and help launch multiple GO corridor enhancements, leading to electrification of the regional system. It kicked off in 2020 with ONTrack Alliance leading the job.

Medrano explained, “Union Station is the heart of it, and USEP was at the beginning of it. We knew we needed to get ahead.”

CCA president Rodrigue Gilbert served as moderator of the panel, titled: The Union Station Enhancement Project: Delivering Complexity.

USEP includes construction of new platforms with canopies and vertical access elements, such as stairs and elevators; development of new tracks designed to allow for higher train speeds with associated signal work; the creation of a new concourse area below the new platforms that connects the York, Bay and Via Concourse, Union Square, Scotiabank Galleria and both York and Bay streets; and development of a stormwater management system and other building systems.

DCN/MS

For the second day in a row, the federal government is announcing plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to train more skilled workers in Canada.

Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu is in her home riding of Thunder Bay today rolling out a plan to spend up to $258.6 million over the next five years to train workers in critical sectors, with annual funding of $50 million in the years to follow.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the creation of a Sectoral Workforce Innovation Fund a little over a year ago and the government opened applications for the program in August.

The fund aims to fill the gaps between workers’ skills and industry requirements in sectors like energy or critical minerals by funding projects that could speed up training or certification.

Hajdu’s announcement comes a day after Ottawa unveiled $430 million in spending to help unions and other organizations cover costs for new training facilities and equipment.

The Liberals have announced billions of dollars in spending to train up to 100,000 new skilled workers over the next half decade to support the government’s ambitious infrastructure agenda.

DCN/MS

More than 16,900. That was the number of cases involving the sexual exploitation of children and youth online recorded by Canadian police services in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. The rate is more than four times higher than in 2014. In that same year, child luring offenses reached the highest number on record, with 2,903 reported incidents.

Data from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) also highlight the rapid escalation of another phenomenon: sextortion. In 2020, the organization recorded 458 cases. In 2025, that figure rose to 2,827, more than a sixfold increase. In total, C3P received more than 14,000 cases over just six years. Many others are never reported.

Cybertip.ca was created precisely in response to this reality. Launched in 2002 as a pilot project in Manitoba, it serves today as Canada’s national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of minors. It receives tips from across the country, analyzes them, and forwards relevant leads to law enforcement agencies and child welfare services.

To understand what has shifted in recent years, who predators are targeting, and how schools and families can take action, our newspaper spoke with Lindsay Lobb, C3P’s director of support services, and David Rabsch, director of Cybertip.ca. Their responses reveal that no app featuring private messaging is neutral ground. They also make clear that the earliest warning signs that something is wrong often surface in subtle daily changes: a frequent headache, restless nights, or a sudden loss of interest in a favorite hobby. Staying attentive to these small, yet significant, signs is vital so parents can step in time to protect their children from cowardly and deeply terrifying attacks.

Milénio Stadium: For those who may not know it, what is Cybertip.ca and what kind of work do you do?

Cybertip.ca is Canada’s national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children.

Operated by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P), the tipline launched September 26, 2002 as a pilot project in Manitoba. In May 2004, Cybertip.ca was adopted under the Government of Canada’s National Strategy for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation on the Internet.

We receive and process tips from the public about potentially illegal material, as well as activities regarding the online sexual exploitation of children, and refer any relevant leads to the appropriate law enforcement agency and/or child welfare agency.

MS: What types of crimes are children and teenagers most exposed to online today, and what trends have you noticed in recent years?

While reports of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material (CSAEM) continue to be the most common type of report received by Cybertip.ca, we have seen a dramatic and continued increase in Luring, specifically Sextortion reports since 2021.  There are typically 2 types of Sextortion reported to the tipline: Financial Sextortion where the victim is pressured to send money or gift cards under the threat of having intimate images of the victim shared online, and non-financial where the demand is for additional sexual content, usually of escalating severity.  Generally, boys are the primary target for financial sextortion while girls are the most common victims of non-financial sextortion.  Snapchat and Instagram (and increasingly TikTok over the past 18 months) are the most common social media platforms involved in these incidents, but any platform that features direct messaging is of possible use by those targeting children for exploitation.

MS: What warning signs should concern a parent or teacher, and what should they do when a child admits that something has happened?

1. 1.Monitor your teen’s behaviour to watch for changes that may trigger cause for concern. It’s important to pay attention to changes in your teen’s typical behaviour patterns, as well as changes in the intensity of their behaviour. Some signs that may indicate the need for increased involvement and communication with your teen include:
   • They seem more withdrawn, sad, anxious, defensive, angry, or secretive.
   • They have significantly increased or decreased the amount of time they spend online.
   • They do not respond to limits placed on how often and how long they spend online.
   • They have lost interest in activities that they’ve normally enjoyed.
   • They are complaining of stomach aches or headaches.
   • They develop problems with sleeping patterns, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep at night, or sleeping all the time and avoiding interaction.

2. 2.Supporting a child who has been sexually victimized

1. • Be supportive: love and support during this difficult time, will help your child heal and move forward
   • Build a sense of safety: reassure your child that they are not alone, and you will get through this together
   • Reach out of help where needed: Cybertip.ca and NeedHelpNow.ca are here to help

MS: What role should schools play in prevention, and what resources does Cybertip.ca offer to educators and families?

Schools play a critical role in prevention and in supporting students’ safety. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s Kids in the Know Program equips teachers with ready-to-use, age-appropriate lessons that help children build personal safety skills—both online and offline. We recently released our Youth Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images (NCDII): A Guide for Schools which is designed to support school personnel in respond to incidents of youth NCDII in ways that prioritize safety, dignity, and well-being of youth. Parents can also visit protectkidsonline.ca for prevention and educational resources.

MS: If you could leave three pieces of advice for the parents, what would they be?

• Encourage open conversations: Talk to your teen about what they see online. Creating an open line of communication may encourage them to go to you or another safe adult if they encounter content that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
• Enable parental controls: Setting parental controls, content filters, and establishing clear boundaries on device use — such as screen time limits, or turning off the Wi-Fi at night — can help reduce the risk of your teen being potentially exposed to harmful content online.
• Report the content: Flagging harmful content may help platforms and algorithms better identify material that shouldn’t be viewed by young users and could help remove, reduce, or restrict the likelihood that similar harmful content will continue to appear in their feeds.
• Share resources: Let youth know help is available if they, or someone they know, gets targeted. They can always reach out to:
  • Cybertip.ca
  • NeedHelpNow.ca
  • Law enforcement

Madalena Balça/MS

A simple touch brings bleached coral back to life

A discovery made almost by accident in an aquarium at Stanford University in the United States could help save coral reefs, one of the ecosystems most threatened by ocean warming.

When water temperatures rise too high, corals expel the microalgae living in their tissues that provide them with food and color. They turn white and, without help, eventually die. In 2025, biologist Stephen Palumbi noticed that a fragment of bleached coral began to regain its color after touching a healthy fragment from the same colony.

The team decided to test the hypothesis. They paired five sets of fragments—one healthy and one bleached and kept another five pairs separated by just a few millimeters. The results, published this month in the journal Science Advances, are striking: all the corals that were in direct contact fully recovered within seven weeks, while all those kept apart died.

Under the microscope, scientists observed small channels forming between the tissues, through which algae passed from the healthy coral to the sick one in just three days. Between five and seven days of contact were enough to ensure recovery.

Researchers admit that the method cannot yet be applied on a large scale, as each sick coral would require a healthy “twin.” They are now studying ways to collect and transfer beneficial algae before marine heatwaves strike. For the reefs, it is a rare beacon of hope.

Walking half an hour a day can slow Alzheimer’s

You don’t need the famous 10,000 daily steps to protect your brain. Science increasingly shows that around 3,000 steps, the equivalent of a moderate half-hour walk, are enough to delay signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

The conclusion comes from an American study that followed nearly 300 older adults showing early signs of the disease in their brains over nine to eleven years. Participants used pedometers to track physical activity. Among the most active, signs of cognitive decline were reduced by almost half.

Walking did not eliminate amyloid protein plaques, which are the target of most current medications. However, it was associated with a lower accumulation of another protein, tau, which is more directly linked to memory loss and reduced independence. The strongest effect appeared between 5,000 and 7,500 daily steps, stabilizing after that point.

These findings build on other research. A large British study involving more than 78,000 people had previously found a 25% lower risk of dementia in those who took around 3,800 steps per day.

Scientists urge caution, noting that the sample size was small and active individuals tend to have other healthy habits. Even so, the message is encouraging: a simple, free gesture accessible to almost everyone can make a real difference in brain health.

Tigers, turtles, and tuna: nature can recover

The latest Living Planet Report, published this month by the WWF, presents worrying figures on the decline of wildlife. However, it also demonstrates that conservation works when there is will and investment.

The most striking example is the tiger. In 2010, fewer than 3,200 tigers remained in the wild, and the species seemed doomed. That year, the 13 countries where the animal lives committed to doubling the population. Today, there are approximately 5,700 tigers, a 70% increase, thanks to anti-poaching efforts and habitat protection.

There is also good news in the oceans. In 2025, the green sea turtle became the first sea turtle to move from “endangered” to “least concern” on the IUCN Red List. Decades of protecting nesting beaches and reducing accidental bycatch contributed to this success.

The Atlantic bluefin tuna, which was on the brink of collapse due to overfishing, has recovered sufficiently to no longer be considered threatened. This was the result of strict fishing quotas and tight enforcement. In South Africa, elephant populations are also stable or growing in areas managed directly by local communities.

Experts emphasize that these successes are fragile and depend on long-term commitments. However, they prove that biodiversity loss is not inevitable.

Nobel Prize honors technique that switches neurons on and off with light

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognized a discovery born from a deceptively simple question: how does a microscopic alga “see” light?

Germans Peter Hegemann of Humboldt University in Berlin and Georg Nagel of the University of Würzburg discovered that the Chlamydomonas alga possesses a protein, channelrhodopsin, that opens a passage in the cell membrane when struck by light. American Karl Deisseroth of Stanford University recognized the potential of this discovery and developed optogenetics.

The technique involves introducing the gene for this protein into specific neurons, causing them to respond to light. Using a fine beam of light delivered via an ultra-thin optical fiber, scientists can activate or deactivate groups of cells with extreme precision, without affecting neighboring ones.

Optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience. It has allowed researchers to identify which neurons are involved in memory, sleep, movement, and fear. But its impact extends far beyond the laboratory. Clinical trials are already underway attempting to restore partial vision in people with degenerative retinal diseases by making surviving cells light-sensitive. Researchers are also exploring applications for treating Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.

It serves as a prime example of how basic scientific research, even on algae, can transform medicine.

MS

Britain’s gold-plated public sector pensions bill is on course to hit a record £60bn next year, yet is almost entirely ignored in favour of calls to cut the state pension on which many low income retired people depend.

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A museum has been accused of "woke madness at its most ridiculous" after removing its Egyptian mummy exhibition because it does not have "consent from the deceased individual".

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A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.

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