Europe’s Christmas markets are legendary, drawing tourists to Germany, Austria, and other popular destinations.

But Italy is quietly home to one of the continent’s most enchanting festive experiences, tucked away in the Piedmont region.

Asti, located just 34 miles southeast of Turin, is a medieval city renowned for its sparkling wine, historic towers, and the Palio di Asti horse race.

During the holiday season, the city transforms into a magical winter wonderland, earning recognition as one of Europe’s top Christmas markets for 2025.

The Asti Christmas Market was named the “Best Fairytale Christmas Market” in the European Best Destinations ranking.

It joins prestigious markets such as Gdansk in Poland, Brussels’ Winter Wonders, and Riga in Latvia.

Visitors can explore Piazza Alfieri, which hosts over 140 wooden stalls offering handmade crafts, regional gastronomy, and street food.

The market opens from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting Saturday, November 15, and runs until December 21.

During the first weeks, it is open on weekends only, expanding to Thursday through Sunday from December 6, with an additional opening on Monday, December 8.

Entry to the Asti Christmas Market is free and does not require prior booking.

Food lovers are treated to a strong selection of Piedmontese cuisine, local wines, and vibrant street-food options.

Travelers can reach Asti conveniently via Turin’s major airport (TRN), just 43 miles away.

Ryanair flights from London Stansted to Turin are currently priced as low as £19 for early December, a fraction of typical fares to Germany or Austria.

From Turin, trains run every 30 minutes to Asti, taking 35 to 50 minutes. One-way tickets cost €6-10 (£5.30-£8.80) and can be purchased at the station or online via Trenitalia.

For those preferring to drive, the journey along the A21 motorway from Turin to Asti takes approximately 50 minutes.

With its combination of affordability, festive charm, and authentic Italian culture, Asti’s Christmas Market is emerging as a must-visit destination for holiday travelers seeking something beyond the usual European hotspots.

(DDM) – Former U.S. President Donald Trump has signed legislation to reopen the federal government, officially ending the longest shutdown in American history.

The move comes after weeks of tense negotiations between the White House and Congress over border wall funding, which had caused the partial shutdown to drag on for more than a month.

DDM notes that Hundreds of thousands of federal workers were forced to go without pay during the standoff, sparking widespread protests and economic disruptions across the United States.

The new funding bill, which received bipartisan support, restores full operations to federal agencies and guarantees back pay to affected workers.

Trump, in a brief statement after signing the legislation, said the decision was made to “put the American people first” and to allow the government to “get back to work.”

He maintained that the administration would continue to push for stronger border security, but emphasized that national stability and economic continuity were immediate priorities.

Political analysts described the move as a calculated step to ease mounting public pressure and economic concerns that had intensified during the record shutdown.

Economists also warned that the prolonged closure had cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars in lost productivity, affecting sectors from aviation to public health.

Federal agencies have since resumed full operations, while workers across departments have expressed relief after weeks of uncertainty and financial hardship..

Observers say the episode could have lasting political consequences, testing both party unity and the limits of executive leverage in U.S. governance.

As government offices reopen, attention has now shifted to preventing a repeat of such shutdowns, which many see as damaging to public confidence and national reputation.

The U.S. shutdown, which began over disagreements surrounding border wall allocations, has now entered history as the longest and most economically costly in the nation’s democratic era.

To Build Palm Oil and Cassava Estates Like Malaysia and Prosper Our Rural Families

In the quiet farmlands of Anambra, where generations have tilled the soil with hope, a new dawn is rising.

For too long, our rural communities have worked hard yet gained little.

Our cassava farmers heroes in worn slippers, process their harvest with bare hands.

Our palm oil producers still rely on age old methods, while nations like Malaysia turned palm oil into a global goldmine.

But in this season of political and farming awakening, one man stands with a vision rooted in our soil and aimed at the world, John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

African Democratic Congress (ADC) gubernatorial candidate, Mr. John Chuma Nwosu

Nwosu isn’t just promising development.

He is promising dignity and wealth, actually, a return of pride to the farmers who feed our land.

Nwosu’s blueprint is bold and transformative:

• Build modern palm oil plantations and processing estates

• Develop cassava value-chain zones powered by technology

• Train and support rural farmers with access to finance
• Create storage, processing, and export hubs
• Turn our villages into international agro investment destinations

This is not politics as usual; this is a mission to lift our rural families from subsistence to prosperity.

A mission to ensure that the hands that plant are the hands that profit.

A mission to turn Anambra into Nigeria’s food to wealth capital.

“Proudly Anambra” palm oil and cassava products

Imagine Ogbaru, Ihiala, Aguata, and Ayamelum booming like Malaysia’s Selangor and our youths returning home to run agro-industries, instead of fleeing in search of survival.

Imagine women farmers earning globally competitive incomes, while branded “Proudly Anambra” palm oil and cassava products on shelves from Lagos to London, Dubai to New York.

For years we watched the world grow wealthy from crops that originated here.

Now, John Nwosu says “it is our turn; it is Anambra’s turn”.

No farmer will be forgotten. No rural child will be left behind.

With ADC, our land will work for us not the other way around.

This is not just agriculture, it is liberation. It is job creation. It is rural revival.

And it begins with one vote. One commitment. One vision for prosperity rooted in the red soil of home.

Ndi Anambra, the future is in our farms and the future is now.

Vote John Nwosu, vote ADC!