GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The death toll from coordinated gang attacks in Guatemala has risen to nine police officers, an official confirmed on Monday, following… Leggi
By Bhargav AcharyaJan 19 (Reuters) - Three U.S. Catholic archbishops on Monday decried the direction of American foreign policy, saying the country’s “moral role in confr… Leggi
Brazilian beef exports will remain stable in 2026 compared with last year, beef lobby Abiec said on Monday, projecting shipments between 3.3 million and 3.5 million metric tonnes this year.
That compares with 3.5 million tonnes of beef exported in 2025, including fresh and processed products, when Brazil’s beef shipments had their best year on record both in volumes and revenue, according to trade data.
Roberto Perosa, Abiec president, said exports would remain broadly unchanged after top...
Valentino Garavani, the jet-set Italian designer whose high-glamour gowns – often in his trademark shade of “Valentino red” – were fashion show staples for nearly half a century, has died at home in Rome, his foundation announced on Monday. He was 93.
“Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,” the foundation said in a statement posted on social media.
His body will repose at the foundation’s headquarters in...
Brazilian beef exports will remain stable in 2026 compared with last year, beef lobby Abiec said on Monday, projecting shipments between 3.3 million and 3.5 million metric tonnes this year.
That compares with 3.5 million tonnes of beef exported in 2025, including fresh and processed products, when Brazil’s beef shipments had their best year on record both in volumes and revenue, according to trade data.
Roberto Perosa, Abiec president, said exports would remain broadly unchanged after top...
Valentino Garavani, the jet-set Italian designer whose high-glamour gowns – often in his trademark shade of “Valentino red” – were fashion show staples for nearly half a century, has died at home in Rome, his foundation announced on Monday. He was 93.
“Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,” the foundation said in a statement posted on social media.
His body will repose at the foundation’s headquarters in...
Brazilian beef exports will remain stable in 2026 compared with last year, beef lobby Abiec said on Monday, projecting shipments between 3.3 million and 3.5 million metric tonnes this year.
That compares with 3.5 million tonnes of beef exported in 2025, including fresh and processed products, when Brazil’s beef shipments had their best year on record both in volumes and revenue, according to trade data.
Roberto Perosa, Abiec president, said exports would remain broadly unchanged after top...
In Spagna la generazione Z è più attenta alla salute e sta riducendo il consumo di alcol. Una tendenza che si può osservare anche in altri paesi del continente. Il video. Leggi
SOFIA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev will resign, he said in a speech on Monday, stoking widespread speculation that he will form his own political … Leggi
BRUSSELS, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Denmark and Greenland have discussed the possibility of having a NATO mission in Greenland and the Arctic, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lun… Leggi
By David LjunggrenOTTAWA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Canada is considering whether to send a small contingent of troops to Greenland to take part in NATO military exercises, a so… Leggi
ROME, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died at the age of 93, newspaper la Repubblica and other Italian media said on Monday. (Writing … Leggi
WARSAW, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Polish President Karol Nawrocki has been invited to join the Gaza Board of Peace by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Polish president’s foreign… Leggi
JERUSALEM, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Israel has received an invitation from the United States to join President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative aimed at resolving glo… Leggi
Canada is considering whether to send a small contingent of troops to Greenland to take part in Nato military exercises, a source directly familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The news was first reported by CBC News and the Globe and Mail newspaper.
Military officials have presented plans for the operation to the government and are awaiting a decision from Prime Minister Mark Carney, said the source, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter.
Carney’s office declined to...
Canada is considering whether to send a small contingent of troops to Greenland to take part in Nato military exercises, a source directly familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The news was first reported by CBC News and the Globe and Mail newspaper.
Military officials have presented plans for the operation to the government and are awaiting a decision from Prime Minister Mark Carney, said the source, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter.
Carney’s office declined to...
Hong Kong authorities are “very concerned” about subdivided flat tenants facing eviction from a Cheung Sha Wan building by March, after the landlord’s plans to upgrade the premises to comply with new rules left dozens in need of temporary housing.
The Housing Bureau said on Monday that it was in contact with 109 households in the Yee Wa Building on Un Chau Street, with 72 expressing a need for transitional housing.
The remaining 37 households said they were considering applying for such housing...
Gli stati candidati a un seggio permanente nel consiglio di pace creato e presieduto dal presidente statunitense Donald Trump dovranno pagare “più di un miliardo di dollari”, secondo la “carta” ottenuta il 19 gennaio dall’Afp. Leggi
By Andrew OsbornMOSCOW, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Russia is watching with glee as U.S. President Donald Trump’s drive to acquire Greenland widens splits with Europe even though… Leggi
KADUNA, Nigeria, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Armed bandits abducted dozens of worshippers from two churches in Nigeria’s Kaduna state, police said on Monday, while a senior church… Leggi
An explosion at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and wounded more than a dozen others, emergency services said.
An Agence France-Presse journalist saw police cars and an ambulance at the scene following the blast on a street known for its flower sellers in the Shahr-e-Naw area.
Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion happened at the Chinese Noodle restaurant, which he said mainly served Chinese Muslims.
“A Chinese Muslim ... and six...
An explosion at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and wounded more than a dozen others, emergency services said.
An Agence France-Presse journalist saw police cars and an ambulance at the scene following the blast on a street known for its flower sellers in the Shahr-e-Naw area.
Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion happened at the Chinese Noodle restaurant, which he said mainly served Chinese Muslims.
“A Chinese Muslim ... and six...
An explosion at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and wounded more than a dozen others, emergency services said.
An Agence France-Presse journalist saw police cars and an ambulance at the scene following the blast on a street known for its flower sellers in the Shahr-e-Naw area.
Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion happened at the Chinese Noodle restaurant, which he said mainly served Chinese Muslims.
“A Chinese Muslim ... and six...
OSLO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Here is the full text of the exchange between Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Greenland, tra… Leggi
ADAMUZ, Spain, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Experts probing the cause of Sunday’s derailment of a high-speed train in Spain, which killed at least 39 people, found a broken joint o… Leggi
By Ece Toksabay and Daren ButlerISTANBUL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A deal under which Kurdish forces abandoned long-held territory in Syria to the Syrian government could pave … Leggi
BANGUI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Central African Republic’s Constitutional Court on Monday validated President Faustin-Archange Touadera’s victory in a disputed December 28 pre… Leggi
By Nina Lopez and Michael Francis GoreMADRID, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A violent jolt, followed by screams, flying objects, blood and then darkness is how survivors of the trai… Leggi
Hong Kong’s justice minister has refuted “unfounded” accusations against the judiciary regarding several highly charged national security cases, stating that none of the judges had failed to fulfil their duties and that their independence remains strong.
In his address at a ceremony on Monday to mark the start of the legal year, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok also slammed the threat of sanctions against the city’s judges and “illegitimate pressures” placed on overseas judges to...
China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative gained further traction in 2025, with a record US$213.5 billion of new deals signed as projects in metals, mining, fossil fuels and new technologies surged, a report by the Griffith Asia Institute has found.
The value of new deals confirmed under China’s global infrastructure strategy rose 75 per cent last year compared with 2024, with a notable pivot towards investment in Africa and Central Asia, according to the report released on Sunday.
China has...
China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative gained further traction in 2025, with a record US$213.5 billion of new deals signed as projects in metals, mining, fossil fuels and new technologies surged, a report by the Griffith Asia Institute has found.
The value of new deals confirmed under China’s global infrastructure strategy rose 75 per cent last year compared with 2024, with a notable pivot towards investment in Africa and Central Asia, according to the report released on Sunday.
China has...
China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative gained further traction in 2025, with a record US$213.5 billion of new deals signed as projects in metals, mining, fossil fuels and new technologies surged, a report by the Griffith Asia Institute has found.
The value of new deals confirmed under China’s global infrastructure strategy rose 75 per cent last year compared with 2024, with a notable pivot towards investment in Africa and Central Asia, according to the report released on Sunday.
China has...
The United States is likely to lose its clear edge over China in strategic relations with major nations by 2035, a prominent Chinese political scientist has predicted.
Yan Xuetong, honorary dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Relations, said strategic competition between Beijing and Washington was likely to remain intense in the coming decade and could escalate into a crisis during US President Donald Trump’s second term, but the risk of direct war could decline under...
Le elezioni presidenziali in Portogallo si decideranno con un inedito ballottaggio, l’8 febbraio, tra il candidato socialista António José Seguro e il leader dell’estrema destra André Ventura. Leggi
Jan 19 (Reuters) - At least 39 people died in southern Spain after a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming one on Sunday night near Adamuz, in the provi… Leggi
By Timour Azhari and Maha El DahanMukalla, YEMEN, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Saudi-backed Yemeni government accused the United Arab Emirates on Monday of running a secret pri… Leggi
By Bruna CabralRIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Michele Campos feels like crying every summer when temperatures in Rio de Janeiro climb above 40°C (100°F), heating up t… Leggi
Jan 19 (Reuters) - Congolese soldiers and combatants from a pro-government militia have re-entered the eastern town of Uvira, residents said on Monday, just over a month … Leggi
The United States is likely to lose its clear edge over China in strategic relations with major nations by 2035, a prominent Chinese political scientist has predicted.
Yan Xuetong, honorary dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Relations, said strategic competition between Beijing and Washington was likely to remain intense in the coming decade and could escalate into a crisis during US President Donald Trump’s second term, but the risk of direct war could decline under...
In a historic blow to its space programme, China suffered two rocket launch failures in a single day for the first time over the weekend.
While Saturday’s failed launches gained immediate attention on social media, with some describing the day as “Black Saturday”, space observers said the setbacks were part of the growing pains the country’s rapidly developing aerospace industry would inevitably experience.
They also drew parallels with similar problems Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX had experienced,...
One year ago, a little-known Chinese start-up called DeepSeek burst onto the scene with a new artificial intelligence model that challenged assumptions about China’s ability to innovate under US technology curbs.
In what became known as the “DeepSeek moment”, the Hangzhou-based firm kicked off what some likened as a modern-day “Sputnik moment” for China’s AI ambitions.
Just as the Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, shocked the US and triggered the...
The United States is likely to lose its clear edge over China in strategic relations with major nations by 2035, a prominent Chinese political scientist has predicted.
Yan Xuetong, honorary dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Relations, said strategic competition between Beijing and Washington was likely to remain intense in the coming decade and could escalate into a crisis during US President Donald Trump’s second term, but the risk of direct war could decline under...
In a historic blow to its space programme, China suffered two rocket launch failures in a single day for the first time over the weekend.
While Saturday’s failed launches gained immediate attention on social media, with some describing the day as “Black Saturday”, space observers said the setbacks were part of the growing pains the country’s rapidly developing aerospace industry would inevitably experience.
They also drew parallels with similar problems Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX had experienced,...
Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said on Monday that an “armed group” was attacking Shaddadi prison in Hasaka in Syria’s northeast where it sai… Leggi
MADRID, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Sunday’s train collision and derailment in southern Spain killed at least 39 people and left 122 injured, with officials highlighting the “trem… Leggi
JUBA, Jan 19 - South Sudan’s main opposition faction called on its forces on Monday to advance on the capital Juba after they captured a strategic town last week. It was … Leggi
KABUL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Several people were killed in a blast in Afghan capital Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw area, the Taliban interior ministry said on Monday. “According to pr… Leggi
South Africa mourned the deaths on Monday of 13 schoolchildren who died when their minibus collided with a truck, local officials said in a statement, in an incident that put the spotlight on the country’s dismal road safety record.
The private vehicle was transporting students to various primary schools and high schools in the southwest of Johannesburg when the incident occurred around 7am, according to authorities.
Parents were seen weeping uncontrollably at the scene of the accident, while...
More than half of Hong Kong’s 78 semi-private schools have applied to increase class sizes and student numbers to admit more non-locals as part of the city’s drive to become an international education hub.
The Education Bureau said on Monday that it has received an “enthusiastic response” to its earlier invitation to all Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) schools to take in more non-local pupils.
The initiative, first outlined in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address last year, allows DSS...
Cyberscam networks in Cambodia have freed more than 400 Indonesians this month, Jakarta said on Monday, after Phnom Penh announced a fresh crackdown on the illicit industry.
Scammers working from hubs across Southeast Asia, some willingly and others trafficked, lure internet users globally into fake romances and cryptocurrency investments, netting tens of billions of dollars each year.
Some foreign nationals have left suspected scam compounds across Cambodia this month as the government pledged...
South Africa mourned the deaths on Monday of 13 schoolchildren who died when their minibus collided with a truck, local officials said in a statement, in an incident that put the spotlight on the country’s dismal road safety record.
The private vehicle was transporting students to various primary schools and high schools in the southwest of Johannesburg when the incident occurred around 7am, according to authorities.
Parents were seen weeping uncontrollably at the scene of the accident, while...
The first impeachment complaint against Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was filed on Monday, a move observers said may be aimed as much at pre-empting stronger challenges as at holding the president to account.
Filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus, the complaint accuses Marcos of constitutional violations, corruption and betrayal of public trust, citing alleged failures to veto unconstitutional budget provisions and address anomalous flood-control projects.
However, several political figures...
After a weekend of US President Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland, the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back?
A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation.
To keep Trump engaged in...
China has proposed to host the secretariat of a new treaty governing the high seas, in what observers say is the latest effort by Beijing to proactively play a bigger role in shaping international rules of order.
Days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pull the US from 66 international organisations, including United Nations commissions and major bodies set up to tackle climate change, China has bid for Xiamen in Fujian province – a coastal hub that sits on the Taiwan...
Fosse una partita di calcio il 2025 avrebbe visto prevalere Pechino su Washington per 5 a 2. Sono i rispettivi punti di crescita di Pil delle due superpotenze globali, con il Financial Times che ha reso noti oggi i dati definitivi cinesi. Ecco perché l’amministrazione Trump continua a sgomitare commercialmente con dazi a mazzi e iniziative geopolitiche sui generis come quelle in atto in Venezuela e Groenlandia.
Cina in netto vantaggio negli scambi commerciali Per il commercio internazionale cinese il 2025 è stato l’anno del record storico del surplus (export meno import): 1,2 trilioni di $. Il risultato fatto segnare dagli USA è di segno opposto. Il saldo commerciale 2025 è risultato negativo per 1,1 trilioni di $. Questi numeri a specchio ci aiutano a capire meglio cosa stia muovendo le scelte americane di politiche internazionale. E il dato relativo al solo export ce ne dà ulteriore conferma: Pechino ha visto crescere le sue esportazioni 2025 del 6,1%, portandole a quota 3,77 trilioni di $, mentre gli Stati Uniti si sono fermati a quota 2,1 trilioni di $.
Cosa comporta l’andamento della partita La politica cinese di raffreddare le importazioni continua: lo scorso anno sono cresciute di appena lo 0,5%. I dati ufficiali delle Dogane cinesi mostrano come il saldo commerciale positivo sia quasi raddoppiato dal 2021 al 2025, passando da 676 miliardi di $ a 1190 miliardi di $. Il balzo è frutto della diversificazione geografica delle vendite cinesi all’estero, non più focalizzate sul mercato americano, ma dirottate verso l’Unione europea, l’ASEAN, l’Africa e l’America Latina. Se si prende in considerazione la sola relazione commerciale diretta tra Cina e USA, Pechino esporta negli USA beni per 430 miliardi di $, mentre Washington appena 150 miliardi di $ (che in termini calcistici sarebbe un 3-1). Lato saldo commerciale diretto nel confronto diretto gli USA perdono 280 miliardi di $. Oggi per il commercio cinese gli USA valgono appena l’8,8% del totale. Inforcando gli occhiali di Washington il deficit commerciale con la Cina è in rapido raffreddamento, ma resta significativo. A dicembre 2025 le importazioni USA dal Dragone sono calate di circa il 30%. Parte di questa riduzione (oltre un terzo) è però solo apparente, frutto di triangolazioni via Vietnam, Messico e Sud-Est asiatico. il deficit complessivo USA resta alto perché le importazioni si sono semplicemente spostate dalla Cina verso altri Paesi, e non perché ne sia diminuito il consumo. Ciò significa che i dazi USA hanno ridotto il peso diretto della Cina, ma non il deficit complessivo. E soprattutto che la dipendenza reciproca Washington-Pechino sia in netto calo. A discapito della necessità di dialogo e collaborazione.
Chi ha avuto un familiare in una RSA conosce bene la scena: porte chiuse, spazi asettici, sedie davanti a televisori sempre accesi o… spenti. Un’organizzazione pensata prima per la gestione del rischio e dei costi, poi per la vita quotidiana delle persone. Anche dove il personale è motivato e competente, la struttura fisica e il modello organizzativo producono una forma di sospensione dell’esistenza, dove la vecchiaia è una parentesi da isolare.
Le RSA italiane nascono in gran parte da riconversioni, ex ospedali, ex conventi, grandi edifici adattati a funzioni assistenziali. Spazi concepiti per il controllo, non pensati per l’abitare, e il risultato è una medicalizzazione permanente della vita, dove l’anziano diventa soprattutto un paziente, anche quando non avrebbe bisogno di esserlo in ogni momento. Le criticità le conosciamo, sono note, carenza cronica di personale, standard edilizi minimi spesso superati solo sulla carta, rette altissime che non sempre corrispondono a una reale qualità dei servizi. E a questo si aggiunge una separazione netta dal contesto urbano e sociale. Le RSA sono spesso invisibili, perchè non affacciano sulla città, sono a contatto con il quartiere. Sono luoghi in cui l’anziano è dimenticato, dalla società e molte volte dalla stessa famiglia.
Negli ultimi anni, soprattutto dopo la pandemia, questo modello ha mostrato tutti i suoi limiti. Ed è qui che entrano in gioco i modelli alternativi, a partire dai cosiddetti villaggi Alzheimer.
Il riferimento storico è Hogeweyk, nei Paesi Bassi. Un quartiere vero, con strade, piazze, negozi, giardini, ristorante e teatro. Un perimetro protetto, sì, ma senza la sensazione di reclusione delle RSA. Le persone si muovono liberamente, fanno la spesa, passeggiano, incontrano altri residenti. L’assistenza è presente ma non dominante. Dopo oltre dieci anni di attività, i dati mostrano una riduzione dell’uso di psicofarmaci, livelli di agitazione più bassi e una migliore qualità della vita percepita.
In Francia, il modello è stato reinterpretato con il Village Landais Alzheimer, a Dax. Un progetto pubblico, finanziato in larga parte dalle istituzioni locali, che ha fatto della sperimentazione dichiarata il suo punto di forza. Qui l’architettura è pensata per essere facile da capire e da vivere: gli spazi sono continui, senza vicoli ciechi, con percorsi circolari che aiutano a orientarsi. I colori sono uniformi per ridurre la confusione e non ci sono cartelli di divieto, che aumenterebbero ansia e inquietudine. I risultati, confermati anche da studi indipendenti, parlano di minore depressione, meno disturbi comportamentali e un carico assistenziale più sostenibile per gli operatori.
In Germania, da oltre dieci anni, esistono i cosiddetti Demenzdörfer, villaggi o quartieri dedicati a persone con demenza inseriti spesso in contesti semiurbani. Case di piccola scala, spazi verdi continui, assenza di barriere visive, percorsi circolari e forte integrazione con servizi di prossimità. L’attenzione è rivolta soprattutto alla quotidianità. Fare una passeggiata, sedersi in un bar, partecipare a un’attività senza la sensazione di essere osservati o sorvegliati. Anche qui emerge lo stesso dato, meno agitazione, meno contenimento farmacologico, maggiore continuità tra la vita precedente e quella dentro la struttura.
Fuori dall’Europa, anche la Cina ha iniziato a sperimentare modelli alternativi. A Xi’an è stato inaugurato uno dei primi villaggi dedicati alla demenza, in un Paese che si prepara a un rapido invecchiamento della popolazione dopo decenni di crescita demografica controllata. Il progetto combina spazi verdi, servizi sanitari integrati e attività quotidiane, con un forte accento sulla comunità. In un contesto culturale molto diverso da quello europeo, l’idea di fondo resta la stessa. Ridurre l’istituzionalizzazione, mantenere una parvenza di vita ordinaria, sostenere le famiglie oltre che i pazienti.
E in Italia? Non è ferma ma purtroppo si muove con molta lentezza e in modo frammentario. Il caso più noto è Il Paese Ritrovato, a Monza, promosso dalla Cooperativa La Meridiana. Un villaggio urbano dedicato a persone con Alzheimer, con appartamenti, negozi, spazi comuni, un luogo in cui le persone con demenza sono libere di scegliere cosa fare del proprio tempo e ritrovano una dimensione di socialità che restituisce valore alla loro vita. I primi risultati mostrano un miglioramento del benessere complessivo e una riduzione della conflittualità legata al disorientamento.
Esistono poi esperienze più piccole, spesso sperimentali. Cohousing per anziani(ne abbiamo parlato qui), nuclei Alzheimer all’interno di strutture più grandi, residenze leggere integrate nel tessuto urbano. Progetti interessanti, ma ancora marginali rispetto al sistema complessivo delle RSA. Il problema principale resta la scala. Queste esperienze richiedono investimenti iniziali elevati, personale formato in modo specifico, un cambio di paradigma gestionale isomma.
I villaggi e le architetture orientate alla dignità mostrano che un ambiente pensato bene può ridurre il carico clinico, migliorare il lavoro degli operatori e restituire senso alle giornate delle persone.
Un altro elemento chiave è la visibilità. Molte strutture tradizionali nascondono la vecchiaia, come se fosse qualcosa da tenere lontano dallo sguardo pubblico. I progetti più avanzati fanno il contrario: affacciano sulla strada, “dialogano” con il quartiere, invitano la comunità a entrare.
Tutti questi esempi, anche se molto diversi tra loro per dimensioni, risorse e contesto culturale, seguono gli stessi principi di base: la persona resta al centro; la vita quotidiana mantiene una continuità con il passato; le cure mediche intervengono solo quando servono davvero; gli spazi sono chiari e rassicuranti; la libertà è accompagnata e protetta, senza chiusure preventive. Il contatto con l’esterno viene favorito, invece dell’isolamento.
Il confronto con l’Italia fa emergere subito il divario. Le RSA restano il cardine quasi unico dell’assistenza agli anziani fragili. Le alternative, ci sono, poche e spesso sperimentali, affidate a cooperative coraggiose o a amministrazioni illuminate. Quello che manca è una visione, conta riconoscere che il luogo in cui si vive l’ultima parte della vita incide sulla salute, sui costi, sul lavoro di chi assiste.
Dobbiamo pensare in modo diverso, dobbiamo smettere di pensare alla vecchiaia come un problema, nascondendola…e iniziare a progettare il futuro che prima o poi riguarda tutti noi.
L’AUTORE
Isaac J.P. Barrow – Professore sociologo specializzato in dinamiche sociali globali. Tutta la sua carriera si è concentrata su globalizzazione e tecnologie digitali. Ha svolto ricerche in vari paesi ed è autore di studi su identità culturali e disuguaglianze. Ha collaborato con organizzazioni internazionali ed è considerato un esperto di politiche sociali ed inclusione.
Il 19 gennaio la premier giapponese Sanae Takaichi ha annunciato che scioglierà la camera bassa del parlamento e indirà le elezioni legislative anticipate l’8 febbraio allo scopo di consolidare il suo governo. Leggi
By Alexander VillegasCONCEPCION, Chile, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Wildfires in Chile have left at least 19 people dead, authorities said on Monday, as the government carried out… Leggi
By Yuliia DysaKYIV, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Ukraine will face enormous challenges to organise its first elections since Russia’s 2022 invasion, with its infrastructure shatter… Leggi
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” aimed at resolving conflicts globally and overseeing governance and reconstruction in Gaza, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East – including Israel and the Palestinians.
But since the Israel-Gaza war and Russia’s assault on Ukraine, Putin has moved away from Israel, boosting ties with its foes like Iran.
Moscow has...
The global landscape is undergoing profound rupture. The United States has blatantly interfered in the internal affairs of Venezuela through direct military action and openly covets Greenland. US President Donald Trump has called Canada the “51st state” of his country and threatened to “take back” the Panama Canal. The US is undermining the core assumptions that have underpinned the Western alliance system.
Against this backdrop, Canada’s policy community broadly and Prime Minister Mark Carney...
Hong Kong’s transport minister has outlined plans to develop a blueprint for the nascent low-altitude sector, with local industry players partnering mainland Chinese firms for their first joint overseas trip to explore belt and road markets.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Monday that the blueprint would cover cross-border electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) that ferry goods and passengers.
Speaking at the Second Low-Altitude Summit at the University...
After a weekend of US President Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland, the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back?
A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation.
To keep Trump engaged in...
Members of Hong Kong’s Housing Authority have urged the government to clarify how a proposal to resettle residents displaced by the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po at a site designated for public rental flats will not impact the thousands currently on the waiting list.
They made the call on Monday during a meeting of the public body, during which Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin identified the site, also in Tai Po, as a “good choice” for the long-term resettlement of the 5,000-odd...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” aimed at resolving conflicts globally and overseeing governance and reconstruction in Gaza, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East – including Israel and the Palestinians.
But since the Israel-Gaza war and Russia’s assault on Ukraine, Putin has moved away from Israel, boosting ties with its foes like Iran.
Moscow has...
The global landscape is undergoing profound rupture. The United States has blatantly interfered in the internal affairs of Venezuela through direct military action and openly covets Greenland. US President Donald Trump has called Canada the “51st state” of his country and threatened to “take back” the Panama Canal. The US is undermining the core assumptions that have underpinned the Western alliance system.
Against this backdrop, Canada’s policy community broadly and Prime Minister Mark Carney...
China has proposed to host the secretariat of a new treaty governing the high seas, in what observers say is the latest effort by Beijing to proactively play a bigger role in shaping international rules of order.
Days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pull the US from 66 international organisations, including United Nations commissions and major bodies set up to tackle climate change, China has bid for Xiamen in Fujian province – a coastal hub that sits on the Taiwan...
China’s Unitree Robotics shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots in 2025, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, as the Hangzhou-based company ramped up production ahead of its planned listing on the mainland.
That number – covering “pure” full-body, bipedal humanoid models – exceeded those of its American peers such as Tesla, Figure AI and Agility Robotics, which shipped 150 humanoid robots each last year, according to market research firm Omdia.
Unitree saw its annual output...
After a weekend of US President Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland, the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back?
A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation.
To keep Trump engaged in...
The global landscape is undergoing profound rupture. The United States has blatantly interfered in the internal affairs of Venezuela through direct military action and openly covets Greenland. US President Donald Trump has called Canada the “51st state” of his country and threatened to “take back” the Panama Canal. The US is undermining the core assumptions that have underpinned the Western alliance system.
Against this backdrop, Canada’s policy community broadly and Prime Minister Mark Carney...
China has proposed to host the secretariat of a new treaty governing the high seas, in what observers say is the latest effort by Beijing to proactively play a bigger role in shaping international rules of order.
Days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pull the US from 66 international organisations, including United Nations commissions and major bodies set up to tackle climate change, China has bid for Xiamen in Fujian province – a coastal hub that sits on the Taiwan...
China’s Unitree Robotics shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots in 2025, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, as the Hangzhou-based company ramped up production ahead of its planned listing on the mainland.
That number – covering “pure” full-body, bipedal humanoid models – exceeded those of its American peers such as Tesla, Figure AI and Agility Robotics, which shipped 150 humanoid robots each last year, according to market research firm Omdia.
Unitree saw its annual output...
JERUSALEM, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to shut a U.S.-led multinational coordinating ce… Leggi
By Camillus EbohABUJA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Nigerian air force strikes destroyed about 10 canoes and killed more than 40 militants preparing attacks in Borno state, the mil… Leggi
By Tim ReidWASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday will mark his first year back in the White House after a shock-and-awe policy blitz that has e… Leggi
By Karam al-Masri and Khalil AshawiRAQQA/ Syria, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Syrian government troops tightened their grip on Monday across a swathe of northern and eastern terri… Leggi
Jan 19 (Reuters) - Russia launched a barrage of drone strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight on Monday, cutting off power in five regions across the country… Leggi
Hong Kong authorities have launched a two-month operation to inspect fire safety equipment in residential and mixed-use buildings planned at least 39 years ago, as part of continuing efforts to strengthen oversight following the deadly Tai Po blaze.
The Fire Services Department said on Monday that it started ad hoc checks on inspection records and the condition of fire safety equipment in premises for which building plans were first submitted in 1987 or earlier.
“When choosing buildings to...
In Taruka village in central Nepal, locals celebrated a yearly ancient bullfighting tradition on January 15.
The event is held during the Hindu harvest festival of Maghe Sankranti which usually falls in January. But some animal activists warned that the activity amounted to animal cruelty.
The shortages and associated price increase in the global memory chip sector could potentially intensify, as the US government threatened to impose hefty new tariffs on some major foreign manufacturers.
Speaking at Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony for Micron Technology’s US$100 billion factory in New York, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick warned that memory chipmakers – without naming any company – had two options: “They can pay 100 per cent tariff, or they can build in America.”
He pointed...
La crescente rilevanza strategica dell’Artico ha riportato la Groenlandia al centro della pianificazione di sicurezza statunitense. Tuttavia, quando uno stato membro della NATO esercita pressioni politiche o strategiche per ottenere il controllo di un territorio appartenente a un altro alleato, la questione trascende la dimensione geopolitica e assume una valenza sistemica. Il caso groenlandese evidenzia così un cortocircuito politico e giuridico all’interno dell’Alleanza Atlantica, sollevando interrogativi sulla tenuta dei suoi principi fondanti e sulla credibilità della sicurezza collettiva.
Groenlandia e Artico: il nuovo interesse strategico vitale.
Per gran parte del Novecento, l’Artico ha occupato una posizione marginale nel sistema internazionale: uno spazio periferico, ostile e scarsamente popolato, rilevante soprattutto come zona di cuscinetto strategico durante la Guerra Fredda. Oggi, questa rappresentazione appare superata. Il progressivo scioglimento dei ghiacci, l’apertura di nuove rotte marittime polari, la competizione per le risorse critiche e la crescente militarizzazione del Grande Nord hanno trasformato l’Artico in uno dei principali teatri della competizione sistemica tra grandi potenze, inserendolo stabilmente nel cuore delle dinamiche di sicurezza globale.
In questo contesto, la Groenlandia ha assunto una centralità strategica senza precedenti. La sua posizione geografica – ponte naturale tra Nord America ed Europa – la colloca lungo le principali traiettorie dei missili balistici intercontinentali e delle nuove rotte aeree e marittime artiche, rendendola un nodo cruciale per la difesa avanzata del Nord Atlantico. Non a caso, già durante la Guerra Fredda Washington aveva investito sull’isola come avamposto della propria architettura difensiva; un ruolo che oggi si rafforza ulteriormente con la presenza della Pituffik Space Base, infrastruttura chiave per il sistema di allerta missilistica, il controllo spaziale e l’integrazione della difesa nordamericana.
La rinnovata importanza della Groenlandia si inserisce in una più ampia ridefinizione delle priorità strategiche statunitensi, che ha progressivamente incorporato l’Artico nella sfera degli interessi vitali di sicurezza nazionale. Già nel National Security Strategy and Review 2022 Implementation Report, la regione viene trattata non più come dominio periferico, ma come uno spazio critico da proteggere e controllare, all’interno di una visione estesa di difesa emisferica che connette Atlantico, Artico e Pacifico in un unico continuum strategico. Nel novembre 2025, la nuova National Security Strategy elaborata dall’amministrazione Trump ha ribadito la centralità dell’Artico nella politica di sicurezza statunitense. In questa prospettiva, deterrenza nucleare, superiorità tecnologica e controllo degli spazi globali convergono nel Grande Nord, attribuendo alla Groenlandia una funzione strutturale nella protezione del potere statunitense.
Questo orientamento dottrinale riflette le profonde trasformazioni del contesto strategico artico. La Russia ha investito in modo sistematico nella militarizzazione dell’Artico, riattivando infrastrutture ereditate dall’era sovietica, dispiegando sistemi missilistici avanzati e rafforzando la Flotta del Nord, con l’obiettivo di trasformare la regione in una piattaforma di protezione militare verso l’Atlantico settentrionale e di controllo delle rotte marittime lungo il Northern Sea Route. Parallelamente, la Cina, pur non essendo uno stato artico, ha ampliato costantemente la propria presenza economica, scientifica e infrastrutturale, consolidando interessi strategici attraverso programmi di ricerca, investimenti portuali e partecipazioni a progetti logistici e tecnologici nel quadro del cosiddetto Polar Silk Road.
In questo scenario, la Groenlandia emerge come un asset critico multidimensionale, non solo sul piano militare, ma anche economico e tecnologico. Il sottosuolo dell’isola ospita un potenziale significativo di terre rare e materie prime critiche, fondamentali per la transizione energetica, l’industria della difesa e le tecnologie avanzate. La crescente attenzione di Stati Uniti ed Europa verso queste risorse riflette una consapevolezza ormai diffusa: il controllo delle catene di approvvigionamento è ormai parte integrante della sicurezza nazionale e della competizione geopolitica. Tuttavia, a questa crescente centralità strategica si accompagna una fragilità strutturale evidente. La Groenlandia presenta una popolazione estremamente ridotta, capacità militari limitate e una dipendenza strutturale dal Regno di Danimarca, pur godendo di un’ampia autonomia interna. Questo squilibrio alimenta le preoccupazioni di Washington sulla reale capacità europea di garantire la sicurezza dell’isola in un contesto segnato dall’intensificarsi della competizione strategica nell’Artico, dalla postura più assertiva della Russia e dalla progressiva penetrazione cinese nella regione. Non a caso, nel dibattito strategico statunitense la Groenlandia viene sempre più descritta come un possibile “ventre molle” della sicurezza euro-atlantica nel quadrante settentrionale. È proprio all’interno di questa tensione – tra valore strategico crescente e vulnerabilità strutturale – che maturano le posizioni più assertive emerse nel dibattito politico statunitense. Le dichiarazioni e le iniziative dell’amministrazione Trump sulla Groenlandia non rappresentano un’uscita estemporanea, ma si inseriscono in una traiettoria storica e strategica più ampia, che affonda le proprie radici nei precedenti tentativi statunitensi di acquisizione dell’isola e nella percezione della Groenlandia come asset chiave per la difesa del Nord America.
La Groenlandia diventa così un punto di convergenza di interessi geopolitici, militari ed economici che travalicano la dimensione bilaterale tra Washington e Copenaghen. È questa centralità, unita alla collocazione dell’isola all’interno dell’Alleanza Atlantica, a trasformare la questione groenlandese in qualcosa di più di una disputa diplomatica: un fattore di stress strategico capace di mettere alla prova la coesione, la credibilità e la capacità di deterrenza della NATO nel Grande Nord.
Sovranità, autonomia e influenza: la frattura politica tra alleati.
La crisi groenlandese affonda le proprie radici in un quadro giuridico peculiare, che combina ampia autonomia interna e sovranità statale incompleta. Il rapporto tra Groenlandia e Regno di Danimarca è regolato dall’Act on Greenland Self-Government del 2009, che riconosce all’isola competenze estese in ambito politico, economico e amministrativo, mantenendo tuttavia a Copenaghen il controllo su difesa, politica estera e sicurezza. All’interno di questo assetto, viene sancito un principio di rilievo strategico: il diritto del popolo groenlandese all’autodeterminazione, incluso un potenziale percorso verso l’indipendenza. Tale possibilità, tuttavia, si scontra con limiti strutturali profondi. Il dibattito interno all’isola evidenzia come l’indipendenza rappresenti un obiettivo politicamente evocato ma materialmente complesso, condizionato dalla forte dipendenza economica dai trasferimenti danesi, da capacità amministrative limitate e da una vulnerabilità strategica accentuata dalla collocazione geografica della Groenlandia nel cuore della competizione artica. In questo equilibrio instabile tra autonomia e dipendenza si apre uno spazio di manovra per attori esterni, pronti a sfruttarne le ambiguità.
È su questo terreno che si innestano le pressioni statunitensi, progressivamente evolute da retorica politica a postura strategica esplicita. Le dichiarazioni provenienti dall’entourage di Trump, secondo cui l’uso della forza non potrebbe essere escluso, e la conferma che l’ipotesi di acquisizione dell’isola costituisca una “discussione attiva” alla Casa Bianca, hanno segnalato un salto qualitativo nella percezione europea della crisi, trasformando una controversia diplomatica in un problema di sicurezza collettiva.
Particolarmente destabilizzante è risultata l’emersione di ipotesi di accordi diretti tra Washington e Nuuk, aggirando il governo danese. Una dinamica che non solo mette in discussione la sovranità di uno stato membro, ma introduce un precedente problematico all’interno dell’Alleanza Atlantica: la possibilità che una grande potenza alleata eserciti pressioni politiche e negoziali su un territorio formalmente appartenente a un altro alleato. Questo approccio si inserisce in una più ampia tendenza di disimpegno selettivo americano dalla sicurezza europea, in cui il rapporto transatlantico viene sempre più subordinato a logiche di interesse nazionale immediato. In questo quadro, le affermazioni secondo cui gli Stati Uniti potrebbero essere chiamati a scegliere tra la Groenlandia e la NATO hanno contribuito ad alimentare una percezione di frattura senza precedenti.
Accanto alla pressione politica e diplomatica, la crisi groenlandese è stata accompagnata dall’emersione di dinamiche riconducibili a operazioni di influenza. In Danimarca, inchieste giornalistiche hanno segnalato tentativi di infiltrazione politica legati a figure vicino all’amministrazione Trump, mentre in altre ricostruzioni delineano l’esistenza di una strategia più ampia volta a indirizzare il dibattito pubblico groenlandese sull’indipendenza e sul rapporto con Washington. Pur collocate in una zona grigia tra diplomazia informale e pressione politica, tali iniziative hanno contribuito ad accrescere il livello di sfiducia tra alleati, alimentando il sospetto di un utilizzo strumentale delle fragilità istituzionali e identitarie dell’isola.
La reazione europea è stata rapida e relativamente compatta. L’Unione Europea ha ribadito con fermezza il principio del rispetto dell’integrità territoriale della Danimarca, sottolineando come la questione groenlandese non possa essere affrontata al di fuori dei quadri giuridici e politici condivisi. Parallelamente, diversi stati membri hanno espresso un sostegno politico esplicito a Copenaghen, sottoscrivendo una dichiarazione congiunta sulla Groenlandia in cui si riafferma la necessità di gestire le sfide di sicurezza nell’Artico all’interno del perimetro della cooperazione euro-atlantica, nel rispetto della sovranità e dell’unità politica degli alleati. In questo clima, la questione groenlandese ha cessato di essere un dossier bilaterale, trasformandosi in una frattura politica intra-alleanza.
La Groenlandia diventa così il simbolo di una tensione più profonda. Quando un alleato utilizza strumenti di pressione politica, diplomatica e potenzialmente coercitiva contro un altro alleato, il principio di fiducia reciproca – fondamento implicito della NATO – viene messo in discussione. È in questo spazio di ambiguità, tra sovranità formale, autonomia incompiuta e influenza esterna, che prende forma il paradosso destinato a esplodere nella dimensione militare e giuridica dell’Alleanza.
Il paradosso dell’Articolo 5: quando il garante diventa il predatore.
La frattura politica emersa attorno alla Groenlandia produce effetti che travalicano la dimensione diplomatica e investono direttamente la struttura giuridica e strategica dell’Alleanza Atlantica. Nel momento in cui la pressione esercitata da uno stato membro assume caratteri coercitivi nei confronti di un altro alleato, la crisi si sposta dal piano della fiducia politica a quello della funzionalità del sistema di sicurezza collettiva. È in questo passaggio che la questione groenlandese si configura come uno stress test esistenziale per la NATO, mettendone in discussione i presupposti fondativi.
L’Articolo 5 del Trattato Atlantico è stato concepito per fronteggiare minacce esterne in un contesto bipolare, fondandosi su un presupposto implicito ma essenziale: l’assenza di conflittualità strategica all’interno dell’Alleanza. Tale architettura mostra tuttavia limiti strutturali nel momento in cui il potere egemone dell’organizzazione esercita una pressione diretta o indiretta su un territorio appartenente a un altro stato membro. In uno spazio come l’Artico, dove deterrenza, sovranità e proiezione militare si sovrappongono in modo sempre più instabile, la Groenlandia emerge come un punto di frizione strutturale capace di evolversi in un potenziale proprio punto di rottura dell’equilibrio intra-alleanza.
L’escalation retorica degli ultimi mesi ha contribuito a rendere questo scenario meno astratto. L’idea che un’azione militare in Groenlandia rappresenterebbe la fine stessa della NATO, unita alla riaffermazione che l’uso della forza resti un’opzione praticabile, ha incrinato il principio di prevedibilità strategica su cui si fonda la deterrenza collettiva. Parallelamente, è stato ribadito che la Groenlandia appartiene al suo popolo e che qualsiasi soluzione imposta dall’esterno sarebbe priva di legittimità politica e giuridica, posizione confermata anche dalle autorità di Nuuk, che hanno escluso l’ipotesi di entrare negli Stati Uniti o nell’Unione Europea.
Se si ipotizza uno scenario di coercizione o intervento diretto, il cortocircuito dell’Articolo 5 diventa evidente. In termini formali, un attacco alla Groenlandia equivarrebbe a un attacco alla Danimarca, attivando il meccanismo di difesa collettiva. Tuttavia, quando l’attore responsabile coincide con il principale fornitore di deterrenza nucleare, capacità militari e leadership dell’Alleanza, il dispositivo perde ogni operatività concreta. L’Articolo 5 cesserebbe di funzionare come garanzia di sicurezza e si trasformerebbe in una contraddizione sistemica, incapace di produrre una risposta coerente senza dissolvere l’Alleanza stessa. Anche qualora le minacce rientrassero in una logica negoziale, il danno alla credibilità della NATO risulterebbe comunque profondo. Un’alleanza in cui uno stato membro teme il garante della sicurezza collettiva non può più essere definita una comunità di sicurezza, ma assume i tratti di un sistema gerarchico fondato sui rapporti di forza asimmetrici. In questo senso, la Groenlandia non rappresenta un’eccezione contingente, bensì un precedente potenzialmente destabilizzante per l’intera architettura euro-atlantica.
Le implicazioni strategiche di una simile crisi sarebbero immediate e profonde. Una NATO delegittimata o paralizzata offrirebbe vantaggi indiretti a Russia e Cina, riducendo la capacità dell’Alleanza di esercitare deterrenza credibile nei teatri chiave. Mosca, che ha rafforzato in modo sistematico la sua postura militare nel Grande Nord, potrebbe sfruttare la perdita di coesione euro-atlantica per ampliare i propri margini di manovra nell’Artico e lungo il fianco orientale europeo, consolidando una strategia di pressione multilivello. Parallelamente, Pechino troverebbe un contesto favorevole per accelerare la propria penetrazione economica, scientifica e infrastrutturale lungo le rotte polari emergenti e nei settori strategici legati alle risorse critiche, incluse le terre rare groenlandesi, sempre più centrali nelle catene del valore globali e nella competizione tecnologica tra grandi potenze.
La crisi groenlandese apre così una riflessione di carattere sistemico sull’ordine internazionale. Se una grande potenza potesse ottenere un territorio strategico attraverso la coercizione, invocando esigenze di sicurezza nazionali o di difesa avanzata, quale precedente verrebbe creato? La Russia non potrebbe forse rivendicare una legittimazione analoga per proseguire la guerra in Ucraina e consolidare il controllo sulle regioni del Donbass, reinterpretando il concetto di sicurezza regionale in chiave espansiva? E la Cina non potrebbe richiamarsi a una propria lettura della sicurezza emisferica per giustificare un’azione su Taiwan, presentandola come misura preventiva e difensiva?
In questo scenario, il diritto internazionale rischierebbe di perdere la propria funzione regolativa, riducendosi a un insieme di norme applicabili in modo selettivo e subordinate ai rapporti di forza. È qui che emerge con maggiore chiarezza la responsabilità strategica dell’Europa. Opporsi a qualsiasi soluzione coercitiva sulla Groenlandia non significa soltanto difendere la sovranità danese o preservare la NATO, ma evitare la creazione di un precedente capace di innescare una crisi sistemica dell’ordine internazionale basato sulle regole, già messo sotto pressione dal ritorno della geopolitica delle sfere di influenza.
La Groenlandia, da periferia artica, diventa così il luogo simbolico in cui si misura la tenuta dell’Alleanza Atlantica e, più in generale, la credibilità dell’Occidente come attore normativo e garante di stabilità. In un contesto segnato dal nuovo grande risiko dell’Artico e dalla crescente competizione sulle risorse strategiche e sulle rotte polari, se il garante della sicurezza collettiva dovesse trasformarsi in un predatore, il contratto strategico che ha sostenuto l’ordine euro-atlantico dal secondo dopoguerra rischierebbe non solo di incrinarsi, ma di dissolversi definitivamente.
Il 18 gennaio il presidente siriano Ahmed al Sharaa ha annunciato un accordo con le forze curde che prevede un cessate il fuoco, la cessione di territori e l’integrazione dei combattenti nell’esercito siriano. Leggi
By Maria Martinez and Leigh ThomasBERLIN, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The German and French finance ministers said on Monday European powers would not be blackmailed and there wou… Leggi
LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Prince Harry arrived at the High Court in London on Monday where a trial is due to begin on his privacy lawsuit against the publisher of the Da… Leggi
MOSCOW, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev will travel to the Swiss resort of Davos this week and hold meetings with memb… Leggi
Jan 19 (Reuters) - National security advisers from a number of countries are due to meet on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday, with Greenland a… Leggi
By John IrishPARIS/OSLO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has told Norway’s prime minister in a letter that he no longer feels obligated “to think purely of… Leggi
TURIN, Italy, Jan 19 (Reuters) - When Turin hosted the Winter Olympics 20 years ago, it transformed the city’s image from grey industrial home of the troubled Fiat car-ma… Leggi
ANKARA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Turkish security sources said on Monday that an integration deal between Syria’s government and Kurdish forces marked an “historic turning poin… Leggi
DUBAI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Iran may lift its internet blackout in a few days, a senior parliament member said on Monday, after authorities shut communications while they u… Leggi
LONDON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that calm discussion between allies was needed on Greenland to ensure that historic alliance… Leggi
Donald Trump no longer needs to think “purely of peace” after being snubbed for a Nobel prize, the US president said in comments published on Monday, adding the world will not be safe until Washington controls Greenland.
Trump has put the transatlantic alliance to the test with threats to take over Greenland “one way or the other”, with European countries closing ranks against Washington’s designs on the vast Danish territory.
German and French leaders denounced as “blackmail” weekend threats by...
Donald Trump no longer needs to think “purely of peace” after being snubbed for a Nobel prize, the US president said in comments published on Monday, adding the world will not be safe until Washington controls Greenland.
Trump has put the transatlantic alliance to the test with threats to take over Greenland “one way or the other”, with European countries closing ranks against Washington’s designs on the vast Danish territory.
German and French leaders denounced as “blackmail” weekend threats by...
People’s Liberation Army activities in the Taiwan Strait are being closely watched by the United States and Japan and it needs to find a way to operate effectively while being surveilled, according to analysts.
A report by Beijing-based defence think tank Lande said the PLA’s most recent large-scale drills around Taiwan – dubbed Justice Mission 2025 – were launched with no warning yet the response from the US and Japan was immediate.
It said that highlighted the constant presence in the region...
The International Monetary Fund has raised its 2026 economic growth forecasts for both China and the United States by 0.3 percentage points, the latest sign that the pause in their trade war has eased pressure on both economies.
In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF’s flagship publication released on Monday, the Washington-based fund also upgraded its global economic growth estimate by 0.2 percentage points over its October forecast to 3.3 per cent this year.
China’s economy is now...
An 11-year-old girl in China who often sends text messages to her dead grandfather has moved millions of internet users in the country.
According to a report by media outlet The Cover, the girl’s mother known as Han, who lives in the southwestern Sichuan province, discovered the messages on her daughter’s phone-watch.
The little girl has a careless personality and seldom talks about the grandfather’s death.
As a result, Han was surprised and touched when she found the messages. She later shared...
People’s Liberation Army activities in the Taiwan Strait are being closely watched by the United States and Japan and it needs to find a way to operate effectively while being surveilled, according to analysts.
A report by Beijing-based defence think tank Lande said the PLA’s most recent large-scale drills around Taiwan – dubbed Justice Mission 2025 – were launched with no warning yet the response from the US and Japan was immediate.
It said that highlighted the constant presence in the region...
The International Monetary Fund has raised its 2026 economic growth forecasts for both China and the United States by 0.3 percentage points, the latest sign that the pause in their trade war has eased pressure on both economies.
In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF’s flagship publication released on Monday, the Washington-based fund also upgraded its global economic growth estimate by 0.2 percentage points over its October forecast to 3.3 per cent this year.
China’s economy is now...
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 19 (Reuters) - At least 11 schoolchildren were killed on Monday morning when a minibus collided with a truck in a city south of Johannesburg, South Afri… Leggi
By Francesco GuarascioHANOI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Delegates at Vietnam’s Communist Party congress that started on Monday were given Samsung tablet computers without an inte… Leggi
MAPUTO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo has cancelled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos this week due to severe floods that have damage… Leggi
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has staked her political survival on a high-risk snap general election, wagering that her personal approval ratings can overcome the legacy of her scandal-plagued party.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Takaichi confirmed she would dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday – the opening day of the parliamentary session – paving the way for a nationwide vote on February 8.
“I will put my post on the line and seek the voters’ judgment on...
Hong Kong has deported 113 rejected non-refoulement claimants after a week-long operation, according to the Immigration Department.
The operation codenamed “Shield” involved deporting a group of 68 men and 45 women, some of whom had completed prison sentences for criminal offences in the city.
“A total of 113 unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants who were illegal immigrants and overstayers were repatriated to their places of origin,” the department said on Monday.
“The persons removed …...
China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returned to Earth with no astronauts inside – just metal, heat and a cracked window – touching down at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia on Monday.
The hull appeared to be darkened after enduring the intense heat and stress of re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. But on-site inspections revealed the capsule’s exterior was generally intact and the returned items inside were in good condition, according to Chinese space authorities.
In an interview with...
Hong Kong’s rule of law is “more robust and enduring than the outcome of any single case”, the city’s chief justice has declared after former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was found guilty in a landmark national security case that drew international scrutiny and criticism.
In his speech at a ceremony to mark the opening of the legal year on Monday, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung warned that any calls for the early release of a defendant based on his occupation or political causes were a...
China’s Shenzhou-20 spacecraft returned to Earth with no astronauts inside – just metal, heat and a cracked window – touching down at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia on Monday.
The hull appeared to be darkened after enduring the intense heat and stress of re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. But on-site inspections revealed the capsule’s exterior was generally intact and the returned items inside were in good condition, according to Chinese space authorities.
In an interview with...
Almeno 39 persone sono morte nella collisione fra due treni ad alta velocità in Andalusia, nel sud della Spagna, secondo un nuovo bilancio fornito dalle autorità la mattina del 19 gennaio. Leggi
For much of the past decade, the energy transition debate has largely revolved around one question: can clean technologies work at scale?
That is increasingly being answered. Solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles (EVs) have moved into the mainstream as key technologies become more cost-effective, efficient and faster to deploy. In many markets, these energy sources are no longer the future of energy; they are the present.
The challenge is no longer simply proving that more...
Guatemala’s president on Sunday declared a 30-day nationwide state of emergency to combat criminal gangs after authorities accused the groups of killing eight police officers and holding hostages at three prisons.
The killings occurred in the Guatemalan capital and surrounding areas a day after gang-affiliated inmates took 46 people hostage in the three prisons across the country to demand incarcerated gang leaders be moved to lower security facilities.
President Bernardo Arevalo said...
Malaysia’s king has issued a blunt warning to officials, saying his “hunt for the corrupt” will reach all levels as the country reels from a corruption scandal inside the armed forces that has implicated senior ranks.
A former army chief and dozens of other officers and civilians have been arrested in recent weeks as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) seized 52 million ringgit (US$12.8 million) in cash, gold, cars and luxury watches.
The anti-corruption body also froze 80 bank...
For much of the past decade, the energy transition debate has largely revolved around one question: can clean technologies work at scale?
That is increasingly being answered. Solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles (EVs) have moved into the mainstream as key technologies become more cost-effective, efficient and faster to deploy. In many markets, these energy sources are no longer the future of energy; they are the present.
The challenge is no longer simply proving that more...
Guatemala’s president on Sunday declared a 30-day nationwide state of emergency to combat criminal gangs after authorities accused the groups of killing eight police officers and holding hostages at three prisons.
The killings occurred in the Guatemalan capital and surrounding areas a day after gang-affiliated inmates took 46 people hostage in the three prisons across the country to demand incarcerated gang leaders be moved to lower security facilities.
President Bernardo Arevalo said...
As silver prices surged past S$100 (US$78) an ounce in recent weeks, Singaporean Faris Ghani saw a long-running bet finally begin to pay off.
The 35-year-old relocation consultant has been quietly accumulating the metal since he was 21, betting that silver – long overshadowed by gold – would one day have its moment.
That moment appears to have arrived. On Monday, spot silver traded near record highs of about US$94 an ounce, more than tripling from around US$30 an ounce a year earlier.
The surge...
December was a record-breaking month and busier than ever for the Hainan, China’s first Type 075 amphibious assault ship and one of Beijing’s most important assets in the event of any potential military operation against Taiwan.
The Yushen-class vessel, one of the world’s largest amphibious assault ships, made an appearance during the People’s Liberation Army’s large-scale military drills around the self-ruled island in late December. It was the first time a Type 075 took part in such...
For much of the past decade, the energy transition debate has largely revolved around one question: can clean technologies work at scale?
That is increasingly being answered. Solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles (EVs) have moved into the mainstream as key technologies become more cost-effective, efficient and faster to deploy. In many markets, these energy sources are no longer the future of energy; they are the present.
The challenge is no longer simply proving that more...
December was a record-breaking month and busier than ever for the Hainan, China’s first Type 075 amphibious assault ship and one of Beijing’s most important assets in the event of any potential military operation against Taiwan.
The Yushen-class vessel, one of the world’s largest amphibious assault ships, made an appearance during the People’s Liberation Army’s large-scale military drills around the self-ruled island in late December. It was the first time a Type 075 took part in such...
MADRID, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The death toll from Sunday’s collision between a derailing high-speed train and a second oncoming train in southern Spain has risen to 39, with… Leggi
MOSCOW, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has been invited to join the Gaza “Board of Peace” proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Tokayev h… Leggi
Jan 19 (Reuters) - Australia’s Perseus Mining said on Monday that a second employee of a contractor firm passed away in a hospital, days after an accident near the gold p… Leggi
Hackers disrupted Iranian state television satellite transmissions to air footage supporting the country’s exiled crown prince and calling on security forces to not “point your weapons at the people”, footage online showed early Monday, the latest disruption to follow nationwide protests in the country.
The hacking came as the death toll in a crackdown by authorities that smothered the demonstrations reached at least 3,919 people killed, activists said. They fear the number will grow far higher...
A Hong Kong court has ordered the winding-up of a bakery chain and declared a co-founder of a now-closed congee restaurant group bankrupt, highlighting the plight of the local retail and catering sectors amid shifting consumer patterns.
The High Court on Monday granted a petition to liquidate Vast Luck Company Limited, the parent company of Taipan Bread & Cakes, after the firm failed to repay a debt of an unspecified sum despite repeated requests.
Recognised as a top Hong Kong brand for its...
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has nominated his nephew to join the central bank’s board of governors, two sources said, amid growing concern about its independence as the government seeks more support for ambitious economic targets.
Investors have worried that independent monetary policymaking in Southeast Asia’s largest economy might be under pressure as Prabowo targets economic growth of 8 per cent by 2029, from about 5 per cent now.
Those fears grew after Bank Indonesia (BI) unveiled...
Competition in the Hong Kong labour market intensified in the past year with applications per job advertisement surging by nearly 60 per cent, even as AI eliminated some positions, according to a popular online employment marketplace.
Jobsdb Hong Kong revealed on Monday that the average number of applications per advertisement on the platform rose 58 per cent year on year in 2025.
Competition was even keener for frontline positions, where applications per advertisement increased 78 per cent over...
The couple behind the Asia distributor of Japanese skincare brand Fancl has bought prime office and retail space in Hong Kong’s Admiralty district, highlighting selective bargain hunting by cash-rich local investors as commercial property prices remain under pressure.
Gourmet Dining Group, owned by Christopher Chan and wife Michelle Ma-chan, agreed on January 5 to buy a shop and a unit on the first floor as well as part of the mezzanine on the second floor at Lippo Centre for HK$299 million...
Hackers disrupted Iranian state television satellite transmissions to air footage supporting the country’s exiled crown prince and calling on security forces to not “point your weapons at the people”, footage online showed early Monday, the latest disruption to follow nationwide protests in the country.
The hacking came as the death toll in a crackdown by authorities that smothered the demonstrations reached at least 3,919 people killed, activists said. They fear the number will grow far higher...
China’s birth count plummeted to a record low last year, falling by about 10 million from its 2016 peak and slashing the total by more than half in less than a decade, as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year.
Only 7.92 million babies were born in 2025, down 17 per cent from 9.54 million in 2024, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. This marked the lowest birth figure since records began in 1949 and broke the previous record low set...
China’s birth count plummeted to a record low last year, falling by about 10 million from its 2016 peak and slashing the total by more than half in less than a decade, as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year.
Only 7.92 million babies were born in 2025, down 17 per cent from 9.54 million in 2024, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. This marked the lowest birth figure since records began in 1949 and broke the previous record low set...
MANILA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A lawyer filed an impeachment complaint against Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday, accusing him of betraying public trust by a… Leggi
Pil cinese: centrato l'obiettivo del 5,5%, ma l'economia rallenta
Drone cinese attraversa per la prima volta lo spazio aereo taiwanese
NYT: la Cina ha creato una barriera formata da centinaia di pescherecci nel mar Cinese orientale
Cina: è morto Nie Weiping, storico campione di Go
La Cina continua a puntare anche sul carbone
Cambogia, repressione sui “centri delle truffe”. Si sospetta collusione con le autorità
Vietnam, inizia la costruzione del primo impianto di produzione di microchip
“We will not leave the desert till we beat the foe, although in war our golden armour be outworn 100 times.”
In this celebrated poem from China’s Tang dynasty, Wang Changling captured the unyielding spirit of soldiers in golden armour battling on the desert frontiers.
But for centuries, the splendour of the Tang gold-plated armour lived only in poetry and imagination, as none had ever been unearthed.
But that changed last week, when the Key Laboratory of Archaeological Sciences and Cultural...
Pakistani firefighters began pulling bodies from the smouldering remains of a sprawling Karachi shopping centre on Monday where more than 60 people were still missing after a massive fire that killed at least 23 people.
The fire started late on Saturday at Gul Plaza, which houses 1,200 shops in a multi-storey complex spread across an area larger than a football field. The blaze in Karachi’s historic centre raged for more than 24 hours before it was mostly extinguished.
Videos showed fierce...
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s record on legal reforms has come under scrutiny after a journalist was detained under a colonial-era Sedition Act for asking a “sensitive question” linking the Gaza crisis to the treatment of ethnic Chinese in the Malay-majority country.
Rex Tan, 31, a journalist for local news site Free Malaysia Today (FMT), was arrested early on Saturday morning after he asked the question at a public debate five days earlier in Kuala Lumpur.
Tan is being investigated...
“We will not leave the desert till we beat the foe, although in war our golden armour be outworn 100 times.”
In this celebrated poem from China’s Tang dynasty, Wang Changling captured the unyielding spirit of soldiers in golden armour battling on the desert frontiers.
But for centuries, the splendour of the Tang gold-plated armour lived only in poetry and imagination, as none had ever been unearthed.
But that changed last week, when the Key Laboratory of Archaeological Sciences and Cultural...
Jan 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Denmark has not been able to do anything to get the “Russian threat” away from Greenland, and said, “No… Leggi
China’s top securities regulator has signalled it wants a slower, longer-lasting stock market rally rather than a short-lived speculative surge as it steps up measures to curb excessive trading after activity and margin financing hit fresh highs early this year.
The stance, reiterated at a securities watchdog meeting last week, drew renewed attention after regulators moved to cool pockets of overheating in the A-share market following a strong start to 2026.
At its January 15 work conference,...
A video clip released by a woman in China in which her husband is seen smashing up their home because she bought a 1,500-yuan (US$215) dishwasher has gone viral on social media.
The woman, who lives in Guangdong province, southern China, said in a video posted on January 8, that she had bought the machine from an online platform without telling her husband.
She said she needed it because the tap water in winter was too cold for her to wash by hand, the Dahe News reported.
Her husband does not...
Even as global trade weathered extreme volatility in 2025, China is pressing ahead with port expansions, building bigger and more strategically positioned hubs to secure its trade future.
In the first 11 months of 2025, China’s foreign trade container throughput jumped 9.5 per cent, year on year, to 320 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), contributing to a record US$1.19 trillion trade surplus for the full year, according to official data.
Major ports helped drive the records. Shanghai, for...
Chinese humanoid developer UBTech Robotics has struck a deal to supply European aviation giant Airbus with robots for its manufacturing facilities, the latest step in efforts to expand industrial applications of its robots outside China.
Airbus purchased UBTech’s Walker S2 robot as part of a plan to jointly explore robotics applications in aviation manufacturing, Shenzhen-based UBTech said in a statement on Sunday.
The deal follows a similar partnership last month with US semiconductor maker...
China’s top securities regulator has signalled it wants a slower, longer-lasting stock market rally rather than a short-lived speculative surge as it steps up measures to curb excessive trading after activity and margin financing hit fresh highs early this year.
The stance, reiterated at a securities watchdog meeting last week, drew renewed attention after regulators moved to cool pockets of overheating in the A-share market following a strong start to 2026.
At its January 15 work conference,...
Even as global trade weathered extreme volatility in 2025, China is pressing ahead with port expansions, building bigger and more strategically positioned hubs to secure its trade future.
In the first 11 months of 2025, China’s foreign trade container throughput jumped 9.5 per cent, year on year, to 320 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEU), contributing to a record US$1.19 trillion trade surplus for the full year, according to official data.
Major ports helped drive the records. Shanghai, for...
By Lucy CraymerWELLINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - New Zealand and the Pacific nation of Kiribati signed a new partnership agreement on Monday, signalling a warming of ties th… Leggi
By Alasdair PalSYDNEY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - An Australian boy was in critical condition after being bitten by a shark in Sydney, authorities said on Monday, after heavy rai… Leggi
We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China
2. Melaku Belachew, Shitaye Eshete claim Hong Kong Marathon crowns - as it happened
3. Trump shrugs off concerns over Canada-China EV deal, calls it a ‘good thing’
4. Philippines enters its ‘hour of danger’ in Marcos...
A divorced Malaysian couple looking to rekindle their relationship were arrested for being alone in a hotel room after religious enforcement officers raided their hotel room in Johor in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Johor’s Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) said on social media that officers detained the pair at 1.15am in a hotel in Kluang, following a tip-off about alleged immoral activity.
They were suspected of khalwat, an Islamic moral offence under Malaysia’s state sharia laws for...
We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China
2. Melaku Belachew, Shitaye Eshete claim Hong Kong Marathon crowns - as it happened
3. Trump shrugs off concerns over Canada-China EV deal, calls it a ‘good thing’
4. Philippines enters its ‘hour of danger’ in Marcos...
Home prices in mainland China continued to decline at a rapid pace in December, posing challenges for an economy that is struggling to find new growth drivers.
New home prices fell 0.4 per cent month on month on average across 70 cities, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The fall matched November’s drop and was among the steepest in more than a year.
Prices slipped 3 per cent year on year in December, accelerating from a 2.8 per cent drop in November. Only...
Hong Kong should expand its annual marathon into a two-day race and add more diverse routes to attract more participants and boost the city’s mega-event economy, two lawmakers have said.
They also said on Monday that organisers of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon could design routes through less urbanised areas, such as Kai Tak and the Northern Metropolis, to reduce traffic disruptions.
Their calls were made a day after organisers pledged to set up a special task force to study the...
Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) will delay the restart of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday, after an alarm malfunction.
It would have been the first reactor restart for Tepco since its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was hit by a powerful tsunami in 2011.
The company had planned to restart Unit No 6 at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa on Tuesday and Unit No 7 around 2030, as Japan seeks greater energy...
Home prices in mainland China continued to decline at a rapid pace in December, posing challenges for an economy that is struggling to find new growth drivers.
New home prices fell 0.4 per cent month on month on average across 70 cities, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The fall matched November’s drop and was among the steepest in more than a year.
Prices slipped 3 per cent year on year in December, accelerating from a 2.8 per cent drop in November. Only...
As political and business leaders gather in the Swiss town of Davos for this year’s World Economic Forum, scheduled to begin on Monday, analysts expect China to continue positioning itself as a reliable trade partner and supporter of multilateralism – stances drawing an implicit contrast with the United States under President Donald Trump.
This year’s meeting, themed “A Spirit of Dialogue”, will take place amid heightened global tensions in the wake of several controversial actions by Trump’s...
Physicist You Chenglong has left the United States to take up a full-time position in China after working for more than a decade in the strategically important fields of quantum sensing and precision measurement.
Previously based at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, You is regarded as a fast-rising researcher in his field.
According to Chinese media reports, he joined the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in Chengdu as a professor this month.
UESTC has...
As political and business leaders gather in the Swiss town of Davos for this year’s World Economic Forum, scheduled to begin on Monday, analysts expect China to continue positioning itself as a reliable trade partner and supporter of multilateralism – stances drawing an implicit contrast with the United States under President Donald Trump.
This year’s meeting, themed “A Spirit of Dialogue”, will take place amid heightened global tensions in the wake of several controversial actions by Trump’s...
Physicist You Chenglong has left the United States to take up a full-time position in China after working for more than a decade in the strategically important fields of quantum sensing and precision measurement.
Previously based at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, You is regarded as a fast-rising researcher in his field.
According to Chinese media reports, he joined the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in Chengdu as a professor this month.
UESTC has...
As political and business leaders gather in the Swiss town of Davos for this year’s World Economic Forum, scheduled to begin on Monday, analysts expect China to continue positioning itself as a reliable trade partner and supporter of multilateralism – stances drawing an implicit contrast with the United States under President Donald Trump.
This year’s meeting, themed “A Spirit of Dialogue”, will take place amid heightened global tensions in the wake of several controversial actions by Trump’s...
In Japan, “foreigner policy” has entered mainstream consciousness, with a politically middle-of-the-road newspaper concluding that xenophobia dominated the country’s “national conversation” last year.
In a December 29 review of the year, the Mainichi reported that policies and attitudes towards foreign nationals “leapt to the forefront of Japanese politics and onto front pages”, propelled in part by the “xenophobic policies and rhetoric of the right-wing Sanseito party” in the July general...
SYDNEY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Australia’s parliament returned early on Monday with speeches and a moment of silence for those killed in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, as vic… Leggi
Hong Kong aims to develop its “NewSpace” economy by positioning itself as a leading hub for finance, insurance, legal and arbitration services, and materials application in alignment with the nation’s development plan.
The Chief Executive’s Policy Unit revealed on Sunday that it had hosted a high-level round table on the space economy last week, inviting academics, investors and experts from mainland China and overseas to discuss Hong Kong’s strategic positioning and opportunities amid a global...
China has confirmed that it achieved its annual growth target last year as the economy weathered an unprecedented trade war with the United States, but growth slowed to a three-year low in the final quarter, dragged down by a series of domestic headwinds.
Analysts expressed concern about China’s “lopsided” growth – with robust exports contrasting with soft internal demand – but pointed to the services sector as a “bright spot” as Beijing looks to shore up the economy heading into a new five-year...
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said on Monday that a “significant” discovery of natural gas had been made near the country’s sole producing offshore site.
About 2.8 billion cubic metres (98 billion cubic feet) of natural gas was found 5km (three miles) east of the Malampaya Field near the island of Palawan, Marcos said, or enough to provide power to 5.7 million homes for a year.
The Philippines has some of the region’s highest energy costs and faces a looming crisis as the Malampaya...
The verdant green leaves and dainty white flowers of the alligator weed are becoming a common sight in waterways across Japan.
But while the plant, whose scientific name is Alternanthera philoxeroides, may look innocuous, it is an absolute menace according to Koichi Goka, head of the Invasive Species Research Team at Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES).
“We first had reports of alligator weed in Japan in Hyogo prefecture in 1989 and it quickly spread from there across...
The dust has settled on the election of the Legislative Council president, and committees and panels have settled into the new Legco. Most, it seems, are ready to hit the ground running. First on the agenda: dealing with the aftermath of the Tai Po fire.
The more immediate matters involve the rebuilding of a community that has lost so much. Equally pressing are the long-standing issues laid bare by the tragic fire that demand the government fix the entire building sector. Consultations with...
China has confirmed that it achieved its annual growth target last year as the economy weathered an unprecedented trade war with the United States, but growth slowed to a three-year low in the final quarter, dragged down by a series of domestic headwinds.
Analysts expressed concern about China’s “lopsided” growth – with robust exports contrasting with soft internal demand – but pointed to the services sector as a “bright spot” as Beijing looks to shore up the economy heading into a new five-year...
Jan 19 (Reuters) - Billionaire wealth surged at three times its recent pace last year to reach its highest level on record, deepening economic and political divides that … Leggi
China and Chile are set to launch a three‑month expedition into the uncharted depths of the eastern Pacific Ocean – a “historic opportunity” to seek new forms of life and geological insights into the causes of earthquakes and tsunamis.
Setting off aboard the Chinese research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao on Monday, the researchers will cover 700km (435 miles) around the Atacama Trench, one of the deepest and least explored regions of the eastern Pacific.
The expedition, three years in the making, is...
A Chinese woman was shocked to discover that her late husband had engaged in a seven-year affair and had transferred nearly 20 million yuan (US$3 million) to his mistress.
The discovery prompted the cheated-on wife to file a lawsuit to reclaim the amount.
The woman, surnamed Shen from Shanghai, married her husband, surnamed Jin, in July 1999. The couple had a son and a daughter.
Jin died in May 2022, by which time the couple had been married for more than 20 years. Their ages have not been...
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has unveiled a road map to introduce 20 measures under a five-year initiative aimed at modernising the city’s trade finance landscape and strengthening connectivity with mainland China and Asean trade corridors.
Project CargoX, part of HKMA’s Fintech 2030 strategy, would use blockchain and data to help exporters secure bank loans more easily and strengthen Hong Kong’s role as an international trading hub, said Howard Lee Tat-chi, deputy chief executive of...
China and Chile are set to launch a three‑month expedition into the uncharted depths of the eastern Pacific Ocean – a “historic opportunity” to seek new forms of life and geological insights into the causes of earthquakes and tsunamis.
Setting off aboard the Chinese research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao on Monday, the researchers will cover 700km (435 miles) around the Atacama Trench, one of the deepest and least explored regions of the eastern Pacific.
The expedition, three years in the making, is...
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has unveiled a road map to introduce 20 measures under a five-year initiative aimed at modernising the city’s trade finance landscape and strengthening connectivity with mainland China and Asean trade corridors.
Project CargoX, part of HKMA’s Fintech 2030 strategy, would use blockchain and data to help exporters secure bank loans more easily and strengthen Hong Kong’s role as an international trading hub, said Howard Lee Tat-chi, deputy chief executive of...
HANOI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Hundreds of delegates from Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party will gather Monday under tight security for a congress that will select the single-p… Leggi
Jan 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine’s top military commander said Russia is showing no signs of interest in talks leading to a peace deal and, instead, is boosting arms production… Leggi
A typical day for Aizat Halim begins at 5am, as he sets out on a drive to his fruit farm in Janda Baik, about 50km (30 miles) from his home in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur – a distance that reflects the gap between his current and former lives.
Farming, the 31-year-old said, was always his first career choice, despite graduating in marketing from colleges in the US and the United Kingdom.
In 2020, he started a pineapple farm on family land, leaving a cushy air-conditioned job as a marketing...
LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Britain’s populist Reform UK party won another defector from the country’s once dominant Conservative Party on Sunday, attracting lawmaker Andr… Leggi
A 12-year-old boy was fighting for his life in hospital after being mauled by a large shark in Sydney Harbour, police in Australia said on Monday.
The boy had been jumping off rocks with friends late on Sunday afternoon at Shark Beach in Vaucluse, around 9km (5.5 miles) from the central business district, when he was attacked by the shark.
He was pulled from the water by friends and emergency services with severe injuries to both legs, and remains in a critical condition.
“It was a horrendous...
Hong Kong will expand drone patrols to all major police regions from Friday, including The Peak, Cheung Chau and Lamma Island, for crime prevention, crowd control and traffic monitoring.
Superintendent Tango Ko Chung-ying of the force’s key points and search division said the second phase of the patrols, which would join existing operations in Heung Yuen Wai and Kowloon West, aimed to further test the capabilities of the drones.
“Besides a more complex terrain, we will also be encountering more...
Just under a third of Singapore residents in a recent survey by global communication firm Edelman believe that the next generation would be better off than the current one – a drop of 11 percentage points from last year’s findings.
The Edelman Trust Barometer 2026 figures showed Singapore as being among four other Asian countries that registered a double-digit decrease, with the city state’s 31 per cent mark just under the global average of 32 per cent.
The 26th edition of the annual survey,...
Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE), the parent of embattled New World Development (NWD), will keep pursuing deals that create “win-win outcomes”, chairman Henry Cheng Kar-shun said as he revealed the private investment holding company’s philosophy for the first time.
While all investors love to talk about mutual benefit, Cheng told the Post – in his first statement to the media in more than two years – that it was more than pretty words for CTFE. The organisation ran with the discipline of an...
Jan 18 (Reuters) - Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Sunday that talks with U.S. officials on a resolution of the nearly four-year-old war with Russia would … Leggi
The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers in Alaska to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, the site of large protests against the government’s deportation drive, two US officials told Reuters on Sunday.
The US Army placed the units on prepare-to-deploy orders in case violence in the midwestern state escalates, the officials said, though it is not clear whether any of them will be sent.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to use the Insurrection Act to...
Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 18 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes, authorities said, as the South American country sweltered under a heatwave.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the country’s central Biobio region and the neighbouring Nuble region, around 500km (300 miles) south of Santiago, the capital.
The emergency designation allows the suspension of constitutional...
The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers in Alaska to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, the site of large protests against the government’s deportation drive, two US officials told Reuters on Sunday.
The US Army placed the units on prepare-to-deploy orders in case violence in the midwestern state escalates, the officials said, though it is not clear whether any of them will be sent.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to use the Insurrection Act to...
China’s pharmaceutical industry, whose revenue is projected to rise by 50 per cent between 2024 and 2030, has emerged as a new growth engine for the national economy as leading players ramp up investment in research and production.
The country’s drug and medical device businesses were forecast to top US$2.1 trillion in revenue by 2030 and US$3.2 trillion annually by 2050, according to estimates by UBS. In 2024, the sector generated about US$1.4 trillion in sales.
“An ageing population offers the...
John Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war.
In this, our 100th Open Questions interview,...
Wildfires raging across central and southern Chile on Sunday left at least 18 people dead, scorched thousands of acres of forest and destroyed hundreds of homes, authorities said, as the South American country sweltered under a heatwave.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the country’s central Biobio region and the neighbouring Nuble region, around 500km (300 miles) south of Santiago, the capital.
The emergency designation allows the suspension of constitutional...
John Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war.
In this, our 100th Open Questions interview,...
John Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982. He has written extensively on security issues and international politics and is best known for his theory of offensive realism, which holds that to dominate the international system, great powers must constantly engage in security competition with each other, sometimes leading to war.
In this, our 100th Open Questions interview,...
Spanish police said on Monday that at least 39 people are confirmed dead in a high-speed train collision the previous night in the south of the country.
Efforts to recover the bodies are continuing and the death toll is likely to rise. Some bodies were found hundreds of meters from the crash site, Andalusia regional president Juanma Moreno said.
The crash occurred Sunday at 7.45pm when the tail end of a train carrying 289 passengers on the route from Malaga to the capital, Madrid, went off the...
US President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela and the kidnapping of the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, have put Russia and China – widely considered two of Caracas’ most important international partners – in a difficult position. If they do not significantly reduce ties with the Latin American nation, they risk Washington’s retaliation. But who has more to lose, Moscow or Beijing?
Unlike previous American leaders, Trump has not made any pretence about protecting democracy and human...
US President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela and the kidnapping of the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, have put Russia and China – widely considered two of Caracas’ most important international partners – in a difficult position. If they do not significantly reduce ties with the Latin American nation, they risk Washington’s retaliation. But who has more to lose, Moscow or Beijing?
Unlike previous American leaders, Trump has not made any pretence about protecting democracy and human...
At least 39 people died in southern Spain after a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming one on Sunday night, marking the worst railway accident in the country since 2013.
The accident happened at 7.45pm near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, about 360km (223 miles) south of the capital Madrid. It left 122 people injured, with 48 still in hospital and 12 in intensive care, according to emergency services.
Drone footage at the scene showed twisted carriages lying on their side...
US President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela and the kidnapping of the country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, have put Russia and China – widely considered two of Caracas’ most important international partners – in a difficult position. If they do not significantly reduce ties with the Latin American nation, they risk Washington’s retaliation. But who has more to lose, Moscow or Beijing?
Unlike previous American leaders, Trump has not made any pretence about protecting democracy and human...
Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Sunday that talks with US officials on a resolution of the nearly four-year-old war with Russia would continue at the World Economic Forum opening this week in the Swiss resort of Davos.
Umerov, writing on Telegram, said two days of talks in Florida with a US team including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, had focused on security guarantees and a post-war recovery plan for Ukraine.
He gave no indication...
European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify efforts to dissuade US President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies, while also preparing retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said.
Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the US is allowed to buy Greenland, a step major EU...
Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Sunday that talks with US officials on a resolution of the nearly four-year-old war with Russia would continue at the World Economic Forum opening this week in the Swiss resort of Davos.
Umerov, writing on Telegram, said two days of talks in Florida with a US team including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, had focused on security guarantees and a post-war recovery plan for Ukraine.
He gave no indication...
European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify efforts to dissuade US President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies, while also preparing retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said.
Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the US is allowed to buy Greenland, a step major EU...
By Nicholas P. BrownNEW YORK, Jan 18 (Reuters) - European “weakness” necessitates U.S. control of Greenland for global stability, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sa… Leggi
BERLIN, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has cancelled his visit to Berlin on Monday and Tuesday, a German government spokesperson told Reuters.Al-Sha… Leggi
NEW DELHI, Jan 18 (Reuters) - India has received an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join his “Board of Peace” initiative that is aimed at resolving global … Leggi
Eight people killed in three separate avalanche accidents in Austria were citizens of the Czech Republic and Austria, authorities said on Sunday.
The deadliest incident on Saturday occurred in the Grossarl Valley in the state of Salzburg, where three men aged 53, 63 and 65 were killed. A 60-year-old woman also died after being buried by snow.
The victims were part of a group on an alpine ski course offered by the Austrian Alpine Club, the organisation announced on Sunday.
“Risk competence and...
Eight people killed in three separate avalanche accidents in Austria were citizens of the Czech Republic and Austria, authorities said on Sunday.
The deadliest incident on Saturday occurred in the Grossarl Valley in the state of Salzburg, where three men aged 53, 63 and 65 were killed. A 60-year-old woman also died after being buried by snow.
The victims were part of a group on an alpine ski course offered by the Austrian Alpine Club, the organisation announced on Sunday.
“Risk competence and...
Governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “Board of Peace” initiative aimed at resolving conflicts globally, a plan that diplomats said could harm the work of the United Nations.
Only Hungary, whose leader is a close Trump ally, gave an unequivocal acceptance in response to the invitations, which have been addressed to some 60 nations and began arriving in European capitals on Saturday, according to diplomats.
Other governments appeared...
Governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “Board of Peace” initiative aimed at resolving conflicts globally, a plan that diplomats said could harm the work of the United Nations.
Only Hungary, whose leader is a close Trump ally, gave an unequivocal acceptance in response to the invitations, which have been addressed to some 60 nations and began arriving in European capitals on Saturday, according to diplomats.
Other governments appeared...
CAIRO, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The Syrian government and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have agreed on an immediate ceasefire on all fronts, Syrian state media… Leggi
Yemeni politicians met on Sunday in Saudi Arabia’s capital in their first public gathering since a southern separatist group backed by the United Arab Emirates was disbanded following weeks of clashes.
The meeting in Riyadh discussed the future of southern Yemen ahead of a Saudi-sponsored conference, the dates of which have not yet been announced.
The separatist demands in southern Yemen are one element in a complex civil war that has gripped the country since 2014, when Houthi rebels backed by...
Yemeni politicians met on Sunday in Saudi Arabia’s capital in their first public gathering since a southern separatist group backed by the United Arab Emirates was disbanded following weeks of clashes.
The meeting in Riyadh discussed the future of southern Yemen ahead of a Saudi-sponsored conference, the dates of which have not yet been announced.
The separatist demands in southern Yemen are one element in a complex civil war that has gripped the country since 2014, when Houthi rebels backed by...
By Alexander VillegasSANTIAGO, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced a state of catastrophe in two regions in the south of the country early on Sun… Leggi
By John Irish and Andreas RinkeJan 18 (Reuters) - Governments reacted cautiously on Sunday to U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “Board of Peace” initia… Leggi
Iran’s president warned on Sunday that any US strike would trigger a “harsh response” from Tehran after an Iranian official in the region said at least 5,000 people - including about 500 security personnel - had been killed in nationwide protests.
Iran’s protests, sparked last month in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic grievances, swiftly turned political and spread nationwide, drawing participants from across generations and income groups - shopkeepers, students, men and women, the poor and...
Hong Kong will launch an enhanced government-backed tendering platform for private building maintenance projects in the second half of the year to curb bid-rigging while tightening scrutiny of contractors, consultants and their leaders.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho told the media that authorities aimed to launch the upgraded “Smart Tender” platform in the second half of the year.
She added that under the new system, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) would conduct strict...
Iran’s president warned on Sunday that any US strike would trigger a “harsh response” from Tehran after an Iranian official in the region said at least 5,000 people - including about 500 security personnel - had been killed in nationwide protests.
Iran’s protests, sparked last month in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic grievances, swiftly turned political and spread nationwide, drawing participants from across generations and income groups - shopkeepers, students, men and women, the poor and...
By Mahmoud Hasano and Khalil AshawiTABQA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Syrian government troops are pushing towards Raqqa and Hasakah in the northeast of the country, the last stro… Leggi
By Feras DalateyDAMASCUS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. should intervene more forcefully to end a Syrian offensive that has gained key territory from Kurdish fighters in re… Leggi
DUBLIN, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The European Union will retaliate if U.S. tariff threats against European allies over Greenland materialise, but it is premature to consider us… Leggi
China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has significant design flaws that future carriers can overcome only by adopting nuclear power, according to a military magazine.
The Fujian is the country’s first domestically designed aircraft carrier and was commissioned in November.
With a displacement of over 80,000 tonnes, it is the world’s largest conventional warship and the first non-American ship to be equipped with advanced electromagnetic catapults.
However, the most advanced US ships – the...
Kurdish-led forces withdrew on Sunday from Syria’s largest oilfield, a conflict monitor said, as government troops extended their grip over swathes of territory in the country’s north and east.
The push came after President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree granting the Kurds official recognition in an apparent goodwill gesture, even as his Islamist government seeks to assert its authority across Syria after the ousting of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
The Kurds’ de facto autonomous...
China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has significant design flaws that future carriers can overcome only by adopting nuclear power, according to a military magazine.
The Fujian is the country’s first domestically designed aircraft carrier and was commissioned in November.
With a displacement of over 80,000 tonnes, it is the world’s largest conventional warship and the first non-American ship to be equipped with advanced electromagnetic catapults.
However, the most advanced US ships – the...
Kurdish-led forces withdrew on Sunday from Syria’s largest oilfield, a conflict monitor said, as government troops extended their grip over swathes of territory in the country’s north and east.
The push came after President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree granting the Kurds official recognition in an apparent goodwill gesture, even as his Islamist government seeks to assert its authority across Syria after the ousting of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
The Kurds’ de facto autonomous...
KAMPALA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Ugandan authorities partially restored internet services late on Saturday after 81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term to ex… Leggi
BEIJING, Jan 18 (Reuters) - An explosion at a steel plate factory in north China’s Inner Mongolia region killed two people and left five missing, according to local emerg… Leggi
Jan 18 (Reuters) - Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace for Gaza, a spokesperson for … Leggi
Talk of the United States acquiring Greenland has often been dismissed as rhetorical provocation. But the latest escalation is harder to wave away. President Donald Trump said it would be “unacceptable” if the US did not control Greenland only hours before Vice-President J.D. Vance hosted the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers.
When territorial language is paired with senior-level diplomacy, it forces allies to draw public red lines, narrows the space for quiet crisis management, and turns...
A Hong Kong travel blogger whose brief disappearance during a solo trip to protest-hit Iran has triggered a heated online debate over the safety of women travelling alone to politically volatile nations.
More female solo travellers took to the internet on Sunday to share their experiences and feelings on visiting Iran for leisure, as the country became embroiled in social unrest and was isolated from the rest of the world.
Hong Kong authorities on Saturday night confirmed the missing blogger...
Talk of the United States acquiring Greenland has often been dismissed as rhetorical provocation. But the latest escalation is harder to wave away. President Donald Trump said it would be “unacceptable” if the US did not control Greenland only hours before Vice-President J.D. Vance hosted the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers.
When territorial language is paired with senior-level diplomacy, it forces allies to draw public red lines, narrows the space for quiet crisis management, and turns...
By Philip BlenkinsopBRUSSELS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The European Union faced calls on Sunday to implement a never-before-used range of economic counter-measures known as the… Leggi
SYDNEY, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The number of firearms in Australia reached an all-time high of more than 4 million in 2025, the centre-left government reported on Sunday, a d… Leggi
China is rolling out hundreds of activities across Africa, including study trips and AI competitions, as part of what experts have described as a “soft power” charm offensive designed to deepen its influence across the continent.
In moving beyond its traditional focus on infrastructure and high-level finance, Beijing is expanding its engagement through the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges – an initiative dedicated to cultural and social diplomacy.
Announced by Chinese Foreign...
The number of firearms in Australia reached an all-time high of more than 4 million in 2025, the centre-left government reported on Sunday, a day after saying it would introduce a gun reform bill in parliament in response to the Bondi massacre.
There were a record 4,113,735 guns in Australia last year, with 1,158,654 of those in the most populous state of New South Wales where the Bondi attack took place, the government said, citing Department of Home Affairs data.
The Labour government on...
China is rolling out hundreds of activities across Africa, including study trips and AI competitions, as part of what experts have described as a “soft power” charm offensive designed to deepen its influence across the continent.
In moving beyond its traditional focus on infrastructure and high-level finance, Beijing is expanding its engagement through the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges – an initiative dedicated to cultural and social diplomacy.
Announced by Chinese Foreign...
Two Western defence companies appear to have Chinese warships in their sights, with promotional videos of their weapons systems targeting vessels that look a lot like those belonging to the PLA Navy.
London-based BAE Systems posted videos on social media on Wednesday for “game-changing naval weapons and launching systems” it said it was showcasing at a US defence industry conference last week.
One animated video simulated a naval base under attack. The base then launches missiles from containers...
China is rolling out hundreds of activities across Africa, including study trips and AI competitions, as part of what experts have described as a “soft power” charm offensive designed to deepen its influence across the continent.
In moving beyond its traditional focus on infrastructure and high-level finance, Beijing is expanding its engagement through the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges – an initiative dedicated to cultural and social diplomacy.
Announced by Chinese Foreign...
Two Western defence companies appear to have Chinese warships in their sights, with promotional videos of their weapons systems targeting vessels that look a lot like those belonging to the PLA Navy.
London-based BAE Systems posted videos on social media on Wednesday for “game-changing naval weapons and launching systems” it said it was showcasing at a US defence industry conference last week.
One animated video simulated a naval base under attack. The base then launches missiles from containers...
LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, said on Sunday he would call for another independence referendum if his SNP won a majority in May’s Sc… Leggi
By Andrei KhalipLISBON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Portuguese voters queued at polling stations on Sunday to elect a new president, with opinion surveys showing three candidates,… Leggi
Jan 18 (Reuters) - Syrian troops fighting U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces seized the Omar oil field, the country’s largest, and the Conoco gas field in the eastern Deir Zo… Leggi
Hong Kong police arrested two drivers and found that motorists had committed about 220 traffic violations in a two-day crackdown on illegal vehicle modifications, speeding and other offences.
Police said on Sunday the arrests were made during the force’s two-day operation called ‘Fossington’ over the weekend, targeting traffic violations across New Territories locations such as Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tolo Highway, Tai Mei Tuk, Luk Keng Road and Bride’s Pool Road.
At around 9am on Sunday, transport...
Moderate Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro came out on top in the first round of Portugal’s presidential election on Sunday, followed by the far-right leader Andre Ventura, and the two will face off in a February 8 run-off.
In the five decades since Portugal threw off its fascist dictatorship, a presidential election has only once before - in 1986 - required a run-off, highlighting how fragmented the political landscape has become with the rise of the far-right and voter disenchantment with...
Moderate Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro came out on top in the first round of Portugal’s presidential election on Sunday, followed by the far-right leader Andre Ventura, and the two will face off in a February 8 run-off.
In the five decades since Portugal threw off its fascist dictatorship, a presidential election has only once before - in 1986 - required a run-off, highlighting how fragmented the political landscape has become with the rise of the far-right and voter disenchantment with...
AMSTERDAM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The Netherlands’ foreign minister on Sunday said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on European allies until th… Leggi
Jan 18 (Reuters) - An Iranian official in the region said on Sunday the authorities had verified at least 5,000 people had been killed in protests in Iran, including abou… Leggi
Chinese nuclear scientists have developed a world-class “microscopic scalpel” essential to various forms of chipmaking, potentially unblocking a bottleneck in the country’s efforts to fortify key supply chains.
The China Institute of Atomic Energy said on Saturday that it had developed the nation’s first high-energy hydrogen ion implanter called the POWER-750H, saying it performed on a par with advanced international standards.
Ion implanters are a critical part of some forms of semiconductor...
China’s Manchu people have quirky child-rearing traditions known as Luocao and Caisheng which include hanging a wooden bow outside the front door when a boy is born, or a red cloth strip for a girl.
The Manchu ethnic group, historically known for founding the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), now lives across various regions of China.
According to the China Statistical Yearbook 2021, their population exceeds 10 million.
In Manchu tradition, the birth of a baby is referred to as luocao, which literally...
Indonesian authorities said on Sunday they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane that went missing in South Sulawesi province on the slope of a fog-covered mountain, and had recovered the body of one of the 10 people on board.
The ATR 42-500 turboprop owned by aviation group Indonesia Air Transport lost contact with air traffic control on Saturday at about 1.30pm local time around the Maros region in South Sulawesi.
There were seven crew members and three passengers on...
A Hong Kong dancer paralysed from the neck down in an accident during a concert by popular local boy band Mirror is set to undergo a more intense rehabilitation programme, his father has revealed, calling for more financial support.
Mo Li Ka-yin, 31, would embark on a three-year rehabilitation journey powered by advanced technologies, including regenerative medicine and an implantable microstimulator, his father, Reverend Derek Li Shing-lam, revealed in a prayer letter.
“It is a thorny path we...
Hong Kong police are investigating after a drone fell out of the sky and damaged a car in Jordan.
The force said it received a report from the owner of the Tesla at around 11.52am on Sunday.
The driver said he was waiting at traffic lights along Cox’s Road in Jordan when the drone suddenly struck the roof of his car.
The drone, measuring around 20cm (8 inches) wide, shattered the car’s glass roof and windscreen before bouncing onto the road.
No one was injured in the incident, and officers were...
Chinese nuclear scientists have developed a world-class “microscopic scalpel” essential to various forms of chipmaking, potentially unblocking a bottleneck in the country’s efforts to fortify key supply chains.
The China Institute of Atomic Energy said on Saturday that it had developed the nation’s first high-energy hydrogen ion implanter called the POWER-750H, saying it performed on a par with advanced international standards.
Ion implanters are a critical part of some forms of semiconductor...
KARACHI, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Firefighters in Pakistan’s largest city were fighting to extinguish a massive blaze on Sunday that has killed six people and reduced parts of … Leggi
The latest developments in Venezuela are interpreted as part of a broader US strategy to secure access to major oil resources. They are much more than that: the US raid signals a transformation in the global economy wherein a country’s power is increasingly determined not by its political actions, but by its capacity to embed resource wealth within a self-sustaining production system.
These deeper processes did not begin today, but rather around 2008-2009 when, according to an integrated...
A 63-year-old Hong Kong man has died after collapsing during a hike on Robin’s Nest Country Trail near the border with mainland China.
Police received a call at 12.42pm on Sunday from a female hiker who said her male friend had collapsed and lost consciousness.
He was hiking with two men and two women at Robin’s Nest Country Park in Sha Tau Kok, bordering the mainland city of Shenzhen.
The unconscious man was transported by helicopter to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Chai Wan for...
The latest developments in Venezuela are interpreted as part of a broader US strategy to secure access to major oil resources. They are much more than that: the US raid signals a transformation in the global economy wherein a country’s power is increasingly determined not by its political actions, but by its capacity to embed resource wealth within a self-sustaining production system.
These deeper processes did not begin today, but rather around 2008-2009 when, according to an integrated...
The latest developments in Venezuela are interpreted as part of a broader US strategy to secure access to major oil resources. They are much more than that: the US raid signals a transformation in the global economy wherein a country’s power is increasingly determined not by its political actions, but by its capacity to embed resource wealth within a self-sustaining production system.
These deeper processes did not begin today, but rather around 2008-2009 when, according to an integrated...
KYIV, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Two people were killed and dozens wounded in a mass Russian drone attack on Ukraine overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday.Writi… Leggi
MOSCOW, Jan 18 (Reuters) - More than 200,000 consumers in the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region were left without electricity on Sunday, the Moscow-insta… Leggi
In just over a week, passengers on various modes of public and private transport in Hong Kong will be required to wear seat belts under new rules to enhance safety through stricter penalties for motorists and commuters.
The Post looks at the new rules and what passengers, including those with special needs, should do in different scenarios.
1. What are the new rules?
From January 25, all passengers must wear seat belts wherever available on public and private buses – including franchised and...
A tiny but destructive invader is threatening South America, and Uruguay’s iconic palm trees are on the front line.
Since 2022, the National Emergency System in coordination with agricultural agencies and with operational support from the air force, has struggled to contain the red palm weevil outbreak, prompting them to call scientists to help.
Experts from the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC) stepped in with an innovative detection strategy using drones and aerial imaging, but...
Chinese office workers are literally switching to working on the run as the building of bonds with customers and colleagues becomes increasingly trendy.
On mainland social media, increasing numbers of people say running has become their company’s work culture or helped them bond with clients.
A woman based in Beijing said she first learned about the concept of “business running” two years ago when her client invited her on a 7am run.
The woman, surnamed Peng, said the client was difficult, but...
South Korea has begun deploying its most powerful conventional ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5 – dubbed the “monster missile” for its massive warhead – to frontline units, military officials said on Sunday, a move that underscores Seoul’s effort to strengthen deterrence against North Korea.
The ground-to-ground missile, capable of carrying a warhead of up to eight tonnes, began entering frontline units late last year and is expected to complete full operational deployment before the current...
A peculiar gridlock has settled on Singapore’s political scene with the position of Leader of the Opposition (LO) vacant after Pritam Singh was removed from the post by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, with public discourse now centred on the constitutional basis, or lack thereof, for the role.
Created in 2020 by then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong after Singh’s party won a record 10 seats in parliament, the non-statutory position contrasts sharply with its counterpart in Westminster systems, where...
An exhibition on classic Hong Kong crime films at the former Yau Ma Tei police station has attracted higher-than-expected demand, with the show’s project supervisor saying she hopes visitors will go beyond taking selfies to learn more about the local movie industry.
Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries Drew Lai Sai-ming said the exhibition had sold more than 80 per cent of tickets in the first month since its debut on January 2, adding that the new tourist attraction’s popularity...
A tiny but destructive invader is threatening South America, and Uruguay’s iconic palm trees are on the front line.
Since 2022, the National Emergency System in coordination with agricultural agencies and with operational support from the air force, has struggled to contain the red palm weevil outbreak, prompting them to call scientists to help.
Experts from the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC) stepped in with an innovative detection strategy using drones and aerial imaging, but...
MADRID, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said a U.S. invasion of Greenland “would make Putin the happiest man on earth” in a newspaper interview pu… Leggi
Jan 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, the Washington Post reported on Sunda… Leggi
This year is likely to be a watershed one for the global drive by Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers, as more Western countries open up their markets to high-performance made-in-China models.
Despite low expectations for a hefty jump in overseas sales, EV assemblers like BYD and Geely are expected to get off to a strong start in some of their untapped markets, honing their image as world leaders in terms of production and technology before establishing a long-term foothold, according to...
The last unregistered student union at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has been dissolved after all its committee members resigned, leaving only two registered groups operational at the institution’s nine colleges.
The demise of Chung Chi College’s student union followed a meeting on Saturday evening during which provisional administrators and relevant representatives said the body could no longer function and that they would resign.
Only two college student unions remain, both of...
A female cyclist died after being struck by a van in Hong Kong’s North district on Sunday. The driver of the vehicle was later arrested.
Police said they received a report about the collision at the junction of Ma Sik Road and Tin Ping Road, at 8.41am.
The van was travelling towards Sheung Shui and knocked down the woman, 55, on a bicycle as it approached Tin Ping Road at 8.37am.
The cyclist was sent to North District Hospital unconscious, and was certified dead at 9.17am, after sustaining...
Researchers at Tencent Holdings are looking to collaborate with other major artificial intelligence developers to improve how most generative AI services, such as chatbots, interact with the elderly, left-behind children and other vulnerable users in society.
Specialised data sets can make AI services more helpful to vulnerable users who have become progressively reliant on them for emotional support and health assistance, according to Lu Shiyu, a senior researcher at Tencent Research Institute...
A Chinese actress has apologised for making comments in which she flaunted her wealth, sparking a public backlash.
Yan Xuejing made the controversial comments during a live-streaming session at the end of December when she said a couple should earn at least 800,000 yuan (US$115,000) a year to “maintain a family’s operation”, China Newsweek reported.
Yan, 53, complained to her audience that her son earns little.
“He is 32 years old. He and his wife both have a very low income,” said Yan.
She...
Somewhere on the cavernous loft floor, cooing softly from inside a stack of crates, a feathered fortune waits for its moment to shine.
It’s “basketing day” for Asia’s richest pigeon race, held in Pattaya, eastern Thailand. In 24 hours’ time, a US$2 million prize pot will be shared among the lucky owners of the birds that find their way home.
For now, those hopes are packed tightly, wing to wing, into crates: more than 5,000 perfectly conditioned racers waiting to be scanned, logged and stamped...
The People’s Liberation Army said it sent a drone into airspace near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island on Saturday, as Beijing ramps up military pressure amid soaring cross-strait tensions.
The deployment was “a routine flight training in the airspace around China’s Dongsha Island, which was completely legitimate and lawful”, the PLA Southern Theatre Command, which oversees the South China Sea, said in a statement on Saturday.
It came hours after the Taiwanese defence ministry reported that a...
How do you get youngsters interested in lessons about saving, budgeting and investing?
Definitely not with lectures, said the founders of Talents Foundation, a Hong Kong charity that aims to teach young people how to manage their finances and achieve their career and life goals in a fun way.
Founders Arthur Hui Ka-yu and David Wong have developed a curriculum, including a Monopoly-like board game, that teaches primary and secondary school students how to seize opportunities, such as job...
Researchers at Tencent Holdings are looking to collaborate with other major artificial intelligence developers to improve how most generative AI services, such as chatbots, interact with the elderly, left-behind children and other vulnerable users in society.
Specialised data sets can make AI services more helpful to vulnerable users who have become progressively reliant on them for emotional support and health assistance, according to Lu Shiyu, a senior researcher at Tencent Research Institute...
The People’s Liberation Army said it sent a drone into airspace near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island on Saturday, as Beijing ramps up military pressure amid soaring cross-strait tensions.
The deployment was “a routine flight training in the airspace around China’s Dongsha Island, which was completely legitimate and lawful”, the PLA Southern Theatre Command, which oversees the South China Sea, said in a statement on Saturday.
It came hours after the Taiwanese defence ministry reported that a...
JAKARTA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Indonesian authorities said on Sunday they had located the wreckage of a fisheries surveillance plane that went missing in South Sulawesi prov… Leggi
The People’s Liberation Army said it sent a drone into airspace near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island on Saturday, as Beijing ramps up military pressure amid soaring cross-strait tensions.
The deployment was “a routine flight training in the airspace around China’s Dongsha Island, which was completely legitimate and lawful”, the PLA Southern Theatre Command, which oversees the South China Sea, said in a statement on Saturday.
It came hours after the Taiwanese defence ministry reported that a...
Ulrikke Andersen has already made a plan. If the United States invades Greenland, she will flee her home with her daughter.
“Before, I was ready to die for my country but when I had a kid that changed everything,” she said.
The 40-year-old is one of many residents of the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, now weighing up options they would never have considered just a few months ago.
But US President Donald Trump has been clear about his desire to seize the vast, self-governing Danish island, rich in...
Hong Kong will sign an accord with Shanghai next week to establish a cross-border gold trade clearing system, a move the finance chief has said will bolster the city’s push to become an international trading hub for the precious metal.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po revealed on Sunday that the city and the Shanghai Gold Exchange would sign a memorandum of understanding at next week’s Asian Financial Forum to pave the way for greater connectivity between the two markets.
“We are accelerating...
Ulrikke Andersen has already made a plan. If the United States invades Greenland, she will flee her home with her daughter.
“Before, I was ready to die for my country but when I had a kid that changed everything,” she said.
The 40-year-old is one of many residents of the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, now weighing up options they would never have considered just a few months ago.
But US President Donald Trump has been clear about his desire to seize the vast, self-governing Danish island, rich in...
A giant airship launched in a densely populated area of southwestern China earlier this month has set social media on fire.
Footage of the S2000, the world’s most powerful flying wind farm, in the skies above Yibin, Sichuan province, prompted comparisons with an alien spaceship or the airships that featured in the animated film Big Hero 6.
The white airship – measuring 60 metres (200 feet) in length and a width and height of 40 metres – was filled with helium on the ground before ascent,...
Indonesia begins its tenure as president of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) this month under a cloud of contradiction, with officials hailing the prestige of the largely ceremonial role even as activists raise uncomfortable questions about the country’s own rights record.
The 47-member body, a subsidiary of the UN General Assembly, has a mandate to promote and protect human rights globally. Indonesia’s ambassador was elected president on January 8 after being put forward as the Asia‑Pacific...
Malaysian actress Nadia Kesuma, who went missing upon arrival at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, was confirmed to have died of a heart attack.
The news was announced by her daughter via social media, according to Astro Awani.
“Assalamualaikum everyone, I would like to inform you that my mother, Nadiah Kasumawati Abdul Karim, has returned to Rahmatullah on January 15 at around 8.05am,” she said.
“Thank you to all of you who have not stopped praying for Mama. Please pray that her...
The army has once again missed its own deadline for fielding the first US hypersonic weapon, in a sign that one of the Pentagon’s top priorities is still running late.
The unit responsible for using the advanced weapon is trained and ready, but the missile – part of a US$10.4 billion hypersonic programme – is not ready for use. And while the army as recently as last month said that it planned to field the weapon by the end of 2025, the army acknowledged this week that it missed that...
A giant airship launched in a densely populated area of southwestern China earlier this month has set social media on fire.
Footage of the S2000, the world’s most powerful flying wind farm, in the skies above Yibin, Sichuan province, prompted comparisons with an alien spaceship or the airships that featured in the animated film Big Hero 6.
The white airship – measuring 60 metres (200 feet) in length and a width and height of 40 metres – was filled with helium on the ground before ascent,...
The army has once again missed its own deadline for fielding the first US hypersonic weapon, in a sign that one of the Pentagon’s top priorities is still running late.
The unit responsible for using the advanced weapon is trained and ready, but the missile – part of a US$10.4 billion hypersonic programme – is not ready for use. And while the army as recently as last month said that it planned to field the weapon by the end of 2025, the army acknowledged this week that it missed that...
More economy and mid-range hotel operators in China are leasing office buildings for conversion to guest accommodation, and such flexible, mixed-use approaches are expected to increase amid a continued weakening of the office market.
In some Chinese cities, the practice of multiple hotel brands co-leasing separate floors within a single building has become more prevalent, fuelled by interest from both property owners and hotel operators.
In Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang...
After several subdued years, 2025 marked a turning point for demand in Hong Kong’s most prestigious housing enclaves, as mainland buyers streamed back into scarce ultra-luxury homes once prices stabilised and transaction momentum rolled into the new year.
That shift was most visible in The Peak and Southern district – two low-density, ultra-wealthy neighbourhoods on opposite ends of Hong Kong Island. Mainland purchasers bought about HK$16 billion (US$2.05 billion) worth of homes in the areas in...
US President Donald Trump’s fixation on Greenland offers an ice-cold reminder to leaders in Europe and abroad: no deal is ever final.
Trump announced a 10 per cent tariff, rising to 25 per cent in June, on eight European nations, including Denmark, for saying they would undertake token Nato military exercises in Greenland in response to US sabre-rattling.
While the tariffs are not certain to take effect, the threat was a brazen escalation and insult to close US allies, trampling over the US-EU...
More economy and mid-range hotel operators in China are leasing office buildings for conversion to guest accommodation, and such flexible, mixed-use approaches are expected to increase amid a continued weakening of the office market.
In some Chinese cities, the practice of multiple hotel brands co-leasing separate floors within a single building has become more prevalent, fuelled by interest from both property owners and hotel operators.
In Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang...
US President Donald Trump’s fixation on Greenland offers an ice-cold reminder to leaders in Europe and abroad: no deal is ever final.
Trump announced a 10 per cent tariff, rising to 25 per cent in June, on eight European nations, including Denmark, for saying they would undertake token Nato military exercises in Greenland in response to US sabre-rattling.
While the tariffs are not certain to take effect, the threat was a brazen escalation and insult to close US allies, trampling over the US-EU...
Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise.
However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance.
The “Will for Peace 2026” drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on January 9...
Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise.
However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance.
The “Will for Peace 2026” drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on January 9...
Hong Kong education authorities will review the policy on the medium of instruction in public secondary schools for the 2028-34 cycle after looking at the results of a three-year evaluation study and consulting the sector, the Post has learned.
The review comes as a council representing subsidised secondary schools urged the government to allow more institutions to teach subjects in English to better prepare pupils moving on to higher education programmes conducted in the language.
The Education...
Recent viral clips in Japan of bullying, including one which later led to a mass murder revenge threat, have sparked concerns in the country about school violence.
The latest case centres on an email message sent to the board of education in Oita city, in Kyushu, at 11pm on January 11 warning of an imminent attack.
“On Thursday, January 15, I will intrude into the junior high school where the bullying video spread, together with several accomplices, and carry out a mass killing of students and...
Looking back at 2025, the city made meaningful strides in supporting its retirees.
The government expanded the Elderly Health Care Voucher and Community Care Service Voucher schemes, and invested HK$2 billion (US$256.47 million) in an elderly and rehabilitation technology fund. It also announced 30 measures for the silver economy and formed the Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies to improve cross-bureau coordination. These efforts helped launch the long-awaited Q-Mark Silver Scheme,...
Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise.
However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance.
The “Will for Peace 2026” drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on January 9...
Traditional Chinese folk superstition sees some families seek help from “egg-standing exorcists” who try to balance raw eggs on mirrors or kitchen knives to detect spirit possession.
If the egg manages to stand upright, legend has it that a wandering spirit has taken over the person’s body.
Traditionally, a superstition known as Cai Zhuang Ke, which is often referred to as “spirit possession”, is used to determine whether a sudden illness or extreme lethargy is caused by a wandering spirit or...
SYDNEY, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Sunday said 20 people were rescued from floodwaters in the eastern state of New South Wales after torrential rains sp… Leggi
Eric Wong is only 20, but his life online is so consuming that he struggles to draw a line between his digital presence and the physical world.
A member of Malaysia’s Gen Z – those aged 13 to 29 this year – Wong belongs to the first generation of true digital natives, raised on a steady stream of social media, online gaming and endless internet connectivity.
“If there’s time in between classes, me and my friends will gather in the cafeteria or the nearby mamak (food stall) to play PUBG or Mobile...
The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least US$1 billion.
According to a draft charter for the proposed group seen by Bloomberg, US President Donald Trump would serve as its inaugural chairman and would decide on who is invited to be members.
Decisions would be taken by a majority, with each member state present getting one vote, but all would be subject to the chairman’s approval.
“Each Member State shall serve a term...
The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least US$1 billion.
According to a draft charter for the proposed group seen by Bloomberg, US President Donald Trump would serve as its inaugural chairman and would decide on who is invited to be members.
Decisions would be taken by a majority, with each member state present getting one vote, but all would be subject to the chairman’s approval.
“Each Member State shall serve a term...
Come molti piantatori della Giamaica del XVIII secolo, Thomas Thistlewood si arricchì costringendo altri a lavorare per lui sotto la minaccia delle armi. A differenza della maggior parte dei proprietari di schiavi, teneva un registro dettagliato della propria crudeltà. I suoi diari, mai destinati alla pubblicazione, offrono preziose testimonianze sugli orrori quotidiani della schiavitù. In una prosa pragmatica, Thistlewood descrive la fustigazione degli schiavi e lo sfregamento di peperoncino sulle loro ferite; lo stupro di oltre cento donne; e la punizione di un fuggitivo, incatenato, cosparso di melassa ed esposto “nudo alle mosche per tutto il giorno”.
Clifton Crais, storico dell’Università di Emory, utilizza la terribile storia di Thistlewood — e molte altre simili — per sostenere un argomento sorprendente. A suo avviso, brutalità come quella di Thistlewood non furono solo una cicatrice del mondo moderno, ma un elemento essenziale della sua nascita. In The Killing Age afferma che “senza la violenza globalizzata, la Rivoluzione Industriale non sarebbe avvenuta”.
Crais costruisce il suo ragionamento su due idee da tempo popolari nella sinistra accademica. La prima è che l’Occidente sia responsabile della maggior parte dei mali del mondo. Come scrive lo stesso Crais, “uccidere è stato il contributo più profondo dell’Occidente alla storia mondiale”. La seconda è che il capitalismo sia intrinsecamente negativo. “Questo sistema economico è la causa della violenza”, afferma la piattaforma dei Democratic Socialists of America, un movimento politico che include tra i suoi membri Zohran Mamdani, il carismatico nuovo sindaco di New York.
È sempre allettante descrivere il passato in modi che riflettano il presente. Shakespeare accentuò la ripugnanza morale di Riccardo III perché non poteva permettersi di screditare la dinastia Tudor che aveva deposto il re gobbo. Gli imperialisti britannici lodarono l’Impero romano come modo indiretto di giustificare la propria missione “civilizzatrice”.
Quest’anno, mentre gli Stati Uniti celebrano i 250 anni dalla loro fondazione, il mondo MAGA promuove una versione autocelebrativa della storia nazionale. La “Taskforce 250” della Casa Bianca invita a un entusiasmo senza freni per “il più grande viaggio politico” di tutti i tempi. All’opposto, il 1619 Project del New York Times fa risalire la vera nascita della nazione al giorno in cui la prima nave negriera attraccò sulle sue coste e descrive l’ingiustizia razziale come il fatto centrale della storia americana.
Crais avanza un’argomentazione ancora più audace, applicandola su scala globale. In oltre 700 pagine intrise di sangue, sostiene che “il ‘big bang’ del capitalismo — un punto di svolta nella storia del pianeta — non fu altro che l’uso globalizzato della violenza a fini di profitto”.
Il suo ragionamento è il seguente. Alla fine del XVIII secolo la tecnologia delle armi migliorò drasticamente in Occidente. Nuove armi da fuoco, spesso impiegate da compagnie private come la British East India Company, furono utilizzate per conquistare e saccheggiare territori stranieri. Altre vennero vendute a signori della guerra locali, che le usarono per depredare i vicini. Il commercio globale fu così alimentato da una corsa agli armamenti. In tutto il mondo, le popolazioni compravano armi o venivano derubate da chi le possedeva. Per raccogliere i fondi necessari, vendevano ciò che avevano: cera, canfora e nidi di rondine dalle giungle del Borneo; avorio dall’Africa; schiavi provenienti da quasi ogni regione.
Con una raffica di statistiche, Crais mostra che le armi rappresentavano davvero un enorme giro d’affari. Nel XIX secolo, osserva, le importazioni annuali britanniche di nitrato di potassio dall’India erano sufficienti a produrre polvere da sparo per uno o tre miliardi di colpi di moschetto, più dell’intera popolazione mondiale dell’epoca. I profitti derivanti dal commercio di armi, dal saccheggio e dalla schiavitù furono enormi e parte di quel denaro venne investita nelle fabbriche e nelle ferrovie a carbone che diedero forma alla Rivoluzione Industriale. In questo senso, “la distruzione ha creato il mondo moderno” e ha seminato i presupposti della minaccia esistenziale contemporanea, il cambiamento climatico.
Questo argomento presenta però gravi lacune. Non è affatto evidente che il mondo sia diventato più violento dopo la fine del XVIII secolo. Le torture inflitte da Thistlewood, per quanto abiette, non risultano palesemente peggiori di quelle praticate in epoche precedenti o in altri contesti. I Romani, ad esempio, facevano largo uso della crocifissione. I signori della guerra e gli imperialisti del XIX secolo non furono manifestamente più brutali o predatori di quelli del passato, dai crociati che saccheggiarono Costantinopoli ai Mongoli che attraversarono l’Eurasia seminando sangue.
I dati sul passato remoto sono incerti e controversi, ma studiosi come Steven Pinker dell’Università di Harvard sostengono che, nel corso dei secoli, la violenza sia drasticamente diminuita. Nel XIV secolo, i tassi di omicidio in Germania, Italia e Spagna erano rispettivamente circa 70, 200 e 50 volte superiori a quelli attuali. In alcune società di cacciatori-raccoglitori premoderne, fino a un terzo della popolazione moriva in modo violento.
Per i 18 secoli successivi alla nascita di Gesù, il reddito globale pro capite rimase pressoché stagnante. Poi, dopo il 1820, aumentò di quattordici volte. Non è plausibile attribuire questo improvviso arricchimento alla violenza. Ciò che cambiò non fu “l’inhumanity of man to man”, come scrisse Robert Burns nel 1784, ma un’esplosione di innovazione prodotta dai suoi contemporanei. In un solo decennio, ad esempio, vennero inventati il telaio meccanico, il battello a pale, la trebbiatrice e gli occhiali bifocali.
Il motore principale della Rivoluzione Industriale fu l’invenzione, la diffusione e l’applicazione di nuove idee. Questo processo si basava su una tecnologia precedente — la stampa — che ridusse il costo dei libri da mesi di salario a poche ore di lavoro. La conoscenza si accumula e accelera man mano che sempre più persone hanno accesso agli strumenti per apprendere, assimilare e sviluppare le idee esistenti.
I profitti derivanti dalla schiavitù e dal colonialismo accelerarono questo processo, come alcuni sostengono? Forse, ma con ogni probabilità in misura limitata. Le potenze europee con vasti imperi coloniali si industrializzarono più o meno allo stesso ritmo di quelle con colonie marginali. Il commercio degli schiavi non ebbe un peso maggiore nell’economia britannica rispetto all’allevamento ovino, eppure pochi affermano che “l’allevamento delle pecore abbia finanziato la Rivoluzione Industriale”, osserva uno studio di Kristian Niemietz dell’Institute of Economic Affairs.
The Killing Age è un’opera minuziosamente documentata e contiene passaggi affascinanti su chi uccise chi e chi rubò cosa in regioni del mondo spesso trascurate, dal Darfur alla Nuova Zelanda. Offre digressioni interessanti sui danni ambientali causati dai balenieri e dai cacciatori di elefanti del XIX secolo. Ma l’autore, che spesso usa “infinitamente” quando intende semplicemente “molto”, tende all’esagerazione. E la sua tesi centrale non regge. Il mondo moderno è stato maledetto dagli assassini, ma è stato costruito dai tecnici.
BRUSSELS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - European Union leaders on Saturday warned of a “dangerous downward spiral” over U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to implement increasing tar… Leggi
WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - U.S. military forces on Friday killed an al-Qaeda affiliate leader linked to an Islamic State attack on Americans in Syria last month, U.S.… Leggi
Like many of her classmates, Xie Roumei, a 28-year-old accountant from China’s Fujian province, started using South Korean cosmetics in high school – a preference she carried into her twenties.
Most of the eye make-up and beauty products she uses are still Korean, Xie said – a loyalty that has helped turn its cosmetics industry into a global powerhouse, with exports rivalling those of semiconductors and cars.
Fuelled by the global appeal of K-pop, K-dramas and the “glass skin” ideal, the...
A third round of retaliatory strikes by the US in Syria resulted in the death of an al-Qaeda-affiliated leader, who officials say had a direct tie to the Islamic State member responsible for last month’s ambush that killed two US soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country.
US Central Command announced that the strike in northwest Syria on Friday killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who they claim was “an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected” to...
Europe’s debate over its technological future is both timely and necessary. The centre of gravity for platform technologies, advanced semiconductors, hyperscale cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) has undeniably shifted towards the United States and China.
While the US boasts giants like Microsoft and Nvidia, and China has cultivated powerhouses like Huawei and Tencent, Europe has seen its share of the digital platform market shrink.
However, viewing this shift as inevitable...
Like many of her classmates, Xie Roumei, a 28-year-old accountant from China’s Fujian province, started using South Korean cosmetics in high school – a preference she carried into her twenties.
Most of the eye make-up and beauty products she uses are still Korean, Xie said – a loyalty that has helped turn its cosmetics industry into a global powerhouse, with exports rivalling those of semiconductors and cars.
Fuelled by the global appeal of K-pop, K-dramas and the “glass skin” ideal, the...
A third round of retaliatory strikes by the US in Syria resulted in the death of an al-Qaeda-affiliated leader, who officials say had a direct tie to the Islamic State member responsible for last month’s ambush that killed two US soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country.
US Central Command announced that the strike in northwest Syria on Friday killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who they claim was “an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected” to...
Europe’s debate over its technological future is both timely and necessary. The centre of gravity for platform technologies, advanced semiconductors, hyperscale cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) has undeniably shifted towards the United States and China.
While the US boasts giants like Microsoft and Nvidia, and China has cultivated powerhouses like Huawei and Tencent, Europe has seen its share of the digital platform market shrink.
However, viewing this shift as inevitable...
NEW YORK, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has asked a New York federal judge to deny a request by two lawmakers seeking an appointment of a special master … Leggi
By Brad BrooksMINNEAPOLIS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Even as tensions remain high after the killing of Renee Good by a federal agent, Minneapolis braced on Saturday for a rally … Leggi
PARIS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - France’s President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that the threat of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump over Greenland was unacceptable an… Leggi
BAGHDAD, Jan 17 (Reuters) - U.S. forces have withdrawn from Iraq’s Ain al-Asad Airbase, which housed U.S.-led forces in Western Iraq, and the Iraqi army has assumed full … Leggi
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that this week’s Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board was not coordinated with Israel and ran counter to government policy.
It said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The statement did not specify what part of the board’s composition contradicted Israeli policy. An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment.
The board, unveiled...
By Brad BrooksMINNEAPOLIS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Peter Brown’s gray mustache and beard were matted with ice as he stood watch on a frigid Friday afternoon outside Green Cent… Leggi
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that this week’s Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board was not coordinated with Israel and ran counter to government policy.
It said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The statement did not specify what part of the board’s composition contradicted Israeli policy. An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment.
The board, unveiled...
TEL AVIV, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that this week’s Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza e… Leggi
By Daniela Desantis and Philip BlenkinsopASUNCION, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Top officials from the EU and the South American bloc Mercosur signed a free trade agreement on Satu… Leggi
Opening a new front in his worldwide tariff onslaught, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would impose a 10 per cent import tax on the United Kingdom and six European countries for opposing his plan to purchase Greenland and that the rate would more than double if they did not let him acquire the Danish territory.
His post on Truth Social two weeks to the day after he abducted Venezuela’s president from Caracas marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous start to 2026, even by Trump’s...
Opening a new front in his worldwide tariff onslaught, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would impose a 10 per cent import tax on the United Kingdom and six European countries for opposing his plan to purchase Greenland and that the rate would more than double if they did not let him acquire the Danish territory.
His post on Truth Social two weeks to the day after he abducted Venezuela’s president from Caracas marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous start to 2026, even by Trump’s...
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won his seventh term with 71.65 per cent of votes, according to official results Saturday, in an election marred by an internet shutdown and fraud claims by his youthful challenger, who rejected the outcome and called for peaceful protests.
The musician-turned-politician best known as Bobi Wine took 24.72 per cent of the vote, the final results showed. Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has condemned what he described as an unfair electoral process...
Two Hong Kong students secured championship titles on Saturday in the first storytelling competition for global youth, delivering impassioned speeches on education and AI before an audience of about 100 people.
Vanessa Jane Wong, a Form Four pupil from the Independent Schools Foundation Academy, won the top award in the senior category, while Wan Ruixi, a Form Two student from Hong Kong University Graduate Association College, took the junior prize.
Organised by the South China Morning Post and...
A regional passenger aircraft carrying 11 people lost contact with ground control on Saturday while approaching a mountainous region between Indonesia’s main island of Java and Sulawesi island, officials said. A search and rescue operation is under way.
The turboprop ATR 42-500 operated by Indonesia Air Transport was on the way from Yogyakarta to the capital city of South Sulawesi when it vanished from radar, said Endah Purnama Sari, a spokesperson for the transportation ministry. The plane was...
Beijing’s foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong has “strongly condemned” a group of US senators for pushing what it calls “malicious legislation” that seeks to strip the city’s trade offices in the United States of their special privileges and potentially force their closure.
A spokesman for the Commissioner’s Office of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said the senators’ move exposed their “deep-rooted ideological prejudice” and “Cold War mentality”.
“Any attempts to smear Hong Kong’s freedom and...
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won his seventh term with 71.65 per cent of votes, according to official results Saturday, in an election marred by an internet shutdown and fraud claims by his youthful challenger, who rejected the outcome and called for peaceful protests.
The musician-turned-politician best known as Bobi Wine took 24.72 per cent of the vote, the final results showed. Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has condemned what he described as an unfair electoral process...
Trump administration officials had been in discussions with Venezuela’s hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello months before the US operation to seize the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and have been in communication with him since then, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
The officials warned Cabello, 62, against using the security services or militant ruling-party supporters overseen by him to target the country’s opposition, four sources said. That security...
Trump administration officials had been in discussions with Venezuela’s hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello months before the US operation to seize the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and have been in communication with him since then, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
The officials warned Cabello, 62, against using the security services or militant ruling-party supporters overseen by him to target the country’s opposition, four sources said. That security...
America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order.
But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power.
Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete...
America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order.
But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power.
Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete...
Hong Kong authorities have identified 1,600 at-risk elderly households in public housing, but analysts have said the figure fails to reflect the scale of this group of vulnerable residents and urged the government to speed up search efforts.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Saturday that authorities had identified high-risk cases by reviewing Housing Department data from more than 800,000 households in public housing.
“These 1,600 households could become the hidden,...
Thousands of people took to the streets of Denmark’s capital on Saturday to protest at US President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.
The protest followed Trump’s warning on Friday that he “may put a tariff” on countries that oppose his plans to take over mineral-rich Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
They also coincided with a visit to Copenhagen by a bipartisan delegation from the US Congress that has made clear the opposition of...
America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order.
But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power.
Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete...
Thousands of people took to the streets of Denmark’s capital on Saturday to protest at US President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.
The protest followed Trump’s warning on Friday that he “may put a tariff” on countries that oppose his plans to take over mineral-rich Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
They also coincided with a visit to Copenhagen by a bipartisan delegation from the US Congress that has made clear the opposition of...
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has warned against external “interference” in Iran’s governance, offering support to Tehran in a thinly veiled rebuke of Washington.
In a statement issued on Friday, the security bloc led by China and Russia expressed “grave concern” over the “recent tragic events in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, saying they had caused “casualties among civilians and law enforcement officials”.
“The SCO opposes interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic...
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has warned against external “interference” in Iran’s governance, offering support to Tehran in a thinly veiled rebuke of Washington.
In a statement issued on Friday, the security bloc led by China and Russia expressed “grave concern” over the “recent tragic events in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, saying they had caused “casualties among civilians and law enforcement officials”.
“The SCO opposes interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic...
Hong Kong police officers rarely fire their guns, but when they do, it grips the city’s attention.
On Thursday, officers shot dead a man who had taken a woman hostage while brandishing a 30cm knife at a shopping centre in Tuen Mun.
Under police guidelines, officers may open fire to protect anyone – including themselves – from death or serious injury. They may also use lethal force against anyone believed to have committed a serious or violent crime and who is attempting to evade arrest.
Firearms...
Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago.
The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage.
Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese...
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said “several thousand people” died in this month’s anti-government demonstrations, his first acknowledgment of the deadly scale of the unrest.
Some of those were killed “brutally and inhumanely”, Khamenei said without offering details in a public meeting broadcast on state TV. He accused the US and Israel of aiding the killings and said the Islamic Republic had evidence to support the claim.
Iran did not intend to push the country towards...
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has warned against external “interference” in Iran’s governance, offering support to Tehran in a thinly veiled rebuke of Washington.
In a statement issued on Friday, the security bloc led by China and Russia expressed “grave concern” over the “recent tragic events in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, saying they had caused “casualties among civilians and law enforcement officials”.
“The SCO opposes interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic...
Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago.
The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage.
Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese...
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said “several thousand people” died in this month’s anti-government demonstrations, his first acknowledgment of the deadly scale of the unrest.
Some of those were killed “brutally and inhumanely”, Khamenei said without offering details in a public meeting broadcast on state TV. He accused the US and Israel of aiding the killings and said the Islamic Republic had evidence to support the claim.
Iran did not intend to push the country towards...
Chinese researchers and Japanese activists have renewed calls for Japan to return a Tang dynasty relic looted over 120 years ago.
The effort to recover the Tang Honglu Well Stele comes amid rising regional tensions and Beijing’s ongoing national campaign to reclaim cultural heritage.
Shanghai University’s Research Centre for Chinese Relics Overseas and Japanese cultural groups issued a joint declaration on Friday urging Tokyo to “correct historical errors” and return the stone monument, Chinese...
The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing.
While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space.
US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international...
Hong Kong’s health minister has revealed that the number of less urgent patients seeking treatment at public hospital accident and emergency (A&E) departments has dropped by 24 per cent in the first 10 days of a new pricing regime.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said in a television interview on Saturday that authorities had so far approved 60,000 people for fee waivers, with about 80 per cent processed on the same day of application.
Under a public hospital fee overhaul implemented on...
The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing.
While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space.
US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international...
The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing.
While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space.
US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international...
China’s total electricity consumption hit a record high of 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025, more than double that of the US, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Saturday.
The 5 per cent jump from the previous year marked the first time in China’s history that annual electricity consumption had surpassed 10 trillion kWh – the highest in the world and more than the combined total of the European Union, Russia, India and Japan, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing NEA...
US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans.
The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services.
“Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...
A murder suspect who fled across the border late last month after allegedly killing his girlfriend in a public housing flat has been handed over to Hong Kong police following his capture by mainland Chinese law enforcers.
The Hong Kong identity card holder, 28, was wanted in the city in connection with the murder of a woman, 35, whose body was hidden in the storage compartment of a bed in his Ngau Tau Kok flat.
He was arrested by Hong Kong police on Friday and is expected to be charged with...
Walk into any public bath in Japan, and you are liable to see a sign banning any visible tattoos. Even as Japan opens up to more international tourists and residents, body art remains taboo, not only at baths but gyms, swimming pools and other businesses.
The strong stigma, which also extends to tattoo artists and can result in difficulties finding jobs, comes from its historical link with the yakuza and other criminal elements of Japanese society, dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868).
The...
Hong Kong authorities will expedite updates to safety guidelines for elevated work platforms and launch a large-scale inspection campaign after three workers died in accidents involving work at height or lifting devices.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Saturday expressed grave concern over the string of industrial fatalities, vowing that the government would take follow-up action.
“We will expedite updates for the guidelines for elevated work platforms, such as highlighting...
China’s total electricity consumption hit a record high of 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025, more than double that of the US, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Saturday.
The 5 per cent jump from the previous year marked the first time in China’s history that annual electricity consumption had surpassed 10 trillion kWh – the highest in the world and more than the combined total of the European Union, Russia, India and Japan, state broadcaster CCTV said, citing NEA...
US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans.
The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services.
“Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...
For 26-year-old Tianjin office worker Celine Wang, it is an extra cup of milk tea.
“One for me and the other for lao ji,” she said, placing the double order on a workday afternoon in January.
“After going through all the difficulties from trying to be the best performer at school to surviving at my workplace, I feel tired.
“I’ve decided to treat myself well … ai ni lao ji,” she said, using a buzzword that took off in the gaming world and has become a mantra for personal wellness in China.
The...
A master’s degree student in China, who has taught hundreds of adults and children to ride bicycles over the past two years and earned 270,000 yuan (US$39,000) from it, recently went viral on social media.
The man, whose surname is Li, is a third-year master’s degree candidate at Shanghai University of Sport (SUP) majoring in sports education, as reported by the news outlet The Cover.
Li shared that years ago, he and a friend recognised the demand for bike-riding instruction and decided to...
South American and European Union officials on Saturday signed a major trade deal, which they hailed as sending a powerful message at a time of tariff threats, global uncertainty and protectionism.
The deal between the 27-nation European Union and Mercosur bloc members Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay creates one of the world’s largest free trade areas after 25 years of tricky negotiations.
It was given fresh impetus amid the sweeping use of tariffs and trade threats by US President...
A former Hong Kong youth cricketer has set a world record after running the length of Sri Lanka in just over six and a half days, overcoming a journey beset by problems, during which “nothing went to plan”.
Rahul Sharma, 24, said he faced a slew of obstacles along the way – from logistical chaos to unbearable heat and physical exhaustion – but eventually overcame them with strong faith and support from people around the world.
He completed the journey in six days and 13 hours, and was confirmed...
For 26-year-old Tianjin office worker Celine Wang, it is an extra cup of milk tea.
“One for me and the other for lao ji,” she said, placing the double order on a workday afternoon in January.
“After going through all the difficulties from trying to be the best performer at school to surviving at my workplace, I feel tired.
“I’ve decided to treat myself well … ai ni lao ji,” she said, using a buzzword that took off in the gaming world and has become a mantra for personal wellness in China.
The...
South American and European Union officials on Saturday signed a major trade deal, which they hailed as sending a powerful message at a time of tariff threats, global uncertainty and protectionism.
The deal between the 27-nation European Union and Mercosur bloc members Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay creates one of the world’s largest free trade areas after 25 years of tricky negotiations.
It was given fresh impetus amid the sweeping use of tariffs and trade threats by US President...
For 26-year-old Tianjin office worker Celine Wang, it is an extra cup of milk tea.
“One for me and the other for lao ji,” she said, placing the double order on a workday afternoon in January.
“After going through all the difficulties from trying to be the best performer at school to surviving at my workplace, I feel tired.
“I’ve decided to treat myself well … ai ni lao ji,” she said, using a buzzword that took off in the gaming world and has become a mantra for personal wellness in China.
The...
Beijing is urging Phnom Penh to broaden its crackdown on Cambodia’s online fraud industry, keeping up pressure following the arrest and extradition to China of alleged fraud kingpin Chen Zhi.
In a meeting with Phnom Penh’s interior and foreign ministers, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said criminal acts of online fraud, illegal detention and related transnational crimes “posed a serious obstacle” to deepening cooperation between the two countries.
“Recent incidents involving Chinese...
Beijing is urging Phnom Penh to broaden its crackdown on Cambodia’s online fraud industry, keeping up pressure following the arrest and extradition to China of alleged fraud kingpin Chen Zhi.
In a meeting with Phnom Penh’s interior and foreign ministers, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said criminal acts of online fraud, illegal detention and related transnational crimes “posed a serious obstacle” to deepening cooperation between the two countries.
“Recent incidents involving Chinese...
Beijing is urging Phnom Penh to broaden its crackdown on Cambodia’s online fraud industry, keeping up pressure following the arrest and extradition to China of alleged fraud kingpin Chen Zhi.
In a meeting with Phnom Penh’s interior and foreign ministers, Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said criminal acts of online fraud, illegal detention and related transnational crimes “posed a serious obstacle” to deepening cooperation between the two countries.
“Recent incidents involving Chinese...
The seizure of enormous cryptocurrency caches in two high-profile criminal cases in China – a former head of the central bank’s digital currency research institute accused of corruption, and an alleged scam centre kingpin linked to about US$15 billion in bitcoin – have sparked questions in the country about the safety and future of virtual money.
But analysts said the long-term trend for the assets, especially bitcoin, depended on institutional capital, interest rate expectations and the...
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines on Friday to exercise caution when flying over Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, citing the risks of potential military activities and GPS interference.
The FAA said it had issued “Notices to Airmen” covering Mexico and Central American countries, as well as Ecuador, Colombia and portions of airspace within the eastern Pacific Ocean.
They say: “Potential risks exist for aircraft at all altitudes, including during...
Il premier canadese Mark Carney è stato ricevuto dal presidente cinese Xi Jinping. Ottawa cancella i dazi sui veicoli elettrici di Pechino, che a sua volta rimuove molte tasse aggiuntive. Siglato un memorandum di cooperazione sull'energia. Il riavvio delle relazioni dopo diversi anni di gelo è motivato dai dazi di Trump, la cui dottrina Monroe subisce un colpo nel vicinato più immediato
Chinese scientists have found a way to recycle lithium batteries using only carbon dioxide and water – eliminating the need for harsh, polluting chemicals to extract the lithium and upcycle cathode materials.
The team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Institute of Technology said they used a “three-in-one” strategy to improve lithium recovery, upgrade transition metals like cobalt and nickel, and sequester carbon to eliminate waste by-products.
Their method achieved a lithium...
Negli ultimi mesi il tema dell’accesso dei più giovani ai social network e all’uso degli smartphone è entrato con forza nell’agenda politica internazionale. In Australia il governo ha introdotto un limite minimo di 16 anni per l’uso dei social media, affidando alle piattaforme l’obbligo di impedire l’accesso ai minori. La misura nasce dalla preoccupazione per l’aumento di ansia, depressione e disturbi del sonno tra gli adolescenti, oltre che per il ruolo degli algoritmi nel favorire dipendenza e esposizione a contenuti dannosi. Un dibattito simile è in corso anche in Unione europea. Accanto alle norme già introdotte con il Digital Services Act, che rafforzano la tutela dei minori online, diversi Paesi e gruppi politici stanno discutendo la possibilità di fissare un’età minima più alta per l’accesso ai social network, ipotizzando soglie comprese tra i 15 e i 16 anni.
Per quanto riguarda l’uso degli smartphone, diversi Paesi, come Francia, Paesi Bassi e Ungheria, hanno già introdotto divieti parziali o totali sull’uso nelle scuole, mentre altri, come la Gran Bretagna, stanno valutando misure simili. La motivazione principale? Migliorare la concentrazione degli studenti, ridurre l’uso dei social media e contrastare fenomeni come il bullismo online.
Ma vietare gli smartphone è davvero la soluzione ai problemi di salute mentale che affliggono le nuove generazioni? Oppure si tratta di un approccio semplicistico a una questione molto più complessa?
Secondo un rapporto del chirurgo generale americano Vivek Murthy, tra il 2009 e il 2019 i sentimenti persistenti di disperazione tra gli adolescenti americani sono aumentati del 40%, mentre il numero di quelli che hanno preso seriamente in considerazione l’idea di suicidarsi è cresciuto del 36%. Ancora più inquietante è il fatto che quasi la metà dei problemi di salute mentale che emergono durante l’adolescenza continuano a influenzare le persone per il resto della loro vita.
Non sorprende, quindi, che molte di queste tendenze siano state associate all’aumento della diffusione degli smartphone e dei social media nello stesso periodo. Tuttavia, stabilire una connessione causale diretta non è facile. Gli smartphone, infatti, “contengono moltitudini”: possono essere usati per scopi educativi o ludici, ma anche per navigare compulsivamente sui social media, un’attività che studi recenti indicano come particolarmente problematica.
Uno studio condotto da Amy Orben dell’Università di Cambridge, pubblicato su Nature Communications, ha analizzato i dati di oltre 17.000 adolescenti di età compresa tra 10 e 21 anni. I risultati mostrano che l’uso intensivo dei social media durante momenti critici dello sviluppo cerebrale – per le ragazze tra gli 11 e i 13 anni e per i ragazzi tra i 14 e i 15 anni – è associato a una significativa diminuzione della soddisfazione personale. Questo evidenzia quanto le transizioni adolescenziali siano fasi vulnerabili, in cui l’uso eccessivo dei social media può avere un impatto più marcato.
Un altro studio condotto da Sapien Labs ha rivelato che l’uso precoce degli smartphone può causare problemi come aggressività e ansia, specialmente tra gli adolescenti più giovani. Tra i 10.500 adolescenti studiati negli Stati Uniti e in India, il 37% dei tredicenni ha riportato comportamenti aggressivi, mentre il 20% ha riferito episodi di allucinazioni. Questi dati suggeriscono che l’età di primo accesso agli smartphone gioca un ruolo determinante nella loro influenza sullo sviluppo psicologico.
Tuttavia, uno studio pubblicato su The Lancet ha dimostrato che vietare gli smartphone nelle scuole, da solo, non è sufficiente per migliorare la salute mentale degli studenti. Lo studio ha monitorato scuole con politiche restrittive sugli smartphone e scuole più permissive, senza trovare differenze significative nel benessere mentale o nel rendimento accademico degli studenti. Questo suggerisce che la chiave non risieda solo nel divieto, ma in un approccio integrato che consideri anche il ruolo educativo delle famiglie e delle scuole.
Un esperimento condotto per il programma Swiped di Channel 4 ha esplorato cosa accade quando gli adolescenti rinunciano agli smartphone per tre settimane. In una scuola dell’Essex, gli studenti hanno riportato miglioramenti significativi: meno ansia e depressione, un sonno più regolare e persino la scomparsa di attacchi di panico. Questo dimostra che una pausa dall’uso compulsivo dello smartphone può avere effetti positivi, ma anche che l’intervento deve essere accompagnato da educazione e consapevolezza.
Un punto di riferimento in questo dibattito è Serge Tisseron, psichiatra francese e autore del progetto “Diventare grandi con gli schermi digitali”, di cui ne abbiamo parlato qui nel 2018. Tisseron propone regole precise per accompagnare bambini e ragazzi verso un uso consapevole delle tecnologie, articolate nel suo metodo 3-6-9-12: fino ai 3 anni, evitare l’uso degli schermi, se non in presenza di un adulto e in modo eccezionale; fino ai 6 anni, introdurre gradualmente l’uso di schermi, ma solo per attività interattive e sotto supervisione; fino ai 9 anni, consentire l’uso di internet, ma sempre in compagnia di un adulto; dai 12 anni in poi, permettere l’accesso ai social media, ma con regole chiare e dialogo costante. Secondo Tisseron, la chiave per mitigare i rischi degli smartphone non è solo imporre divieti, ma insegnare ai giovani a usarli in modo responsabile e consapevole. Questo richiede un’educazione digitale integrata, sia a scuola che a casa, e il coinvolgimento attivo di genitori e insegnanti.
Tisseron sottolinea che i divieti scolastici possono essere utili per stabilire regole chiare, ma non bastano. Gli smartphone sono ormai parte integrante della vita quotidiana, e ignorare questo fatto significa rinunciare a preparare i giovani a gestire le sfide del mondo digitale. Per Tisseron, genitori e insegnanti hanno un ruolo fondamentale: i genitori devono stabilire limiti chiari sull’uso dello smartphone e favorire attività alternative che promuovano la socialità offline; gli insegnanti devono integrare la tecnologia in modo costruttivo, mostrando come usarla per apprendere e sviluppare competenze critiche.
Vietare gli smartphone nelle scuole può limitare alcune distrazioni e abusi, ma non risolve il problema alla radice. La vera sfida è educare i giovani a un uso consapevole e responsabile della tecnologia, coinvolgendo tutta la comunità – famiglie, scuole e istituzioni. Come ci ricorda Serge Tisseron, gli smartphone non sono nemici da combattere, ma strumenti che richiedono educazione e consapevolezza per essere gestiti al meglio. Solo così potremo garantire un futuro digitale più sereno per le nuove generazioni.
Like many long-time reporters in Hong Kong, I had occasional dealings with David Webb, the market transparency and shareholder rights crusader who died this week of prostate cancer at the relatively young age of 60. Almost all of my encounters with him over the years were annoying and slightly unpleasant. But they made me respect him all the more.
He once chastised me for misstating a relatively obscure Nasa space mission in the 1960s and demanded a print correction. I thought, who cares? But I...
The mother of one of Elon Musk’s children is suing his AI company, saying its Grok chatbot allowed users to generate sexually exploitative deepfake images of her that have caused her humiliation and emotional distress.
Ashley St Clair, 27, who describes herself as a writer and political strategist, alleged in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in New York City against xAI that the images have included a photo of her fully dressed at age 14 that was altered to show her in a bikini, and others showing...
A man has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of an elderly Thai man whose 2021 killing in San Francisco helped spark a national movement against anti-Asian-American violence.
A jury did not find Antoine Watson, 24, guilty of murder when it returned a verdict on Thursday for the January 2021 attack on Vicha Ratanapakdee, 84. Jurors found Watson guilty on the lesser charges of involuntary manslaughter and assault.
The office of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins...
US President Donald Trump on Friday gave a key role in post-war Gaza to former British prime minister Tony Blair and appointed a US officer to lead a nascent security force.
Trump named members of a board to help supervise Gaza that was dominated by Americans, as he promotes a controversial vision of economic development in a territory that lies in rubble after two-plus years of relentless Israeli bombardment.
The step came after a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern Gaza held...
US President Donald Trump on Friday brushed aside concerns over a Canada-China trade deal involving Ottawa agreeing to reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, saying it was “a good thing” for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to pursue the deal.
“That’s OK. That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump said, when asked about the agreement announced earlier in the day.
The remarks not only...
US President Donald Trump on Friday brushed aside concerns over a Canada-China trade deal involving Ottawa agreeing to reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, saying it was “a good thing” for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to pursue the deal.
“That’s OK. That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump said, when asked about the agreement announced earlier in the day.
The remarks not only...
Army helicopters rescued people stranded on rooftops and hundreds of tourists and workers were evacuated from one of the world’s biggest game reserves, as torrential rains and flooding in three countries in southern Africa killed more than 100 people, authorities said on Friday.
The death toll across South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is an accumulation after weeks of heavy rains. Weather services issued warnings that more rain was on the way, possibly bringing more destructive...
US President Donald Trump on Friday brushed aside concerns over a Canada-China trade deal involving Ottawa agreeing to reduce tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, saying it was “a good thing” for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to pursue the deal.
“That’s OK. That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump said, when asked about the agreement announced earlier in the day.
The remarks not only...
It took the United States less than three hours to stun the world with its abduction of the sitting leader of a sovereign state, but the strategic ramifications of that dramatic operation are likely to reverberate for decades.
In laying bare the limits of China’s economic-centric diplomacy towards third countries in its competition with the US, the Venezuela crisis has delivered a stark reminder that spheres of influence continue to shape global politics in this new era of great power...
It took the United States less than three hours to stun the world with its abduction of the sitting leader of a sovereign state, but the strategic ramifications of that dramatic operation are likely to reverberate for decades.
In laying bare the limits of China’s economic-centric diplomacy towards third countries in its competition with the US, the Venezuela crisis has delivered a stark reminder that spheres of influence continue to shape global politics in this new era of great power...
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Friday her country was starting a “true transition” to democracy and would become free with support from the US and President Donald Trump.
Trump, however, has sidelined Nobel laureate Machado and backed former vice-president Delcy Rodriguez as interim leader of the oil-rich country following the January 3 US military operation that seized Nicolas Maduro.
“We are definitely now into the first steps of a true transition to democracy,”...
US President Donald Trump took the unusual step on Friday of thanking the Iranian government for not following through on executions of what he said was meant to be hundreds of political prisoners.
“Iran cancelled the hanging of over 800 people,” Trump told reporters while leaving the White House to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
He added, “and I greatly respect the fact that they cancelled”.
The Republican president also suggested on his social media site...
US President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that he may punish countries with tariffs if they don’t back the US controlling Greenland, a message that came as a bipartisan Congressional delegation sought to lower tensions in the Danish capital.
Trump for months has insisted that the US should control Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Nato ally Denmark, and said earlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in US hands would be “unacceptable”.
During an unrelated...
La sicurezza dell’Artico e le minacce di Trump di prendersi la Groenlandia anche con la forza scopre un fronte fino a quel momento marginale per l’Europa centrale. La Polonia ha risposto in maniera più energica alla provocazione di Washington. Tuttavia, la cautela delle altre cancellerie centroeuropee vanifica un possibile contributo subregionale alla sicurezza artica.
L’Artico è il leitmotiv geopolitico che sta caratterizzando l’inizio del 2026 nonché l’ennesima sfida per la coesione euro-atlantica lanciata dal presidente USA, Donald Trump. In Europa, l’evento sta alzando un moto di solidarietà nei confronti della Danimarca che si traduce concretamente nel rinnovamento della presenza militare in Groenlandia. Il vertice statunitense-danese di Washington dello scorso 14 gennaio scorso indica che la questione è destinata a rimanere aperta ancora a lungo.
In questo scenario, il Gruppo di Visegrád (V4) — il forum centroeuropeo formato da Slovacchia, Polonia, Ungheria e Repubblica Ceca — appare come un attore geograficamente distante e strategicamente impegnato – spesso a dividersi — su altri teatri, in primis quello ucraino. Ciononostante, i membri del Gruppo mostrano alcuni segnali che confermano le tendenze divisive preesistenti all’interno del formato V4. Varsavia emerge come l’attore più attivo sulla scena mentre le altre cancellerie, per motivi diversi, si defilano dalla questione. Pur non essendoci un documento definisca una Arctic policy centroeuropea, l’assenza di una postura V4 riflette coerentemente la complessità e la sporadicità con cui questi Paesi si affacciano alla sicurezza artica.
La posizione polacca
Varsavia si è dimostrata il membro V4 più attivo sulla questione groenlandese accodandosi in maniera attiva alla posizione europea. Da subito, il Primo Ministro (PM) polacco, Donald Tusk, ha avvisato che l’Unione europea (Ue) è tenuta ad unirsi nel sostegno a Copenaghen. Il Paese ha firmato congiuntamente con gli alleati europei la “Dichiarazione congiunta sulla Groenlandia” nella quale si afferma che l’Artico sia una questione di sicurezza collettiva dentro la NATO ribadendo con forza il principio di sovranità della Danimarca e della Groenlandia sul territorio. Il 7 gennaio, il ministro degli affari esteri, Radosław Sikorski, ha ribadito il concetto durante un incontro con gli omologhi francese, tedesco ed indiano a Parigi dove ha ricordato che le questioni territoriali, negli USA, sono decise in ultima istanza dal Congresso. Al contempo, Sikorski ha sostenuto la linea del suo omonimo francese, Jean-Noël Barrot per cui Parigi, Berlino e Varsavia elaboreranno una risposta congiunta alle mire di Trump che verrà poi estesa a livello europeo.
All’atto pratico, tuttavia, la posizione polacca risente della difficile coabitazione tra governo e Presidente della Repubblica, espressione di schieramenti politici contrapposti. Il Presidente polacco, Karol Nawrocki, ha mantenuto una posizione più cauta sollecitando una soluzione diplomatica che si svolga dentro il framework della NATO. Nei giorni successivi, la posizione di Nawrocki si è indurita arrivando ad affermare in un’intervista alla BBC Radio Four che la Polonia (e gli europei) debbano rimanere fuori dalla questione groenlandese affermando che sia solo un affare tra Copenaghen e Washington. Tale posizione rappresenta un ostacolo all’azione del governo, che evita fughe in avanti per scongiurare i veti, limitando tuttavia la propria capacità di tradurre il sostegno in azioni rilevanti. Ad esempio, Tusk ha negato la possibilità di qualsiasi coinvolgimento militare polacco in Groenlandia, scelta che cozza con le decisioni di altre cancellerie europee di rafforzare la presenza nell’Artico.
L’interesse della Polonia verso la regione polare non è frutto della contingenza attuale ma è un interesse di lungo periodo. La presenza polacca è stata per lungo tempo di carattere scientifico ma si è sviluppato a livello strategico dopo la Guerra Fredda a partire dall’acquisizione dello status di osservatore permanente presso il Consiglio Artico nel 1998. Ad oggi, la Polonia è l’unico Paese V4 a godere di questo status permettendole di partecipare ai vertici regionali. Lo sforzo diplomatico è andato definendosi nel tempo e le sue coordinate si sono strutturate in due documenti chiave: la “Strategia della ricerca polare polacca 2017-2027”, elaborato dall’Accademia delle Scienze della Polonia e il Polish Polar Policy del 2020 redatto dal ministero degli esteri. Quest’ultimo definisce quattro priorità strategiche: garantire la partecipazione attiva e l’influenza politica di Varsavia nella regione tramite diplomazia pubblica, scientifica ed economica; rafforzamento della ricerca scientifica polacca; coordinamento degli sforzi per la regione con altre politiche e strategie nazionali; e mantenere costante l’attività delle analisi delle attività socio-politiche. A queste si aggiungono obiettivi specifici quali la tutela ambientale e la valorizzazione della diaspora polacca nei Paesi della regione artica.
Cautele centroeuropee
L’attivismo polacco rappresenta un’eccezione nella realtà del Gruppo in quanto Slovacchia, Ungheria e Repubblica Ceca non hanno aderito alla Dichiarazione congiunta mantenendo una linea più neutra. Le motivazioni, come il grado di coinvolgimento nella regione artica, differiscono tra loro ma tutte condividono un elemento comune, il timore di innervosire Washington.
La postura di Praga assomiglia a quella polacca in quanto essa risente di una coabitazione politica antagonista tra governo e Presidente della Repubblica. Da un lato, il governo sovranista del neo PM, Andrej Babiš, si è distanziato dalla questione. In particolare, il ministro degli esteri, Petr Macinka, ha incontrato l’ambasciatore statunitense in Repubblica Ceca, Nicholas Merrick, e il suo vice, David Wisner con cui si è registrata una sostanziale convergenza tra Washington e Praga. Dall’altro lato, Petr Pavel, Presidente della Repubblica ed esponente dell’attuale opposizione, ha espresso vicinanza alla Danimarca invitando ad aderire alla Dichiarazione congiunta, invito rimasto disatteso. L’indirizzo di Pavel risulta più vicino al mainstream della strategica artica ceca basata sul coordinamento con l’Unione europea e sulla costruzione di relazioni scientifiche e diplomatiche con i partner euro-atlantici, finalizzate all’ottenimento dello status di osservatore presso il Consiglio Artico. Le azioni dell’esecutivo, quindi, sconfessano questa linea a favore di una vicinanza agli USA.
Bratislava e Budapest, invece, non hanno interessi strategici significativi nella regione che riflette la scarsa tradizione scientifica dei due Paesi. Ciononostante, non sono completamente fuori dalla partita. Il PM ungherese, Viktor Orbán, ha invitato le parti a discutere della questione groenlandese all’interno della NATO. Tale linea è una versione più morbida delle parole, dette a gennaio 2025, dal ministro degli esteri di Budapest, Péter Szijjártó, il quale sminuiva le parole di Trump sulla Groenlandia. A Bratislava, solo il ministro degli affari esteri, Juraj Blanár, si è esposto sulla vicenda mostrando solidarietà a Copenaghen tramite una telefonata all’omologo danese, Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Di contro, il PM slovacco, Robert Fico, non si è ancora ufficialmente esposto sulla vicenda.
Il distacco dell’Ungheria e della Slovacchia, manifestato dalla loro non partecipazione alla Dichiarazione congiunta, è strumentale alla loropolitica di non allineamento alle posizioni europee sulle questioni di sicurezza internazionale. Lo scopo è duplice: ottenere credito presso Washington da spendere sulle discussioni diplomatiche riguardanti il conflitto in Ucraina, confermando il loro ruolo di attori destabilizzanti dentro l’Ue, e disimpegnarsi dalle faccende internazionali a favore di questioni domestiche che siano elezioni (Ungheria) o crisi di consensi (Slovacchia).
Perciò, la frammentazione V4 sulla Groenlandia rappresenta un nuovo capitolo della paralisi che caratterizza il Gruppo. Nonostante il tema della sicurezza artica sia marginale nella sicurezza centroeuropea, l’incapacità di formulare una prospettiva sub-regionale compromette ulteriormente la rilevanza come attore geopolitico. Nei fatti, i V4 stanno dissipando nuovamente il potenziale di essere una voce dialogante dentro un legame euro-atlantico più che mai fragile.
La pubblicazione della National Security Strategy rappresenta un cambiamento ideologico significativo nella politica estera americana. Il documento è caratterizzato da una maggiore focalizzazione sugli interessi visti come strettamente nazionali. Non solo, il documento riflette una visione strumentale agli interessi della Amministrazione e del bisogno di adattarsi a sfide emergenti. La NSS è utile per capire come l’Amministrazione Trump interpreta lo scenario internazionale e racconta di come gli Stati Uniti intendono rispondere e guidare, in parte, tale cambiamento.
La pubblicazione della National Security Strategy del 2025 segna uno dei momenti più rilevanti nella definizione del pensiero strategico statunitense sotto la seconda Amministrazione Trump. Con questo documento viene ripensata la gerarchia degli interessi nazionali e viene posto l’accento su priorità direttamente collegate ai mezzi a disposizione del Paese. Non solo, nel documento trovano conferma i nuovi equilibri creatisi nei mesi passati e continuamente evocati dai membri dell’Amministrazione, come il disimpegno dal continente europeo e un focus maggiore sul continente americano. Inoltre, l’analisi della NSS 2025 e unconfronto con le strategie precedenti e in particolare la NSS 2017, aiuta a comprendere come la seconda Amministrazione Trump intende approcciare uno scenario internazionale profondamente mutato, alla luce della sua stessa interpretazione.
La NSS 2025 come la strada “necessaria” da seguire
“L’America è forte e rispettata di nuovo e per questa ragione, stiamo costruendo la pace in tutto il mondo”. Con questa frase nel paragrafo introduttivo, la National Security Strategy del 2025 mette subito in chiaro il tono del documento: un ritorno all’idea che la ristabilita forza economica, industriale e militare degli Stati Uniti, sia la precondizione della stabilità internazionale. Prima ancora però di delineare le nuove priorità, la strategia sceglie di guardare indietro. L’introduzione, dal titolo “How American Strategy Went Astray”, è una spiegazione di come, negli ultimi decenni, la politica di sicurezza degli Stati Uniti si sia progressivamente ampliata fino a diventare troppo vaga e incapace di stabilire confini chiari tra ciò che è vitale e ciò non lo è, finendo, appunto, fuori strada.
In generale, la NSS stabilisce che cosa gli Stati Uniti vogliono ottenere in termini di sicurezza, interessi nazionali e ruolo internazionale, dove la sicurezza è intesa come il perseguimento degli interessi nazionali all’interno di un ruolo internazionale che ne è al tempo stesso guida e risultato. Nella NSS 2025 si inizia proprio dal concetto di strategia, e viene illustrato come ciò che la rende realistica sia l’esistenza di una connessione fra gli obiettivi e i mezzi; inoltre, una strategia deve essere in grado di delineare delle priorità. Si spiega poi che i “best interests” per l’America siano quelli legati direttamente alla sicurezza nazionale, e non un generico “caricarsi degli oneri globali”.
Il testo sostiene poi che Washington si sia caricata di missioni troppo ambiziose, come ad esempio mantenere l’ordine globale e intervenire in crisi lontane. Tale ambizione è stata perseguita inoltre senza assicurarsi di avere i mezzi necessari per sostenerla. I problemi elencati possono essere ricondotti a tre punti riassuntivi: troppe ambizioni, eccessiva dipendenza da supply chains globali vulnerabili e incapacità di svincolarsi da concetti come globalism o free trade. La NSS 2025 si propone dunque di intrecciare in modo pragmatico la politica di sicurezza con cambiamenti all’agenda industriale, fra cui la ricerca di maggiore indipendenza produttiva. L’Amministrazione Trump sostiene poi di aver dimostrato, nel suo primo mandato, che è possibile sottrarsi a impegni troppo ampi e a visioni generiche, preferendo un orientamento più aderente alle risorse disponibili.
È dunque significativo osservare come la strategia della NSS 2017 enfatizzasse, ad esempio, il ruolo degli Stati Uniti nel favorire la stabilità di fragili. Il paragrafo Encourage Aspiring Partners affermava che tra alcuni dei maggiori successi della diplomazia americana vi era l’aiuto dato ai Paesi in via di sviluppo a diventare società prospere, creando mercati redditizi, alleati capaci di sostenere equilibri regionali favorevoli e partner per condividere responsabilità internazionali, un elemento evidentemente mancante nella strategia dell’attuale Amministrazione come anche dimostrato dal precedente smantellamento dello USAID e dalla recente comunicazione di ritiro da 66 organizzazioni internazionali.
Il destino di Europa e Medio Oriente e il “pivot to West”
Nella NSS 2017, la sezione dedicata all’Europa sottolineava che un continente forte e libero e basato sui principi condivisi di democrazia e libertà era di vitale importanza; e veniva ricordato il ruolo centrale degli Stati Uniti nella ricostruzione e nello sviluppo dell’area. Nel 2025, al contrario, la strategia si allontana da questa visione piuttosto tradizionale. L’Europa, tenendo fede anche a una serie di dichiarazioni recenti, è ora considerata meno centrale per gli interessi degli Stati Uniti e valutata soprattutto in funzione della capacità dei governi nazionali, intesi come singoli, di contribuire alla stabilità regionale. L’attenzione strategica viene allora spostata verso l’emisfero occidentale, con l’obiettivo di affrontare flussi migratori, cartelli, rotte marittime e crisi locali. Ed è proprio in ragione di questo pivot strategico o revisione della Dottrina Monroe, che l’Amministrazione Trump dichiara di voler dare maggiore centralità al continente Americano, con una postura definita come neo-imperialista. Concentrarsi verso Ovest significa vedere come assolute priorità tre minacce principali (nell’emisfero occidentale): migrazione, droga e criminalità, e Cina. Un esempio di questa postura o “Corollario Trump” lo offrono sia la recente operazione speciale condotta in Venezuela, dove proprio queste tre minacce si intrecciano, unite allo sfruttamento delle risorse, sia le ultime dichiarazioni riguardo alla volontà di “prendere” la Groenlandia per “questioni di sicurezza nazionale”.
L’elemento di maggiore discontinuità rispetto alla prima Amministrazione Trump riguarda proprio il ruolo attribuito all’Europa. Nella NSS 2017, il continente europeo era concepito come un pilastro strategico della politica americana: la stabilità e la prosperità europea venivano considerate essenziali per la sicurezza nazionale, e veniva attivamente promossa la cooperazione. Nella NSS 2025, sebbene non venga negato il legame “sentimentale” tra il vecchio Continente e gli Stati Uniti, l’Europa viene letta attraverso le lenti della debolezza economica, della stagnazione industriale e soprattutto della limitazione delle libertà nazionali da parte di organizzazioni transnazionali come l’Unione Europea. Il documento denuncia come regolamentazioni interne ed europee compromettano la produttività, mentre politiche migratorie, censura, calo demografico e perdita di identità nazionale minacciano la coesione e la capacità strategica del continente. In particolare, si fa implicitamente riferimento a regolamenti come il Digital Markets Act e il Digital Services Act che sono stati interpretati dall’Amministrazione come atti di economic warfare. È evidente poi che gli interessi condivisi siano considerati come subordinati rispetto agli interessi esclusivamente americani. Nel complesso, l’analisi riguardante il continente europeo risulta guidata da evidenti principi ideologici.
Anche sul Medio Oriente vi è un tentativo di inversione di rotta rispetto al passato. La NSS 2025 afferma l’intenzione di far passare in secondo piano la regione nella pianificazione strategica. Il documento sostiene che, per almeno mezzo secolo, la politica estera americana abbia attribuito al Medio Oriente una priorità superiore a quella di tutte le altre regioni, in ragione dell’importanza energetica, della competizione tra superpotenze e della natura potenzialmente espansiva dei conflitti locali. Almeno due di queste dinamiche non risultano più valide: la forte diversificazione delle forniture energetiche, che ha permesso agli Stati Uniti di tornare a essere un esportatore netto di energia, e il mutamento del contesto strategico verso una competizione tra grandi potenze in cui Washington mantiene una posizione di vantaggio.
La scomparsa della Great Power Competition e l’approccio alla Cina
Nella National Security Strategy del 2025 vi è un cambiamento significativo del linguaggio utilizzato per affrontare le questioni riguardanti la Cina, sia rispetto all’Amministrazione Biden, sia rispetto al 2017. La nuova impostazione non elimina del tutto la competizione, ma la declassa a questione soprattutto economica e tecnologica, collegata alla protezione dell’apparato industriale nazionale e alla riduzione della dipendenza in vari settori. La Cina rimane dunque un attore rilevante, senza però essere la priorità assoluta dell’attuale agenda strategica.
Il documento insiste piuttosto sulla necessità di rapporti commerciali più equilibrati, menzionando appena le storiche preoccupazioni, come Taiwan, di natura economica, geopolitica e ideologica. Anche la dimensione militare è decisamente circoscritta: la deterrenza nel Pacifico è menzionata, ma senza porre l’attenzione sulla rivalità sistemica come fatto invece negli anni precedenti. Anche su questo tema, nel confronto con la NSS 2017 emerge un distacco evidente. Quel documento identificava la Cina come potenza revisionista e la collocava al centro della competizione strategica globale. Gli Stati Uniti nel 2025 non costruiscono più la propria architettura strategica attorno a Pechino. Ne deriva una postura più selettiva e mutata nella valutazione del peso reale che la competizione sino-americana dovrebbe avere nella definizione degli obiettivi nazionali. Un’anomalia degna di nota, anche rispetto alla NSS del 2017, è l’assenza di una menzione alla One China Policy, in linea però con l’atteggiamento di Trump di incoerenza e noncuranza verso impegni strategici, anche quelli vecchi di mezzo secolo. Inoltre, sebbene da un lato venga enfatizzata la cooperazione quadrilaterale, la deterrenza, la protezione delle Island Chains e l’importanza del contributo degli alleati per il raggiungimento di questi scopi; dall’altra non vengono menzionate le Filippine e l’AUKUS.
Nel documento viene poi abbandonata anche la retorica dello scontro tra grandi potenze che ha fortemente caratterizzato le relazioni sino-americane in passato. Come sottolineato in un’analisi sul The Diplomat però, la logica profonda della NSS 2025 potrebbe essere meno favorevole alla Cina di quanto non sembri. “Questo cambiamento potrebbe essere meno carico di ideologia rispetto ai documenti NSS del 2017 e del 2022, ma è anche più attuabile”, infatti, questa attenuazione del linguaggio non implica necessariamente un ammorbidimento sostanziale dell’approccio statunitense nei confronti della Cina. La competizione viene riorientata sul piano economico-industriale, ma non scompare.
Quanto la NSS è coerente e concreta
Nel complesso, la principale differenza tra la NSS del 2025 e altre pubblicate in passato, non sta tanto nel non porre l’America al centro del contesto internazionale, ma nel ridurre il numero di interessi vitali per il Paese. Il documento non rivela poi nulla di nuovo rispetto agli atteggiamenti e alle ambizioni sia della prima Amministrazione Trump che di quella attuale. Alcune analisi hanno però messo in luce l’incoerenza e l’ipocrisia della visione del mondo dell’Amministrazione. Sebbene Trump si sia presentato più volte come il Presidente della Pace, ha poi “ordinato operazioni militari illegali e inutili contro i trafficanti di droga civili nei Caraibi”; sebbene il documento dichiari di voler evitare di impegnarsi in guerre infruttuose e di non voler imporre il cambiamento in altri Paesi, Trump ha ordinato l’avvio di un’operazione speciale in Venezuela dagli esiti dubbi. L’operazione denominata Absolute Resolve, condotta il 3 gennaio 2026 a Caracas e nel nord del Paese, e che ha portato alla cattura di Nicolás Maduro, rappresenta infatti una palese violazione del principio di non ingerenza, pietra miliare del diritto internazionale.
Inoltre, l’enfasi posta sulla sovranitàrisulta essere debole di fronte, ad esempio, all’atteggiamento lassista verso l’invasione su vasta scala dell’Ucraina avviata dalla Russia. Il documento ricorda poi, nella sezione peraltro intitolata “Predisposition to Non-Interventionism”, che “tutti gli esseri umani possiedono uguali diritti naturali dati da Dio”, che è in forte contrasto con le politiche migratorie recentemente adottate.
Sotto certi punti di vista, la NSS 2025 è più retorica che concreta, ed è naturale porsi degli interrogativi su quanto il documento rifletta realmente una strategia nuova o pragmatica, piuttosto che una giustificazione ideologica di decisioni già prese o in corso d’opera.
Nel complesso, la NSS 2025 si configura come un documento caratterizzato da una forte componente ideologica, in cui la riaffermazione di principi quali pace, sovranità e non interventismo entra in tensione con le scelte operative effettivamente adottate dall’Amministrazione. Questa discrepanza evidenzia limiti di coerenza interna e riduce la capacità della strategia di fornire indicazioni concrete sulla politica estera, confermando come il documento serva più a legittimare decisioni già prese che a delineare un percorso strategico realmente operativo.
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Isaac J.P. Barrow – Professore sociologo specializzato in dinamiche sociali globali. Tutta la sua carriera si è concentrata su globalizzazione e tecnologie digitali. Ha svolto ricerche in vari paesi ed è autore di studi su identità culturali e disuguaglianze. Ha collaborato con organizzazioni internazionali ed è considerato un esperto di politiche sociali ed inclusione.
