Alaska’s director of elections ruled Monday that Dan J. Sullivan must be removed from the ballot for Alaska’s Senate race. The decision can be appealed to a state court.
U.S. and Iranian officials said the deal included a 60-day cease-fire to pave the way for negotiations toward a final peace agreement and talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
President Trump with President Emmanuel Macron in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Monday for the Group of 7 summit. Mr. Macron called the agreement with Iran “a very important step toward peace.”
U.S. and Iranian officials said the deal included a 60-day cease-fire to pave the way for negotiations toward a final peace agreement and talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
President Trump with President Emmanuel Macron in Évian-les-Bains, France, on Monday for the Group of 7 summit. Mr. Macron called the agreement with Iran “a very important step toward peace.”
The aircraft burst into flames on Monday morning shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, officials said. The cause is still under investigation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said he intends to run in elections scheduled for later this year, as he faces domestic criticism over his wartime leadership.
Netanyahu, 76, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has led his country through three years of war on multiple interconnected fronts and is currently on trial for corruption.
In recent months, he has come under mounting fire from opposition leaders who accuse him of failing to achieve the war aims he set out...
The latest casualty in the war is a centuries-old cathedral. President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “one of the largest Russian crimes against Christian culture.”
The latest casualty in the war is a centuries-old cathedral. President Volodymyr Zelensky called it “one of the largest Russian crimes against Christian culture.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said he intends to run in elections scheduled for later this year, as he faces domestic criticism over his wartime leadership.
Netanyahu, 76, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has led his country through three years of war on multiple interconnected fronts and is currently on trial for corruption.
In recent months, he has come under mounting fire from opposition leaders who accuse him of failing to achieve the war aims he set out...
Argentina’s top central banker sat down with his Chinese counterpart in Shanghai, a quiet overture towards Beijing months after Buenos Aires moved to unwind a currency lifeline that Washington had pushed it to abandon.
Santiago Bausili, president of the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic, met People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng on the sidelines of an international symposium organised by the Bank for International Settlements and China’s central bank, according to a statement from...
Argentina’s top central banker sat down with his Chinese counterpart in Shanghai, a quiet overture towards Beijing months after Buenos Aires moved to unwind a currency lifeline that Washington had pushed it to abandon.
Santiago Bausili, president of the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic, met People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng on the sidelines of an international symposium organised by the Bank for International Settlements and China’s central bank, according to a statement from...
Argentina’s top central banker sat down with his Chinese counterpart in Shanghai, a quiet overture towards Beijing months after Buenos Aires moved to unwind a currency lifeline that Washington had pushed it to abandon.
Santiago Bausili, president of the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic, met People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng on the sidelines of an international symposium organised by the Bank for International Settlements and China’s central bank, according to a statement from...
Cape Verde, a tiny island nation off the West African coast, is among the smallest countries to ever qualify for the World Cup. Fans marveled that it held the line against a tournament favorite.
For supporters of the Cape Verde national team, just making it to the World Cup and playing Spain, one of the world’s top-ranked teams, felt like history in the making.
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday accused US President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to undertake a politically motivated investigation of him and his wife.
“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” Newsom said in a video statement posted to social media.
“He’s coming after me because I am considering running for president.”
Federal police officers in Sacramento, California, have been conducting several investigations related to the...
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday accused US President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to undertake a politically motivated investigation of him and his wife.
“Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean tweets,” Newsom said in a video statement posted to social media.
“He’s coming after me because I am considering running for president.”
Federal police officers in Sacramento, California, have been conducting several investigations related to the...
Alexandros Giotopoulos, 82, had been serving 17 life sentences for leading November 17, a leftist group blamed for a wave of bombings and assassinations.
The championship celebration starts at 10 a.m. Thursday, just as some of the state Regents tests begin. Students had organized petitions calling for the exams to be delayed.
Aides to Gov. Gavin Newsom of California say several people associated with the couple have been contacted by federal agents in the past week. He criticized the move as politically motivated.
In a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and national parks officials, several Democrats and a Senate independent said that members of the administration could face fines and even criminal prosecution.
A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, that accused rival Sam Altman’s OpenAI of stealing trade secrets for chatbots.
US District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco, California, said xAI failed to show that OpenAI induced former xAI senior engineer Xuechen Li, a Chinese national, to divulge confidential information related to its Grok chatbot, or that OpenAI engineers knew Li might have disclosed any.
Lin dismissed the case with...
A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, that accused rival Sam Altman’s OpenAI of stealing trade secrets for chatbots.
US District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco, California, said xAI failed to show that OpenAI induced former xAI senior engineer Xuechen Li, a Chinese national, to divulge confidential information related to its Grok chatbot, or that OpenAI engineers knew Li might have disclosed any.
Lin dismissed the case with...
Hungary’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Monday that allows prime ministers to serve for a maximum of eight years, effectively barring former premier Viktor Orban from holding the role again.
Prime Minister Peter Magyar ousted Orban in an election in April after 16 years, gaining a two-thirds majority in parliament that allows his party to roll back or change legislation passed by Orban’s Fidesz, including the constitution.
The amendment was a key campaign promise of...
The health secretary is trying to restart the work of a panel that advises the government on vaccines, after a judge froze its decisions and prevented it from meeting.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a House hearing in April. Last June, he fired all 17 members of a vaccine advisory committee and named new ones, many of whom share his skepticism of vaccines.
Senior White House officials have argued that President Trump has the authority to suspend habeas corpus, but legal experts say that can be done only by Congress.
Ilia Topuria, left, of Georgia and Justin Gaethje of the United States, decked out in red, white and blue for their UFC Lightweight Championship bout at the White House on Sunday.
Elon Musk built a huge complex outside the city of Bastrop, population 14,000. Its residents now wonder what the historic SpaceX initial public offering might mean for them.
Hungary’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Monday that allows prime ministers to serve for a maximum of eight years, effectively barring former premier Viktor Orban from holding the role again.
Prime Minister Peter Magyar ousted Orban in an election in April after 16 years, gaining a two-thirds majority in parliament that allows his party to roll back or change legislation passed by Orban’s Fidesz, including the constitution.
The amendment was a key campaign promise of...
US President Donald Trump announced plans on Monday for a major “rally” in Washington on the July 4 Independence Day, further imposing his political brand on celebrations of the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The announcement comes a day after the Republican billionaire staged a mixed martial arts fight on the White House lawn – on what just happened to be his 80th birthday – with military honour guards and Air Force flyovers.
Trump had previously posted that another event on June 24 would be...
US President Donald Trump announced plans on Monday for a major “rally” in Washington on the July 4 Independence Day, further imposing his political brand on celebrations of the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The announcement comes a day after the Republican billionaire staged a mixed martial arts fight on the White House lawn – on what just happened to be his 80th birthday – with military honour guards and Air Force flyovers.
Trump had previously posted that another event on June 24 would be...
A senior US official on Monday said that President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance had signed the memorandum of understanding electronically with Iran to formally reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the American blockade of Iranian ports.
The official also claimed Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signed the document on Tehran’s behalf.
Trump “wanted to sign it personally because he wanted to show his dedication to the process and dedication to seeing this through to...
A senior US official on Monday said that President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance had signed the memorandum of understanding electronically with Iran to formally reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the American blockade of Iranian ports.
The official also claimed Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signed the document on Tehran’s behalf.
Trump “wanted to sign it personally because he wanted to show his dedication to the process and dedication to seeing this through to...
A senior US official on Monday said that President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance had signed the memorandum of understanding electronically with Iran to formally reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the American blockade of Iranian ports.
The official also claimed Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf signed the document on Tehran’s behalf.
Trump “wanted to sign it personally because he wanted to show his dedication to the process and dedication to seeing this through to...
The case had remained unresolved since May 2017, when a woman was sent tumbling into a bus lane on Putney Bridge. She escaped uninjured after the bus driver swerved.
The case had remained unresolved since May 2017, when a woman was sent tumbling into a bus lane on Putney Bridge. She escaped uninjured after the bus driver swerved.
Lunedi, Parlamento e Consiglio hanno raggiunto un accordo sui diritti dei passeggeri aerei, confermando il risarcimento per ritardi oltre tre ore, rimborsi più rapidi e prezzi più chiari. Commissione per i trasporti e il turismo
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
Last Tuesday (9 June), Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new campus on a slope site at the junction of Sheung Shing Street and Fat Kwong Street in Ho Man Tin, marking the official commencement of the new campus development project and a new chapter for both the University and the surrounding community. Positioned as “A Hub for Community Health and Wellness”, the new campus...
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday that the bloc has verified reports that China’s military has been “training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine”, a development that could deepen tensions between the two sides.
Kallas, speaking after chairing a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said that the EU was “carefully assessing the implications” of the assessment, adding that the ministers had agreed to sanction several Chinese entities...
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday that the bloc has verified reports that China’s military has been “training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine”, a development that could deepen tensions between the two sides.
Kallas, speaking after chairing a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said that the EU was “carefully assessing the implications” of the assessment, adding that the ministers had agreed to sanction several Chinese entities...
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Monday that the bloc has verified reports that China’s military has been “training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine”, a development that could deepen tensions between the two sides.
Kallas, speaking after chairing a meeting of the EU’s 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said that the EU was “carefully assessing the implications” of the assessment, adding that the ministers had agreed to sanction several Chinese entities...
The men were convicted of conspiring to set fire to properties and a car linked to the prime minister after one of them was recruited on a Russian-language Telegram account.
The men were convicted of conspiring to set fire to properties and a car linked to the prime minister after one of them was recruited on a Russian-language Telegram account.
A sample collected from a market in Hong Kong has tested positive for bird flu H9, days after a two-year-old boy who visited the venue contracted a mild strain of the infectious disease.
But the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Monday that the risk of a serious bird flu outbreak was low.
The boy, who lives in Sha Tin, became ill after visiting Wo Che Market in the district and was later confirmed to be infected with H9N2 avian influenza, the centre said.
He was now in a stable...
The US-Iran peace deal is likely to bring immediate relief but not yet reassurance for Asia, as leaders across the region watch whether the Strait of Hormuz reopens, oil prices ease and the agreement can withstand the nuclear talks and geopolitical distrust still ahead, analysts say.
The agreement, mediated by Pakistan and scheduled to be signed on Friday in Switzerland, is intended to end more than three months of war in the Gulf, halt the US blockade of Iran and reopen one of the world’s most...
Members of Iran’s national soccer team training in Carson, Calif., on Sunday. Many Iranians say their problems are too big these days for them to care much about how the team does.
In Germany, a campaign called Rights Against the Right is securing trademarks for right-wing symbols and phrases, aiming to cut into a revenue stream that sustains hate groups.
In Germany, a campaign called Rights Against the Right is securing trademarks for right-wing symbols and phrases, aiming to cut into a revenue stream that sustains hate groups.
Protests have erupted across France after authorities revealed that a man accused of kidnapping Lyhanna Rameau Bernard, a French schoolgirl found dead this month, had previously been flagged to law enforcement.
Protests have erupted across France after authorities revealed that a man accused of kidnapping Lyhanna Rameau Bernard, a French schoolgirl found dead this month, had previously been flagged to law enforcement.
Iran targeted Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other American allies in the Middle East during the war, harming their economies and military sectors.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni agreed on Monday to deepen cooperation in advanced technologies such as semiconductors and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals to bolster economic security while advancing defence ties.
The two leaders also welcomed a preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran intended to end their war that triggered global oil supply disruptions, before their planned participation in a Group of Seven...
As plunging oil prices signal broad market optimism following an initial deal between the United States and Iran, attention has turned to whether Chinese firms sanctioned for Iran-related business will see immediate relief, though analysts remain cautious.
“New purchases of Iranian oil ostensibly wouldn’t be subject to fresh sanctions, but at the same time, I imagine we won’t see a rush to lift existing sanctions on Chinese importers of Iranian oil,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater...
A Polish doctor has been taken into custody after 34 human fetuses were found buried in the garden of her former home, the authorities said on Monday.
Magdalena H. – a 57-year-old medical pathologist with no previous criminal record – is suspected of using the fetuses to perform experiments and now faces up to 12 years in prison.
Her case has whipped up a storm in traditionally Catholic Poland, with many questioning how she managed to obtain the unborn babies’ bodies in a country with some of...
A Polish doctor has been taken into custody after 34 human fetuses were found buried in the garden of her former home, the authorities said on Monday.
Magdalena H. – a 57-year-old medical pathologist with no previous criminal record – is suspected of using the fetuses to perform experiments and now faces up to 12 years in prison.
Her case has whipped up a storm in traditionally Catholic Poland, with many questioning how she managed to obtain the unborn babies’ bodies in a country with some of...
MEPs from the Foreign Affairs and Development Committees and the Human rights Subcommittee will meet Andrzej Poczobut in Strasbourg this evening. Committee on Foreign Affairs Committee on Development Subcommittee on Human Rights
One of China’s largest defence contractors displayed a model of a drone assembly line at a leading international defence exhibition, hinting that the firm is planning to make more of the weapons overseas.
The state-run North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) displayed the model during this year’s Eurosatory, one of the world’s largest exhibitions of army weaponry, which is being held in Paris this week.
The miniature depicted the manufacture of several Norinco drones, such as the BZK-005E...
One of China’s largest defence contractors displayed a model of a drone assembly line at a leading international defence exhibition, hinting that the firm is planning to make more of the weapons overseas.
The state-run North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) displayed the model during this year’s Eurosatory, one of the world’s largest exhibitions of army weaponry, which is being held in Paris this week.
The miniature depicted the manufacture of several Norinco drones, such as the BZK-005E...
While the president says the agreement with Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz and provide economic relief, the country’s nuclear program is still a subject for negotiation.
While the president says the agreement with Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz and provide economic relief, the country’s nuclear program is still a subject for negotiation.
Fox Corp is buying Roku in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about US$22 billion in a bet that pairing its sports and news programming with a top TV streaming platform will strengthen its position as audiences shift online.
The deal, announced on Monday, gives Fox access to the more than 100 million households using Roku’s streaming platform, potentially helping the cable TV-reliant media company better target ads and reduce reliance on traditional distribution. It is Fox’s first major...
Fox Corp is buying Roku in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about US$22 billion in a bet that pairing its sports and news programming with a top TV streaming platform will strengthen its position as audiences shift online.
The deal, announced on Monday, gives Fox access to the more than 100 million households using Roku’s streaming platform, potentially helping the cable TV-reliant media company better target ads and reduce reliance on traditional distribution. It is Fox’s first major...
Iran claimed the deal would extend to fighting in Lebanon but no details of the agreement were made public and Israel said its forces would remain there.
I contenuti dell’intesa per mettere fine alla guerra in Medio Oriente, in base alle dichiarazioni degli Stati Uniti, dell’Iran e del Pakistan, che ha fatto da mediatore Leggi
La sconfitta contro l’Iran segnala che gli Stati Uniti non assicurano più la libera navigazione dei colli di bottiglia. L’impatto per l’Italia è strategico e di segno negativo, vista la nostra dipendenza dai choke points mediterranei. Nel Medioceano manca un egemone, ma la Turchia è in ascesa. La variabile Israele.
Trump, Putin e Netanyahu affrontano conflitti che rischiano di trasformarsi in sconfitte politiche prima ancora che militari. Per tutti e tre la posta in gioco strategica è la tenuta della loro credibilità. Prepariamoci alle campagne di disinformazione.
Students in Wimbledon, London, during an interview this year about social media. Public opinion in many countries has coalesced around the idea that more must be done to protect children online.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government planned to bar children under 16 from social media, following similar efforts in Australia and elsewhere.
The defacement of the National Bureau of Investigation’s website over the weekend marked an escalation in a wave of attacks on Philippine government pages, with the country’s main investigative agency becoming the third major state body in less than a week to have its site compromised.
The incident followed similar attacks on the Senate’s website on Wednesday and the House of Representatives’ page on Saturday, raising questions about the government’s ability to protect even its own law...
In Thaksin Shinawatra’s hometown outside Chiang Mai, neighbours say they hope the royal pardon gifted to the tycoon offers Thailand’s most loved – and quite possibly, most loathed – politician a chance to exit the kingdom’s bear-pit politics ahead of his 77th birthday.
But after eight months in jail, a coup against his government, a battery of legal cases, threats to his family, assets – and even his life – those hitched to the Shinawatra bandwagon since Thaksin won his first election in 2001...
Beijing’s long-standing efforts to reinvigorate the domestic economy continue to face headwinds, as the latest credit data points to persistently sluggish consumption and weak investment across China, with the tech sector standing out as a lone bright spot amid the central government’s push for innovation to reduce external reliance.
New bank loans totalled 520 billion yuan (US$77 billion) in May, according to People’s Bank of China data released on Friday. The figure trailed the 620 billion...
Japan is falling into a trap in defending its currency against the US dollar, like Thailand in 1996. Japan’s large forex reserves make the yen a juicy target, rather than deterring currency predators. Its fundamentals are weak and deteriorating, making the yen’s further decline inevitable.
Japan can’t raise interest rates aggressively to defend its currency due to its high national debt. It could fall into an inflation-devaluation spiral, greatly profiting yen short-sellers.
The yen is trading...
A bishop reported that many holy items had been recovered from the church, at the site of the Perchersk monastery, a revered place for the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox faiths.
A Hong Kong court has awarded HK$6.29 million (US$802,698) in damages to a dancer left paralysed after being struck by a falling giant screen during a concert by Cantopop boy band Mirror four years ago.
In a written judgment on Monday, the District Court ruled that Mo Li Kai-yin was entitled to substantial damages from his employer, Studiodanz, under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance after suffering from “catastrophic” injuries in the accident at Hong Kong Coliseum on July 28, 2022.
Judge...
Two men were convicted on Monday of a plot last year to set fire to property linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The fires in May 2025 damaged the home Starmer moved out of when he became prime minister, as well as an apartment building he once owned a share of and destroyed his former Toyota SUV. Nobody was injured in the blazes.
Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Romanian citizen, were found guilty of a conspiracy to damage property by...
Two men were convicted on Monday of a plot last year to set fire to property linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The fires in May 2025 damaged the home Starmer moved out of when he became prime minister, as well as an apartment building he once owned a share of and destroyed his former Toyota SUV. Nobody was injured in the blazes.
Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Romanian citizen, were found guilty of a conspiracy to damage property by...
Una specie finora sconosciuta di dinosauro, l’estensione delle reti sotterranee di funghi, El Niño è già cominciato: l’attualità scientifica, in breve Leggi
The announcement of an impending Iran deal could not have been a better birthday gift for President Donald Trump – but celebrations could be short-lived if fragile details of the agreement fail to hold.
Obstacles will not be easy to overcome, Chinese observers say. Any lasting framework must navigate uncertainties around the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme under its new regime, the mechanisms of sanction relief for Tehran and a rattled Israel, which has vowed to remove what Prime Minister...
The announcement of an impending Iran deal could not have been a better birthday gift for President Donald Trump – but celebrations could be short-lived if fragile details of the agreement fail to hold.
Obstacles will not be easy to overcome, Chinese observers say. Any lasting framework must navigate uncertainties around the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme under its new regime, the mechanisms of sanction relief for Tehran and a rattled Israel, which has vowed to remove what Prime Minister...
The announcement of an impending Iran deal could not have been a better birthday gift for President Donald Trump – but celebrations could be short-lived if fragile details of the agreement fail to hold.
Obstacles will not be easy to overcome, Chinese observers say. Any lasting framework must navigate uncertainties around the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme under its new regime, the mechanisms of sanction relief for Tehran and a rattled Israel, which has vowed to remove what Prime Minister...
After Monday’s Conciliation Committee on EU air passenger rights, key European Parliament, Council and Commission negotiators will brief journalists on the outcome of negotiations. Committee on Transport and Tourism
China has achieved a breakthrough in production of an ultra-pure form of silicon, a critical material needed to build silicon-based quantum computers, as Beijing accelerates its drive to cut reliance on foreign technology in strategic areas.
State-owned nuclear giant China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said on Monday that one of its research institutes had successfully mass-produced a high-purity silicon-28 isotope with an isotopic abundance above 99.99 per cent. The achievement marked...
On Wednesday at 10.00, lead MEPs Arba Kokalari and Michael McNamara will hold a press conference following the final EP vote on the so-called AI “digital omnibus”. Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
China’s official military newspaper has warned of an arms race over low-Earth satellites, citing developments such as SpaceX’s latest contract with the US Space Force.
Low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellations typically operate at 300km to 1,500km (185-930 miles) above the Earth and are becoming increasingly important in areas such as communications and satellite navigation.
But in a series of articles covering a full page on Monday, PLA Daily warned: “The era of the militarised application of...
China’s official military newspaper has warned of an arms race over low-Earth satellites, citing developments such as SpaceX’s latest contract with the US Space Force.
Low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellations typically operate at 300km to 1,500km (185-930 miles) above the Earth and are becoming increasingly important in areas such as communications and satellite navigation.
But in a series of articles covering a full page on Monday, PLA Daily warned: “The era of the militarised application of...
Students in Wimbledon, London, during an interview this year about social media. Public opinion in many countries has coalesced around the idea that more must be done to protect children online.
Students in Wimbledon, London, during an interview this year about social media. Public opinion in many countries has coalesced around the idea that more must be done to protect children online.
US President Donald Trump threatened to slap a 100 per cent tariff on French wine and champagne unless Paris removes a digital services tax on tech firms, the New York Post reported on Monday.
France imposed in 2019 a three per cent levy on the revenues earned by technology firms – including American giants such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google parent Alphabet – within the country’s borders.
French President Emmanuel Macron is due to host Trump on Monday before the G7 summit gets underway...
US President Donald Trump threatened to slap a 100 per cent tariff on French wine and champagne unless Paris removes a digital services tax on tech firms, the New York Post reported on Monday.
France imposed in 2019 a three per cent levy on the revenues earned by technology firms – including American giants such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Google parent Alphabet – within the country’s borders.
French President Emmanuel Macron is due to host Trump on Monday before the G7 summit gets underway...
The full text of the deal that could pave the way to ending the war has not been published. Initial details suggest that it defers the most contentious issues.
Britain will ban children under 16 from using a range of social media apps including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.
Starmer told a news conference that he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, and acknowledged some teens would try to find their way around a ban. But he said he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children”.
“Every...
Britain will ban children under 16 from using a range of social media apps including Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to protect young people from harmful content and excessive screen time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday.
Starmer told a news conference that he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, and acknowledged some teens would try to find their way around a ban. But he said he is “not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children”.
“Every...
A domestic helper who admitted to slapping her employer’s eight-year-old daughter while serving dinner was given a three-year bind-over order by a Hong Kong court on condition of good behaviour after an assault charge against her was dropped.
Eastern Court on Monday heard that Linne Pramis Pesimo, 48, slapped the girl once as she refused to eat her meal on March 20. The girl’s mother, a single parent, was resting in a bedroom at their Wan Chai home at the time of the assault.
After being hit,...
Hong Kong transport authorities will “actively explore” the secure storage of ride-hailing data ahead of new regulations for the industry due to take effect in August, as part of efforts to ensure compliance with national security requirements.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Monday stopped short of revealing whether data about users collected by ride-hailing platforms in Hong Kong would be required to be kept in the city, but stressed the importance of privacy and...
A Chinese ban on German chip giant Infineon Technologies selling gallium nitride (GaN) products in mainland China triggered a spike in domestic semiconductor stocks on Monday, as the landmark patent dispute was expected to reshape the country’s “third-generation” chip sector.
A decision by China’s Supreme People’s Court on Friday upheld a lower court’s injunction issued against the German company in May, according to a statement released by domestic rival Innoscience.
The lower court found that...
President Trump insisted on Sunday that if Iran failed to reach a final nuclear accord with the United States, he could restart military attacks on Tehran.
Chen Ailian, who has been dubbed as China’s Wheel Queen with a net worth of 11 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion), has trended on mainland social media as an encouraging role model.
Four decades ago, she defied gender stereotypes by driving a tractor.
As her enterprise in the east of the country grew into a success, Chen rewarded her key employees with 100 BMW cars, the news portal Sina.com reported.
The Zhejiang-based Wanfeng Auto Holding Group, founded by Chen, is the global No 1 manufacturer of...
The Hong Kong government has appointed a former deputy police commissioner to lead the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Albert Yuen Yuk-kin would lead the department following his retirement from the force, where over 37 years he rose to the rank of deputy commissioner of operations, the government said on Monday.
The department post is one of two high-level official positions filled through an open recruitment announced in February. Along with the director of information services...
President Trump has long been at odds with European leaders over trade, Ukraine and NATO, but he has lashed out in recent weeks over their refusal to support the U.S. war with Iran.
Representative Barry Moore, an early backer of the president during his first campaign, faces Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL tapping into the excitement for outsiders.
A day after the National Symphony Orchestra played perhaps its final notes at the Kennedy Center for years, mixed martial artists brawled outside the White House.
The Upper Colorado River on the Grand Canyon last month. About 40 million people and 5.5 million acres of cropland depend on the Colorado for drinking water and irrigation.
Secret memos show that the White House debated last year, to a greater degree than previously known, whether to limit habeas corpus rights for undocumented immigrants.
Tuesday’s runoff for a slot on the Alabama Public Service Commission has a familiar ring to it, with talk of data centers and electricity costs. But in a southern twist, solar power has joined the list of villains.
New York’s two-day 250th extravaganza will feature the country’s largest parade of tall ships and warships, but adds daunting logistical challenges to an already overwrought summer.
A bitterly fought Democratic primary in New York’s Hudson Valley will determine who takes on Representative Mike Lawler, one of the more vulnerable Republicans this cycle.
Ships in the Strait of Hormuz in Oman last week. More than four-fifths of the petroleum and liquefied natural gas transiting the strait is typically bound for Asian markets.
On Wednesday at 13.30, lead MEP Malik Azmani will speak to journalists after the EP plenary vote on the reform of EU returns policy. Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
The United States and Iran are set to sign an interim peace deal on Friday that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and potentially end a nearly four-month-long conflict that has killed thousands and upended the global economy.
“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump said on social media on Sunday, which was also his 80th birthday. “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” along with the “immediate removal” of the US...
The United States and Iran are set to sign an interim peace deal on Friday that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and potentially end a nearly four-month-long conflict that has killed thousands and upended the global economy.
“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump said on social media on Sunday, which was also his 80th birthday. “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” along with the “immediate removal” of the US...
The United States and Iran are set to sign an interim peace deal on Friday that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and potentially end a nearly four-month-long conflict that has killed thousands and upended the global economy.
“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump said on social media on Sunday, which was also his 80th birthday. “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” along with the “immediate removal” of the US...
The United States and Iran are set to sign an interim peace deal on Friday that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and potentially end a nearly four-month-long conflict that has killed thousands and upended the global economy.
“The deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump said on social media on Sunday, which was also his 80th birthday. “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” along with the “immediate removal” of the US...
Father Dionysios Tabakis has never played a live concert, but after his first album became a word-of-mouth hit, he’ll be performing at a U.S. festival this summer.
A society once strongly Roman Catholic has rejected the church’s prohibition on euthanasia, with many instead viewing control over one’s death as an individual right.
In Lanaudière, 13 of 100 people end their lives through medically assisted dying.
Three years after its maiden commercial flight as China’s flagship civilian airliner, the C919 is entering a pivotal maintenance phase, with jets across the series being progressively grounded for rigorous inspections.
The results of these safety-focused “C-checks” are expected to play a role in convincing European aviation regulators of the aircraft’s long-term airworthiness.
State-owned carrier China Southern Airlines finished the first C-check of its C919 fleet at the end of May. The process...
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr did not dwell on warships or water cannons when he rose to speak at the country’s Independence Day celebrations on Friday.
Instead, he signalled a new strategy in broaching the topic of the South China Sea: recasting the waterway not as an arena of territorial disputes, but rather as a shared vulnerability.
In doing so, analysts say he may have found a way to keep China’s behaviour in the regional conversation without triggering direct confrontation...
In Germany, a campaign called Rights Against the Right is securing trademarks for right-wing symbols and phrases, aiming to cut into a revenue stream that sustains hate groups.
A Hong Kong court has issued an arrest warrant for a British tourist who allegedly jumped bail after being charged with vandalising self-check-in kiosks at the city’s airport earlier this year.
Youcef Bennoui, 35, failed to appear at West Kowloon Court on Monday to answer charges of criminal damage and possession of a Part 1 poison in connection with the disturbance he allegedly caused at Hong Kong International Airport in the early hours of February 16.
Prosecutors told the court that Bennoui,...
L’erosione della sicurezza tra Europa e nuovi imperi.
La guerra in Ucraina sta assumendo una dimensione sempre più critica per gli effetti che produce sull’intera architettura della sicurezza europea. Il progressivo intensificarsi di incursioni nello spazio aereo, attività militari lungo il fianco orientale della NATO, operazioni ibride e pressioni sotto la soglia del conflitto diretto segnalano la crescente erosione dei meccanismi di contenimento che, fino a oggi, hanno evitato un allargamento del conflitto oltre il teatro ucraino. Episodi come la caduta di droni in territorio romeno o il loro abbattimento nei cieli lettoni non possono essere considerati semplici incidenti tattici, ma indicano una crescente compressione delle distanze strategiche tra Russia ed Europa. In questo contesto, errori di valutazione, incidenti non controllati o dinamiche di escalation potrebbero produrre conseguenze difficilmente prevedibili. Non sorprende, quindi, che nei Paesi baltici, in Finlandia, in Polonia, in Romania e in Moldavia si sia consolidata la percezione di una minaccia crescente alla stabilità regionale. A rendere il quadro ancora più teso hanno contribuito anche le dichiarazioni dell’ex presidente russo Dmitrij Medvedev, secondo cui «c’è una guerra in corso» e simili episodi continueranno a verificarsi, con la conseguenza che «i cittadini europei non dormiranno sonni tranquilli».
La questione, tuttavia, trascende il solo teatro ucraino. Dal Medio Oriente al Sahel, fino alle numerose guerre a media intensità che si sviluppano lontano dall’attenzione mediatica globale, si osserva una tendenza comune: l’indebolimento della capacità delle istituzioni multilaterali di prevenire, gestire o risolvere i conflitti. Molti dei presupposti che avevano alimentato le aspettative dell’epoca post-bipolare appaiono oggi in fase di revisione. La fiducia nell’universalizzazione delle regole internazionali, nel rafforzamento del multilateralismo, nella progressiva limitazione del ricorso alla forza e nella stabilizzazione degli equilibri strategici attraverso il controllo degli armamenti ha lasciato spazio a una realtà dominata solo dalla competizione geopolitica e dal ritorno delle logiche di potenza. Il sistema internazionale è ormai nettamente evoluto in senso sempre più competitivo e “imperiale”, dove Stati Uniti, Federazione Russa e Repubblica Popolare Cinese agiscono come poli di potenza che ridefiniscono sfere di influenza e priorità strategiche secondo le proprie logiche di proiezione globale. La competizione tra queste potenze ha quindi ridotto gli spazi di autonomia di tutti gli altri attori, a cominciare dall’ Europa.
Per una nuova responsabilità dell’Europa
Questi scenari e il ripetersi degli episodi sempre più pericolosi che si vanno registrando sui cieli e già oltre i confini dell’Europa dovrebbero indurre i leader europei a un atto di responsabilità. È questo il momento di rilanciare una riflessione politica, morale e strategica di più ampio respiro. La guerra non può diventare il nuovo orizzonte ordinario delle relazioni internazionali. Una prima prospettiva di un’Europa responsabile deve senz’altro dare priorità ad un percorso concreto di pace per l’Ucraina La contrapposizione si è fatta ancora più aperta tra Russia e Ucraina e le iniziative negoziali arretrano sugli umori di Putin, cui fa ora gioco anche il bellicismo di Trump su altri fronti. Dopo la lettera aperta di Zelensky rivolta a Putin, nella quale lo aveva invitato a considerare i suoi 73 anni e a cogliere l’opportunità di perseguire una soluzione negoziata al conflitto, il leader del Cremlino ha chiarito di non vedere, allo stato attuale, l’utilità di un vertice personale con Zelensky, ribadendo che le operazioni militari proseguiranno fino al raggiungimento degli obiettivi dichiarati da Mosca. È un segnale della persistente distanza tra le parti e della difficoltà di riattivare, nell’immediato, un canale politico diretto ad alto livello. Proprio per questo l’Europa deve promuovere senza esitare un progetto negoziale, partendo da una richiesta chiara e immediata di cessate il fuoco. La strada intrapresa dal formato E3, Francia, Regno Unito, e Germania – avallata anche da molti altri Stati Ue – è dunque quella giusta. Il vertice di Londra tra Volodymyr Zelensky, Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron e Friedrich Merz ha assunto perciò un significato che va oltre il sostegno all’Ucraina. Per la prima volta dopo molti mesi, l’Europa prova infatti a presentarsi non soltanto come garante militare della resistenza ucraina, ma come soggetto politico capace di formulare una proposta per l’uscita dal conflitto. I quattro leader hanno indicato alcuni punti essenziali: un cessate il fuoco immediato, l’utilizzo dell’attuale linea di contatto come base negoziale iniziale, garanzie di sicurezza credibili per Kiev, il mantenimento del congelamento degli asset russi fino a una soluzione concordata e la tutela degli interessi strategici europei. Si tratta di una piattaforma che tiene insieme il principio di realtà e il rispetto del diritto internazionale. L’Italia dovrebbe saper leggere meglio quanto sta avvenendo, non alimentando il giudizio superficiale che vorrebbe l’iniziativa di Londra soprattutto il tentativo di leader indeboliti al proprio interno di recuperare centralità sul piano internazionale. È una valutazione miope che non coglie il problema. Nel caso dell’Ucraina l’iniziativa è piuttosto il frutto del lavoro delle principali diplomazie europee, consolidatosi nel tempo e che risponde a una constatazione sempre più evidente: la sicurezza europea non può essere affrontata senza una forte assunzione di responsabilità da parte degli europei stessi. Occorre perciò puntare a ricostruire un formato E5 o E6 (con Italia, Polonia e Spagna) e concepire in termini concreti il contributo che il nostro Paese intende offrire alla costruzione di una posizione europea più coesa per l’Ucraina, e questo potrà già avvenire dai prossimi vertici, come il G7 previsto dal 15 al 17 giugno a Évian in Francia. La leadership dell’Italia ha il peso della responsabilità di unirsi senza esitazioni alla convergenza strategica di cui in questo momento ha bisogno la diplomazia dell’ Unione Europea
Iran–Israele–Stati Uniti: i rischi di escalation incontrollata del conflitto
Parallelamente, il Medio Oriente dovrà rappresentare l’ altro ambito di intervento, vista l’ultima escalation dello scontro tra Stati Uniti e Iran, i nuovi attacchi iraniani sui Paesi Arabi, l’ostinazione di Netanyahu sul fronte libanese. Le interconnessioni con i fronti iraniano e libanese, con le dinamiche della crisi palestinese e con la sicurezza delle rotte energetiche nel Golfo Persico stanno indirizzando il conflitto in progressiva escalation sul piano globale, con tutte le conseguenze umanitarie per i popoli della regione e le ripercussioni che in Europa i cittadini stanno pagando in termini di aumento dei costi delle materie prime e dei flussi energetici. Anche per l’imprevidibilità di Trump – che ora ha rilanciato lo scontro finale, deciso a ottenere un risultato in vista delle elezioni di midterm – la guerra non si presenta ancora come un evento lineare, ma come un processo frammentato e potenzialmente auto-rinforzante, nel quale la soglia tra contenimento e allargamento resta costantemente instabile.
L’Europa non può rimanere semplice spettatrice: dal G7 al G20, all’Onu e anche con altre intese multilaterali può promuovere un immediato cessate il fuoco tra tutte le parti coinvolte e individuare un nucleo qualificato di mediatori internazionali incaricati di guidare un processo credibile di de-escalation. Sulla questione del programma nucleare iraniano occorre affidare all’Agenzia Internazionale per l’Energia Atomica la mediazione e le funzioni di verifica indipendente e di supervisione tecnica che le competono. Per il Libano, e in particolare per il ruolo di Hezbollah, la prospettiva di stabilizzazione richiede percorsi progressivi di disarmo verificabile e il rafforzamento del mandato delle Nazioni Unite sul terreno. In parallelo, sulla dimensione umanitaria e dei diritti fondamentali, il sistema multilaterale deve riaffermare con maggiore forza i propri strumenti di tutela, attraverso il rafforzamento degli organismi delle Nazioni Unite, a cominciare dalle Forze di pace dell’Onu e dall’Alto Commissario per i diritti umani, oltre che per le altre agenzie collegate.
L’Europa nella competizione tra grandi potenze
In questa prospettiva allora è bene chiarire come muoversi in Europa. Mentre Stati Uniti, Federazione Russa e Cina ridefiniscono gli equilibri globali secondo logiche di potenza e di competizione sistemica, l’Europa rischia ancora di restare priva di una chiara postura strategica autonoma. Resta un punto centrale da chiarire: come sancito dalla Costituzione, le decisioni sulla collocazione internazionale dell’Italia non possono essere prerogativa esclusiva dell’esecutivo. È necessario un dibattito più ampio che coinvolga il Parlamento, il Capo dello Stato e le altre Istituzioni di garanzia, e dunque la società civile e il mondo accademico. La comparazione con altre esperienze europee, ed anche oltre l’Europa, evidenzia come il dibattito strategico possa essere alimentato anche a livello culturale, contribuendo a una maggiore consapevolezza collettiva delle trasformazioni in atto. Occorre prendere d’esempio quanto accaduto in Finlandia, dove lo stesso capo dello Stato Alexander Stubb ha aperto un ampio dibattito con la pubblicazione del saggio “Il triangolo del potere. Dall’egemonia dell’Occidente al nuovo ordine mondiale”. Stubb ha lanciato un monito: di fronte ad una competizione tra blocchi sempre più fluida, l’ Europa ha necessità di sviluppare la cooperazione anche oltre le tradizionali alleanze, guardando principalmente al Resto del Mondo (Canada, Giappone, Australia, etc.) e al Global South in particolare (Unione Africana, India, Brasile, paesi del Golfo, ecc.) rispetto a chi propone nuovi domini. Quest’area del mondo, da un lato percepisce ora lo sfruttamento e la “trappola del debito” cinese, dall’altro si vede alienata dagli Usa per le politiche tariffarie, le dinamiche neocoloniali delle grandi imprese, oltre che per le scelte bellicistiche di cui subisce le pesanti conseguenze umanitarie ed economiche e per il progressivo ridimensionamento degli aiuti allo sviluppo. La crescente competizione tra blocchi e l’emergere di un “Sud globale” sempre più rilevante impongono dunque all’Europa di ripensare le proprie alleanze e le proprie priorità strategiche, superando una logica esclusivamente dipendente dalle tradizionali architetture transatlantiche. In sostanza di tratta delle stesse tesi sostenute dal premier canadese Mark Carney al Forum di Davos: le “middle powers” devono rafforzare la cooperazione tra loro e costruire nuove coalizioni fondate su interessi e valori condivisi, per evitare di essere schiacciate dalla crescente rivalità tra le grandi potenze, contribuire alla definizione di un ordine internazionale equilibrato e multipolare, premessa necessaria per promuovere concreti processi di pace.
Per una governance della pace: Mediterraneo, Europa e architetture multilaterali
In tale scenario, l’Italia può ambire a svolgere un ruolo di media potenza responsabile, valorizzando la propria tradizionale funzione di ponte economico, politico e culturale nel Mediterraneo allargato. Questa postura implica però una chiara assunzione di responsabilità europea e il superamento di derive antieuropee che, indebolendo la coesione dell’Unione, riducono la capacità complessiva dell’Europa di incidere sulle trasformazioni dell’ordine internazionale. La costruzione di una strategia esterna coerente richiede infatti una maggiore integrazione politica e una visione condivisa dei beni strategici europei, a partire dalla stabilità regionale e dalla difesa del diritto internazionale.
Su questa base, l’ipotesi di una iniziativa diplomatica strutturata assume una rilevanza crescente. In presenza di una domanda diffusa di riduzione dell’escalation globale, l’Europa potrebbe farsi promotrice di una Conferenza internazionale per la pace, concepita non soltanto come tavolo negoziale tra Stati, ma come spazio politico più ampio di ridefinizione delle condizioni della convivenza internazionale. In concreto, una Conferenza per la pace può nascere da una iniziativa congiunta dei Capi di Stato e di Governo europei che poi si estenda ai Paesi del Mediterraneo, cerniera tra Nord e Sud del mondo, e farsi proposta globale coinvolgendo gli altri continenti nel contesto delle Nazioni Unite. L’obiettivo potrebbe puntare dunque alla definizione di una Carta della pace, intesa come documento al tempo stesso normativo e programmatico. Essa potrebbe includere principi essenziali quali la cessazione delle ostilità e l’avvio di negoziati nei principali teatri di crisi, il divieto dell’aggressione come strumento di politica internazionale, la riduzione progressiva degli arsenali e il rafforzamento dei regimi di non proliferazione, insieme al consolidamento della diplomazia preventiva e dei meccanismi di cooperazione allo sviluppo. In questo quadro rientra anche la gestione delle dinamiche migratorie, che non può essere affrontata esclusivamente in chiave securitaria, ma richiede politiche di investimento nei Paesi di origine, sostegno ai processi di stabilizzazione e una valutazione realistica del contributo dei lavoratori migranti alle economie europee.
Un ulteriore asse di questa prospettiva riguarda il dialogo tra tradizioni religiose e culturali, che può contribuire alla costruzione di un linguaggio condiviso della pace. Il coinvolgimento delle leadership religiose, in particolare, può rafforzare la dimensione etica della cooperazione internazionale, favorendo la creazione di reti di fiducia transnazionali. In questa direzione si inserisce l’idea più volte richiamata da Papa Leone XIV: «Se volete la pace, preparate istituzioni di pace…. la costruzione della pace è un compito affidato a tutti».
In conclusione, sul piano storico le grandi conferenze internazionali dimostrano come dopo grandi fasi di conflitto sistemico sono seguiti i momenti di ridefinizione dell’ordine globale. Dalle esperienze europee dell’età moderna fino ai negoziati del secondo dopoguerra, la diplomazia multilaterale ha rappresentato uno strumento essenziale di ricostruzione della legalità internazionale. L’Europa, in particolare, porta con sé la memoria delle più alte forme di distruzione politica e militare del Novecento, ma anche l’esperienza unica di un processo di integrazione fondato sulla progressiva sostituzione della forza con la regola. È proprio questa traiettoria storica a conferire al continente una responsabilità specifica nella fase attuale. La sfida consiste nel trasformare nuovamente la competizione tra attori in forme regolamentate di cooperazione, rafforzando gli strumenti del diritto internazionale e contenendo le dinamiche di militarizzazione delle crisi. In ultima analisi, abbiamo ancora una traccia da percorrere, che rimane un riferimento universale: la Carta delle Nazioni Unite, nata dopo le grandi tragedie di due guerre mondiali. È il caso di richiamare i suoi passi salienti, che sintetizzano gli impegni fondamentali assunti alle Nazioni Unite: gli Stati furono infatti «decisi a salvare le future generazioni dal flagello della guerra, a riaffermare la fede nei diritti fondamentali dell’uomo, nella dignità e nel valore della persona, nell’eguaglianza dei diritti di uomini e donne e delle nazioni grandi e piccole». E ancora «a creare le condizioni per mantenere la giustizia e il rispetto degli obblighi internazionali, a promuovere il progresso sociale e un più elevato tenore di vita, a praticare la tolleranza e vivere in pace in rapporti di buon vicinato, a unire le forze per mantenere la pace e la sicurezza internazionale». Occorre che questa scelta trovi finalmente attuazione concreta, grazie a un’azione politica responsabile e lungimirante dei suoi leader: è questa l’unica via possibile perché dall’Europa parta una risposta credibile, senza ulteriori rinvii, alla domanda di pace dell’umanità
L’Unione ha dato il via libera all’apertura di centri di rimpatrio fuori dal suo territorio. Una scelta sostenuta dall’estrema destra e criticata dalle organizzazioni per la difesa dei diritti umani. Il video Leggi
Why do some governments consistently turn long-term goals into visible results while others struggle to move beyond policy announcements? The answer often lies not in ideology and planning but in governance: the ability to identify priorities, coordinate action and sustain implementation.
As the Hong Kong government begins a public consultation on its first five-year plan, that question deserves careful attention.
The city is not short of ideas, research and innovative policy proposals. Yet some...
The Hong Kong government has said it is open to making a controversial labour importation scheme permanent, with tighter hiring rules for the catering industry and stiffer penalties for non-compliant employers to take effect on Tuesday.
Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said on Monday that the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS), launched in September 2023 for 26 low-skilled job categories, would be amended following an extensive review and remain in effect.
“Have we made the...
By many historical accounts, the Ming dynasty’s doom was sealed when Li Zicheng, the leader of a peasant rebel army, invaded Beijing in 1644.
Less than 24 hours after the rebel forces breached Beijing’s inner defences, Chongzhen, the Ming dynasty’s emperor, hanged himself on Jing Hill behind the Forbidden City. The moment marked the end of 276 years of Ming rule.
The Ming dynasty’s eunuch dictatorship, factionalism among civil officials, devastating peasant uprisings and the rise of the Manchus...
By many historical accounts, the Ming dynasty’s doom was sealed when Li Zicheng, the leader of a peasant rebel army, invaded Beijing in 1644.
Less than 24 hours after the rebel forces breached Beijing’s inner defences, Chongzhen, the Ming dynasty’s emperor, hanged himself on Jing Hill behind the Forbidden City. The moment marked the end of 276 years of Ming rule.
The Ming dynasty’s eunuch dictatorship, factionalism among civil officials, devastating peasant uprisings and the rise of the Manchus...
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has urged hotels and online booking platforms to clearly outline their responsibilities in cases of reservation changes or refunds, after general complaints neared an annual average of 1,000 over the past three years.
The Consumer Council also said on Monday that it had received 3,346 complaints about lodgings in the city since 2023, with 2,670 coming from non-local travellers.
For the larger figure, about 58 per cent involved the termination and amendment of...
A new shelter for distressed Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong is ready but awaiting official approval to open, with the Philippines’ labour minister describing the Tai Po villa as “bigger, better and more comfortable” than its predecessor.
Hans Leo J. Cacdac, secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers, told the South China Morning Post that the new shelter was ready, while the labour attaché at the Philippine consulate, Cesar L. Chavez Jnr, provided further details.
Cacdac made a brief...
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government planned to bar children under 16 from social media, following similar efforts in Australia and elsewhere.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government planned to bar children under 16 from social media, following similar efforts in Australia and elsewhere.
A stone’s throw from the barbed wire and minefields that separate the two Koreas, thousands gathered for a music festival this weekend to sing about peace in a place synonymous with conflict.
The DMZ Peace Train Music Festival, named after the demilitarised zone that has separated the neighbours for seven decades, gathered artists and fans from around the world.
It was the seventh instalment since the inaugural festival was held in 2018 under the slogan: “Let’s dance for a world without...
The stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon was found guilty of two counts of rape, one count of domestic violence and other crimes and sentenced to four years in prison, after a seven-week trial that has further dented the royal family’s once picture-perfect image.
Oslo District Court ruled that 29-year-old Marius Borg Hoiby, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Haakon in 2001, was guilty of two counts of rape including one in the basement of the crown prince’s...
The stepson of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon was found guilty of two counts of rape, one count of domestic violence and other crimes and sentenced to four years in prison, after a seven-week trial that has further dented the royal family’s once picture-perfect image.
Oslo District Court ruled that 29-year-old Marius Borg Hoiby, who joined the royal family when his mother Mette-Marit married Haakon in 2001, was guilty of two counts of rape including one in the basement of the crown prince’s...
A Mexican man who led an engineering guild has apologised after losing his position over a video showing him making a racist gesture at a South Korean fan during a World Cup match in Guadalajara.
Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes came under fire after he was seen pulling at the corners of his eyes – a gesture derogatory towards people of Asian descent – in a video posted by South Korean influencer Yoon Su-jin.
Yoon, a YouTuber whose creator handle is InoCat, captured Bernal, who was wearing...
For much of Malaysia’s post-independence history, Malay voters largely faced a binary choice: Umno, the oldest Malay nationalist political party that governed the country for more than six decades until 2018, or the Islamist Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS).
But with two state elections fast approaching, a bevy of breakaway parties flying variations of the same nationalist flag are all chasing those same 13 million or so Malay votes.
The newest entrant arrived on Saturday, when former home...
Hong Kong developer Lai Sun Development, chaired by businessman Peter Lam Kin-ngok, who also chairs the city’s Tourism Board, has launched an exchange offer for its outstanding US$493 million worth of 5 per cent guaranteed notes due July 2026, in an effort to relieve short-term liquidity pressures, the company said Monday in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Eligible noteholders can swap their existing holdings for new, US dollar-denominated senior guaranteed notes carrying an 8 per cent...
Police shot and killed an Australian child in eastern Pakistan, authorities said, with Canberra calling on Monday for an investigation into the incident that also wounded two of the girl’s family members.
Police in Pakistan’s most populous eastern province, Punjab, said that officers responding to a robbery exchanged fire with the suspects who were holding the passengers of a family’s car at gunpoint on Wednesday.
“In the ensuing chaos, the officer involved mistakenly assessed that the suspects...
The United States, Iran and their mediator Pakistan each announced on Sunday that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement intended to end the conflict between them that has lasted more than 100 days.
Writing on social media on Sunday, US President Donald Trump stated: “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region.”
Representatives for the warring countries said they would formally sign a document in Switzerland on Friday that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council...
The United States, Iran and their mediator Pakistan each announced on Sunday that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement intended to end the conflict between them that has lasted more than 100 days.
Writing on social media on Sunday, US President Donald Trump stated: “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region.”
Representatives for the warring countries said they would formally sign a document in Switzerland on Friday that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council...
The United States, Iran and their mediator Pakistan each announced on Sunday that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement intended to end the conflict between them that has lasted more than 100 days.
Writing on social media on Sunday, US President Donald Trump stated: “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region.”
Representatives for the warring countries said they would formally sign a document in Switzerland on Friday that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council...
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.
Hong Kong’s weather will remain unstable in the coming days before turning bright on Friday for the Dragon Boat Festival and into the weekend, according to the Observatory.
The forecaster said that under the influence of an active southwest monsoon and a trough of low pressure, showers would be heavy at times on Tuesday.
“The weather is expected to remain...
A bishop reported that many holy items had been recovered from the church, at the site of the Perchersk monastery, a revered place for the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox faiths.
A bishop reported that many holy items had been recovered from the church, at the site of the Perchersk monastery, a revered place for the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox faiths.
A Chinese man climbed out of his 27th-floor flat after eating self-cooked jianshouqing mushrooms at home and having hallucinations.
The man, surnamed Xue, from southwestern China’s Yunnan province, said he believed his family was inviting him to “train himself to cross the tribulation and attain immortality”, a practice often seen in Chinese fantasy novels.
Xue said he unconsciously clambered out of the window of his flat and climbed down a water pipe, scratching his belly as he did so.
Luckily,...
A 21-year-old woman who died in dramatic fashion, when two rope jumping instructors threw her from a bridge without first harnessing her to security equipment, was buried on Sunday in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was going rope jumping on Saturday at Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned bridge in the municipality of Limeira where tourists practice extreme sports.
The young woman, who aspired to become a physical education teacher, had asked to be launched from the...
A 21-year-old woman who died in dramatic fashion, when two rope jumping instructors threw her from a bridge without first harnessing her to security equipment, was buried on Sunday in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was going rope jumping on Saturday at Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned bridge in the municipality of Limeira where tourists practice extreme sports.
The young woman, who aspired to become a physical education teacher, had asked to be launched from the...
A bishop reported that many holy items had been recovered from the cathedral, at the site of the Perchersk monastery, a revered place for Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox faiths.
Hong Kong aims to publish its first five-year blueprint in the third quarter of this year, the city’s constitutional affairs chief has said, as authorities began a public consultation and rejected concerns that the move signalled a shift towards a planned economy.
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa launched the two-month consultation on Monday, unveiling a 32-page overview that listed the Northern Metropolis megaproject as the first of six core sections.
Tse...
The Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Gaza war has surpassed 73,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as Israeli military operations continue despite a stalled and fragile ceasefire in place since October.
Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks.
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire, the health ministry said on Sunday. Five Israeli soldiers have...
The Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Gaza war has surpassed 73,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as Israeli military operations continue despite a stalled and fragile ceasefire in place since October.
Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks.
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire, the health ministry said on Sunday. Five Israeli soldiers have...
Alissa Pavia è Nonresident Senior Fellow presso il programma Middle East dell’Atlantic Council, Research Program Leader del Centro Studi Geopolitica.info e Junior Fellow di Aspen Institute Italia. Ha lavorato per cinque anni presso l’Atlantic Council a Washington D.C., dove ha codiretto il programma Nord Africa e si è occupata principalmente di sicurezza nel Mediterraneo allargato, dinamiche politico-strategiche nordafricane, competizione tra grandi potenze e implicazioni per gli interessi euro-atlantici. In precedenza ha maturato esperienze presso l’Assemblea Parlamentare della NATO, le Nazioni Unite e l’European Foundation for Democracy. È laureata in Scienze Internazionali e Istituzioni Europee presso l’Università degli Studi di Milano e ha conseguito una laurea magistrale alla Johns Hopkins University – School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Attualmente sta completando un secondo master in Middle East Policy Studies presso il Washington Institute.
Il tema centrale dell’intervista è l’evoluzione delle relazioni tra Arabia Saudita e Turchia, attualmente interessate da un significativo processo di trasformazione e riavvicinamento. L’analisi prende in esame diversi aspetti di questo rapporto, a partire dall’impatto del conflitto in Iran e dalle sue ripercussioni sugli equilibri regionali. Successivamente, l’attenzione si concentra sull’evoluzione delle relazioni turco-saudite alla luce del dossier libico e delle dinamiche che coinvolgono anche gli Emirati Arabi Uniti. L’intervista, inoltre, approfondisce il ruolo degli Stati Uniti nei rapporti tra Turchia, Arabia Saudita ed Emirati Arabi Uniti e viene evidenziato il peso della strategia americana negli attuali processi di riallineamento regionale.
Come sono cambiate le relazioni tra Arabia Saudita e Turchia negli ultimi anni alla luce dell’ascesa dell’Iran come attore regionale e delle recenti tensioni in Medio Oriente? E in che misura la percezione della minaccia iraniana ha favorito il riavvicinamento tra Ankara e Riad, nonostante le profonde divergenze che avevano caratterizzato i loro rapporti dopo le Primavere arabe?
L’Arabia Saudita e la Turchia si stanno muovendo con grande cautela sulla questione iraniana. Hanno priorità diverse: la Turchia considera prioritaria la stabilità regionale e il mantenimento di un Iran quanto più stabile possibile, perché un collasso del regime comporterebbe un forte aumento di rifugiati verso il suo territorio. Per Riyad, invece, l’obiettivo principale è la caduta del regime attuale. Detto questo, la situazione attuale – con la chiusura dello Stretto di Hormuz e la strategia attuale americana (un engagement di media intensità invece di un intervento deciso stile Iraq 2003) – riduce il livello di sicurezza percepita dall’Arabia Saudita.
Esiste comunque una convergenza strategica importante: sia Ankara che Riyad hanno interesse a contenere l’Iran. Nessuno dei due vuole un Iran nucleare. Anche nel caso in cui il regime iraniano non dovesse cadere, i leader turco e saudita convergono sulla necessità di limitarne l’influenza regionale e le sue capacità militari.
Tuttavia, è ancora troppo presto per definire chiaramente quale ruolo abbia avuto e avrà la guerra in Iran nel riavvicinamento tra Riyad e Ankara. Riyad rimane fortemente dipendente dagli Stati Uniti per la propria sicurezza, ma si sta aprendo alla possibilità di una maggiore convergenza nel settore della difesa con la Turchia, grande esportatrice di droni.
Turchia e Arabia Saudita hanno sostenuto schieramenti diversi nel conflitto libico, ma negli ultimi anni le loro relazioni bilaterali sono migliorate sensibilmente. In che modo questo riavvicinamento tra Ankara e Riyad si riflette sulle dinamiche del rapporto tra Turchia ed Emirati Arabi Uniti in Libia?
In Libia, Arabia Saudita e Turchia risultano sempre più allineati. Se in passato seguivano traiettorie opposte – con Ankara che sosteneva il governo di Tripoli ad ovest e Riyad che appoggiava Haftar e l’est – negli ultimi anni Riyad si è progressivamente spostato verso l’ovest. Questa mossa, però, non è stata determinata dal riavvicinamento con la Turchia, bensì dal fatto che i sauditi non puntano più su Haftar. Riyad e Abu Dhabi si trovano su fronti opposti in Libia, così come accade in Sudan e Yemen. Ankara sta cercando di mantenere un equilibrio strategico tra i due Paesi del Golfo: da un lato non può permettersi di alienare gli Emirati Arabi Uniti, con i quali ha importanti interessi economici e di integrazione regionale; dall’altro mostra un allineamento maggiore con Riyad. La ragione di fondo è che Turchia e Arabia Saudita condividono una visione simile sulla Libia: entrambe preferiscono il rafforzamento del potere centrale per garantire stabilità nel Paese. Gli Emirati, al contrario, puntano maggiormente sulla frammentazione regionale. Recentemente la Turchia si sta esponendo anche sul fronte orientale: sono stati individuati droni turchi nelle zone controllate da Haftar, segnale di un parziale riavvicinamento tra Ankara ed Haftar motivato soprattutto da interessi economici ed energetici, in particolare il mantenimento del corridoio energetico tra Libia e Turchia. Questo movimento ha favorito anche un parziale riallineamento con gli Emirati. Tuttavia, Ankara manterrà probabilmente una certa distanza da Abu Dhabi in Libia, privilegiando il rapporto con Riyad. I due Paesi condividono una visione più simile sulla stabilità regionale e, rifacendosi entrambi a buoni rapporti con l’amministrazione Trump, la Turchia considera l’Arabia Saudita un polo più forte e strategico rispetto agli Emirati nell’orbita americana.
In che modo il ritorno di Donald Trump alla Casa Bianca sta influenzando le relazioni tra Turchia, Arabia Saudita ed Emirati Arabi Uniti? Quali sono gli interessi strategici degli Stati Uniti nella regione e come si riflettono sulle dinamiche di cooperazione e competizione tra questi attori regionali?
L’amministrazione Trump ha un impatto decisamente positivo sulle dinamiche tra questi Paesi. A differenza di Biden, che aveva assunto posizioni molto antagoniste nei confronti dell’Arabia Saudita, Trump è vicino sia a Mohammed bin Salman che a Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. L’interesse strategico americano è chiaro: Washington vuole partner forti e affidabili nella regione, capaci di condividere responsabilità di sicurezza. Gli USA perseguono una linea di disimpegno militare parziale, ma mantengono un forte impegno diplomatico e politico. L’obiettivo è coltivare rapporti solidi con potenze stabili ed emergenti, anche a costo di qualche screzio con alleati tradizionali come Israele.
Sia la Turchia che l’Arabia Saudita auspicano il mantenimento di una presenza americana nella regione, ritenendola essenziale per la stabilità, soprattutto come deterrente nei confronti dell’Iran.
Sul fronte turco, la questione curda ha visto un parziale miglioramento grazie all’accordo mediato dagli americani con i siriani (in particolare dell’inviato statunitense Tom Barrack, ambasciatore in Turchia), che ha escluso le milizie curde siriane da alcuni equilibri di potere: un esito visto positivamente da Erdoğan.
Gli Stati Uniti mantengono rapporti molto forti con gli Emirati Arabi Uniti, ma stanno privilegiando chiaramente il rapporto con Riyad. Questo approccio riflette anche fattori personali: l’Arabia Saudita fu il primo Paese visitato da Trump nel suo primo mandato e la famiglia Trump ha importanti investimenti nel Regno. Nonostante ciò, Washington evita di inserirsi nelle tensioni tra Riyad e Abu Dhabi.
Riyad e Abu Dhabi, da parte loro, fingono pubblicamente che non esistano problemi tra loro e non chiedono agli USA di prendere posizione ufficiale, consapevoli che Washington non vorrebbe, né potrebbe, scegliere apertamente una parte.
La Corea del Nord, a maggio di quest’anno, ha modificato la propria Costituzione, ristrutturandone numerosi articoli e preamboli. L’intento, secondo quanto riportato dai siti d’informazione della Corea del Sud, sarebbe quello di definire, a livello legislativo e simbolico, i numerosi cambiamenti avvenuti nel contesto nazionale e internazionale, concernenti, in tal senso, l’abbandono della riunificazione tra le due Coree e la centralizzazione del potere da parte di Kim Jong-un negli organi dello Stato e sulle forze nucleari. Inoltre, le recenti variazioni apportate al testo fondamentale indicano la volontà del regime di dipingersi come un’entità statuale normale, eliminando le profonde influenze ideologiche e agiografiche presenti in molti passaggi; a ciò si aggiunge una precisa (ma non esaustiva) enunciazione dei confini nazionali.
I cambiamenti apportati
Andando più in profondità, sono stati circa quindici gli elementi soggetti a cambiamento, modifica o cancellazione. Dal punto di vista simbolico, rilevante è stato il depennamento dei contributi e del ruolo che ebbero Kim Il-sung e Kim Jong-il nella costruzione dello Stato e dei suoi principi politico-ideologici nella prima parte del preambolo. Un’azione concepita, verosimilmente, per consolidare la figura di Kim Jong-un, ora dotato di un culto della personalità e di una produzione concettuale propri, e abolire al contempo le forti profusioni agiografiche presenti nel testo costituzionale. Un’attività simile è stata condotta anche nella seconda parte dell’introduzione, ove sono scomparsi i riferimenti alla “metà settentrionale” della penisola coreana, alla “completa vittoria del socialismo” e ai “tre principi di riunificazione della patria”.
Guardando invece al tema della nomenclatura e del territorio, all’articolo 1 è stata inserita una nuova clausola che specifica il nome dello Stato, ovvero Repubblica Popolare Democratica di Corea, mentre il precedente contenuto è stato integrato nel preambolo del nuovo testo costituzionale. A ciò segue l’articolo 2, riguardante la nuova clausola sui confini nazionali, così ora stabiliti: “a nord con la Repubblica Popolare Cinese e la Federazione Russa e a sud con la Repubblica di Corea, nonché il mare territoriale e lo spazio aereo stabiliti sulla base di esso”. La mancanza di chiarimenti sullo spazio aereo e marittimo ha dato adito ad alcune ipotesi, tra cui l’intenzione, da parte di Pyongyang, d’impiegare la Northern Limit Line (NLL), confine marittimo de facto tra le due Coree imposto dall’armistizio di Panmunjom e mai riconosciuto dal regime nordcoreano, come possibile futura zona diconfronto e ostilità verso Seul.
Per ciò che concerne invece gli organi dello Stato, l’articolo 89 prevede ora il controllo esclusivo delle forze nucleari da parte della Presidente della Commissione per gli Affari di Stato e la possibilità di delegarne l’uso a un organo di comando statale. La stessa Presidenza avrebbe poi nuovi poteri, tra cui la sospensione, la nomina o la rimozione di figure o quadri apicali dello Stato (compresi il Primo Ministro e il Presidente del Parlamento), nonché l’esercizio del diritto di veto e la destituzione dei deputati. Infine, la nuova Costituzione include la priorità della modernizzazione e della scientifizzazione dell’industria della difesa nazionale e la cancellazione di espressioni facenti riferimento alla “gratuità” delle cure mediche, alla libertà “dallo sfruttamento e dall’oppressione”, nonché all’abolizione della tassazione e al non riconoscimento della disoccupazione.
Il nuovo corso degli eventi
La costituzione appena redatta determina, in virtù delle sue modifiche, un netto cambiamento nel modo in cui Pyongyang vede sé stessa e il mondo che la circonda.
Per quanto riguarda la leadership, Kim Jong-un ha nei fatti cementificato la propria figura all’interno del regime e del partito, transitando il paese verso una condizione nella quale, più che il riferimento alle precedenti generazioni, si vuole identificare nell’attuale leader l’odierno stato di sviluppo e ammodernamento del paese, tanto dal punto di vista economico quanto da quello militare e diplomatico. La cancellazione dei riferimenti al padre e al nonno nel testo costituzionale, pertanto, risponde non solo all’esigenza della Corea del Nord di identificare il nuovo corso che il paese ha intrapreso sotto la guida dell’attuale Kim, ma anche a quella della sua normalizzazione. Non più, quindi, una costituzione “socialista e kimilsungista-kimjongilista”, bensì una costituzione essenzialmente nazionale, riflettente il mutamento della percezione che il regime ha e vuole dare di sé: un paese forte e dialogante con le principali potenze, siano esse Stati Uniti, Cina o Russia.
In riferimento, invece, alla questione territoriale, i temi d’interesse sono principalmente due: la riunificazione e i rapporti con la Corea del Sud. Alla luce dell’articolo 2 e di parte del preambolo, senza tuttavia dimenticare le numerose dichiarazioni precedenti, la Corea del Nord ha completamente epurato dal proprio impianto costituzionale ogni riferimento a politiche di “riunificazione della patria”, in virtù di un necessario allineamento con il quadro di riferimento e la prassi attuali, con Pyongyang in netta opposizione a Seul rispetto a nuove proposte di interlocuzione. Ciò nonostante l’ampia disponibilità al dialogo dell’amministrazione Lee rispetto al precedente governo Yoon. L’abbandono della riunificazione risponderebbe tanto a una logica di realpolitik, considerando le difficoltà economiche, politiche e sociali legate all’integrazione di due sistemi estremamente differenti tra loro, con non poche incognite, quanto allo stato attuale della Corea del Nord, caratterizzato dall’applicazione di riforme economiche che, nonostante alcune problematiche, stanno avendo successo, dall’alleanza con la Russia e dalla conseguente crescita economica derivante dall’interscambio con Mosca, senza dimenticare i numerosi fondi illeciti ottenuti attraverso attività cybercriminali. In tale contesto, il riferimento alla “grande unità nazionale”, rappresentativo di uno stato delle cose ormai mutato all’interno e attorno alla penisola coreana, è forse apparso anacronistico.
In relazione al tema nucleare, fattore certamente di rilievo nel dialogo intercoreano, la recente riforma costituzionale, più che alla clausola di “controllo esclusivo” da parte della Commissione per gli Affari di Stato, riguarda la possibilità di delegare l’utilizzo delle armi nucleari ad altri organi di comando statali. L’articolo 89 faceva precedentemente riferimento a un’eventuale possibilità di delega dell’utilizzo delle forze nucleari all’omonimo comando, nell’eventualità che la presidenza della Commissione per gli Affari di Stato fosse colpita per prima dagli eventi bellici in quanto supremo organo esecutivo dello Stato. La modifica andrebbe così non solo a potenziare le capacità di difesa in caso di conflitto, soprattutto in presenza di attacchi immediati miranti alla decapitazione della leadership, ma anche a rafforzare la resilienza delle stesse forze nucleari. Anche in caso di loro abbattimento, come descritto, il compito relativo all’utilizzo delle armi di distruzione di massa passerebbe infatti ad altri enti facenti parte dell’esercito.
Quali risposte da Seul?
Per rispondere a tali nuove sfide, anche Seul pare aver modificato, seppur solo in parte, il suo approccio verso il Nord. L’attuale governo ha predisposto, per tramite del Ministero dell’Unificazione, un insieme di politiche miranti all’implementazione di principi, strategie e iniziative volte alla “coesistenza pacifica” tra Corea del Sud e Corea del Nord, declinando la riunificazione in favore di un rapporto di coabitazione statuale. Tale framework vedrebbe la ripresa e l’istituzionalizzazione dei rapporti intercoreani, la creazione di una base economica condivisa tra Pyongyang e Seul e la denuclearizzazione della penisola. Obbiettivi, questi, che devono però seguire alcuni principi cardine, tra cui: il rispetto per il sistema nordcoreano, evitare l’unificazione tramite assorbimento del Nord da parte del Sud, la non attuazione di atti ostili verso la Corea del Nord.
Intenti che, a loro volta, andrebbero espletati verso iniziative chiave come il risolvimento delle questioni umanitarie causate dalla partizione, una maggiore informazione e partecipazione pubblica sul tema e una più ampia operazione in tema di collaborazione, scambio e mutui benefici derivati da questi ultimi. In concreto, ciò ha significato per la Corea del Sud ridurre le proprie attività di propaganda verso il Nord tramite lo spegnimento degli altoparlanti lungo il 38° parallelo e il tentativo di vietare ai cittadini sudcoreani d’inviare palloni aerostatici oltreconfine contenenti manifesti contro il regime kimista (proposta respinta dalla corte costituzionale); l’utilizzo di un linguaggio più moderato nei confronti del Nord; la volontà di continuare a spingere per il ripristino di progetti di cooperazione, quali il Tumen River Project, il Gaesong Industrial Complex o l’istituzione di cosiddette Peace Economic Special Zone nelle aree interne alla zona demilitarizzata.
Proposte che, però, continuano a trovare il no di Pyongyang. Kim Yo-jong, sorella di Kim Jong-un e Direttrice del dipartimento degli affari generali di partito, sebbene abbia più volte elogiato l’atteggiamento “franco e di larghe vedute” della presidenza Lee, ha confermato come il regime nordcoreano sia intento nella prosecuzione della dottrina dei “due Stati ostili”, osservando inoltre come alla diminuzione delle tensioni non corrisponda un cambio di passo verso la riconciliazione.
Una situazione che, per la Corea del Sud, si fa sempre più complessa. I cambiamenti apportati alla costituzione, oltre a confermare il cambio di paradigma nei rapporti intercoreani, vanno a inscrivere nella legge fondamentale nordcoreana una situazione descritta come di “coesistenza ostile”, diametralmente opposta alla posizione sudcoreana, andando a codificare uno stato di compresenza conflittuale a lungo termine tra due Stati sovrani, se non anche permanente. Allo stesso tempo, l’assenza di formulazione esplicitamente ostili (nella costituzione Seul non è mai effettivamente citata come “Stato ostile”) non escluderebbe l’apertura di un dialogo tra le controparti, sebbene Pyongyang abbia più volte fatto uso della carta diplomatica per ottenere profitto da momentanee fasi di distensione. In tale contesto, inoltre, il supporto economico garantito da Mosca e la più recente visita di Xi Jinping nella capitale nordcoreana, con l’obiettivo di aumentare l’interscambio e il sostegno economico, scientifico e di difesa tra i due paesi, hanno permesso alla Corea del Nord di registrare una crescita economica considerevole per gli standard del paese, trasformando al contempo Kim Jong-un in un attore geopoliticamente rilevante nella regione dell’Asia nordorientale. Scenario che per la Casa Blu significa vedere ridotto il proprio spazio di manovra nel dialogo con il Nord, con il rischio di far decidere ad altre potenze il futuro assetto di una penisola sempre più divisa.
Takaichi in visita in Italia
Pechino stringe il controllo sui dati finanziari
Il premier pakistano Sharif annuncia accordo di pace tra Stati Uniti e Iran
Cina, il vicepresidente del KMT presente al Forum dello Stretto di Fujian
Cina, arrestato cittadino americano esperto di Myanmar con
Complaints about Hong Kong claw machine operators have skyrocketed by more than 760 per cent over the past three years, driven by anger over reportedly misleading displays, rigged settings and poor-quality prizes, the city’s consumer watchdog has said.
Figures shared by the Consumer Council on Monday showed that the number of reported grievances involving claw machines had risen from 16 in 2023 to 49 in 2024, before surging to 138 last year.
Council chief executive Alaina Shum Jiu-fai said the...
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.
5. How to say ‘tomato sauce’ in Cantonese? Miss Hong Kong hopeful sparks debate
2. Chinese team flags life-threatening weakness in Nasa’s Artemis programme
3. Hong Kong intern doctor released on bail, returns to hospital amid police probe
4. China’s universities cut 12,000 ‘obsolete’ degrees amid...
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.
5. How to say ‘tomato sauce’ in Cantonese? Miss Hong Kong hopeful sparks debate
2. Chinese team flags life-threatening weakness in Nasa’s Artemis programme
3. Hong Kong intern doctor released on bail, returns to hospital amid police probe
4. China’s universities cut 12,000 ‘obsolete’ degrees amid...
Across the city, Knicks fans celebrated joyfully after Game 5. But near Madison Square Garden, the scene turned ugly early Sunday as some revelers became violent.
Starbucks stores across South Korea will close for half a day next week for staff to attend a history lesson following a promotional campaign gone awry, the coffee giant said on Monday.
Starbucks Korea, with more than 2,000 stores nationwide, found itself embroiled in public uproar last month when it ran a “Tank Day” promotion evoking a deadly military crackdown on a 1980 pro-democracy uprising.
The day of the reusable cup promotion – May 18 – coincided with the 46th anniversary of the Gwangju...
Four people have been arrested in Malaysia’s southern state of Johor after videos circulating online appeared to show an Indonesian domestic worker being slapped, punched and verbally abused inside a private home.
The footage has renewed concerns about the treatment of Indonesian helpers in Malaysia – where about 60,000 are registered to work in private homes – and prompted calls for Jakarta to intervene.
Two sisters and their husbands, aged 30 to 34, were arrested at a house in Taman Johor,...
The Strait of Hormuz was still largely devoid of shipping traffic in the hours following the announcement of a US-Iran peace deal, as analysts warned it remained uncertain how and when normal operations along the waterway would be restored.
The only vessel moving in the strait on Monday morning was broadcasting its status as a patrol ship, according to data from vessel tracking platform MarineTraffic, as hundreds of commercial ships remained stranded in the region.
A liquefied natural gas tanker...
Il movente della sicurezza nazionale è legittimo. Dati genomici e catene di approvvigionamento costituiscono potenziali armi offensive nelle mani dei paesi avversari. Ma non è escluso che la recente manovra di Washington rappresenti anche un diversivo per scopi strategici più ampi. Fondata nel 2000, WuXi è una multinazionale farmaceutica specializzata in servizi integrati di scoperta, sviluppo e produzione di farmaci e genera oltre il 60% del suo fatturato proprio nel mercato americano, dove è presente con enormi complessi produttivi nel Delaware e in Pennsylvania.
This article was published on June 13, 1991.
Thousands evacuated after massive explosion in Philippines
Volcano’s plume soars 25km
by Michael Bociurkiw in San Narciso
Theresita Santiago and her neighbours dealt with the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines yesterday (June 12, 1991) the only way they could: they grabbed their children and a few belongings and walked 20 kilometres to sanctuary in Olongapo City.
“I’m feeling very nervous right now,” Mrs Santiago said, as her...
This article was published on June 13, 1991.
Thousands evacuated after massive explosion in Philippines
Volcano’s plume soars 25km
by Michael Bociurkiw in San Narciso
Theresita Santiago and her neighbours dealt with the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines yesterday (June 12, 1991) the only way they could: they grabbed their children and a few belongings and walked 20 kilometres to sanctuary in Olongapo City.
“I’m feeling very nervous right now,” Mrs Santiago said, as her...
Japan fans left the stands spotless after their World Cup opener against the Netherlands in Texas on Sunday, saying it was “Japanese culture” to tidy up after themselves.
Spectators stayed behind after the 2-2 draw to make sure they left the stadium as they found it, meticulously picking up litter and stuffing it into blue plastic bags.
It was a habit first learned at primary school, Japan fan Eita Tanaka said.
“We have to think about everyone. Japanese people think that when we use a certain...
Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs will visit the city on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a check on the progress of the Northern Metropolis as part of his itinerary, while sources say the chief executive will join him as he looks into a cross-border technology cooperation platform.
The Hong Kong government announced on Monday morning that Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, would be visiting the city for two days.
“[Xia will] inspect Hong Kong’s...
Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a nighttime bombardment that killed at least 11 people and set fire to a renowned religious site, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials said on Monday.
The attacks on the capital, Kyiv, and the second-largest city, Kharkiv, came after Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke separately by phone with US President Donald Trump on Sunday. The exchange suggests Washington has not...
Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine’s biggest cities in a nighttime bombardment that killed at least 11 people and set fire to a renowned religious site, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials said on Monday.
The attacks on the capital, Kyiv, and the second-largest city, Kharkiv, came after Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke separately by phone with US President Donald Trump on Sunday. The exchange suggests Washington has not...
HSBC and its subsidiary Hang Seng Bank had resumed mobile phone service operations by early Monday afternoon after an outage in the morning locked customers out of their accounts for several hours.
HSBC, the biggest lender in the city with over 7 million customers in Hong Kong, had its mobile banking service interrupted, with many customers complaining they could not log on to the system on Monday morning.
More than 10 HSBC customers contacted the South China Morning Post, saying they were...
In China’s premier coal province Shanxi, a massive project that converts ultra-hard coal waste into high-value industrial materials has begun operations, bringing the country’s zero waste goal for the fossil fuel industry a step closer.
The project – in Gaoping, a county-level city in Shanxi’s southeast – is producing 1,000 tonnes per day of building and industrial materials, including sand and gravel aggregates used in construction, according to the local government.
In an article published in...
In China’s premier coal province Shanxi, a massive project that converts ultra-hard coal waste into high-value industrial materials has begun operations, bringing the country’s zero waste goal for the fossil fuel industry a step closer.
The project – in Gaoping, a county-level city in Shanxi’s southeast – is producing 1,000 tonnes per day of building and industrial materials, including sand and gravel aggregates used in construction, according to the local government.
In an article published in...
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said he is focused on accomplishing much more in the final year of his current term, which he described as a “long period for a lot of things to be achieved” as he shrugged off a question on seeking a second one.
Alluding to the adage “a year is a long time in politics”, Lee deflected the question of extending his tenure for another five years and focused instead on what he saw as ensuring continuity in governance. He was “very positive” on the future of Hong...
I’m still reeling from last week’s tragedy in Hong Kong: a mother and her 12-year-old daughter lost their lives to suicide within hours of each other reportedly following an argument about “education problems”.
While the causes of suicide are complex, the incident should prompt reflection within the education system. For years, many have tried to point out the impact academic pressure without adequate support has on students’ mental health. We have also noted the effect on teachers and parents....
I’m still reeling from last week’s tragedy in Hong Kong: a mother and her 12-year-old daughter lost their lives to suicide within hours of each other reportedly following an argument about “education problems”.
While the causes of suicide are complex, the incident should prompt reflection within the education system. For years, many have tried to point out the impact academic pressure without adequate support has on students’ mental health. We have also noted the effect on teachers and parents....
The case of a seven-year-old Chinese boy who had to be sent to an intensive care unit (ICU) after drinking two iced drinks has triggered a heated online discussion.
The boy from central China’s Henan province was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University recently.
He showed symptoms of stomachache and vomiting, and was diagnosed with acute volvulus, a bowel obstruction resulting from a loop of intestine twisting around itself and its supporting tissue.
A doctor at the...
The Hong Kong government will conduct a consultation on its slew of pro-baby incentives amid persistently low birth rates, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said, noting that delayed marriage and cultural shifts are limiting the effectiveness of such policies.
The number of registered births in Hong Kong hit a historic low of 31,100 in 2025, despite a range of government initiatives aimed at boosting the city’s fertility rate.
The HK$20,000 (US$2,552) newborn baby bonus, introduced in 2023,...
The Abu Dhabi government is fast-tracking its push to extensively tap into China’s technologies, from renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) to robotics, as it pursues a greener economy, according to its energy chief.
Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi department of energy, told the SCMP that his department was in talks with 22 Chinese firms, including Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), during a recent visit to Shanghai, and expected a deepened tie-up with China’s...
The Abu Dhabi government is fast-tracking its push to extensively tap into China’s technologies, from renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) to robotics, as it pursues a greener economy, according to its energy chief.
Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi department of energy, told the SCMP that his department was in talks with 22 Chinese firms, including Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), during a recent visit to Shanghai, and expected a deepened tie-up with China’s...
The Abu Dhabi government is fast-tracking its push to extensively tap into China’s technologies, from renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) to robotics, as it pursues a greener economy, according to its energy chief.
Abdulla Humaid Al Jarwan, chairman of the Abu Dhabi department of energy, told the SCMP that his department was in talks with 22 Chinese firms, including Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), during a recent visit to Shanghai, and expected a deepened tie-up with China’s...
Mariko was a teenager the day she found herself alone in a near-empty carriage with a man who sat across from her, exposed himself and began to masturbate.
Terrified that fleeing or crying out might provoke something worse, she fixed her gaze elsewhere and waited for the next station.
“There was nothing I could do,” said Mariko, now 33, who asked that her family name not be published. “I was terrified that he might attack me, so I kept quiet.”
The memory has never entirely left her. It still...
Shasta County voters had approved a ballot measure that would have heavily restricted voting by mail and imposed photo ID requirements. State officials said the new rules were illegal.
President Trump insisted on Sunday that if Iran failed to reach a final nuclear accord with the United States, he would restart military attacks on Tehran.
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and Hong Kong’s bourse are actively engaging with mining companies in Kazakhstan to explore dual-listing opportunities in the city, following a groundbreaking case last year, the head of the Central Asian country’s special financial zone has said.
AIFC governor Renat Bekturov also said several partnership agreements the body had signed with Hong Kong during Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s visit to Central Asia earlier this month marked an...
Oil prices fell and stocks gained early Monday after Iran and the U.S. reached a deal that may allow more energy and other goods to flow through the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Iran have reached a deal to end their war and will hold an official signing ceremony on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media early on Monday.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly after Sharif made his announcement.
The agreement was struck despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and...
The United States and Iran have reached a deal to end their war and will hold an official signing ceremony on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on social media early on Monday.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete,” US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly after Sharif made his announcement.
The agreement was struck despite an Israeli strike on Lebanon on Sunday that drew criticism from both Iran and...
US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday that a landmark agreement has been reached with Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and end the US naval blockade.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump posted on social media without providing any details of the agreement.
“I hereby fully authorise the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorise the...
US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday that a landmark agreement has been reached with Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and end the US naval blockade.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump posted on social media without providing any details of the agreement.
“I hereby fully authorise the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorise the...
US President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday that a landmark agreement has been reached with Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and end the US naval blockade.
“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump posted on social media without providing any details of the agreement.
“I hereby fully authorise the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorise the...
In Cina negli ultimi mesi, le autorità di Pechino hanno intensificato la stretta contro gli influencer che hanno costruito la propria fama esibendo ville, gioielli, auto di lusso, abiti costosissimi e vite apparentemente irraggiungibili.
La guerra al lusso ostentato è entrata nel cuore dei social, con account bloccati e profili rimossi. Il caso più noto è quello di Wang Hongquanxing, influencer cinese soprannominato da molti il “Kim Kardashian cinese”. Wang è diventato famoso per i video in cui mostrava abiti firmati, diamanti, proprietà immobiliari e uno stile di vita costruito sulla spettacolarizzazione permanente della ricchezza. Secondo diverse ricostruzioni giornalistiche, era arrivato a dire di non uscire mai di casa con addosso meno di 10 milioni di yuan, circa 1,4 milioni di dollari, tra vestiti e gioielli. E così i suoi profili sono spariti dalle principali piattaforme cinesi, tra cui Weibo, Douyin e Xiaohongshu. Altri creator dello stesso tenore hanno subito misure simili; alcuni erano noti per mostrare case di lusso, altri per video girati tra Rolls Royce, borse firmate, animali domestici portati in accessori da migliaia di euro e storie costruite intorno al denaro facile. Il messaggio delle autorità cinesi è stato chiaro: il lusso può esistere, il lusso trasformato in culto pubblico diventa un contenuto da fermare.
La campagna rientra nella linea della “prosperità comune” promossa da Xi Jinping, uno dei concetti centrali della nuova fase politica cinese, nato per ridurre le disuguaglianze, contenere l’eccesso di potere economico privato e riportare le grandi fortune dentro un perimetro più controllato dallo Stato. Negli anni scorsi questa linea ha colpito colossi tecnologici, miliardari, piattaforme digitali, finanza, videogiochi, istruzione privata e spettacolo, e ora tocca anche gli influencer. La giustificazione ufficiale riguarda i valori sociali. Pechino sostiene che l’ostentazione della ricchezza alimenti il materialismo, il culto del denaro e un modello distorto di successo, soprattutto tra i più giovani. Le piattaforme cinesi sono state invitate a rimuovere contenuti che mostrano ricchezza in modo volgare, che promuovono vite artificialmente lussuose per attirare follower e vendere prodotti.
Molti cittadini cinesi hanno accolto positivamente la misura, per una parte dell’opinione pubblica, gli influencer del lusso rappresentano una deriva volgare dei social, fatta di narcisismo e distanza dalla vita reale, e in questo senso, la stretta viene vista come un argine alla pornografia della ricchezza, quella vetrina continua in cui tutto diventa lusso, e invidia; altri osservatori invece leggono la vicenda in modo diverso, il problema degli influencer milionari esiste, la risposta cinese per loro apre una questione più grande: la lotta al materialismo può diventare anche un modo per nascondere le disuguaglianze invece di affrontarle. Far sparire il lusso dai social non elimina la distanza tra ricchi e poveri, forse toglie solo l’immagine dallo schermo.
Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank” fame hopes to build a sprawling data center on the parched shores of the Great Salt Lake. It has become a burning issue in Utah’s looming primaries.
Though electric machines are now standard, the Venezuelan weaver Margarita Mora has clung to a mix of ancestral Indigenous and Spanish practices to create surprisingly modern work.
Darializa Avila Chevalier won the backing of Mayor Zohran Mamdani in her bid to unseat Representative Adriano Espaillat. Then her social media history took center stage.
City parks officials will put about 70 seasonal playground associates in New York City parks this summer to run free games and activities for any young person who shows up.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Pyongyang visit may ultimately be remembered as a turning point in the international debate over North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
While most headlines focused on the visit’s timing and the many pledges made by the two leaders aimed at expanding cooperation, the most significant development may have been what was left unsaid. Throughout the visit, neither side publicly referenced the denuclearisation issue.
On the contrary, Xi called for expanded cooperation in...
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Pyongyang visit may ultimately be remembered as a turning point in the international debate over North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
While most headlines focused on the visit’s timing and the many pledges made by the two leaders aimed at expanding cooperation, the most significant development may have been what was left unsaid. Throughout the visit, neither side publicly referenced the denuclearisation issue.
On the contrary, Xi called for expanded cooperation in...
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Pyongyang visit may ultimately be remembered as a turning point in the international debate over North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
While most headlines focused on the visit’s timing and the many pledges made by the two leaders aimed at expanding cooperation, the most significant development may have been what was left unsaid. Throughout the visit, neither side publicly referenced the denuclearisation issue.
On the contrary, Xi called for expanded cooperation in...
British anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson said he was detained at Heathrow Airport on Saturday and had his phone seized, after a week when he posted heavily online about racist and anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said on social media he was held on Saturday evening for around three hours under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act.
“My phone has been seized by the police,” he wrote. “Please help kick off my legal fund...
A parade up Broadway to City Hall on Thursday will celebrate the team’s N.B.A. championship win, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani will present players with keys to the city.
Jean Ziegler in 2009. A writer, sociologist and politician, he was called Switzerland’s “national troublemaker” by Le Monde in 1997 for his critiques of Swiss society, particularly the banking system.
A plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers planning to spend a sunny afternoon skydiving crashed on Sunday in Missouri, killing all aboard, authorities said.
Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a statement that troopers were at the crash site, helping the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office. The crash happened near Butler Memorial Airport. The small town of Butler has a population of around 4,300 people and is roughly 105km (65 miles) south of Kansas City.
Missouri Highway...
Russia and the United States projected their own centralized views onto Ukraine and Iran, analysts said. As a result, the smaller countries trapped larger ones in a costly confrontation.
Russia and the United States projected their own centralized views onto Ukraine and Iran, analysts said. As a result, the smaller countries trapped larger ones in a costly confrontation.
US Senator Mitch McConnell was admitted to hospital on Sunday, his spokesman said, but there was no immediate information about why he was there or his prognosis.
McConnell, 84, was the longest-serving Senate leader in history before stepping aside from that role while finishing his final term, which ends in January.
“Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning. He is receiving excellent care,” spokesman David Popp said in a statement without elaboration. It was not immediately...
Curaçao qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history. The country’s fans, decked out in blue, came to watch their team take on Germany.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March. At the start of the recent war, he had said that its objective was “to remove the existential threats” to Israel.
Eleven passengers and a pilot were killed after the plane climbed about 100 feet and then crashed to the ground at the Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri, officials said.
At least six people died in Brazil on Sunday after two helicopters collided in western Rio de Janeiro, firefighters said.
The helicopters crashed into the car park of an electric car showroom, igniting a fire that engulfed at least 20 cars.
A statement from firefighters said initial reports pointed to a mid-air collision, adding “six fatalities have been confirmed, all were crew members of the aircraft involved in the accident”.
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said there were “foreign...
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky each held phone calls with US President Donald Trump on Sunday, as Trump marked his 80th birthday and the war in Ukraine remained a flashpoint ahead of this week’s G7 summit.
Putin’s call with Trump lasted just under an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters.
On Ukraine, Ushakov said Trump emphasised the need to end hostilities and stated his readiness to influence European...
China is capable of a direct missile strike on Australia and the threat is growing as Beijing amasses long-range and hypersonic weapons and builds islands in the South China Sea, an Australian think tank said on Sunday.
A Lowy Institute report found the main threat to Australia was from Chinese missiles fired from ships, submarines and a new intermediate-range ballistic missile that could reach the island continent from China.
China’s capacity to strike Australia would grow over the next decade...
China is capable of a direct missile strike on Australia and the threat is growing as Beijing amasses long-range and hypersonic weapons and builds islands in the South China Sea, an Australian think tank said on Sunday.
A Lowy Institute report found the main threat to Australia was from Chinese missiles fired from ships, submarines and a new intermediate-range ballistic missile that could reach the island continent from China.
China’s capacity to strike Australia would grow over the next decade...
Protesters in Geneva clashed with police, set a car on fire and smashed the windows of a bank on Sunday to show their discontent with the G7 group of major advanced economies on the eve of a summit in nearby France to be attended by the group’s leaders including US President Donald Trump.
Environmentalists and feminists joined foes of imperialism, defenders of independent media, supporters of Palestinian rights and others in a lakeside park in Geneva for a march across the Swiss city. A boat...
Gli svizzeri hanno bocciato il referendum che chiedeva di limitare la popolazione del Paese a 10 milioni entro il 2050. Secondo i risultati preliminari, quasi il 55% degli elettori ha votato contro la proposta, mentre il 45% l’ha sostenuta. L’affluenza è stata intorno al 59%, un dato alto per gli standard dei referendum svizzeri.
L’iniziativa era stata promossa dal Partito Popolare Svizzero, l’SVP, la principale forza della destra nazionalista del Paese. Il testo si chiamava “No a una Svizzera da 10 milioni” e chiedeva di inserire un limite costituzionale alla crescita demografica. La Svizzera oggi conta circa 9,1 milioni di abitanti. Secondo le proiezioni, potrebbe raggiungere quota 10 milioni nei primi anni Quaranta.
La proposta prevedeva un meccanismo progressivo, se la popolazione residente permanente avesse superato i 9,5 milioni prima del 2050, governo e Parlamento avrebbero dovuto intervenire con misure più rigide su asilo, permessi di soggiorno e ricongiungimenti familiari. Se la soglia dei 10 milioni fosse stata oltrepassata, la Svizzera avrebbe dovuto rinegoziare o disdire gli accordi internazionali che favoriscono la crescita demografica, compreso l’accordo con l’Unione europea sulla libera circolazione delle persone. Il voto aveva assunto un peso politico molto più ampio della sola questione migratoria; per gli oppositori, il referendum avrebbe potuto trasformarsi in una sorta di “Brexit svizzera”, mettendo a rischio i rapporti economici con l’Unione europea, principale partner commerciale del Paese. La libera circolazione permette alle aziende svizzere, agli ospedali, alle case di cura e a molti settori produttivi di assumere lavoratori provenienti dai Paesi europei. Una rottura avrebbe colpito il mercato del lavoro e l’intero sistema degli accordi bilaterali con Bruxelles.
Il governo federale, il Parlamento, i sindacati e le principali organizzazioni economiche si erano schierati contro l’iniziativa. La loro posizione era chiara, limitare artificialmente la popolazione non avrebbe risolto il problema degli affitti, del traffico o della pressione sui servizi pubblici, mentre avrebbe creato incertezza economica e diplomatica. Anche Economiesuisse, la principale organizzazione delle imprese svizzere, aveva avvertito che il tetto avrebbe indebolito la capacità del Paese di attrarre lavoratori qualificati. Il fronte del sì ha costruito la campagna sulla paura della crescita demografica. Secondo l’SVP, l’immigrazione sta cambiando troppo rapidamente il volto della Svizzera, aumentando la pressione su case, scuole, trasporti e welfare. Gli stranieri rappresentano oggi circa il 28% della popolazione residente. Il partito sostiene che il Paese abbia bisogno di un’immigrazione più contenuta e selettiva.
Il risultato mostra una Svizzera divisa, con un forte sostegno all’iniziativa soprattutto nelle aree rurali, e una resistenza decisiva nelle città. Il “no” ha evitato una crisi immediata con l’Unione europea, ma il 45% raccolto dal sì conferma che il tema dell’immigrazione resta una delle grandi faglie politiche del Paese.
John Sorochan, a turf scientist at the University of Tennessee, has led the yearslong, multimillion-dollar effort to develop perfect playing fields for the 2026 World Cup.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged no further attacks by anyone after Israel’s military said it launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, potentially complicating efforts to finalise a deal to end the US-Iran war. As smoke rose over the Lebanese capital, Lebanese Civil Defense said it retrieved three bodies and six wounded people from the rubble.
Iran threatened a military response, with the foreign ministry saying it holds the US directly responsible for Israel’s ceasefire...
Residents of a luxury home in Hong Kong have lost jewellery worth HK$751,000 after a break-in while they were dining downstairs.
Police received a report of the break-in at 9.50pm on Saturday from a 69-year-old man, the owner of the two-storey house at Greenwood Terrace on Sui Wo Road in Fo Tan.
He said his master bedroom had been broken into and a jewellery box pried open, with 10 necklaces, 15 rings and six brooches missing.
The loss was estimated at about HK$751,000 (US$95,838).
The man said...
A lightning strike at a Hong Kong swimming pool has prompted calls for mandatory closures of outdoor public venues during thundery weather and stronger protection measures.
One day after the incident on Saturday, experts told the South China Morning Post that extra caution was needed at venues such as swimming pools because water was highly conductive and lightning-protection systems were not foolproof.
On Saturday morning, while a thunderstorm warning was in force, lightning struck a diving...
In a packed auditorium steps from the Vatican, Roberto Vannacci – the former Italian army general known to supporters as ‘Il Generale’ – is rallying followers of his fledgling party, casting himself as an outsider while reshaping Italy’s right and challenging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of US President Donald Trump.
Vannacci’s fast-rising “Futuro Nazionale” party is injecting new uncertainty into the conservative bloc that has underpinned Meloni’s government, exposing tensions...
The Hong Kong Observatory issued an amber rainstorm warning on Sunday night and said that unsettled weather was expected to persist over the next few days.
The warning was issued at 9.40pm, signalling that more than 30mm (1.2 inches) of rain had fallen or was expected to fall across the city within an hour.
The alert also indicates that downpours are likely to continue.
The Observatory said that under the influence of an active southwest monsoon and a trough of low pressure, unsettled weather...
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hailed increasing defence cooperation with the UK during a meeting with her British counterpart Keir Starmer on Sunday, amid uncertainty about a new fighter jet programme.
“The UK is a very important partner to Japan given the deepening of ties across a wide range of fields, including security and defence,” Takaichi said as she met with Starmer in London. “Given the GCAP project, I think we have reached a level that we can call a near-alliance,” she said,...
Taiwan has for the first time reported mainland Chinese law enforcement vessels near an island it controls in the South China Sea, a development experts say could form the basis of Beijing’s effective control in the waters.
The move comes after Beijing accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of inaction in the face of Japan-Philippines maritime delineation talks, which could concern exclusive economic zones claimed by Beijing and Taipei.
Two mainland Chinese law enforcement ships –...
Taiwan has for the first time reported mainland Chinese law enforcement vessels near an island it controls in the South China Sea, a development experts say could form the basis of Beijing’s effective control in the waters.
The move comes after Beijing accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of inaction in the face of Japan-Philippines maritime delineation talks, which could concern exclusive economic zones claimed by Beijing and Taipei.
Two mainland Chinese law enforcement ships –...
Although China has no team on the pitch at the 2026 World Cup, the country’s industrial and technological presence is dominating the tournament’s logistics in Mexico.
China has bolstered Mexico’s capacity as a host country with railways and buses, as well as the tournament’s official footballs. And that support comes at a time when the Latin American country is navigating its relations with Beijing amid mounting pressure from Washington.
Among the bigger-ticket items on a long list of support...
The Swiss appeared to have voted down a divisive anti-immigration proposal to cap the country’s population, early projections showed on Sunday.
Shortly after polls closed at noon, initial projections from the GfS.bern institute indicated around 55 per cent opposition to the initiative, which had sparked warnings of “chaos” and devastating impacts for the Swiss economy and European Union relations.
“We are very relieved and happy. This is an important result for our country and for our relations...
Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s flagship property developer CK Asset Holdings has sold a penthouse mansion at a luxury development in Mid-Levels in Central for HK$362 million (US$46.2 million), setting a per square foot price record for first-hand transactions this year.
The 2,911 sq ft unit on the 20th floor of the second phase of 21 Borrett Road went for HK$124,356 per square foot via public tender, according to a statement from the developer on Sunday.
The unit that was sold “boasts an...
The referendum was about limiting migration after the number of residents rose by more than a quarter since 2000, but it was framed around affordability and sustainability.
A citizen casting her ballot on Sunday at a polling station in Bern, Switzerland, amid a vote on a divisive anti-immigration proposal to cap the country’s population and another referendum on restricting access to conscientious objection to military service.
Not long ago, China was the villain of choice in much of India’s public discourse.
The 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, in which both sides lost soldiers in hand-to-hand combat over their disputed Himalayan border, changed Indian public sentiment almost overnight.
From WeChat to TikTok, Chinese apps disappeared from Indian app stores. Investment rules tightened. Television debates grew more jingoistic after arch-rival Pakistan used Chinese-supplied jets and missiles in a three-day conflict with India...
Not long ago, China was the villain of choice in much of India’s public discourse.
The 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, in which both sides lost soldiers in hand-to-hand combat over their disputed Himalayan border, changed Indian public sentiment almost overnight.
From WeChat to TikTok, Chinese apps disappeared from Indian app stores. Investment rules tightened. Television debates grew more jingoistic after arch-rival Pakistan used Chinese-supplied jets and missiles in a three-day conflict with India...
Not long ago, China was the villain of choice in much of India’s public discourse.
The 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, in which both sides lost soldiers in hand-to-hand combat over their disputed Himalayan border, changed Indian public sentiment almost overnight.
From WeChat to TikTok, Chinese apps disappeared from Indian app stores. Investment rules tightened. Television debates grew more jingoistic after arch-rival Pakistan used Chinese-supplied jets and missiles in a three-day conflict with India...
Hundreds of Hong Kong basketball fans packed a Kowloon Bay cinema on Sunday to witness the New York Knicks secure their first NBA championship in 53 years, joined by seven-time ring winner Robert Horry as the franchise ended one of the longest title droughts in professional sports.
Organised by the NBA, the watch party drew fans of both the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, who gathered for the 8.30am Hong Kong time tip-off knowing the series could be decided that morning.
A Knicks victory...
A landlord and a tenant have been arrested after a rental dispute turned violent inside a subdivided flat in Hong Kong.
Police received a report at about 11 a.m. on Sunday that a man had splashed suspected corrosive liquid on another man at a flat in a building on Prince Edward Road West near Portland Street in Mong Kok.
Officers wearing shields rushed to the scene and found a 41-year-old landlord and his 42-year-old tenant scuffling over the lease, during which an unknown liquid was...
A Taiwanese sea search-and-rescue group has called on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together on maritime rescue drills.
Yin Liu-sheng, secretary general of the Taiwan-based volunteer group Chinese Search and Rescue Association, said in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sunday that “maritime search and rescue should remain completely above politics” and that Beijing and Taipei should cooperate “to ensure the safety of life and property of vessels navigating the Taiwan Strait”.
“Maritime...
A Taiwanese sea search-and-rescue group has called on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together on maritime rescue drills.
Yin Liu-sheng, secretary general of the Taiwan-based volunteer group Chinese Search and Rescue Association, said in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sunday that “maritime search and rescue should remain completely above politics” and that Beijing and Taipei should cooperate “to ensure the safety of life and property of vessels navigating the Taiwan Strait”.
“Maritime...
A Taiwanese sea search-and-rescue group has called on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to work together on maritime rescue drills.
Yin Liu-sheng, secretary general of the Taiwan-based volunteer group Chinese Search and Rescue Association, said in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Sunday that “maritime search and rescue should remain completely above politics” and that Beijing and Taipei should cooperate “to ensure the safety of life and property of vessels navigating the Taiwan Strait”.
“Maritime...
In the third of a six-part Health Matters wellness series on cancer in Hong Kong, Elizabeth Cheung looks into the rise in breast cancer cases among women, the changing reproductive and lifestyle patterns behind the trend and what it means for screening and early detection.
After a prolonged battle with breast cancer, actress and former Miss Hong Kong Natalie Ng Man-yan died at the age of 51.
Ng was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and suffered a relapse in 2024, with the disease later...
Group of 7 meetings once embodied the effort to sustain the global diplomatic order. This year’s gathering, starting on Monday, symbolizes its fragmentation.
British armed forces intercepted a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday, for the first time leading an operation to disrupt the oil revenue that helps fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The vessel Smyrtos, sailing under the Cameroon flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency (NCA) officials in the early hours on Sunday, with support from Chinook helicopters and other aircraft, a frigate and a minehunter.
“This successful operation...
Britain’s Defense Ministry said it was the first time that British forces had acted alone to stop a ship in the fleet, a collection of vessels that Russia uses to move fuel and evade sanctions.
After Republicans redrew her district to favor their party, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz decided to run in a nearby historically Black district, pitting her against some Black Democrats in the state.
Russia and the United States projected their own centralized views onto Ukraine and Iran, analysts said. As a result, the smaller countries trapped larger ones in a costly confrontation.
The F.B.I. director, following a strategy from President Trump, has filed six defamation lawsuits against news media companies and commentators in nearly seven years.
Competing for the first time, Curaçao is brimming with joy. Most of the Caribbean nation’s team was born and raised in the Netherlands, but residents say the players represent them.
Soccer players and artists at a celebration this month in Curaçao, a Caribbean island and constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Mr. Trump backed Mr. Collins over Derek Dooley, a former football coach supported by Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican whose relationship with the president is strained.
After a few attempts that didn’t fully connect, the St. Louis singer was ready to walk away, but not before making a raw album of thrashed pop, “Worst Girl in America.”
A materials scientist whose career took him from rural China to California is heading for a post in Macau after 30 years in the United States.
According to the University of Macau’s website, Pei Qibing has been appointed chair professor and director of the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering.
Pei, an emeritus professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, began his studies in a very different world, attending a small rural school on an island in the Yangtze River in...
A materials scientist whose career took him from rural China to California is heading for a post in Macau after 30 years in the United States.
According to the University of Macau’s website, Pei Qibing has been appointed chair professor and director of the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering.
Pei, an emeritus professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, began his studies in a very different world, attending a small rural school on an island in the Yangtze River in...
Britain’s Defense Ministry said it was the first time that British forces had acted alone to stop a ship in the fleet, a collection of vessels that Russia uses to move fuel and evade sanctions.
A powerful earthquake that killed at least 61 people in the Philippines this week raised the seabed by as much as two metres (6.6 feet), exposing coral and harming marine life, the environment department said on Sunday.
The 7.8-magnitude tremor in southern Mindanao island on Monday has also left at least 40 people missing, according to updated tolls from the disaster agency.
Local residents first reported the geological phenomenon known as “coastal uplift” two days after the quake, which...
Group of 7 meetings once embodied the effort to sustain the global diplomatic order. This year’s gathering, starting on Monday, symbolizes its fragmentation.
Russia and the United States projected their own centralized views onto Ukraine and Iran, analysts said. As a result, the smaller countries trapped larger ones in a costly confrontation.
Competing for the first time, Curaçao is brimming with joy. Most of the Caribbean nation’s team was born and raised in the Netherlands, but residents say the players represent them.
Soccer players and artists at a celebration this month in Curaçao, a Caribbean island and constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Securing health insurance for her autistic son in Hong Kong proved distressing for homemaker Sarah*.
The 50-year-old said she approached several insurance companies over about three months, but none could assure her that her son, now 18, would be eligible for cover because of his condition.
Sarah added that the uncertainty and frustration made her hesitant to apply, fearing a rejection by a major insurer could trigger blanket refusals from others.
“There are so many families in Hong Kong with...
Two Chinese football fans were carjacked shortly after arriving in Mexico to watch the World Cup.
The Chinese embassy said one suspect had been arrested while the two victims had returned to China on Friday after less than 48 hours in the country.
State news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday that the two men, identified only by their surnames Wang and Li, had landed at Mexico City International Airport on Wednesday evening.
Two masked motorbike riders held up their car at gunpoint near the...
Two Chinese football fans were carjacked shortly after arriving in Mexico to watch the World Cup.
The Chinese embassy said one suspect had been arrested while the two victims had returned to China on Friday after less than 48 hours in the country.
State news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday that the two men, identified only by their surnames Wang and Li, had landed at Mexico City International Airport on Wednesday evening.
Two masked motorbike riders held up their car at gunpoint near the...
Two Chinese football fans were carjacked shortly after arriving in Mexico to watch the World Cup.
The Chinese embassy said one suspect had been arrested while the two victims had returned to China on Friday after less than 48 hours in the country.
State news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday that the two men, identified only by their surnames Wang and Li, had landed at Mexico City International Airport on Wednesday evening.
Two masked motorbike riders held up their car at gunpoint near the...
Two big issues are bubbling up over Hong Kong’s army of foreign domestic helpers. The whole community will have to sit down and decide how to address them. The first is the availability of places for helpers to congregate safely and freely on their days off without putting too much stress on public facilities, other residents and tourists. The second is figuring out how to provide an acceptable working environment inside the home during hot summer months.
Two underlying trends are adding to the...
Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong have launched a month-long fundraising campaign to support families affected by a recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the southern Philippines, with organisers saying food, drinking water and medicine are urgently needed.
Representatives from the Abra Tingguian Ilocano Society were collecting donations at various locations on Sunday, including outside City Hall in Central, aiming to raise at least HK$20,000 (US$2,550) for affected communities, particularly...
Hong Kong’s older office assets and their struggling landlords could face more challenges as the wider adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by firms in the city leads companies to relocate to newer buildings that better support their requirements, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank.
AI is poised to usher in more changes in Hong Kong’s commercial office space, and landlords may have to act fast to either refurbish their assets or convert them for new uses, said Lee Elliott,...
The sudden viral rise of India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical movement seeking to push young Indians from online protest into politics, has fuelled speculation that it could mark the start of broader youth-led unrest, similar to the uprisings that shook Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.
But while political analysts say the party reflects a deep undercurrent of anger among young Indians, they argue it is unlikely for now to become a mass movement on that scale because it has yet to...
An 18-year-old boy in central China knelt and kowtowed to his adoptive mother after completing the gaokao, thanking her for years of devotion that helped fund his medical treatment.
From June 7 to 9, more than 12.9 million candidates sat China’s fiercely competitive national college entrance examination, or gaokao. Among them was Lele, from Xiangyang in Hubei province.
Outside the exam venue, his adoptive mother, Ye Huanzhi, waited in a red qipao dress, holding sunflowers and his favourite...
In April, a family from the United Arab Emirates – four adults, three children and a nanny – spent about 300,000 yuan (US$44,228) on a seven-day educational and business tour to China.
The trip was nearly cancelled as the Iran war repeatedly disrupted their flights and travel plans, but they eventually arrived in Shanghai.
“Their willingness to make the trip was unwavering,” said Lilian Liu at Middle East-focused tour operator UFOX Travel, who hosted the family. Such clients barely existed a few...
The drowning of two university basketball players in the Philippines has raised concerns about the extreme training conditions and pressures surrounding student athletes in the country’s highly commercialised collegiate sports industry.
Incoming rookie player Rene Baterbonia, 19, and Nigerian student-athlete Divine Adili, 21, died on Monday during a school-sanctioned “team-building activity” in Dipaculao, Aurora, on the east coast of Luzon island.
Both played for the Blue Eagles of Ateneo de...
Hong Kong’s first astronaut is expected to chat with residents from the lofty heights of the Tiangong space station in the next two months, the city’s technology minister has said.
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong also said on Sunday that Hong Kong could formulate a new strategy to better align with the country’s aerospace development.
“I hope that within the next month or two, we can arrange a public dialogue with Lai Ka-ying,” he told a radio programme, referring to...
Hong Kong’s first five-year plan will map out ways to tackle the city’s shortcomings, improve residents’ lives and create better jobs, including through leveraging AI, the finance chief has said ahead of a public consultation on the blueprint.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday that a key task for the plan would be upgrading and transforming the city’s economy, while also vowing to make the Northern Metropolis a “spatial carrier” for emerging and future industries.
“Hong Kong’s...
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis will adopt a multi-focused strategy to drive advances in technology, industry and education, while helping the city overcome its bottleneck in talent attraction.
Lee also said that the megaproject would need early success stories to attract mainland Chinese and international investors, with the Hetao cooperation zone set to be the first such successful draw.
Spanning about 30,000 hectares (74,130 acres) near the border...
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pushed for stronger cross-border transport and trade ties during a visit to Mongolia over the weekend as Beijing sought to anchor the country’s newly formed government within its economic orbit.
“China’s policy towards Mongolia maintains stability and continuity, and has always placed the development of bilateral relations in an important position in its neighbourhood diplomacy,” Wang said during a meeting with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Saturday.
“China...
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pushed for stronger cross-border transport and trade ties during a visit to Mongolia over the weekend as Beijing sought to anchor the country’s newly formed government within its economic orbit.
“China’s policy towards Mongolia maintains stability and continuity, and has always placed the development of bilateral relations in an important position in its neighbourhood diplomacy,” Wang said during a meeting with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Saturday.
“China...
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pushed for stronger cross-border transport and trade ties during a visit to Mongolia over the weekend as Beijing sought to anchor the country’s newly formed government within its economic orbit.
“China’s policy towards Mongolia maintains stability and continuity, and has always placed the development of bilateral relations in an important position in its neighbourhood diplomacy,” Wang said during a meeting with President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Saturday.
“China...
South Korean first lady Kim Hea-kyung remains largely out of the spotlight one year into President Lee Jae Myung’s administration, adopting a low-key public role that contrasts sharply with the high-profile approach of her predecessor, Kim Keon-hee.
Kim Hea-kyung has limited her public appearances and stayed away from political issues – a strategy political observers describe as prudent, given that presidential spouses, despite holding no official constitutional role, can shape public...
A four-month-old baby has died after being discovered unconscious at a home in Hong Kong, prompting police to open an investigation.
The force said on Sunday that it received a report from the boy’s father at 7.15am, who said the baby was found unconscious in bed at their flat in Tin Shui Wai’s Tin Chung Court.
The baby was rushed to Tin Shui Wai Hospital but was later certified dead.
Police said they were investigating the cause of the boy’s death.
In the contest for influence in Southeast Asia, the United States and China agree on one thing: the region is indispensable. Yet beneath the flurry of high-level summits lies a quieter divergence in how each cultivates knowledge about the region.
The US is hollowing out the university-based programmes that have long trained its students in Southeast Asian languages, history and politics. China, conversely, is elevating area studies into a top-tier, state-backed academic field. Beyond a shift in...
Western allies believe Iran has most likely added new-build Russian weapons to its inventory and reconstituted large swathes of its missile arsenal during the eight-week ceasefire, giving the Islamic Republic the firepower to strike back at nearly full strength if hostilities resume.
Tehran has about three-quarters of the munitions it had before the war and can easily build it up further, according to intelligence assessments. That includes unspecified Russian missiles that probably came off the...
Hong Kong authorities have hit out at The Washington Post for making “groundless allegations” about amendments to the city’s home-grown national security law in an editorial, while stressing that foreign businesses have no cause for concern.
The government issued a statement late on Saturday night in response to the American newspaper’s piece titled “Hong Kong’s nightmare gets darker”.
The editorial described as “repressive” the introduction of a mechanism under the Safeguarding National...
Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan’s defense minister, and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, at a naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, in March. The countries have been building up their militaries.
Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan’s defense minister, and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, at a naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, in March. The countries have been building up their militaries.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to push for “further reforms” despite geopolitical risks in the final year of his current term, citing how he had steered Hong Kong through a sustained period of economic growth since taking over in 2022.
Noting how the economy had rebounded strongly, the city leader also said that Hong Kong’s first five-year plan would secure policy continuity while making sure the government’s “attention, energy and resources” would be aligned with national and...
The Chinese legal system is grappling with a surge of artificial intelligence cases, but experts have warned that the lack of a unified legislative framework is hampering efforts to tackle the problem.
In a recent landmark case, a court in the eastern city of Hangzhou ruled against a tech company that had fired one of its workers after he refused to accept a demotion and pay cut, with the company telling him he could be replaced by AI.
The worker had been employed by a fintech firm to evaluate...
The Chinese legal system is grappling with a surge of artificial intelligence cases, but experts have warned that the lack of a unified legislative framework is hampering efforts to tackle the problem.
In a recent landmark case, a court in the eastern city of Hangzhou ruled against a tech company that had fired one of its workers after he refused to accept a demotion and pay cut, with the company telling him he could be replaced by AI.
The worker had been employed by a fintech firm to evaluate...
The Chinese legal system is grappling with a surge of artificial intelligence cases, but experts have warned that the lack of a unified legislative framework is hampering efforts to tackle the problem.
In a recent landmark case, a court in the eastern city of Hangzhou ruled against a tech company that had fired one of its workers after he refused to accept a demotion and pay cut, with the company telling him he could be replaced by AI.
The worker had been employed by a fintech firm to evaluate...
It was a gesture that was equal parts diplomacy and theatre: Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul coaxing a melody out of a traditional Vietnamese t’rung xylophone at a Hanoi state banquet on Monday.
The real music, however, had been made in the meeting rooms.
Two days of talks between Anutin and his Vietnamese hosts produced a pledge to nearly double bilateral trade to US$25 billion within four years – and eventually to double it again. Supply chains would be stitched together across...
Donald Trump celebrates his 80th birthday in a typically forceful style on Sunday, as the oldest US president ever to take office holds a bloody cage match on the White House lawn.
The unprecedented “UFC Freedom 250” event will see 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship stars beat each other to a pulp in a giant arena called The Claw.
Costing US$60 million, it is linked to this year’s festivities for the 250th anniversary of US independence, but it also happens to fall on the day that Trump enters...
What began as an internal personnel dispute at the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation has evolved into an increasingly bitter and publicly fought battle that is engulfing the former Taiwanese leader whose political legacy it is meant to preserve.
Allegations of financial misconduct at Ma’s foundation have spiralled into criminal complaints, publicly traded accusations among long-time allies and an unprecedented intervention by his family.
The dispute has also raised broader questions about Ma’s health,...
What began as an internal personnel dispute at the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation has evolved into an increasingly bitter and publicly fought battle that is engulfing the former Taiwanese leader whose political legacy it is meant to preserve.
Allegations of financial misconduct at Ma’s foundation have spiralled into criminal complaints, publicly traded accusations among long-time allies and an unprecedented intervention by his family.
The dispute has also raised broader questions about Ma’s health,...
What began as an internal personnel dispute at the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation has evolved into an increasingly bitter and publicly fought battle that is engulfing the former Taiwanese leader whose political legacy it is meant to preserve.
Allegations of financial misconduct at Ma’s foundation have spiralled into criminal complaints, publicly traded accusations among long-time allies and an unprecedented intervention by his family.
The dispute has also raised broader questions about Ma’s health,...
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s latest message of reassurance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, coming shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang, constitutes a form of strategic hedging, according to observers.
The letter suggested that Pyongyang-Moscow ties were evolving beyond a largely transactional relationship into a firm military alliance, even as North Korea sought to rekindle its traditional “blood alliance” with China, they said.
In a congratulatory message...
The recent enactment of a subsidiary legislation in Hong Kong regarding the appropriate procedure to be followed in cases of non-national security offences involving national security considerations not surprisingly spurred some to revisit the chief executive’s power, granted under the national security law in 2020, to issue a certificate as to whether an act involves issues of national security.
That some people express concern that such an important task is left to the executive and not the...
James M. McDonald, a veteran former federal prosecutor and regulator, has more recently been part of President Trump’s legal team, appealing his criminal conviction.
James M. McDonald is a litigation partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, the law firm handling President Trump’s appeal of his criminal conviction in a Manhattan state court.
Hong Kong is determined to expand into new markets while consolidating ties with traditional partners and “will not give up any markets” despite geopolitical pressures, the city leader has said.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post reviewing his past four years in office, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the United States remained an important market for Hong Kong despite volatile relations between Beijing and Washington, while also stressing the interactions would mostly be...
A Shanghai man who wanted to gain weight spent 10,000 yuan (US$1,500) on online health products he thought would do the job only to end up losing 6.5kg in a month.
The man, surnamed Liu, has trended on mainland social media after his experience was reported by the Shanghai Morning Post.
Liu, a truck driver, who is 1.78m tall and weighs 63kg, always thought he was too thin.
In March, he saw the social media account of an influencer surnamed Chen who shared her knowledge about helping people put...
Indonesia sits at the confluence of the world’s busiest sea lanes. Its coastline stretches nearly 55,000km (34,000 miles) and its waters encompass the Malacca and Lombok straits, chokepoints through which trillions of US dollars in global trade pass annually.
Yet for years the nation’s navy has lacked the subsurface awareness to monitor, let alone counter, what moves beneath the waves.
Japan intends to change that. Tokyo confirmed on June 5 that the two countries had agreed to begin formal talks...
Geely Auto, which is locked in a fierce battle for dominance against BYD in China’s crowded automotive market, has pledged to purge excess capacity through an asset restructuring while ramping up its go-global drive with an eye on greater international competitiveness.
Chairman Li Shufu said during the Chongqing Auto Show on Friday that the Hong Kong-listed carmaker would assess the oversupply of capacity across all units to determine whether to close, suspend, merge or sell redundant production...
The Tren de Aragua leader killed in a US-Venezuelan raid was a high school dropout who lived in comfort behind bars as he transformed a prison gang into one of the most powerful and extensive criminal organisations in Latin America.
Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias Nino Guerrero, or “child warrior”, died at the age of 42 in a raid announced on Friday by US President Donald Trump and later confirmed by Venezuela.
Founded in Venezuela in 2014, Tren de Aragua has been designated a...
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he planned to appoint James McDonald as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the federal prosecutor whose office handles many of the most high-profile cases involving Wall Street.
McDonald would replace Jay Clayton, whom Trump nominated as US director of national intelligence less than two weeks after a congressional backlash against his interim appointee, housing official Bill Pulte.
Trump had tapped Pulte after Tulsi Gabbard, the...
In less than two months, the indie film Dear You has become an unlikely mass hit.
Shot in the Teochew language from the Chaoshan region of southern China’s Guangdong province, the movie follows a man uncovering his family’s past by tracing remittance letters sent home from Thailand.
As he pieces together his grandfather’s life story, the movie also explores Chinese migration to the region and the diaspora’s struggle to preserve its heritage.
In one scene, an elderly schoolmaster risks arrest in...
In less than two months, the indie film Dear You has become an unlikely mass hit.
Shot in the Teochew language from the Chaoshan region of southern China’s Guangdong province, the movie follows a man uncovering his family’s past by tracing remittance letters sent home from Thailand.
As he pieces together his grandfather’s life story, the movie also explores Chinese migration to the region and the diaspora’s struggle to preserve its heritage.
In one scene, an elderly schoolmaster risks arrest in...
In less than two months, the indie film Dear You has become an unlikely mass hit.
Shot in the Teochew language from the Chaoshan region of southern China’s Guangdong province, the movie follows a man uncovering his family’s past by tracing remittance letters sent home from Thailand.
As he pieces together his grandfather’s life story, the movie also explores Chinese migration to the region and the diaspora’s struggle to preserve its heritage.
In one scene, an elderly schoolmaster risks arrest in...
President Trump’s name was removed from the arts institution’s facade overnight on Saturday. Many questions remain, including whether or not it stays off.
The Kennedy Center certified on Saturday that President Trump’s name had been removed from the building, but did not give a clear answer on when the tarps would be removed.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea this week helped to improve Kim Jong-un’s international standing and gave him a “big strategic win”, analysts said.
Pyongyang has become increasingly close to Russia in recent years and has sent thousands of troops to support its war against Ukraine, but Xi’s visit reinforced the long-standing economic and cultural ties between China and North Korea.
It was the Chinese leader’s first foreign trip of the year and came less than a month after he...
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea this week helped to improve Kim Jong-un’s international standing and gave him a “big strategic win”, analysts said.
Pyongyang has become increasingly close to Russia in recent years and has sent thousands of troops to support its war against Ukraine, but Xi’s visit reinforced the long-standing economic and cultural ties between China and North Korea.
It was the Chinese leader’s first foreign trip of the year and came less than a month after he...
Beijing has warned of a resolute response to the Pentagon’s newly expanded blacklist of Chinese companies, accusing Washington of using national security as a pretext to curb the development of Chinese firms.
The warning came after the US Defence Department released its updated Section 1260H list on Monday as required by American law, expanding the roster to 188 entities, up from 134 last year.
The list names what the department says are “Chinese military companies” operating, directly or...
Beijing has warned of a resolute response to the Pentagon’s newly expanded blacklist of Chinese companies, accusing Washington of using national security as a pretext to curb the development of Chinese firms.
The warning came after the US Defence Department released its updated Section 1260H list on Monday as required by American law, expanding the roster to 188 entities, up from 134 last year.
The list names what the department says are “Chinese military companies” operating, directly or...
China should not try to copy SpaceX despite the US company’s successful IPO, a leading economist has said.
The company raised US$75 billion when it went public on Friday and made its chief executive Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
But Shen Yingchun, a professor at Beihang University, told Beijing Daily: “China does not need to and cannot copy SpaceX.”
She said “the strength of the US model is efficiency”, using the market to drive down costs and forcing companies to innovate.
Shen...
In the 21st century race to the moon, there is a question that engineers must ask: what happens when the main engine fails?
China and the United States are answering this in contrasting ways. Their answers could reveal the value they place on human life.
From the Apollo Lunar Module in the 1960s to Nasa’s new Orion spacecraft for the Artemis programme, the American architecture relies on a single, powerful main engine to do the heavy lifting.
On the descent stage, one main engine controls the...
The United States can launch stealth bombers across continents, track missiles from space and deploy forces anywhere on the planet.
But as the nation approaches its 250th birthday next month, studies suggest a more basic question demands attention in Washington: can the military reliably fuel, sustain and connect those forces in a crisis?
From the skies to orbit, two new reports point to vulnerabilities in critical pillars of US power projection at a time of intensifying strategic competition...
Mainland China’s fourth-ranking official has hailed the “enthusiastic” participation of people from Taiwan at a cross-strait forum despite the “obstacles” placed in their way.
The independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party this year tightened restrictions on the Straits Forum in Fujian province, imposing the first outright ban on local officials attending the event. Senior officials had already been prohibited from attending.
Addressing the event on Saturday, Wang Huning, Beijing’s top...
Mainland China’s fourth-ranking official has hailed the “enthusiastic” participation of people from Taiwan at a cross-strait forum despite the “obstacles” placed in their way.
The independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party this year tightened restrictions on the Straits Forum in Fujian province, imposing the first outright ban on local officials attending the event. Senior officials had already been prohibited from attending.
Addressing the event on Saturday, Wang Huning, Beijing’s top...
One of the world’s richest countries is about to hold a referendum on a measure that would curb migration and most likely the economy. It is being sold in warm tones.
Campaign posters ahead of the population cap vote. President Trump’s face is on a no poster, with the slogan, “Now, of all times, a break with Europe?” The yes slogan shown is “Protect Switzerland.”
China activated the world’s first three-band optical fibre communication system early this month, technology that its developers say could expand the carrying capacity of future AI networks.
According to the project team, a single fibre can carry more than five times the traffic of conventional systems, while transmission capacity per core increases by nearly half.
The project, completed in Qingdao in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong, was jointly developed by state-owned...
Nel primo trimestre del 2026 il pil dell’eurozona è diminuito, a causa anche dei pessimi risultati dell’economia irlandese e delle multinazionali che sfruttano i suoi vantaggi fiscali Leggi
La costruzione di un resort di lusso in un’area costiera protetta, in cui è coinvolto Jared Kushner, ha spinto migliaia di albanesi a mobilitarsi e potrebbe compromettere l’adesione dell’Albania all’Unione europea Leggi
Tutto parte da un incontro improbabile avvenuto nei primi giorni di giugno 2026: Sam Altman, CEO di OpenAI, è entrato nell’ufficio di Bernie Sanders al Senato americano e, per circa un’ora, i due hanno discusso di qualcosa che un anno fa sarebbe sembrato fantapolitica, dare al pubblico americano una quota di proprietà nelle più grandi aziende di intelligenza artificiale del paese. La riunione è avvenuta su richiesta di Altman. Questo dettaglio, apparentemente secondario, dice già molto su quanto velocemente stia cambiando il dibattito attorno all’AI e al futuro del lavoro.
Per capire la portata di questo momento, bisogna però tornare al 2020. Andrew Yang costruì la sua campagna presidenziale sull’idea che l’automazione avrebbe svuotato una parte crescente del mercato del lavoro e concentrato la ricchezza in poche mani. Propose un Reddito Universale di Base da mille dollari al mese per ogni americano adulto, venne trattato come un visionario eccentrico, ai margini del dibattito politico. Oggi quelle idee rientrano dalla porta principale, spinte non solo da politici progressisti, ma dagli stessi amministratori delegati delle aziende che stanno costruendo l’intelligenza artificiale.
Il senatore Sanders ora ha risposto all’urgenza del momento con una proposta, ha annunciato l’American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, una legge che creerebbe un fondo sovrano attraverso una tassa una tantum del 50% pagata direttamente in azioni da OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI e dagli altri colossi del settore. La logica che Sanders espone nel testo con cui ha presentato la proposta è semplice: l’intelligenza artificiale è costruita sulla nostra intelligenza collettiva, libri, canzoni, opere d’arte, giornalismo, codice informatico, ricerca scientifica, conversazioni e idee accumulate da generazioni, i giganti tecnologici hanno alimentato i loro modelli con queste conoscenze in gran parte senza permesso, senza riconoscimento, senza compenso; il fondo garantirebbe ai cittadini diritti di voto nelle assemblee aziendali, rappresentanza nei consigli di amministrazione e, alla fine, benefici economici diretti.
La stranezza politica maggiore sta nel fatto che questa proposta riprende argomenti arrivati anche dall’interno dell’industria tecnologica. OpenAI aveva già proposto la creazione di un fondo di ricchezza pubblica capace di dare a ogni cittadino una quota nella crescita economica guidata dall’AI. Anthropic aveva discusso modelli di fondo sovrano nazionale, partecipazioni pubbliche nell’AI e meccanismi di condivisione dei benefici economici. Sanders ha preso quelle idee, le ha portate sul terreno della legge e le ha rivolte contro i protagonisti stessi del nuovo capitalismo dell’intelligenza artificiale, con una certa feroce ironia. La risposta di Anthropic è arrivata a giugno, in forma di impegno concreto: 200 milioni di dollari destinati a un Economic Futures Research Fund per finanziare ricerca, sperimentazioni e valutazioni di politiche pubbliche, più altri 150 milioni per Claude Corps, un programma di borse pensato per aiutare giovani professionisti a diffondere i benefici dell’AI nelle comunità americane. In parallelo, Dario Amodei di Antrhopic ha pubblicato un lungo saggio in cui sostiene che l’AI potrebbe causare perturbazioni al mercato del lavoro molto più grandi e durature rispetto alle precedenti rivoluzioni tecnologiche; ha proposto un quadro a più livelli per la risposta governativa, con scenari di disoccupazione al 5%, al 10% e uno scenario ancora più grave, capace di richiedere misure permanenti come il reddito universale di base, fondi sovrani e forme di condivisione del capitale. Tra le possibili fonti di finanziamento ha indicato anche le tasse sulle stesse aziende AI, compresa la sua. Altman, nel frattempo, si trova in una posizione ambigua, in una recente intervista alla CNBC ha riconosciuto che l’impatto dell’AI sul lavoro è più irregolare e meno lineare di quanto molti immaginassero, ha spiegato che le aziende che adottano di più l’intelligenza artificiale sono spesso anche quelle che assumono di più, mentre alcune imprese che parlano di licenziamenti legati all’AI la usano ancora come spiegazione comoda di processi più complessi. Allo stesso tempo, continua a sostenere l’idea che la ricchezza generata dall’intelligenza artificiale debba essere distribuita in modo molto più ampio. Il punto, per Altman, non è soltanto costruire macchine più potenti, ma fare in modo che potere, ricchezza, opportunità e capacità di scelta non finiscano nelle mani di pochissimi.
I numeri intanto spiegano perché questa conversazione non sia più rinviabile. Nel 2026 i licenziamenti nel settore tech hanno già superato quota 150.000 secondo TrueUp, con altri tracker che collocano la cifra ancora più in alto. Aziende come Cloudflare e Atlassian hanno legato le proprie riorganizzazioni alla corsa verso l’AI e alla trasformazione del modo di lavorare, mentre Meta continua a tagliare personale e allo stesso tempo aumenta in modo massiccio gli investimenti nelle infrastrutture per l’intelligenza artificiale. Nel frattempo, uno studio di Stanford ha rilevato che l’occupazione degli sviluppatori software tra i 22 e i 25 anni è scesa di circa il 20% rispetto al picco di fine 2022. La parabola della distruzione creativa, che nelle vecchie rivoluzioni industriali alla fine produceva nuovi posti di lavoro, questa volta sembra muoversi con una velocità e una profondità che rendono i vecchi paradigmi molto meno affidabili.
Il colpo di scena finale è che anche Donald Trump ha espresso interesse per l’idea, parlando della possibilità che il governo americano ottenga una quota nelle grandi aziende AI e annunciando incontri con i vertici del settore per discutere di come restituire qualcosa al pubblico. L’interesse che attraversa tutto lo spettro politico, da un socialdemocratico come Sanders alla Casa Bianca di Trump, passando per i CEO delle aziende direttamente coinvolte, suggerisce che qualche forma di proprietà pubblica dell’AI potrebbe davvero avanzare nel 2026. Che si chiami reddito universale di base, fondo sovrano, dividendo tecnologico o in qualsiasi altro modo, l’idea di fondo è ormai entrata nel dibattito principale: la ricchezza generata dall’intelligenza artificiale deve tornare almeno in parte a chi l’ha resa possibile, cioè tutti noi.
Quella che fino a poco tempo fa sembrava un’utopia sta diventando, lentamente, senso comune.
L’AUTORE
Igor G. Cantalini – Esperto di comunicazione e marketing digitale di 45 anni, laureato in Scienze della Comunicazione, ha lavorato con brand di fama nazionale e internazionale, specializzandosi successivamente in Intelligenza Artificiale. Scrittore e divulgatore, pubblica articoli su vari temi.
C’è una parte della pesca che non arriva mai sui banchi del mercato, animali protetti, spesso minacciati, che muoiono ogni anno come danni collaterali della pesca commerciale. È ciò che emerge dal nuovo rapporto di Wildlife and Countryside Link, una coalizione britannica di organizzazioni ambientaliste, che ha provato a mettere insieme per la prima volta i dati disponibili sulle catture accessorie nelle acque del Regno Unito. Il titolo del rapporto è “Hidden in the Haul” (nascosto nel bottino), e racconta proprio questo, ovvero ciò che la pesca porta via dal mare senza che quasi nessuno lo veda.
Ogni anno, secondo le stime raccolte nel rapporto, più di 10.000 uccelli marini vengono catturati e uccisi accidentalmente. Oltre 1.000 cetacei, tra focene e delfini comuni, muoiono nelle attrezzature da pesca. A questi si aggiungono circa 500 foche, più di 1.000 salmoni atlantici in pericolo, oltre 120 tonnellate di squali e razze protette. In Scozia, sei megattere e trenta balenottere minori sono state trovate morte impigliate nelle corde delle nasse. Sono animali che non erano il bersaglio della pesca; finiscono nelle reti mentre cercano cibo, restano intrappolati nelle corde, annegano sott’acqua, vengono feriti o soffocano. Gli uccelli marini, tra cui pulcinelle di mare, gazze marine e urie, si tuffano per alimentarsi e restano presi nelle reti da posta, che pendono nell’acqua come tende invisibili. I mammiferi marini restano impigliati negli attrezzi fissi o nelle corde. Sul fondo, draghe e reti pesanti trascinate sul fondale colpiscono specie che non compariranno mai nelle statistiche più visibili della pesca. Secondo gli studiosi che hanno stilato il rapporto la parte più grave è che questi numeri potrebbero rappresentare solo una piccola frazione della realtà; solo una minima parte delle attività di pesca viene osservata. Per alcune tecniche, come le draghe, il controllo riguarda appena lo 0,05% dello sforzo di pesca. Per trappole e nasse si scende sotto lo 0,01%. Le imbarcazioni straniere che pescano nelle acque britanniche non sono incluse nei dati analizzati.
Il risultato è un’enorme zona d’ombra. Dal 2021 i pescatori hanno segnalato ufficialmente solo 9 mammiferi marini catturati accidentalmente, mentre le stime parlano di migliaia di esemplari uccisi nello stesso periodo. Una distanza così grande mostra quanto sia debole un sistema basato quasi soltanto sull’autosegnalazione.
Per le associazioni ambientaliste, la cattura accidentale è una crisi silenziosa e invisibile, silenziosa perché avviene lontano dagli occhi, invisibile perché non entra nella narrazione pulita del pesce che arriva nei supermercati e nei ristoranti. Eppure riguarda alcune delle specie più amate e protette dei mari britannici.
Richard Benwell, amministratore delegato di Wildlife and Countryside Link, ha definito scioccante la scala della distruzione e ha ricordato che molte di queste morti sono evitabili. Le soluzioni per Benwell esistono già: reti modificate, corde appesantite, sistemi di allontanamento acustico, monitoraggio elettronico, telecamere a bordo, sensori e controlli più severi possono ridurre drasticamente le catture accidentali.
Il rapporto cita inoltre anche esempi positivi, a Filey Bay, nello Yorkshire, vicino alla più grande colonia di uccelli marini sulla terraferma del Regno Unito, alcuni pescatori su piccola scala hanno collaborato con i conservazionisti e sono riusciti a ridurre le catture accidentali annuali da circa 700 uccelli a quattro o cinque, sperimentando attrezzature diverse e reti più pesanti. In Scozia, le prove con corde appesantite per le nasse hanno ridotto il rischio che le balene restassero impigliate. Il problema, quindi, non è l’assenza di soluzioni, è la lentezza con cui vengono applicate.
La pesca viene spesso vista come un’attività antica, dura e necessaria… Lo è e proprio per questo va portata nel futuro. Un mare sano non può essere trattato come un grande magazzino da svuotare, dove tutto ciò che non serve viene considerato scarto. Dietro ogni pesce pescato ci può essere una parte invisibile di vita marina distrutta.
In an era of naval warfare defined by air superiority, precision missiles and autonomous drones, China’s navy appears to be bringing back the “big guns”.
A new naval gun system is said to be in development which takes 155mm, or 6.1-inch, artillery shells.
That would make it the largest of its kind in the world today.
The naval gun has recently been spotted undergoing sea-based performance testing from an experimental warship, which suggests it is moving closer to being deployed by the People’s...
The Philippines’ confrontational approach to maritime territorial disputes, such as its championing of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling, has not only failed to resolve regional tensions, it also risks undermining Asean centrality.
In May, addressing Japan’s National Diet, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr announced that Manila would mark the ruling’s 10th anniversary in July, an occasion he said “embodies our determination to resolve disputes through peaceful means”. That is...
Inside a sprawling broadcast hub in Dallas, thousands of devices supplied by Lenovo are helping Fifa manage and distribute content from stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico, forming part of the technological backbone of the largest World Cup ever staged.
The central role played by the Chinese-founded technology company highlights a reality often obscured by geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing: while US policymakers have increasingly scrutinised Chinese technology...
Paul Lightfoot and Sol León brought their blend of stretched balletic line and idiosyncratic gesture to London with a new work inspired by daily ballet class exercises.
Pope Leo XIV arrives at Plaza de Lima in Madrid on Saturday, June 6, for a prayer vigil with young people on the first day of a seven-day visit to mainland Spain and the Canary Islands.
Huawei Technologies is studying whether to run its newest Ascend artificial intelligence chips inside its cloud and AI services in Latin America, a senior executive has confirmed, in a move that would push Chinese-designed hardware deeper into a region long courted by US suppliers.
Mark Chen, president of Huawei Cloud Latin America, gave the confirmation in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post after his presentation at the Rio Web Summit, the technology and innovation...
The Tumen River has resurfaced as one of the big issues for keen observers of relations between China and North Korea but after the leaders of the two countries met this week, there was no mention of it in the official statements after the summit.
The river is a natural border between China, North Korea and Russia, and a narrow strip of it that runs between North Korea and Russia blocks Chinese access to open waters.
Beijing has long tried to convince its two neighbours to open the waterway to...
The Tumen River has resurfaced as one of the big issues for keen observers of relations between China and North Korea but after the leaders of the two countries met this week, there was no mention of it in the official statements after the summit.
The river is a natural border between China, North Korea and Russia, and a narrow strip of it that runs between North Korea and Russia blocks Chinese access to open waters.
Beijing has long tried to convince its two neighbours to open the waterway to...
MEP Bernd Lange will hold a press briefing on Tuesday at 14.00 on tariff legislation affecting EU-US trade relations, followed by a media seminar on EU trade issues. Committee on International Trade
Israele annetterà le terre a ovest del Giordano, lasciando ai palestinesi solo qualche isolotto. Smotrich e Ben-Gvir hanno vinto, ma lo Stato ebraico rischia di produrre un nuovo 7 ottobre. L’amore del poeta Ḥusayn per Giaffa. Il ritorno dei presenti-assenti.
Piegata dal crollo dell’Urss e dall’embargo, negli anni Novanta sull’isola era diffusa la percezione del tradimento del Cremlino. Povertà estrema, reclutamenti opachi e ambiguità del regime alimentano il flusso di persone nell'esercito russo. L’Avana rimane stretta tra Washington e Mosca.
Si riapre lo scandalo corruzione in Ucraina, principale problema del paese secondo i cittadini. Il capo di Stato è ritenuto responsabile, ma allo stesso tempo indispensabile per continuare il conflitto. Senza fine dello scontro nessun cambio al vertice. Cresce la fiducia nei militari.
As the United States quietly pulls its most precious military assets away from the coasts of Asia, they are falling back to places like Guam in Micronesia, a US island territory far beyond the reach of most conventional missiles.
It sounds like a retreat but for the Chinese military it is actually a much trickier problem. In modern warfare, distance can become a shield and dispersion a weapon.
This is the puzzle a team of Chinese defence scientists has been solving. Their answer, published...
Parliament’s co-rapporteurs for the multiannual financial framework (MFF) will brief journalists on their reaction to the Council’s recently-released draft negotiating position. Committee on Budgets
Following the plenary vote on new EU rules to give farmers a stronger position in the food supply chain, rapporteur Céline Imart will brief journalists on Tuesday at 17:30. Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Accedi
President Metsola opened the 15-19 June plenary session in Strasbourg by announcing several changes to plenary procedural rules.
La sconfitta contro l’Iran segnala che gli Stati Uniti non assicurano più la libera navigazione dei colli di bottiglia. L’impatto per l’Italia è strategico e di segno negativo, vista la nostra dipendenza dai choke points mediterranei. Nel Medioceano manca un egemone, ma la Turchia è in ascesa. La variabile Israele.
Trump, Putin e Netanyahu affrontano conflitti che rischiano di trasformarsi in sconfitte politiche prima ancora che militari. Per tutti e tre la posta in gioco strategica è la tenuta della loro credibilità. Prepariamoci alle campagne di disinformazione.
La rassegna geopolitica della giornata.
Igor G. Cantalini – Esperto di comunicazione e marketing digitale di 45 anni, laureato in Scienze della Comunicazione, ha lavorato con brand di fama nazionale e internazionale, specializzandosi successivamente in Intelligenza Artificiale. Scrittore e divulgatore, pubblica articoli su vari temi.
Documento di Bezalel Smotrich, ministro delle Finanze di Israele.
Conversazione con Dmitrij Trenin, presidente del Russian International Affairs Council (Riac).
Piegata dal crollo dell’Urss e dall’embargo, negli anni Novanta sull’isola era diffusa la percezione del tradimento del Cremlino. Povertà estrema, reclutamenti opachi e ambiguità del regime alimentano il flusso di persone nell'esercito russo. L’Avana rimane stretta tra Washington e Mosca.
Si riapre lo scandalo corruzione in Ucraina, principale problema del paese secondo i cittadini. Il capo di Stato è ritenuto responsabile, ma allo stesso tempo indispensabile per continuare il conflitto. Senza fine dello scontro nessun cambio al vertice. Cresce la fiducia nei militari.
