Rassegna Stampa Quotidiani
The Guardian
Elephant in the womb? Thailand brings in birth control for pachyderms
1 ora fa | Ven 7 Feb 2025 01:05

Authorities are hoping to to slow population growth and curb conflict with humans Thailand will begin giving birth control to a small number of wild female elephants this year, as the country struggles with the growing problem of human-elephant conflict. Asian elephants have been classified as endangered since 1986. But Thai authorities say that conservation efforts mean the country’s population is growing at a rate of 8% each year, overwhelming its depleted forests. This has caused the animals to increasingly stray into nearby populated areas, causing damage to farmland, homes and even deaths. Continue reading...

Ukraine war briefing: Putin admits situation ‘very difficult’ in Kursk as Kyiv forces mount new offensive
1 ora fa | Ven 7 Feb 2025 00:58

Moscow shows ‘indifference’ to civilian humanitarian corridor offer, says Zelenskyy; France delivers Mirage jets. What we know on day 1,080 Russia said it was battling a new Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, as Kyiv offered a humanitarian corridor for civilians in the Russian region it has invaded and partly occupied, and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, admitted the situation there was “very difficult” as he met with regional governors. The Russian defence ministry said Ukraine deployed two mechanised battalions, tanks and armoured vehicles about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the border to the south-east of the Ukrainian-controlled town of Sudzha. There was no comment on the fresh offensive from officials in Kyiv, and Russian statements on the extent of any fighting could not be verified. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Thursday praised his troops for the Kursk offensive and issued several army units with state honours. “The occupier can and should be beaten on its territory. The Kursk operation clearly explains the meaning of the principle of ‘peace through strength’.” Zelenskyy’s office accused Moscow of “indifference” to the fate of its own citizens. “We are ready to open a humanitarian corridor from Kursk region to the depths of Russia in response to an official request of the Russian Federation. Apparently, the Russians do not want such a humanitarian corridor, because we have not received a corresponding request from them.” The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed Russia was doing “everything” it could for Russian civilians in Kursk; however Moscow refused to comment publicly on the idea of a humanitarian corridor. Ukraine said on Thursday it had received a first batch of French Mirage 2000 fighter jets as well as F-16 fighters from the Netherlands. The numbers are classified but the Mirages are thought to number around six, while overall the Netherlands has promised to deliver Ukraine a total of 24 F-16s, in addition to the jets it supplies to a training centre for Ukrainian pilots and crew in Romania. French officials said the Mirages, originally conceived for air-to-air dogfights, had been adapted to enable air-to-ground strikes. Ukrainian forces struck an airfield in southern Russia that was being used to launch Shahed drones, Ukraine’s general staff said on Thursday. The night-time attack on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region started a fire, the general staff wrote on Facebook. Videos that were claimed to show the fire were posted online. It was not possible to independently verify the claims. The Russian defence ministry reported shooting down Ukrainian drones over Krasnodar – it frequently says drones were shot down when in fact there has been a successful attack by Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy will lead Ukraine’s delegation at the Munich security conference next week, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on Thursday. The US vice-president, JD Vance, and Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, are also expected to attend. Yermak said the Ukrainian delegation would present the country’s position on ending the war and their views on how “a long and lasting peace” can be achieved. “It’s necessary that the leaders and the experts in politics who will be in Munich realise that this is momentum – that we are very near to really ending this war by a just and lasting peace, but [it’s] necessary to be together … Not to give Russia an opportunity to divide the world, to divide partners.” During his election campaign, Trump promised to end the fighting within 24 hours of taking office – revising that after he was elected to within six months. However, it is unclear how a ceasefire deal would take shape with Russia and Ukraine remaining far apart on terms. Ukrainians would provide Kellogg with “full and real information” about the situation on the battlefield, ongoing mobilisation efforts, and the status of weapons and equipment delivery, Yermak said. “I think it’s important that we go through these consultations and negotiations before the [Trump] administration has any plans,” he said. “Because our position is that it’s impossible to have, and will be a big mistake to have, any plans without participation by Ukraine in preparing this plan.” Slovakia’s gas transit company SPP said on Thursday it had started getting gas from Russia via Turkey after Ukraine halted Russian flows via its territory. “They are conducted by the southern route through TurkStream and via Hungary to Slovakia,” said SPP spokesman Ondrej Sebesta. TurkStream runs for 930km (580 miles) under the Black Sea from the Russian resort city of Anapa to Kiyikoy in north-western Turkey, then connects to overground pipelines that run up through the Balkans to Europe, supplying EU member Hungary, Slovakia’s southern neighbour. Continue reading...

Call to make tech firms report data centre energy use as AI booms
2 ore fa | Ven 7 Feb 2025 00:01

Experts say mandatory reporting on energy and water use is needed to avoid irreparable damage to environment Tech companies should be required by law to report the energy and water consumption for their data centres, as the boom in AI risks causing irreparable damage to the environment, experts have said. AI is growing at a rate unparalleled by other energy systems, bringing heightened environmental risk, a report by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) said. Expand mandatory environmental reporting. Provide information on environmental impacts of AI systems. Set environmental sustainability requirements for data centres. And reconsider data collection, transmission, storage and management practices. Continue reading...

FA Cup fourth round: 10 things to look out for this weekend
2 ore fa | Ven 7 Feb 2025 00:01

Marcus Rashford could make his Aston Villa debut as Birmingham aim to bring Newcastle back to earth For spice, consider how this tie is the sides’ third meeting this term. Manchester United won the first two with an aggregate of 8-2, Ruud van Nistelrooy was interim manager for each, then Ruben Amorim made the Dutchman unemployed when taking over as the head coach in mid-autumn. Now returning to Old Trafford as Leicester’s No 1, Van Nistelrooy can expect a warm welcome due to his former status as a star United striker. But if he engineers a knockout of the holders, Van Nistelrooy will be recast, temporarily, as the villain of the faithful. Jamie Jackson Manchester United v Leicester, Friday 8pm (all times GMT) Leyton Orient v Manchester City, Saturday 12.15pm Coventry v Ipswich, Saturday 3pm Everton v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm Continue reading...

Humphries breezes to Premier League opener after Van Gerwen sinks Littler
2 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 23:58

World No 1 beats Chris Dobey 6-1 in Belfast final Van Gerwen edges Littler 6-5 but loses to Humphries Luke Humphries triumphed on the opening night of the Premier League in Belfast as he cruised to a 6-1 win against Chris Dobey in the final. The world No 1, who won the World Masters on Sunday, produced a finishing masterclass against Dobey, having earlier beaten Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen at the SSE Arena. Continue reading...

‘We’re getting stronger’: Slot’s ominous message after Liverpool thrash Spurs
2 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 23:54

Manager confident as Liverpool reach Carabao Cup final Pressure grows on Postecoglou after wasted opportunity Arne Slot had an ominous message after watching his Liverpool team swat Tottenham aside to power into the Carabao Cup final – they feel no fatigue and are only getting stronger. Liverpool won 4-0 on the night at Anfield for a 4-1 aggregate triumph to set up a Wembley final against Newcastle on Sunday 16 March. “There are two reasons why we become stronger,” the Liverpool manager said. “First of all, if you play more often together you know better what is expected. So the first time I tell them how to bring the ball out from the back against a 7-9-11 press, they were maybe like: ‘OK.’ But the more times you face them, the more it becomes natural for you. Continue reading...

European football: Fiorentina dent Inter title hopes, Barça rout Valencia in cup
2 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 23:18

Inter beaten 3-0 and miss chance to go top of Serie A Ferran Torres hit hat-trick in 5-0 Copa del Rey victory Internazionale missed their chance to go top of Serie A , the defending champions suffering a 3-0 defeat at Fiorentina as Moise Kean scored twice for the hosts. The defeat left Inter in second place on 51 points, three behind the leaders, Napoli, and Fiorentina moved up to fourth on 42 points, above Lazio on goal difference. The original match on 1 December was suspended when Fiorentina’s Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch and was taken to hospital, and the game restarted at 0-0 in the 17th minute with a Fiorentina throw-in. Continue reading...

Japan’s PM heads to Washington hoping he can recreate rapport of Trump-Abe era
3 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 23:00

Shigeru Ishiba will seek familiar guarantees: that the US will continue to stand on Japan’s side against China and North Korea Donald Trump had yet to get his feet under the Oval Office desk when he held his first meeting with a foreign leader in late 2016. Shinzo Abe, then Japan’s prime minister, arrived at Trump Tower in November that year bearing a gift of a gold-plated golf club and harbouring a determination to get the Japan-US relationship under Trump off to the best possible start. The success, or otherwise, of Abe’s charm offensive had potentially serious repercussions. During the election campaign, Trump had suggested he would withdraw US troops from Japan, contingent on Tokyo’s willingness to make a bigger financial contribution to their countries’ postwar alliance. Continue reading...

Defector who exposed Assad’s brutality calls for Syria sanctions to be lifted
3 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 22:56

The former military officer, previously known only as ‘Caesar’, smuggled evidence of thousands of deaths out of the country A former Assad regime military officer who defected with a trove of evidence exposing the torture and killing of thousands has called on the US to repeal a raft of sanctions imposed on Syria, in an interview with Al Jazeera on Thursday. The military officer, known only by the codename “Caesar” until now, also revealed his identity as Farid Nada al-Madhan, the head of the judicial department for the military police in Damascus. Continue reading...

Ruben Amorim does not fear sack even if Manchester United’s slump worsens
3 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 22:30

Head coach has lost seven league games since his arrival Amorim: ‘I couldn’t get Rashford to see football how I do’ Ruben Amorim does not fear the sack even if Manchester United’s slump worsens under his watch, with the head coach sure of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s support. United’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday was a seventh loss in 13 Premier League games under Amorim with the result leaving them in 13th place with a -6 goal difference. Continue reading...

Amazon ends year on strong note but forecasts weak upcoming quarter
3 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 22:15

Robust fourth-quarter earnings take into account holiday shopping season, but first-quarter estimates disappoint Amazon outdid Wall Street’s expectations with its earnings from the fourth quarter of 2024 on Thursday but forecast a weak upcoming quarter. The retail giant ended the year on a strong note, reporting $187.79bn in revenue and $1.86 per share, beating analysts’ estimates of revenue of $187.3bn and share price at $1.49. Continue reading...

Liverpool sweep Tottenham aside to book Carabao Cup final with Newcastle
4 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 22:05

Ange Postecoglou mused recently about hope and the inherent futility of it with the way that things have gone for Tottenham this season. Every time the manager had seen “light at the end of the tunnel”, he said, it had “usually been an oncoming train”. It was an appropriate way to describe Liverpool, who did not so much roll into the Carabao Cup final, their first such showpiece under Arne Slot, as steamroll their way there. They refused to countenance any other outcome and they utterly flattened Spurs. Who can stop Liverpool this season? It is the question on everybody’s lips as they look down from the summit of the Premier League and eye glory in the Champions League and FA Cup, too. Continue reading...

Manchester City into Women’s League Cup final as Fowler strike stuns Arsenal
4 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 21:54

Women’s League Cup semi-final: Arsenal 1-2 Man City Last-gasp winner sets up final against Chelsea Mary Fowler’s late strike in a thrilling chess match of a game against Arsenal earned Manchester City a place in the League Cup final, where they will play Chelsea. Fowler’s first-half strike was cancelled out by Mariona Caldentey’s penalty in the second before Arsenal’s goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar saved a spot-kick two minutes after the home team had scored the equaliser. The game had looked destined for extra time, but Fowler’s bobbling effort five minutes into added time wrongfooted Van Domselaar and inflicted Arsenal’s second defeat under Renée Slegers. Continue reading...

Alleged Russian spy denies knowing of ‘honeytrap’ plan to target journalist
4 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 21:49

London-based Vanya Gaberova, 30, tells Old Bailey she was lied to and manipulated by alleged spy ring An alleged Russian spy tearfully told the Old Bailey she knew nothing of plans to deploy her as a “honeytrap” and claimed she was “lied to, manipulated, used, and exposed”. London-based Vanya Gaberova, 30, is accused of being part of a spy ring which targeted people and places of interest to the Russian state over three years. Continue reading...

NCAA bars transgender athletes from competing in women’s college sports
4 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 21:35

Move comes day after Trump signed executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports The NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes on Thursday, limiting competition in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth only. The move came one day after Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. The order gives federal agencies latitude to withhold federal funding from entities that do not abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s view, which interprets “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth. The NCAA policy change is effective immediately and applies to all athletes regardless of previous eligibility reviews under the NCAA’s prior transgender participation policy. The organization has more than 1,200 schools with more than 500,000 athletes, easily the largest governing body for college athletics in the US. “We strongly believe that clear, consistent and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions,” the NCAA’s president, Charlie Baker, said. “To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.” The NCAA’s revised policy permits athletes assigned male at birth to practice with women’s teams and receive benefits such as medical care while practicing. Continue reading...

Asteroid’s chances of hitting Earth in 2032 just got higher – but don’t panic!
4 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 21:15

Space rock now has 2.3% risk of collision – up from 1.3% in December – but danger is likely to fall with more data It might not be the world-ending apocalypse foretold in the Netflix drama Don’t Look Up, but astronomers have significantly upped the odds of a direct hit from a giant asteroid currently hurtling towards Earth. According to Nasa’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (Cneos), the odds of a strike in 2032 by the space rock that goes by the somewhat unassuming name 2024 YR are calculated to be 2.3% – a one-in-43 chance. Continue reading...

Green campaigners fear UK to renew subsidies to Drax power station
5 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 20:27

Billions of pounds from energy bill payers to run out in 2027 but could be extended as soon as Monday Green campaigners fear ministers are poised to award billions of pounds in fresh subsidies to Drax power station, despite strong concerns that burning trees to produce electricity is bad for the environment. Drax burns wood to generate about 8% of the UK’s “green” power, and 4% of overall electricity. This is classed as “low-carbon” because the harvested trees are replaced by others that take up carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. Continue reading...

US state department fires security and personal services contractors
6 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 20:04

Directive says new contracts must be terminated immediately in response to Trump executive order The Department of State told staff on Thursday it would not extend contracts for civilian personal services contractors beginning on Saturday, according to two people familiar with the situation. Personal services contractors provide duties such as housekeeping and maintenance at overseas embassies. But they also supplement diplomatic security. Three of the four people killed in a 2012 raid on the Libyan diplomatic mission in Benghazi – Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty – were civilian security contractors. Continue reading...

HSBC considering £15m pay package for new CEO
6 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 19:58

The planned overhaul would cut Georges Elhedery’s salary, but ultimately raise his maximum pay package by nearly 43% The new chief executive of HSBC, Georges Elhedery, could scoop a maximum pay package worth more than £15m, as part of a potential deal being put to its biggest shareholders. The bank’s remuneration committee is testing whether investors are receptive to an overhaul that would slash Elhedery’s salary but boost his potential bonus payouts and ultimately raise his maximum pay package by nearly 43%. Continue reading...

Aspiring autocrats are always more dangerous the second time they are in office | Jan-Werner Müeller
6 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 19:53

Just look at the chaos Trump is causing in the Department of Education to understand the nature of his second term In retrospect, the weeks between the election and Donald Trump’s first executive order seem like a phoney war. Everyone knew that something bad was about to happen, but there was still a sense it might not be so bad. After all, Trump’s first four years had been less terrible than observers predicted. That was always a mistake: aspiring autocrats are most dangerous when they come to power a second time. But even those bracing for shocks could hardly have expected Trump to be so blatantly lawless and destructive once back in office. This approach – sabotage bureaucracies, violate the constitution, then see what happens – might now be applied to education. Trump’s choice of education secretary, pro-wrestling billionaire Linda McMahon, seemed positively harmless compared with figures like the walking talking threat to public health known as Robert F Kennedy Jr. Though she has an accusation of having enabled the sexual abuse of young boys in the wrestling world hanging over her, McMahon denies all wrongdoing. Continue reading...

‘Stagflation’ fears as Bank of England cuts growth forecast and warns of price rises
6 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 19:52

UK economy expected to grow by just 0.75% this year, in fresh blow to Rachel Reeves’s attempts to raise confidence Rachel Reeves’s plans for growth suffered a double blow after the Bank of England halved its forecast for the year and warned households would face mounting pressure from rising prices. In a downbeat assessment as it cut interest rates for a third time in six months, Threadneedle Street warned people would face a fresh squeeze on living standards from rising inflation even as the economy stalled. Continue reading...

Khadija Shaw pulls out of Manchester City match after receiving abuse
6 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 19:46

Player out of League Cup tie to protect mental wellbeing Club had condemned racist and misogynistic abuse Khadija Shaw withdrew from Manchester City’s League Cup semi-final against Arsenal on Thursday night to protect her mental wellbeing having been subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse following the WSL tie between the sides on Sunday. Shaw made her 100th appearance for City when she came on 66 minutes into the 4-3 loss to Arsenal at the Joie stadium. Continue reading...

‘How patronising’: rail bosses face anger over plan to hide train departure times
6 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 19:29

New scheme, aimed at reducing platform dashes, will see schedules deleted from boards three minutes before departure Rail bosses have been accused of patronising passengers by hiding trains’ departure information minutes before they are due to leave in a bid to tackle last-moment platform dashes. Under the scheme, which is being trialled at King’s Cross, the final call for long-distance trains will be made four minutes before departure. Train details will be deleted from departure boards three minutes before they leave. Continue reading...

DoJ sues Chicago claiming city impedes Trump’s immigration policies
6 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 19:16

Justice department also sues state of Illinois, seeking a court order sweeping aside sanctuary laws The US Department of Justice (DoJ) sued the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago on Thursday, accusing the authorities there of impeding the Trump administration’s anti-immigration enforcement policies and seeking a court order sweeping aside so-called sanctuary laws. The department cited a national emergency declared by Donald Trump on the same day he was inaugurated, amid a flurry of executive orders and proclamations as he began his second administration. Continue reading...

Thames Water may have less than £500m in usable cash despite £1.5bn in emergency debt, court told
6 ore fa | Gio 6 Feb 2025 19:15

Struggling firm’s resources to be depleted due to expensive fees and interest costs in restructuring deal Struggling Thames Water may gain less than £500m in usable cash while taking on £1.5bn in emergency debt because of expensive fees and interest costs, a Londonhigh court has heard. Thames Water is seeking approval from the court for a restructuring deal with existing creditors that would provide £1.5bn in immediate financing, potentially rising to £3bn, to stave off collapse by the end of March. Continue reading...