Rivolte in Europa tra crisi agricola, furia delle periferie ed economia di guerra: come le élite usano il caos di piazza per salvare il riarmo NATO.

South Korea will withdraw more staff from its embassy in Kyiv, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said on 20 October. Seoul says Kyiv broke an understanding to keep the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war confidential, which was meant to protect the soldiers and their families in the North. Seoul had conveyed its position through several channels but received no sufficient response from Kyiv, Park added.

The Korea Herald noted, the move comes amid a dispute with the host government itself. That matters beyond the two countries. Good ties with Kyiv serve South Korea’s interests, AP reported earlier this month, citing experts, because Ukraine could share intelligence on North Korea’s expanding cooperation with Russia and its battlefield experience.

Seoul shrinks its Kyiv mission

Officials put the planned withdrawal at about half the embassy’s staff. The Korea Herald added that the timing has yet to be set. A chargé d’affaires and all consular staff will stay in Kyiv to keep diplomatic contacts and protect South Korean citizens.

Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly in September that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Ukrainian forces had captured both men in Russia’s Kursk Oblast in January 2025, where Pyongyang had sent troops to fight for Moscow.

On 6 October, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Sybiha’s messages included words of apology but fell short of what Seoul expected. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi replied that Sybiha had written he regretted the situation reaching an exchange of critical comments.

In an interview published on 12 October, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told the dispute stemmed from differing readings of confidentiality at various stages of the transfer. He considers the matter closed. “Ukraine fulfilled all its obligations.”

New photos provide an interesting first public look inside the payload bay of Australia’s Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XL-AUV), and a glimpse of the highly modular concept at the heart of the Royal Australian Navy’s emerging undersea warfare capability. Australian authorities had said in the past that they plan to use Ghost Sharks to conduct “persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike” missions, but without any real elaboration.

The photographs were taken during a recent visit to the Anduril Australia factory in Sydney, New South Wales, by Pat Conroy, Australia’s Minister for Defense Industry. They emerged as the Australian government announced new details of payload development for Ghost Shark, the Speartooth large uncrewed underwater vehicle (LUUV), and the BlueBottle uncrewed surface vessel (USV), on October 19. While the announcement described the payloads in very broad terms, the photos plus additional details from the Anduril event reveal a more concrete picture of the missions Ghost Shark is being designed to perform.

The three previously undisclosed payload options include deploying up to 12 sea mines in a mission, leaving supply caches on the seabed, and launching Anduril’s ALTIUS aerial drones for reconnaissance or strike missions.

“Ghost Shark now has teeth, and will have the ability to inflict damage on any potential adversary,” Conroy said.

The payload bay image is significant in its own right. Ghost Shark’s modular design is intended to accommodate different mission-specific systems, allowing the Royal Australian Navy to configure the same underlying platform for different operational requirements. Ghost Shark was designed to be extremely modular, flexible, and readily reconfigurable. As part of this, the overall payload portion can be readily configured in different ways using different-sized modular hull sections. Since the nose and the tail are different pieces, with an expandable section in the middle, there is plenty of scope for different payloads as well.

Seeing the internal bay for the first time provides a more tangible look at that approach than earlier photographs of the submarine’s exterior.

Inside the bay of one of the Ghost Sharks on display, there appear to be cylindrical spacers, formed in segments, rather than operational stores. These spacers, and other areas inside the bay, look as if they are fabricated from plywood or similar. Overall, this means it is not entirely clear if they represent the kind of ballast that would be loaded to take the place of actual payloads during trials, or whether they are part of a mockup.

Of the three payload options, the ability to deploy ALTIUS aerial drones is particularly noteworthy. An underwater vehicle capable of releasing aerial systems could extend a naval force’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) reach beyond the submarine’s own sensors. Depending on the drone variant and mission configuration, it could also provide a means of delivering effects at a distance without putting personnel directly in harm’s way. Other roles could include stimulating enemy air defense networks, perhaps even responding to pop-up air defence threats as they appear and attacking them. The ability to put miniaturized satcom terminals, as well as AI, on small drones also greatly opens up the possibilities for UUV-launched aerial drones.

Which ALTIUS variants the Ghost Shark will be able to deploy has not been publicly disclosed. The models displayed at the Altus factory are all derivatives of the ALTIUS-600 family. Notable versions include the ALTIUS-600 for ISR, as well as the ALTIUS-600M, which is designed for strike missions. As you can read here, the basic drone has an overall weight of between 20 and 27 pounds, depending on its payload, which typically weighs between three and seven pounds. The ALTIUS-600 has a maximum range of around 275 miles and can remain airborne for at least four hours, according to its developer. Unarmed variants of the ALTIUS-600 are designed to be recoverable and reusable, although it is unclear how practical that would be after launch from a UUV.

There is another missing part of the payload puzzle, namely the kinds of capsules that would contain the ALTIUS UAVs for launch from the sub.

The Rheinmetall Asteria 533mm-diameter mine pictured alongside the Ghost Shark is not installed in the vehicle’s payload bay. Its appearance nevertheless provides an intriguing visual counterpart to the newly disclosed mine-delivery capability. According to the manufacturer, the Asteria can be deployed from surface vessels, aircraft, and submarines (normally via torpedo tubes). It can be remotely controlled via an acoustic link and is optimized for the defense of harbors, straits, ports, and other critical areas.

The seabed supply-cache concept points to a different operational role. Ghost Shark could position equipment and supplies underwater for later retrieval, potentially supporting forces operating in areas where conventional resupply is difficult or risky.

The notional supply cache payloads — which are under development by the Defense Science and Technology Group (DSTG) — don’t appear to be on display here. Alex Luck, a naval analyst who closely tracks submarine developments, told TWZ that the cache payloads would likely take the form of capsules, similar in shape to the Asteria mine, but containing whatever supplies need to be moved. It is not immediately clear who would use those caches. One option could be special operations forces, but if the payloads could later rise to the surface, they could be accessed by other forces, too.

It should also be noted that the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, in particular, are envisioning future fleets of UUVs and USVs that can carry out kinetic attacks and employ electronic warfare and other non-kinetic effects, as well as emplace mines, providing a direct parallel with the planned mission set for Ghost Shark.

Some of the new payload capabilities are due to be featured in Exercise Maritime Big Play Pacific in San Diego, an AUKUS Pillar II activity focused on advanced maritime capabilities and interoperability. The Australian government says the development effort involves the Royal Australian Navy, Defense Science and Technology Group, the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator and defense industry.

As we have discussed in the past, Maritime Big Play has links to the U.S. military’s Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) effort and NATO’s Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping Augmented by Maritime Unmanned Systems (REPMUS) exercise series, according to the Pentagon. The U.S. Navy has also been conducting a growing number of large-scale uncrewed-focused maritime exercises and demonstration events in recent years.

Under AUKUS Pillar II, Australia is collaborating with the United Kingdom and the United States on Ghost Shark and its associated capabilities. While Pillar I centers on providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, Pillar II focuses on the joint development of advanced defence technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.

Exactly how the Ghost Shark will be deployed during the Maritime Big Play Pacific exercise is unclear, but, speaking about the concept of operations, Conroy described examples of it being deployed from a shipping container or launched from the back of a small vessel using a crane. In the past, we have also seen the Ghost Shark loaded in a standard shipping container and transported in a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III airlifter.

Overall, U.S. military wargames have highlighted how uncrewed systems could shape a high-end conflict across the Pacific, particularly a fight over Taiwan. One set of Taiwan conflict simulations found that large swarms of relatively low-cost, networked drones could be decisive in helping locate and attack an invading force, while other wargaming by the Center for a New American Security has highlighted the severe challenges of defending the island against a Chinese assault. Maritime drones could also play a major role: the U.S. Navy has explored submarine-launched aerial drones that act as “flying periscopes,” extending sensor coverage and providing targeting data beyond a submarine’s own reach, while uncrewed underwater vehicles could conduct mine-laying and other asymmetric missions around key maritime chokepoints. The rapid growth and technological advances made by the Chinese submarine fleet also underscore the critical importance of anti-submarine capabilities, in which uncrewed systems can play a major role. Together, these developments underscore the potential value of autonomous systems for the Royal Australian Navy as it prepares to operate across the vast distances of the Indo-Pacific.

Australia’s 2026 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program allocate up to A$5.8 billion (approximately $4.05 billion) over the decade to autonomous and uncrewed undersea warfare capabilities, including A$1.7 billion (approximately $1.19 billion) for a new fleet of Australian-designed and built Ghost Shark vehicles.

The newly released imagery and payload details offer the clearest picture yet of how Australia intends to expand Ghost Shark beyond a conventional underwater surveillance role. The next key milestones should provide more details of how the payloads will be integrated into the vehicle, and how they might be deployed in practice.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

The post Ghost Shark Extra-Large Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles’ Payload Bay Seen For First Time appeared first on TWZ.

La lista de agravios del presidente Volodímir Zelenski en contra del gobierno del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, continúa y, con ella, también aumenta la tensión entre ambos mandatarios. En medio de estas relaciones tensionadas, Zelenski se ha reunido este martes en Oslo, la capital noruega, con el enviado de Trump para negociar la paz, Steve Witkoff. En una rueda de prensa posterior al encuentro, junto al presidente finlandés, Alexander Stubb, y al primer ministro noruego, Jonas Gahr Store, presentes en las negociaciones, el mandatario ucranio ha afirmado que Ucrania “no está perdiendo la guerra”, aunque sí está perdiendo “personas y tiempo”.

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© Associated Press/LaPresse (APN)

La OTAN ha decidido reforzar su presencia en el mar Negro en respuesta a los recientes ataques con drones contra el transporte marítimo comercial, ampliamente atribuidos a Rusia. Así lo han decidido los embajadores de la Alianza Atlántica tras un encuentro en la sede del organismo defensivo en Bruselas que tuvo como punto central la situación de seguridad en una zona marítima clave para el comercio, pero de alta tensión a causa de la continuada guerra que Moscú sigue librando contra Ucrania.

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© OTAN (Europa Press)

This is the Oct. 20, 2026, edition of “The Tea, Spilled by Morning Joe” newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

Hello, “Morning Joe” family!

We love hearing from you. Here’s what was on your mind this week. As always, you can write to us anytime.

MAILBAG

Joe — it’s so frustrating to see good friends of mine and family be so dismissive of the incompetence and corruption in both Trump administrations. Their rationale is “it’s nothing new and all politicians are corrupt.” As a result they don’t pay attention to the daily goings-on in D.C. Whatever happened to the concept of an informed electorate?

— Kevin H., Wilmington, N.C.

Kevin, I share your frustration. So many friends I have known ignore inconvenient facts while chasing conspiracy theories that make them feel better about supporting Donald Trump.

The facts are not on their side.

When I ask where they get their information, they tell me that they don’t follow the news because media outlets can’t be trusted. But when I push harder, I often learn they are fed a steady stream of lies daily from false posts on Facebook, from websites like Epoch Times run by Chinese religious cults, and from other conspiracy-fueled outlets that have no editors, ethical guidelines, or journalistic standards.

The latest Fox News poll brings welcome news: Corruption is listed by voters as the most important issue in the 2026 election. With costs exploding for groceries, gas, diesel, healthcare, and rent, Americans are paying closer attention to politicians who use their position in government to enrich themselves and their families.

That is bad news for Donald Trump.

Considering Trump’s reckless behavior towards EVERYTHING, if the Democrats manage to flip the House and Senate, what can they do to thaw Trump’s efforts to undermine our democracy, the Ukrainian war, etc.?

— Doug B.

Depending on their margin of victory, Democrats should look for opportunities to work with Republicans to address corruption, the cost of living crisis, and Trump‘s continued support for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

They should start with the most unifying issue: Ukraine.

Republicans and Democrats should pass bipartisan bills regarding Ukraine with veto-proof margins. Such legislation could aggressively support the freedom fighters’ efforts to push back against the Russian invasion.

Many Republican senators are horrified that their president is eagerly working with a former KGB spy to undermine Western democracy. If Democrats win big next month, expect GOP lawmakers to line up in support of Ukrainian funding measures that could have a powerful impact on the war’s outcome.

Republicans and Democrats can also drive down prices by retaking control of their tariff authority and Congress’s power to declare war.

For two years, Republican majorities have shamefully abdicated those duties to Donald Trump, who has started wars and levied tariffs on countries for the most reckless of reasons. Those wars and tariffs end up working as taxes on middle-class Americans and others who can’t afford higher costs at the grocery store or gas pump.

I would also expect Republicans to work with Democratic majorities on anti-corruption measures aimed at stopping the Trump family from continuing to cash in on public service. Right now, corruption is an issue that unites members of both parties who have been horrified or ashamed by the practices of the president and his family over the past 20 months.

Also expect much activity from the oversight committees in both the House and Senate, as they work to uncover any pay-to-play schemes hatched from the start of Trump’s second administration.

Trump has been talking to Putin a lot lately and giving him relief from sanctions and buying diesel fuel from Russia. With only two weeks for the election, what do you think about the possibility that Trump is having Putin disrupt the midterm elections in return for favors?

— Pat M., Pittsburgh

Despite the lies spread by Donald Trump and his supporters, Vladimir Putin worked aggressively to influence American elections in 2016, 2020, and 2024. I have no doubt that he is using his state authority to spread disinformation across the United States today and every day up until the 2026 election.

Putin’s war on democracy has not just been fought on the front lines in Ukraine. It has also been waged through cyberwarfare and misinformation to twist policy debates and shape political outcomes across Europe and the Americas. Unfortunately, these efforts have worked all too well, as a confederacy of dunces has willingly lined up to play useful idiots for Russia.

Here’s hoping that all of that will be exposed by Democrats if they can take control of Congress.

Joe, leaders fall into two categories: those who appeal to our basest instincts and those who inspire us to become better versions of ourselves. Who has inspired you to become better than you would have been without their influence?

— Gary B., Greensboro, N.C.

Thank you so much for your great question, Gary.

Yesterday, “Morning Joe” ran a package on the life and times of Ethel Kennedy as told by her daughter Kerry. Watching her story and those images flash across the screen reminded me how much Bobby Kennedy influenced my decision to get into politics.

After reading Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s biography of the senator, I found myself inspired by a man who dared to make a difference — even if his worldview was different than mine.

I was most moved by what Bobby Kennedy did the night Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Kennedy was campaigning for the presidency in Indianapolis that day, but wanted to take a detour into the inner city to tell Black voters the terrible news.

The Indianapolis Police Department urged him to stay away, fearing there would be riots and bloodshed downtown. Kennedy persisted, and later that evening, a police escort guided him and his driver to the edge of the neighborhood before stopping and turning around.

Kennedy’s car made its way to his destination, and he got out to address his audience:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I’m only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some very sad news for all of you and people who love peace all over the world; and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it’s perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in.

For those of you who are black and are tempted to fill with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed by a white man.

But we have to make an effort to go beyond these difficult times.

My favorite poet was Aeschylus. And he once wrote:

Even in our sleep,

pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart,

until in our own despair,

against our will,

comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

So I ask you tonight to return home to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King, but more importantly, to say a prayer for our own country.

We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times.

But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land.

And let’s dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.

Thank you very much.

Remembering that night in a 2007 essay for Washington Monthly, Evan Thomas wrote, “As news of King’s death spread through poor neighborhoods across the country, riots broke out in 110 cities, killing 39 people and injuring 2,500. But in the city of Indianapolis, where Kennedy had spoken, it was quiet.”

The post “If Democrats win, they should focus on the most unifying issue: Ukraine”: Joe Scarborough answers reader questions appeared first on MS NOW.

Rumania ha puesto fin a una crisis política que se prolongaba desde el pasado 5 de mayo cuando el Gobierno del liberal Ilie Bolojan cayó tras una moción de censura impulsada por el Partido Social Demócrata (PSD) y la ultraderecha de Alianza para la Unión de los Rumanos (AUR), al investir este martes a Luca Niculescu como nuevo primer ministro después de tres intentos fallidos. El diplomático logró articular una mayoría suficiente al sumar 280 votos a favor y 58 en contra en el Parlamento, gracias al respaldo de los socialdemócratas, el Partido Nacional Liberal (PNL) y la Unión Democrática de Húngaros en Rumanía (UDMR). Por el contrario, la Unión Salvar Rumanía (USR), de centro derecha, y las facciones ultranacionalistas se han opuesto.

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© Associated Press / LaPresse (APN)

What is needed is a fundamental restructuring of financial crime education in the private sector.

What is needed is a fundamental restructuring of financial crime education in the private sector.

En un pasado no tan lejano, el acelerado deshielo en el Ártico era considerado un problema mayoritariamente medioambiental. Pero para la Unión Europea, el indeseado efecto del cambio climático —casi cuatro veces más rápido que en el resto del planeta— ha pasado a convertirse, en los últimos años, en un rompecabezas sobre todo geopolítico. Un giro radical que se refleja en la nueva estrategia para la región presentada este martes por la Comisión Europea para impulsar “un Ártico estable y preparado para el futuro”; un plan europeo que busca responder y contrarrestar al cada vez mayor interés —no siempre pacífico— de Rusia, pero también de China y Estados Unidos, sobre una región estratégica y rica en algunas de las materias primas más cotizadas.

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© Evgeniy Maloletka (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Manifestazione nazionale “Fuori l’Italia dalla guerra” – Roma, sabato 24 ottobre 2026
COMUNICATO STAMPA

Il Comitato promotore della manifestazione nazionale “Fuori l’Italia dalla guerra”, in
programma a Roma sabato 24 ottobre, ribadisce con forza il carattere pacifico e
nonviolento dell’iniziativa.
Scendiamo in piazza per chiedere pace, il ripudio della guerra sancito dall’articolo 11 della
Costituzione, la fine del coinvolgimento del nostro Paese nei conflitti armati, la solidarietà
con i popoli che resistono all’imperialismo e al sionismo. Chi aderisce alla manifestazione lo
fa condividendone pienamente lo spirito: volti scoperti, mani libere, parole chiare.
Il Comitato respinge in modo netto ogni tentativo di strumentalizzazione violenta da parte
di elementi estranei alla manifestazione, ai suoi contenuti, alle realtà che l’hanno
promossa ed a quelle che hanno aderito. Chiunque intenda servirsi del corteo per
compiere atti di violenza, danneggiamenti o scontri si pone fuori dalla manifestazione e
contro di essa.
Di questo tutti devono essere consapevoli, dai manifestanti agli organi di informazione.
Nessuno provi a screditare il movimento per la pace e a spostare l’attenzione dalle ragioni
della protesta.
Invitiamo tutti i partecipanti a seguire le indicazioni del servizio d’ordine, a non raccogliere
alcuna provocazione, a isolare immediatamente eventuali comportamenti violenti e a
segnalarli agli organizzatori.
Il 24 ottobre Roma vedrà una piazza ampia, plurale, determinata e pacifica. Perché la pace
si costruisce con la pace.
Il Comitato promotore della manifestazione “Fuori l’Italia dalla guerra”

20 ottobre 2026
www.fuorilitaliadallaguerra.org

L'articolo 24 ottobre: “Fuori l’Italia dalla guerra” – Comunicato Stampa proviene da Casa del Sole TV.

El clima belicista que sobrevuela la geopolítica terrestre comienza a cristalizar en el espacio. Hace unas semanas, EE UU reconoció por primera vez que tenía armas activas “en órbita”. Y en los últimos días, Rusia también ha enseñado los dientes en el espacio al acosar al satélite Iceye-X36, un artefacto comercial de propiedad estadounidense que proporciona a Ucrania imágenes muy nítidas de los escenarios de la guerra que libra contra las tropas de Vladímir Putin. El satélite ruso Kosmos-2612 comenzó a finales de septiembre una serie de sospechosas maniobras que culminaron el pasado 18 de octubre, acercándose hasta un punto de “extrema proximidad” mientras recorrían la Tierra a 540 kilómetros de altura, poniendo en peligro la integridad del artefacto. Los especialistas en tráfico espacial consideran la persecución una maniobra de una agresividad inédita. La sombra de los sabotajes que hoy recorre Europa también llega al espacio con un claro significado geopolítico: un satélite militar ruso se ha acercado extraordinariamente a un satélite comercial estadounidense que presta apoyo militar a Ucrania.

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© ICEYE

China's military said on Tuesday it had sent forces to watch a US warship that "illegally" entered waters around a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, while further north in the waterway, Taiwan reported a standoff with a Chinese vessel.

The federal drug police want to turn consumers of certain concentrated kratom-derived products into criminals while leaving traditional kratom leaf products outside the ban. Before exposing adults to arrest and prosecution, the feds owe them a scientific explanation for that distinction.

On October 14, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced its intent to temporarily place 7-hydroxymitragynine (commonly called 7-OH) and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl—above specified thresholds—in Schedule I. Schedule I is the category for drugs that the agency thinks have "no currently accepted medical use" and "a high potential for abuse." A scheduling order could be issued on or after November 13.

The DEA already classifies mitragynine pseudoindoxyl as a Schedule I substance regardless of concentration. The proposal would ease that restriction by introducing thresholds—while imposing new Schedule I restrictions on 7-OH under the same criteria.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have supported the DEA's move, and HHS supplied the proposed thresholds. Under the temporary scheduling provision of the Controlled Substances Act, the DEA must consider HHS's comments but need not follow its recommendations. Congress gave a law-enforcement agency the authority to decide which drugs individuals may consume.

The ordinary scheduling process gives health officials more authority: HHS's scientific and medical findings bind the DEA, and its recommendation against control prevents the agency from proceeding. But temporary scheduling lets the DEA bypass those requirements when it determines a substance poses an imminent hazard to public safety.

Congress should never have given federal drug police that power. Having done so, it should at least demand compelling evidence before they exercise it.

Kratom comes from a Southeast Asian plant whose principal alkaloid is mitragynine. Its leaves contain trace amounts of 7-OH. Manufacturers also sell concentrated 7-OH products and products containing the related compound, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl.

Millions of Americans use kratom or kratom-derived products. A 2022 review cited an estimate of 2.1 million U.S. users in 2020. In a survey of 2,798 users, 91 percent reported using it for pain and 41 percent said they use it to reduce or stop opioid use. In a letter to HHS, nine military veterans described using 7-OH to manage pain and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and to move away from other opioids and from alcohol. They warned that banning it could drive them back to more dangerous drugs.

These reports describe benefits that warrant further study and needs that will persist after a ban.

Concentrated 7-OH products deliver a potent alkaloid without requiring consumers to ingest large amounts of kratom leaf. 7-OH is significantly more potent than mitragynine in activating the opioid receptors involved in pain relief. Researchers still need to determine how its benefits and risks compare across different human doses.

The DEA's proposed criminal controls hinge on concentration and composition. The concentration threshold is 1 milligram per gram of solid material or 1 milligram per milliliter of liquid, calculated for the two covered substances combined. Products would also trigger controls if the mitragynine-to-covered-substances ratio fell below 100 to 1.

Consider a tablet containing 15 milligrams of 7-OH, a strength advertised by some sellers. If the tablet weighs one gram, its concentration exceeds the limit fifteenfold. Diluting the same 15 milligrams into a product weighing 15 grams brings it to the concentration limit. Consuming the entire product still delivers the same dose. It would also need at least 1,500 milligrams of mitragynine to avoid the separate ratio restriction.

Adding bulk changes the concentration but does not change the amount of 7-OH consumed. These calculations tell us nothing about whether that dose is effective or safe.

The DEA acknowledges that controlled trials have not established safe consumption limits or standardized dosing for concentrated 7-OH products. Neither DEA nor HHS has determined that below-threshold products are safe.

In a public comment submitted to HHS in July, I urged officials to obtain the human evidence needed to justify a threshold before setting one. Animal studies can reveal hazards, including dependence and respiratory depression, but they cannot, by themselves, identify a scientifically defensible cutoff for human consumption.

Officials may intend these thresholds to distinguish traditional kratom from concentrated products. What evidence shows that crossing that boundary justifies criminal penalties? 

The DEA also owes consumers an accounting of what prohibition could do to them. People seeking relief from pain or withdrawal will still need it after a ban. Some may abandon these products, while others may turn to illicit sellers or switch to other opioids. Criminalizing those choices could make them more dangerous.

Misleading labels, contamination, dependence, and drug interactions warrant attention. Accurate labeling, independent testing, age restrictions, and enforcement against fraud can address several of these concerns. Before resorting to criminal penalties, the DEA should explain why those measures would be inadequate.

We already know how difficult it is to verify a drug's identity, strength, and purity in an illicit market. Creating another prohibited product will give that market another opportunity.

Autonomous adults should be free to decide which substances they consume and which risks they accept. The DEA proposes taking that choice away even as it acknowledges major gaps in the medical evidence. Before the drug police turn more consumers into criminals, they should at least demonstrate how doing so will make those consumers safer.

The post The DEA Wants To Turn 7-OH Consumers Into Criminals appeared first on Reason Magazine.

"This measure was taken because ​we judged it necessary to facilitate an amicable resolution of the ‌issue ⁠and restore trust between the two countries," said Park Doo-soon, a spokesperson for South Korea's Foreign Ministry, according to Yonhap.

Twelve migrants, including an infant, have died in two separate incidents involving boats travelling from Turkey towards the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos, prompting investigations into the circumstances of the deaths and the activities of suspected people smugglers.

The incidents occurred on Monday, 19 October, in the northeastern Aegean Sea. Six people died when a speedboat collided with a Greek coastguard vessel near Lesbos, while another six were killed after a separate boat overturned north of Samos.

The deaths coincided with the publication of new figures from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, showing that irregular crossings into the EU fell by almost one-third during the first nine months of 2026.

According to the latest border monitoring figures, approximately 91,000 irregular crossings were detected between January and September, although the eastern Mediterranean remained the busiest migration route into the Union.

Two incidents under investigation

According to information released by the Greek authorities, the first fatal incident occurred near Agrilia on Lesbos when a speedboat carrying migrants struck a coastguard patrol vessel before overturning.

Six people died, while eight survivors were taken to hospital. The authorities subsequently arrested a 37-year-old Turkish national, identifying him as the suspected operator of the migrant boat.

Greece’s Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias said the available evidence indicated that the speedboat had struck the left side of the coastguard vessel. The precise circumstances remain under investigation.

In the second incident, approximately four nautical miles north of Samos, a boat reportedly overturned after making a sudden manoeuvre while being pursued by the coastguard.

Five men and one woman died, while 14 people were rescued. An Iranian national was arrested on suspicion of involvement in migrant smuggling.

The arrests do not establish criminal responsibility, and the circumstances surrounding both incidents remain subject to investigation.

Greek authorities have attributed the dangers of the crossings to trafficking networks operating between Turkey and the Aegean islands. The government has reiterated its policy of pursuing smugglers and restricting unauthorised maritime arrivals.

Fewer crossings, continued fatalities

Frontex recorded approximately 31,800 detections along the eastern Mediterranean route during the first nine months of this year, representing a decline of around 15 per cent compared with the equivalent period in 2025.

Across the European Union’s external borders, the agency reported an even larger reduction, with overall detections down by almost one-third.

The Central Mediterranean route experienced a particularly substantial fall, while the Western Mediterranean recorded an increase, reflecting changes in departure points and migration patterns.

These figures count detected border crossings rather than individual migrants and do not necessarily capture every unauthorised arrival.

The latest data also have to be considered alongside exceptional developments elsewhere on Europe’s borders. In July, large-scale movements through Spain’s Ceuta enclave created additional pressures on Spanish authorities and raised questions about the application of the EU’s new asylum arrangements.

The eastern Mediterranean figures encompass several routes, including crossings from Libya towards Crete, movements through the Aegean islands and arrivals across the land border with Turkey.

Consequently, the total recorded for the wider region should not be interpreted solely as the number of people arriving on the Greek islands.

Greece remains central to European border policy

Greece has occupied a central position in EU migration policy since the 2015–2016 crisis, when hundreds of thousands of people arrived from Turkey, many travelling onwards through the Balkans.

The subsequent EU–Turkey migration arrangements were intended to reduce unauthorised crossings and establish procedures for returning certain migrants who did not qualify for protection.

Athens has also faced persistent criticism from human rights organisations concerning allegations of unlawful returns at sea and land borders. Greek authorities deny operating an unlawful pushback policy and maintain that their border operations respect domestic and international law.

The EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, which entered into application in 2026, has introduced common procedures for screening arrivals, processing asylum claims and managing people who do not have permission to remain.

Its implementation has placed greater emphasis on border identification, biometric registration and cooperation between national authorities and Frontex.

However, the two disasters demonstrate the continued risks associated with maritime crossings, even during a period of declining arrivals.

Investigators must now establish precisely how both boats overturned, whether criminal offences were committed and what occurred during the encounters with coastguard vessels.

The findings will be relevant not only to the prosecutions of those arrested, but also to continuing scrutiny of maritime enforcement along one of the European Union’s principal external borders.

Recent incidents involving the explosion of a North Korean landmine in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the repatriation of North Korean POWs held in Ukraine have led to a dramatic increase in North Korea-related coverage by South Korean media outlets, which had shown little interest in the North for some time. The reason is that […]

The post China-Russia backing lets Pyongyang tune out Seoul’s old song appeared first on Asia Times.

Il prezzo del diesel potrebbe aumentare fino a 40 centesimi al litro con l’introduzione dell’Ets2, il nuovo sistema europeo che estenderà il mercato delle emissioni di CO2 anche ai carburanti utilizzati nel trasporto stradale. Il meccanismo dovrebbe entrare pienamente in funzione dal 1° gennaio 2028, ma il Governo italiano e diversi Paesi europei chiedono di rivederne le condizioni per limitare le conseguenze economiche su imprese e famiglie. L’allarme arriva soprattutto dal settore dell’autotrasporto, già alle prese con il caro gasolio. Secondo Conftrasporto-Confcommercio, l’applicazione dell’Ets2 potrebbe comportare ulteriori rincari compresi tra 30 e 40 centesimi al litro, con il rischio di portare il prezzo del diesel oltre i 2,50 euro. Al Consiglio europeo del 15 e 16 ottobre 2026, i leader dell’Unione hanno raggiunto un compromesso sulla necessità di valutare gli effetti del nuovo sistema, senza però approvare un ulteriore rinvio della sua entrata in vigore.

Cos’è l’Ets2 e come funziona la nuova normativa europea

L’Ets2, acronimo di Emission Trading System 2, è il nuovo sistema europeo di scambio delle quote di emissione, introdotto nell’ambito delle politiche dell’Unione per ridurre i gas serra. A differenza del sistema Ets già applicato a grandi industrie e altri settori, l’Ets2 coinvolgerà anche il trasporto stradale, gli edifici e alcune attività produttive.

Il meccanismo prevede che i fornitori di combustibili acquistino quote corrispondenti alle emissioni di CO2 generate dai carburanti immessi sul mercato. Il numero complessivo delle quote disponibili diminuirà progressivamente, con l’obiettivo di incentivare la riduzione dei consumi di combustibili fossili.

L’obbligo di acquistare le quote ricadrà sui distributori di combustibili e non direttamente sui singoli automobilisti. Ovviamente i maggiori costi sostenuti dalle aziende potrebbero essere trasferiti, almeno in parte, sui prezzi finali di benzina, gasolio e combustibili utilizzati per il riscaldamento. L’avvio del nuovo sistema era stato inizialmente previsto per il 2027, prima dello slittamento al 2028.

Diesel fino a 40 centesimi in più al litro: quanto costerebbe un pieno

Secondo le stime di Conftrasporto, l’introduzione dell’Ets2 potrebbe determinare un aumento del gasolio compreso tra 30 e 40 centesimi al litro. Si tratta di una previsione elaborata dall’associazione di categoria, non di un incremento già stabilito dalle istituzioni europee. L’effetto effettivo dipenderà dal prezzo delle quote di emissione e dalla parte dei costi che verrà trasferita ai consumatori. Per gli automobilisti, un rincaro di questa entità avrebbe conseguenze dirette sul costo dei rifornimenti. Un pieno da 50 litri costerebbe 20 euro in più rispetto al prezzo senza tale rincaro.

Gli effetti dell’Ets2 potrebbero estendersi oltre il prezzo del carburante pagato dagli automobilisti. In Italia, secondo le stime richiamate da Conftrasporto, circa il 90% delle merci viene movimentato su strada. Un aumento dei costi del trasporto potrebbe quindi influire sulle spese sostenute dalle aziende per la distribuzione dei prodotti. Le imprese alimentari, agricole e commerciali potrebbero trovarsi a sostenere costi logistici maggiori, con possibili ripercussioni sui prezzi finali di alcuni beni.

La posizione del Governo Meloni

Il tema dell’Ets2 è stato affrontato durante il Consiglio europeo del 15 e 16 ottobre, in un contesto segnato dall’aumento dei prezzi dell’energia e dalle difficoltà economiche delle imprese. L‘Italia ha sostenuto, insieme ad altri Paesi europei, la necessità di intervenire sul nuovo sistema per contenere il rischio di ulteriori rincari energetici.

Nelle conclusioni del vertice, i leader hanno chiesto alla Commissione europea di aggiornare la valutazione degli effetti dell’Ets2, con particolare attenzione al funzionamento del meccanismo e alle misure di salvaguardia contro aumenti eccessivi dei prezzi. Non è stato invece approvato un rinvio dell’Ets2 al 2030, soluzione sostenuta da diversi Paesi dell’Europa centrale e orientale.

Il Governo italiano punta anche a ottenere maggiori margini di intervento nazionale per sostenere i settori più esposti alla crisi energetica. Il confronto rimane aperto, mentre Bruxelles è chiamata a valutare ulteriori strumenti per contenere i costi dell’energia senza modificare gli obiettivi generali di riduzione delle emissioni.

Autotrasportatori contro l’Ets2

A contestare gli effetti economici della nuova normativa è Pasquale Russo, presidente di Conftrasporto-Confcommercio, secondo il quale il sistema rischia di aggravare una situazione già difficile per le imprese di trasporto. “L’Ets2 darebbe il colpo di grazia all’autotrasporto italiano”, ha dichiarato Russo, sottolineando che il prezzo del gasolio potrebbe superare i 2,50 euro al litro.

Secondo l’associazione, il carburante rappresenta ormai oltre il 40% dei costi complessivi delle imprese di autotrasporto, mentre il prezzo del gasolio sarebbe aumentato di oltre 50 centesimi al litro dall’inizio del conflitto tra Stati Uniti e Iran. Conftrasporto segnala inoltre che un’impresa di autotrasporto su cinque rischierebbe il fallimento entro la fine dell’anno a causa delle attuali difficoltà economiche. Per affrontare l’emergenza, il settore chiede lo sblocco degli aiuti già annunciati e ulteriori risorse per coprire gli aumenti dei costi negli ultimi mesi del 2026.

Jacobo Bergareche abre las puertas de su biblioteca y recorre algunos de los libros que han marcado su vida como lector y escritor. Entre cartas de amor de adolescencia, ediciones raras y autores de referencia como Montaigne o Salinger, el novelista reflexiona sobre la lectura, la escritura y los temas que atraviesan su obra: el amor, el deseo, la pérdida y la memoria. Bergareche, que acaba de publicar Tío Grande con Asteroide, muestra también cómo dialoga con sus libros, llenándolos de notas, recuerdos y huellas de los lugares en los que los leyó.

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© EPV

L’alta velocità non è soltanto una questione di infrastrutture. Per Ana Vasconcelos, eurodeputata portoghese del gruppo Renew Europe, rappresenta uno dei tasselli fondamentali per completare il mercato unico europeo e rafforzare l’integrazione tra gli Stati membri. Mentre il Parlamento è impegnato nell’esame del dossier “Connecting Europe through High-Speed Rail”, Vasconcelos indica una priorità chiara: trasformare le reti ferroviarie nazionali in un autentico sistema europeo. Secondo l’eurodeputata, la sfida principale non consiste soltanto nel costruire nuove linee, ma nel superare la frammentazione normativa e tecnica che ancora caratterizza il settore. Sistemi di segnalamento diversi, standard non armonizzati e procedure di autorizzazione differenti impediscono ancora oggi ai treni di circolare senza ostacoli da uno Stato membro all’altro. È un problema che richiama anche le conclusioni del Rapporto Letta, secondo cui l’alta velocità europea continua, di fatto, a fermarsi alle frontiere nazionali.

Per questo, la relazione in discussione punta a favorire una rete realmente europea, con regole armonizzate, standard tecnici comuni e un mercato più aperto alla concorrenza. Vasconcelos ritiene infatti che l’ingresso di nuovi operatori possa contribuire sia a migliorare la qualità del servizio sia a ridurre il costo dei biglietti per i passeggeri. Accanto all’apertura del mercato, considera prioritaria l’accelerazione dei collegamenti transfrontalieri ancora mancanti, spesso rallentati da procedure autorizzative lunghe e da difficoltà di coordinamento tra gli Stati membri.

Il nodo resta anche finanziario. Secondo le stime della Commissione europea, per completare la rete ferroviaria ad alta velocità entro il 2040 saranno necessari investimenti compresi tra 345 e 546 miliardi di euro, ben superiori alle risorse oggi disponibili. Per Vasconcelos, l’Unione dovrà concentrare gli investimenti soprattutto sui collegamenti transfrontalieri più strategici e utilizzare i fondi europei per attrarre anche capitali nazionali e privati, evitando di disperdere le risorse in interventi poco coordinati.

Rendere il treno una valida alternativa all’aereo richiede però anche un cambiamento nell’esperienza dei viaggiatori. «Le persone scelgono soprattutto in base al prezzo e ai tempi di percorrenza», sottolinea Vasconcelos. La risposta passa quindi attraverso linee più veloci, l’eliminazione dei principali colli di bottiglia della rete e condizioni di concorrenza più equilibrate con il trasporto aereo. Un ruolo importante sarà svolto anche dall’integrazione tra aeroporti e rete ferroviaria, così da rendere più semplici gli spostamenti porta a porta.

Tra gli ostacoli più evidenti per chi viaggia in Europa resta la difficoltà di acquistare un unico biglietto per tratte operate da compagnie diverse. Oggi organizzare un viaggio internazionale può essere complesso e, in caso di coincidenze perse, i diritti dei passeggeri non sempre sono garantiti lungo l’intero percorso. La proposta legislativa europea sulla bigliettazione ferroviaria, attualmente all’esame del Parlamento, punta proprio a introdurre sistemi di prenotazione multioperatore e a rafforzare la tutela dei viaggiatori durante tutto il tragitto.

Per l’eurodeputata portoghese, inoltre, l’alta velocità non deve limitarsi a collegare le grandi capitali europee. «Va considerata uno strumento di coesione», afferma. Significa investire anche nelle regioni periferiche e nei collegamenti mancanti dell’Europa centrale, orientale e atlantica, assicurando che la rete ad alta velocità sia pienamente integrata con il sistema ferroviario regionale. Una rete più capillare, sostiene, potrebbe contribuire a ridurre la pressione abitativa sulle grandi città, favorire lo sviluppo economico dei centri di medie dimensioni e contrastare lo spopolamento delle aree periferiche.

Per Vasconcelos, la posta in gioco va oltre la politica dei trasporti. «Un treno che deve fermarsi a una frontiera rappresenta un problema politico tanto quanto tecnico». L’obiettivo per il 2040 è la realizzazione di un vero Spazio ferroviario europeo unico, nel quale passeggeri e operatori possano muoversi senza barriere, acquistare un unico biglietto valido lungo l’intero percorso e contare su standard comuni in tutta l’Unione. Solo così, conclude, il treno potrà diventare un’alternativa realmente competitiva al trasporto aereo sulle medie distanze e uno dei simboli più concreti dell’integrazione europea.

L'articolo Ventisette ferrovie nazionali non fanno una rete europea proviene da Linkiesta.it.