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Exactly 50 years after Hong Kong was handed over from Britain to China under a special “one nation – two systems” status, Hong Kong is now fully integrated into China.

Tennis. Italy wins the Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain. Third triumph in the Cup, after the one in 1976 by Panatta, and the one the previous year (2023) which already clearly bore the mark of Sinner. And it is the first time since the 2012-2013

Republican Donald Trump is elected the 47th president of the United States of America, after having also been the 45th president. He defeats Democrat Kamala Harris, who had replaced incumbent President Joe Biden, at the polls.

Ankara, Turkey. Massive prisoner swap between Russia and Belarus on one side and the United States and Western countries on the other. It is coordinated by the Turkish secret services. The prisoners involved are 26 in total. Moscow has released the Wall Street Journal correspondent

Paris Olympics. The United States ended with 40 gold medals, 44 silver medals, 42 bronze medals, for a total of 126 medals, China with 40 gold, 27 silver, 24 bronze, for a total of 91 medals, Japan with 20 gold, 12 silver, 13 bronze, for

US President Joe Biden withdraws from the race for the White House for a second term, and launches the candidacy of his vice president: Kamala Harris.

France: Left-wing alliance wins most seats in dramatic parliamentary election, dealing blow to Marine Le Pen’s far-right party. Macron’s Liberals emerge as the second-largest party. Le Pen’s National Rally had come out on top in the first round a week earlier and was aiming to

Iran. The only admitted reformist candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, wins the second round of elections. 73 other candidates were rejected and not even admitted to the first round, as they were deemed anti-regime.

Great Britain. In the 2024 United Kingdom general election to elect 650 members of Parliament to the House of Commons, the lower house of the United Kingdom Parliament, the ruling Conservative Party, led by Rishi Sunak, is defeated by a landslide by the opposition Labour

Claudia Sheinbaum, an engineer and physicist from the progressive coalition Morena, is elected the first female president of Mexico, with a historic and landslide victory.

Georgia’s “foreign agents” bill, which has sparked protests and a presidential veto over concerns about media freedom and EU membership aspirations, is championed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, but still faces calls for its withdrawal from the EU and the United States.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, 63, dies in a helicopter crash. Raisi was traveling from the northeastern border areas to the city of Tabriz in East Azerbaijan Province, where he was to inaugurate an oil refinery. Also killed on board the same aircraft were Iranian Foreign

Madonna holds a free concert in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with financial support from Banca Itaú (in celebration of her centenary), the Rio city prefecture and state government, and Heineken brewing company. The event attracted over 1.6 million people, making it the largest concert

Sweden formally joins NATO as the transatlantic military alliance’s 32nd member, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality and centuries of broader non-alignment with major powers, as security concerns in Europe rise following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden congratulated Sweden on

Taiwan. Pro-independence Democrat William Lai Wins Election. Taiwanese voters chose Lai as their president in an initially close election, cementing an increasingly divergent path from China.

Henry Kissinger Dies at Age 100. He was an American politician who served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He played a significant role in shaping U.S. foreign policy during his tenure. Kissinger was a practitioner

Corriere della Sera published the story (on its “Culture” page), which was then relaunched on CNN’s front page: Pope Pius XII knew details of the Nazi attempt to exterminate Jews in the Holocaust as early as 1942, according to a letter found in the Vatican

Fulton County, Georgia, USA. Inmate No. P01135809, better known as Donald Trumpo, stares into the camera for the booking photo, his face stone. It’s impossible to know what Trump is feeling. But the image, taken after his motorcade entered the Fulton County Jail, doesn’t radiate

Manhattan, New York — In a first-of-its-kind criminal indictment against former President Donald Trump, Manhattan prosecutors are accusing Trump in court of falsifying business records with the intent to conceal illegal conduct related to his 2016 presidential campaign. The criminal charges stem from Manhattan District

Brussels, Belgium. Finland becomes NATO’s newest member after depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the United States at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. NATO allies signed Finland’s accession protocol on 5 July 2022, after which all 30 national parliaments voted to

The Hague, The Netherlands. The ICC (International Criminal Court) issues arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova. The ICC says Vladimir Putin is responsible for war crimes during the war in Ukraine, including the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine

Kiev, Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Kiev by train from Poland, in an unannounced trip. He meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a defiant show of Western solidarity with a country still fighting what he called “a brutal and unjust war” just days

Prague, Former General Petr Pavel, 61, a decorated veteran of NATO operations in the Balkans, is elected President of the Czech Republic, beating former Prime Minister and millionaire Andrej Babus. Pavel receives 57% of the vote.

Palermo. Italy’s most wanted mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro, is arrested in Sicily after 30 years on the run. He was in a private clinic in the Sicilian capital, Palermo, where he was receiving treatment for cancer. He is a boss of the infamous Cosa

It has been several weeks since the Chinese government abruptly reversed its “zero cases” policy for Covid-19. The sudden opening has had the opposite effect: British health data firm Airfinity estimates that about 14,700 people in China are dying from COVID each day, and at

Washington, DC. Volodomyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, visits the United States. During his visit, Zelenskyy met with Joe Biden, the president of the United States, and addressed a joint session of Congress. Three hundred days after Ukraine was invaded by Russia, Zelensky flew to

The Chinese government suddenly abandons the “Zero Covid” strategy and lifts quarantines. Probably in response to strong protests, but also to restart the national economy.

United States. In the midterm elections, the Democratic Party maintains (narrowly) control of the Senate and keeps losses in the House very limited. This is unusual, since midterms should be the time when the opposition party shines. This should be especially true when there is

Ethiopia. A surprise deal is reached in the Ethiopian civil war with both sides agreeing to halt their two-year conflict that has led to thousands of deaths and famine. Ethiopian government officials and representatives of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have signed a plan

Israel. Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his allies win a clear majority of Knesset seats. These allies include the far-right Religious Zionism/Jewish Power bloc, which more than doubles its number of seats.

Brazil. With 50.9% of the votes, Lula returns as president, defeating the incumbent president Bolsonaro (40.9%). Bolsonaro gained support in deforested areas while municipalities with a high indigenous population voted overwhelmingly for Lula who won in 13 states in the north and north-east of the

London. Rishi Sunak is announced as Britain’s new prime minister, having prevailed in a chaotic Conservative leadership race. The son of Indian immigrants, Mr Sunak, 42, won the contest to replace the deposed Liz Truss, who resigned under pressure after her economic agenda caused unrest.

Beijing, China. Xi Jinping wins unprecedented third term as leader. Xi Jinping has extended his rule over the Communist Party and will lead China for a second decade, having pushed rivals into retirement and positioned loyalists for promotion to the top of power. A third

Rome. Giorgia Meloni takes office as the first female Prime Minister, and the first right-wing Prime Minister.

London. Liz Truss, who took over from Boris Johnson just six weeks earlier, announces her resignation. In her wake, she leaves an economic crisis accelerated by a “growth plan” full of unfunded tax cuts and a Conservative Party that may be in charge but certainly

Balmoral Castle, Scotland, Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth II dies, a chapter of history closes. The United Kingdom, the countries of the former British Empire and the world say goodbye in a climate of deep emotion to the queen of records, who passed away at the

Death of Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev (Михаил Сергеевич Горбачёв). Last general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991, he was a supporter of the reform processes linked to perestroika and glasnost, and a protagonist in the chain of events that

Piero Angela dies. He began his career as a radio reporter, later becoming a correspondent and later establishing himself as a RAI news anchor, however he remains best known as the creator and presenter of Anglo-Saxon-style popular science and technology programs, with which he gave

Taipei, Taiwan. Nancy Pelosi, 82, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, the third highest ranking official in the state after the President and the Vice President, is making an official visit to Taiwan, considered part of the People’s Republic of China by Beijing, sparking

Rome. The Draghi government falls, due to the lack of support from the League, Forza Italia and the 5 Star Movement.

London. Boris Johnson resigns as Prime Minister. In his speech closing his mandate, he provides hopes and suggestions for his successor: “stay close to the Americans, stick up for the Ukrainians, stick up for freedom and democracy everywhere” “Cut taxes and deregulate where you can

Washington DC, United States. The Supreme Court overturns (a rare event) its own decision from half a century earlier on abortion, leaving it up to individual states to decide whether or not to allow abortion. It does so by overturning the Roe vs Wade ruling

Kiev, Ukraine. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron travel to Kiev for their first visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on February 24. They arrive in Poland at the Ukrainian border by plane and then

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson also announced her country’s intention to join NATO. This came just days after Finland formally requested membership.

Finnish Minister Sauli Niinisto, together with Prime Minister Sanna Marin, announce Finland’s application for NATO membership “without delay”. “Being a member of NATO would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the alliance as a whole”, Niinisto and Marin say, “Finland

G20 Summit in Rome, Italy. Prime Minister Mario Draghi welcomes US President Joe Biden (who also visited Pope Francis), who tells him, “Mario, you are doing an extraordinary job. We need to show that democracies can work and that we can produce a new economic

Colombia announced that drug trafficker Dairo Antonio Usuga, better known as Otoniel, the country’s most wanted man, will be extradited to the United States after being captured in a raid, a joint operation by the army, air force and police. He led the country’s largest

The Tokyo Olympics end. The United States overtakes China in the medal count at the last moment and finishes with 39 gold, 41 silver, 33 bronze (113 medals), China with 38 gold, 32 silver, 18 bronze (88 medals), Japan with 27 gold, 14 silver, 17

Tokyo Olympics. Unexpected gold in the men’s 100 meters (Lamont Marcell Jacobs) and in the men’s high jump (Gianmarco Tamberi) for Italy. They arrive ten minutes apart. A few days later, the Italian 4×100 relay team will win gold, again ahead of the English, second.

Wembley Stadium, London. Italy – England: 4-3. Italy wins the European Football Championship on penalties in the temple of English football.

Tulsa, Oklahoma. American President Joe Biden apologizes to the black community for the events of a century earlier. On May 31, 1921, a nineteen-year-old black man, Dick Rowland, is accused of assaulting a white girl in an elevator. The boy is arrested and a thousand

Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The remains of 215 children buried in a mass grave are found next to a Native American school. The school operated until 1978 when it closed. Incidents of child abuse were already known.

Germany officially recognizes its responsibility for the genocide of the people of Namibia, during the German occupation in the early 20th century (1884-1915). Germany undertakes to compensate Namibia with 1.1 BLN EUR

Canada. President Trudeau publicly apologizes for the treatment of Italian immigrants after 1939, interned during the Second World War in concentration camps, for fear that they could act as spies for the fascist government. Something similar had already happened, with the apologies for the 22,000

France, in the person of President Macron, recognizes its responsibility and asks for forgiveness for Mitterrand’s role in supporting the Hutu government of Rwanda in 1994, which led to the genocide of 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis (but also Hutus) in the space of 100 days,

Brazil. In a joint operation between the Carabinieri, the DEA, the American FBI, and the Brazilian Federal Police, Rocco Marabito and Vincenzo Pasquino were captured. Marabito, a prominent figure in the ‘Ndangheta, had been wanted since 1994, as number 2 of the fugitives after Matteo

Minsk, Belarus. A Ryan Air civilian plane carrying Belarusian political dissident Roman Protasevich is informed of false reports of a bomb on board by Belarusian authorities, then flanked by a Mig-29 and forced to land in Minsk. Here KGB officers board the plane and take

Nigeria. The leader of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, Abu Mohammed Abubakar bin Mohammad al-Sheikawi (also known as Darul Akeem wa Zamunda Tawheed, or Darul Tawheed; “the abode of monotheism”), kills himself with an explosive vest.

Paris. Seven people convicted of terrorist acts, including members of the Red Brigades, Nuclei armi contropotere territoriale and a former militant of Lotta Continua, are arrested in France at the request of Italy, while two others turn themselves in in the following days, and a

First summit between the new American president Biden and the Chinese president Xi Jinping, less than two months after Biden’s inauguration, who does not at all dismantle the arsenal of tariffs put in place by his rival Trump.

Pope Francis visits Iraq. This is the first papal visit to this country. In Baghdad he meets with President Barham Salih. Then he flies to Najaf (where he meets the Shiite Ayatollah Al-Sistani), Mosul, Erbil (where he meets the President of the Iraqi Kuridtan Nechirvan

Rome. The former governor of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, lifts his voice and presents his new government, with a broad coalition.

Burma (Myanmar). The Burmese armed forces stage a coup and arrest Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party, the National League for Democracy, had just won the legislative elections by a landslide, to the detriment of the United Solidarity and Development Party, close to the army.

Joe Biden, takes office as the 46th president of the United States. In the next 2 days he signs 25 executive orders. Trump had signed 25 in 90 days, Obama in several months. George W Bush took even longer. Biden intends to make a U-turn

Moscow. Alexei Navalny, one of Putin’s main opponents, after being hospitalized in Berlin following his poisoning in Russia, is arrested at Sheremetyevo airport by riot police and tried in a police station.

United States. The House calls for the impeachment of President Trump for inciting the storming of Congress the seventh before. This is the first time in the history of the United States that a president has been “impeached” twice in his presidential term.

United States. In a dramatic session at 3 am, after having suspended the session due to the entry of pro-Trump protesters, Congress, presided over by VP Pence, formalizes the victory of the elections by Joe Biden. The Democrats also conquer the two seats in Georgia,

United States. In the hours in which the official vote counting ceremony that ratifies the election of Democrat Joe Biden takes place on Capitol Hill, and while the Democratic Party also gains the majority of the Senate by winning the two seats in Georgia, a

United States. The US Congress reaches an agreement for a mega package of 900 billion USD to help against the Covid-19 pandemic, for business, unemployment. A subsequent step of 1,400 billion USD to finance the next 9 months of government remains under discussion.

Iran. Iranian journalist Ruhollah Zam is hanged for posting on a social network a few years earlier inciting anti-government protests.

Israel, after having normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, is also doing so with Morocco.

At the age of 64, Paolo Rossi, nicknamed “Pablito”, the main author of Italy’s world success at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, against all odds, dies.

At the age of 60, Diego Armando Maradona, nicknamed “El pibe de oro”, dies. He is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time.

The almost final results of the American elections see Democrat Joe Biden winning at least 279 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, against the 214 acquired by the incumbent president, Republican Donald Trump. Counting remains to be completed in Georgia and

Presidential and Senate and House of Representatives elections in the United States. A record percentage of the eligible population goes to the polls.

After normalizing relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Israel is also doing so with Sudan.

Germany. Alexei Navalny, one of Putin’s main opponents, after being taken to Germany for medical checks after falling ill, is diagnosed by German military experts as having been poisoned with Novichok. Novichok is a set of related molecules, which falls into the category of nerve

Israel and the United Arab Emirates reach an agreement to normalize diplomatic relations. This is the third case in relations between Israel and Arab countries, after Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994).

Beirut, Lebanon. Over a hundred people die, thousands are injured, and hundreds of thousands lose their homes, following a massive explosion at the port. It appears 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored there.

The European Parliament approves the agreement to issue €750 billion of common debt, to finance a package of €360 billion in loans and €390 billion in grants, to tackle the recovery after the Covid-19 emergency.