The Lombardy region shows a weak economic growth, with moderate projections for the future driven by the Winter Olympics. The global economy has shown resilience despite geopolitical tensions and trade barriers. A 0.5% growth in Lombardy’s GDP is forecast for 2025, with a slight improvement in 2026. The prospects for the industrial sector are uncertain, with weak growth expected in the services sector.
The article addresses strategies to increase participation in addiction treatment, highlighting the fentanyl crisis in North America and the globalization of synthetic opioids. It discusses the influence of liberal policies in British Columbia and mentions three strategies, including improving the accessibility and quality of programs and implementing policies that combine incentives with pressure to seek treatment. It also mentions the effectiveness of recovery-focused housing for homeless individuals.
Tensions between the US and China over rare earths, with new Chinese export measures and Trump’s tariff threats, cause losses of over $1.5 billion in two days and put the APEC summit at risk. China controls 85-90% of the global rare earth processing capacity, essential for the supply chain, affecting sectors such as defense, semiconductors and electric vehicles, and companies like Boeing, Nvidia and Tesla, accelerating decoupling.
During his visit to Asia, Donald Trump mediated an agreement between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting a step towards peace with a ceasefire and new trade agreements. Tariffs of 19% were set for certain mutual exports and Thailand agreed to reduce barriers in sectors such as medical products and food, in exchange for trade benefits with the United States. Cambodia had similar commitments, although border tensions and criminal activities persist. China felt excluded from the mediation.
During his second term, Donald Trump weakened the WTO by imposing unilateral tariffs and signing selective agreements, challenging fundamental principles of the organization such as non-discriminatory commercial liberalization. The relevance of the WTO had already been affected and its adjudicative function weakened since 2019.
