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Is history repeating as Italy resurrects Messina bridge plan?

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Is history repeating as Italy resurrects Messina bridge plan?

Plans to attach Sicily to the Italian mainland have come and gone for many years, with a bridge over the Messina Strait turning into an notorious delusion for many Sicilians.

Twice a suspension bridge got here near building in 2005 and 2011 below Silvio Berlusconi’s governments, but it surely was halted following protest from the World Vast Fund for Nature (WWF) and the European Fee in addition to an financial disaster and political instability.

Now, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has revived this challenge with a decree, in power since final March, backed by infrastructure minister and League occasion chief Matteo Salvini, with the laying of the primary stone deliberate for 2024.

The plan has all the time been a nightmare for environmental activists: the Messina bridge would run via a pure reserve, a seismic space, and the development website would result in seizures of personal land.

Even those that assist the challenge, like Messina Mayor Federico Basile, are cautious that this can be one more empty promise. Many Sicilians see it as an ordeal that’s about to start out yet again.

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‘Unusual issues are likely to occur’

“I’m bored with the bridge. I spent so a few years preventing in opposition to it,” Anna Giordano, an activist for the WWF in Sicily, instructed Euronews.

Giordano and her colleague Stefano Lenzi introduced the primary case in opposition to the challenge, arguing that the bridge can be constructed on a protected space for birds prone to extinction.

That prompted the European Fee to open an infringement process in opposition to Italy for breaking the EU’s environmental directives in 2005. Additional analysis estimated that 4.3 million birds fly via the strait. In accordance with a examine, a fraction of the birds (between 17 to 46%) risked colliding with the bridge.

“For a species prone to extinction, that equals killing half of all of the exemplars,” stated Giordano.

“Until this present day, the federal government has by no means accomplished an intensive environmental affect evaluation on the challenge,” WWF Italy vice-president Dante Caserta instructed Euronews.

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In 2011, the EU refused to fund the bridge, and even right now EU restoration funds can’t be used for its building. Salvini has unsuccessfully tried to steer the European Fee to alter its thoughts.

Tensions across the bridge have all the time been excessive with suspected Mafia infiltrations and even activists at occasions being put below surveillance.

Giordano recalled being harassed by the police throughout group conferences. “Unusual issues tended to occur again then,” she stated.

In 2013, the financial disaster prompted the Mario Monti authorities to scrap the challenge, which resulted in decade-long litigation with the final contractor Eurolink, till the Meloni authorities restored the contract.

The price of the infrastructure is now estimated at round €10 billion, up from the preliminary sum of €6.5 billion.

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“The federal government has not defined the way it will fund the bridge,” Daniele Ialacqua, a long-standing activist at Legambiente, Italy’s most distinguished environmental group, instructed Euronews.

For Ialacqua, the challenge is in determined want of European funds.

“However it gained’t obtain them, because the bridge goes in opposition to the zero emissions targets of the European Inexperienced New Deal,” Ialacqua stated.

Legambiente Messina is asking Inexperienced MEPs to combat any Italian requests to fund the bridge sooner or later.

“When it comes to cash loss, it’s the greatest failure within the historical past of this nation,” stated Caserta, including that WWF Italy is able to combat the Messina bridge for the third time.

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‘If the fee falls on us, it is a no’

Federico Basile, Messina’s present mayor, argued that the bridge would assist the event of the island.

“Although if the price of constructing additional infrastructure will fall on us and the area, then it’s a no,” Basile instructed Euronews, hoping the challenge gained’t be one other false begin.

“We have been planning the way forward for this metropolis with out contemplating the bridge – it higher make sure. Its building adjustments every part,” he argued.

Basile’s perception that the bridge will carry extra investments to Sicily is shared by different native teams, just like the one which Salvini League’s senator Nino Germanà lately based: Ponte e Libertà (Bridge and Freedom).

Basile is assured that there is usually a bridge that respects the character of the Messina Strait, however native anti-bridge teams are sceptical and requested him to rethink his place in a public letter.

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‘We’ll cease it with our our bodies’

“I’m 69, and there have been talks in regards to the bridge since I used to be a woman,” retired trainer Teresa Frisone instructed Euronews. She is a part of Movimento No-Ponte, a community of teams in opposition to the bridge.

Like many activists, Frisone would favor that authorities spend money on the native rail and street community, which is closely underdeveloped. She says that the bridge wouldn’t assist commuters of the strait because the motorway toll would make it much less handy than the ferry.

A current report by environmental group Legambiente argued that the strait may gain advantage from inexpensive options, like investing in electrical ferries to cut back air pollution, following the instance of the Baltic Sea area.

Frisone’s fundamental concern is about obligatory buy orders. The development of the bridge would require the opening of quite a few building websites.

Some communities, like Faro Level, can be lower in half, and the bridge would tower over them, with some elements as excessive as 400 metres.

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“I’m afraid that they’ll simply dig a building website after which cease perpetually, abandoning a skeleton and some cement pylons, because it typically occurs in Sicily,” Frisone stated.

“We’ll do every part in our energy to cease it, even with our our bodies,” she stated.

Correction: An earlier model of this story misspelled the identify of Teresa Frisone. It has been amended.

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As wildfires rage in Los Angeles, Trump doesn't offer much sympathy. He's casting blame.

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As wildfires rage in Los Angeles, Trump doesn't offer much sympathy. He's casting blame.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As cataclysmic wildfires rage across Los Angeles, President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t been offering much sympathy. Instead, he’s claiming he could do a better job managing the crisis, spewing falsehoods and casting blame on the state’s Democratic governor.

Trump has lashed out at his longtime political foe Gov. Gavin Newsom’s forest management policies and falsely claimed the state’s fish conservation efforts are responsible for fire hydrants running dry in urban areas. Referring to the governor by a derisive nickname, Trump said he should resign.

Meanwhile, more than 180,000 people have been under evacuation orders and the fires have consumed more than 45 square miles (116 square kilometers). One that destroyed the neighborhood of Pacific Palisades became the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles history.

Trump v. Newsom: Round 2 was to be expected — the liberal Democrat has long been one of Trump’s biggest foils. But the Western fires are also a sign of something far more grave than a political spat or a fight over fish. Wildfire season is growing ever longer thanks to increasing drought and heat brought on by climate change.

Trump refuses to recognize the environmental dangers, instead blaming increasing natural disasters on his political opponents or on acts of God. He has promised to drill for more oil and cut back on renewable energy.

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On Thursday, Trump said on social media that Newsom should “open up the water main” — an overly simplistic solution to a complex problem. “NO MORE EXCUSES FROM THIS INCOMPETENT GOVERNOR,” Trump said, adding, “IT’S ALREADY FAR TOO LATE!”

Standing on the street in a scorched subdivision as a home behind him was engulfed in flames, Newsom responded to the criticism when asked about it by CNN.

“People are literally fleeing. People have lost their lives. Kids lost their schools. Families completely torn asunder. Churches burned down, and this guy wants to politicize it,” Newsom said. “I have a lot of thoughts and I know what I want to say, but I won’t.”

In a post on his Truth Social media network, Trump tried to connect dry hydrants to criticism of the state’s approach to balancing the distribution of water to farms and cities with the need to protect endangered species including the Delta smelt. Trump has sided with farmers over environmentalists in a long-running dispute over California’s scarce water resources. But that debate has nothing to do with the hydrant issue in Los Angeles, driven by an intense demand on a municipal system not designed to battle such blazes.

About 40% of Los Angeles city water comes from state-controlled projects connected to northern California and the state has limited the water it delivers this year. But the southern California reservoirs these canals help feed are at above-average levels for this time of year.

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Roughly 20% of hydrants across the city went dry as crews battled blazes, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. Firefighters in Southern California are accustomed to dealing with the strong Santa Ana winds that blow in the fall and winter, but the hurricane-force gusts earlier in the week took them by surprise. The winds grounded firefighting aircraft that should have been making critical water drops, straining the hydrant system.

“This is unlike anything I’ve seen in my 25 years on the fire department,” Los Angeles Fire Capt. Adam VanGerpen told CBS This Morning.

Janisse Quiñones, head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said the ferocity of the fire made the demand for water four times greater than “we’ve ever seen in the system.”

Hydrants are designed for fighting fires at one or two houses at a time, not hundreds, Quiñones said, and refilling the tanks also requires asking fire departments to pause firefighting efforts.

President Joe Biden, who was in California for an environmental event that ended up being canceled as the fires raged, appeared with Newsom at a Santa Monica firehouse on Wednesday and quickly issued a major disaster declaration for California, releasing some immediate federal funds.

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But any additional federal response will be overseen by Trump, who has a history of withholding or delaying federal aid to punish his political enemies.

In September, during a press conference at his Los Angeles golf course, Trump threatened: “We won’t give him money to put out all his fires. And if we don’t give him the money to put out his fires, he’s got problems.”

Trump’s support in California has increased in recent years, which could further embolden him in his tussles with Democratic leaders there. In 2024, he improved on his vote share in Los Angeles and surrounding areas hit by the fires by 4.68 percentage points. And while he still lost the state overall, he grew his overall margin by 4 points compared to the 2020 election.

As for the impact of the fires on Californians, Trump said areas in Beverly Hills and around it were “being decimated” and that he had “many friends living in those houses.” He framed the losses as a potential hit to the state’s finances.

“The biggest homes, some of the most valuable homes in the world are just destroyed. I don’t even know. You talk about a tax base, if those people leave you’re going to lose half your tax base of California,” Trump said.

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Associated Press Writer Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.

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Thousands of Venezuelan opposition supporters take to the streets ahead of Maduro's third inauguration

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Thousands of Venezuelan opposition supporters take to the streets ahead of Maduro's third inauguration

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  • Venezuelan opposition parties and their supporters protested around the country on Thursday in a last-minute effort to put pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, one day before he is due to be sworn in for his third six-year term.
  • Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s most popular opposition leader, made an appearance for the first time since August when she went into hiding at an unknown location.
  • Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, 62, has been in power since 2013.

Venezuelan opposition parties and their supporters – including leader Maria Corina Machado, who had been in hiding – protested around the country on Thursday in an eleventh-hour effort to put pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, one day before he is due to be sworn in for his third six-year term.

The opposition and the ruling party are locked in an ongoing dispute over last year’s presidential election, which they both claim to have won.

The country’s electoral authority and top court say Maduro, whose time in office has been marked by a deep economic and social crisis, won the July vote, though they have never published detailed tallies.

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VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER MARÍA MACHADO HAS URGENT MESSAGE FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP

The government, which has accused the opposition of fomenting fascist plots against it, said it will arrest opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez should he return to the country and has detained prominent opposition members and activists in the lead-up to the inauguration.

The opposition says Gonzalez, 75, won in a landslide. It has published its own vote tallies as evidence, winning support from governments around the world, including the United States, which consider Gonzalez the president-elect.

Machado, who is the country’s most popular opposition leader but who was barred from running in 2024, joined a protest in Chacao in eastern Caracas at around 2:20 p.m. local time (18:20 GMT), dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans and waving a Venezuelan flag from the top of a truck.

A supporter of Venezuela’s opposition reacts while gathering with fellow supporters ahead of President Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 9, 2025. (Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)

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“They lost the streets, which are ours, they are barricaded in Miraflores (presidential palace),” Machado told the crowd. “From today we are in a new phase.”

Her appearance marked her first public outing since August when she went into hiding at an unknown location.

Machado, 57, urged protesters to peacefully flood the streets and repeatedly asked members of the police and military – who guarded polling stations during the election – to back Gonzalez’s victory.

“I’m not afraid, I lost my fear a long time ago,” said 70-year-old Neglis Payares, a retired central bank worker, as she gathered with other opposition supporters in western Caracas in the morning.

“We don’t know how many of them have their heart on our side,” she added, gesturing at security forces who had gathered near the protest.

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2 AMERICANS ARRESTED IN VENEZUELA ON EVE OF MADURO INAUGURATION OVER ‘TERRORISM’ CLAIMS

Reuters witnesses estimated some 7,000 people had gathered in Caracas by around 2:20 p.m. local time. In the days after the election, thousands also took to the streets.

Maduro, 62, has been in power since 2013. He has the vociferous support of leaders in the armed forces and the intelligence services, which are run by close allies of powerful Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

“I am convinced nothing will happen,” Cabello said on state television on Monday. “But that doesn’t mean we will lower our guard.”

The military’s financial interests make loyalty shifts unlikely, said BancTrust, a London investment bank, in a note. “A limited military rebellion would entail significant risks for those involved, thus diminishing incentives to participate,” it wrote.

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‘WE HAVE NO WORK’

Security forces set up checkpoints around the country.

In the western oil city of Maracaibo, an opposition protest of dozens of people was quickly dispersed by motorcycle-mounted security forces by late morning. In central Valencia, protesters gathered at another location after initially being met with tear gas.

Opposition supporters also gathered in San Cristobal, near the border with Colombia, in the western city of Barquisimeto and in eastern Puerto Ordaz.

“I’m here because we need to get rid of this government. We have no money, we have no work,” 62-year-old housewife Roisa Gomez said at a protest in the central city of Maracay. “I’m fighting for my vote, which I cast for Edmundo Gonzalez. They cannot steal the election.”

Soon afterward, security forces used tear gas to disperse the Maracay protesters.

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Many of the demonstrators were of retirement age and said they wanted change so their migrant children and grandchildren would return to the country. More than 7 million Venezuelans live abroad.

The ruling party was holding rival marches nationwide, images of which were broadcast on state television.

“We’ve come out to show that there is a democracy. On this side are the patriots who will be sworn in with Nicolas (Maduro), on the other side are fascists who want (foreign) intervention, war, to sell their country,” said 50-year-old Caracas motorcycle taxi driver Manual Rincon.

Gonzalez, who has been on a tour of the Americas this week and met with U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump’s national security advisor, has repeatedly pledged to return to Venezuela but given no details about how.

An arrest warrant was issued for Gonzalez for alleged conspiracy, prompting his September flight to Spain.

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Machado is being investigated by the attorney general in at least two cases, but no warrant for her has been made public.

The government has detained several high-profile politicians and activists, including a former presidential candidate. This week, the attorney general’s office said it had freed more than 1,500 of the 2,000 people, including teenagers, detained during post-election protests.

Venezuelans living abroad also held protests, including in Madrid, where Gonzalez’s daughter Carolina Gonzalez spoke to hundreds of demonstrators.

“My dad sends a hug to all of you, glory to the brave people of Venezuela,” she said, her voice breaking.

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Ramstein: Germany pledges tanks, missiles, and air defence for Ukraine

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Ramstein: Germany pledges tanks, missiles, and air defence for Ukraine

The German Defence Minister has pledged additional military aid to Ukraine at today’s meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Ramstein.

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At today’s Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Ramstein, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has confirmed that Germany will continue its support for Ukraine even after the federal elections in February.

“Ukraine can count on Germany, regardless of the outcome of the election on February 23”, Pistorius said.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Pistorius highlighted Germany’s contribution to protecting the largest logistics hub supporting Ukraine. “In the coming weeks, we will deploy two Patriot missile units and a total of 200 soldiers to Poland”, he announced. The Bundeswehr soldiers are expected to remain in Poland for six months as part of a NATO mission.

While Pistorius did not unveil a large-scale aid package for Ukraine, he pledged to provide the Ukrainian armed forces with three additional IRIS-T SLM and SLS air defence systems, along with 13 more Gepard tanks.

He also intends to supply additional missiles for the IRIS-T systems in the near future. These missiles are part of ongoing production and were originally allocated for the German Bundeswehr.

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Contact Group to continue under Trump Presidency

Another key topic at the meeting was the impending Trump presidency in the United States. Pistorius emphasised the importance of continuing the Ukraine Contact Group meetings in Ramstein under Trump’s leadership.

But whether these meetings will actually persist, remains uncertain. However, should the new U.S. administration choose to discontinue the format, “it will need to continue in another form”, Pistorius asserted.

Zelenskyy places hope in Trump Presidency

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his expectations for the incoming U.S. President, who is set to take office on January 20.

In light of the leadership transition, Zelenskyy also called for strengthened cooperation. “With Trump’s inauguration on January 20, we enter a period where we must work more closely together and achieve better results as a team”, he said during today’s Ukraine Contact Group meeting.

Speaking on a podcast with Russian-American host Lex Fridman earlier this week, Zelenskyy described Trump as a pivotal figure in the effort to stop Putin.

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Tymofiy Mylovanov, former Ukrainian Minister of Economic Development and president of the Kyiv School of Economics, told Euronews he believed there will be a serious effort by the Trump administration to get a peace deal without selling out Ukraine. “The aid will continue as a part of strengthening leverage over Putin and enforcement of the deal”, he predicted.

According to Mylovanov, the EU and Germany will at the same time have to step up after Trump assumes office: “Trump has made it clear that Ukraine is the EU’s problem and Germany is the key power in the EU no matter how the local politics looks at the moment.”

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