All articles tagged with #calabria
Italy has approved a €13.5 billion project to build the world's longest suspension bridge connecting Sicily to Calabria, aiming to boost economic growth and create jobs, despite environmental, safety, and political challenges. The bridge, spanning 3.3 km with high towers and railway lines, faces potential delays due to legal, environmental, and local opposition concerns, but is considered a significant investment for Italy's future.
More than 230 defendants, including local mafia leaders, have been convicted in one of Italy's largest-ever mafia trials targeting the 'Ndrangheta crime group in Calabria. The trial, which lasted nearly three years, resulted in convictions for charges such as extortion, drug trafficking, and theft. The heaviest sentences of 30 years were given to Saverio Razionale and Domenico Bonavota. The verdict is seen as a significant blow to the 'Ndrangheta, considered Italy's most powerful mafia group. However, the prosecution did not secure as heavy sentences as it sought, and around 100 defendants were cleared. The ruling can be appealed by both the defense and the prosecution.
Wildfires have erupted in the southern Italian region of Calabria, while properties in Sicily experienced power outages due to soaring temperatures during a heat wave. Some areas in eastern Sicily reached temperatures as high as 47 degrees Celsius (116.6 degrees Fahrenheit), close to the European record of 48.8 degrees Celsius. The heat wave has caused fires to spread in Calabria, prompting additional firefighting teams to be called in. Italy, heavily impacted by climate change, has also suffered deadly floods and hail storms in recent months.