Latest news with #Ansa
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Italian officials to face trial over deadly Cutro migrant shipwreck
A piece of the boat from the deadly migrant shipwreck is seen in Steccato di Cutro near Crotone Italy, February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo ROME - An Italian judge on Monday ordered six police and coastguard officers to stand trial for mishandling operations during a migrant shipwreck that killed more than 90 people near the town of Cutro in 2023, media reports said. The migrant accident, one of the deadliest in Italy's history, involved a wooden sailboat that set out from Turkey and smashed apart on rocks within sight of a beach near the shore of the southern Calabria region. The officials -- two from the coastguard and four from the Guardia di Finanza police force -- have been charged with multiple manslaughter related to negligence that may have contributed to the shipwreck, according to Ansa news agency. Under Italian law, prosecutors have to ask a judge whether to call a formal trial for the suspects after wrapping up their probe. Ansa said the trial is due to start in January. The decision to order the trial against the six suspects triggered an angry reaction from Matteo Salvini, the leader of the anti-immigrant League party and deputy prime minister in the right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni. "A single word: SHAME. To put on trial six officials who risk their lives every day to save others. SHAME," Salvini wrote on his account on X. Late last year, in a separate trial connected to the Cutro case, three people were convicted of aiding and abetting illegal immigration causing the death of the migrants and were sentenced to up to 16 years in jail. REUTERS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Asia At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes at college campus Singapore ST Explains: What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act? Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region Singapore NTU to have compulsory cadaver dissection classes for medical students from 2026 World US authorities probing passenger jet's close call with B-52 bomber over North Dakota Singapore Jail for man who conspired with another to bribe MOH agency employee with $18k Paris trip Singapore New research institute will grow S'pore's talent in nuclear energy, safety
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Fearless Felix, skydiver who jumped from space, dies in paragliding crash
Felix Baumgartner, whose leap from the edge of space redefined the limits of human daring, has died at 56 in a tragic paragliding accident in central Italy, The daredevil Austrian skydiver leaves behind a legacy of etched in adrenaline and awe. The fatal crash occurred on Thursday, July 17, near Porto Sant'Elpidio, a seaside town on Italy's Adriatic coast. According to Italian broadcaster RAI and news agency Ansa, Baumgartner was piloting a motorised paraglider around 4 pm when he reportedly experienced physical discomfort and lost control of the craft. He crashed into the swimming pool of a local hotel and was declared dead at the scene. Italian firefighters confirmed the paraglider struck the side of the pool. An employee of the hotel was also hit during the fall and suffered minor neck injuries, according to Italian media. The specific cause of the loss of control has not yet been disclosed. Baumgartner's longtime partner, Romanian television presenter Mihaela Rădulescu, was present in the village at the time of the accident and has since been informed of his death, Sky Sports Austria reported. Porto Sant'Elpidio's mayor, Massimiliano Ciarpella, confirmed the incident and paid tribute to Baumgartner in a public statement. 'Our community is deeply affected by the tragic disappearance of Felix Baumgartner, a figure of global prominence, a symbol of courage and passion for extreme flight,' he said. Who was Felix Baumgartner? Popularly known as 'Fearless Felix', Baumgartner hailed from Salzburg, Austria. Born on April 20, 1969, he began skydiving at a young age and trained as a paratrooper in the Austrian military. Baumgartner built a reputation on high-risk, high-precision feats. In 1999, he made the world's lowest base jump, from the arm of Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue, and the same year completed the highest building jump from Malaysia's Petronas Towers. In 2003, he crossed the English Channel in freefall using a carbon-fibre wingsuit. His career was defined not only by records but by his relentless push against the boundaries of flight and human endurance. Skydiving from the edge of space Baumgartner rose to fame on October 14, 2012, when he leapt from a pressurised capsule suspended 128,100 feet (39,045 meters) above Earth by a helium balloon. The Red Bull Stratos project saw him become the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall, reaching a top speed of 843.6 mph, about 1.25 times the speed of sound, before safely parachuting into the New Mexico desert. Broadcast live to millions, the nine-minute descent broke multiple world records, including the highest-ever manned balloon flight, the highest parachute jump, and the fastest freefall. At one point during the fall, Baumgartner entered a flat spin while still supersonic, spinning uncontrollably for 13 seconds before recovering. A record-breaking moment of humility The stunt was supervised by Joe Kittinger, a retired US Air Force officer and previous record-holder, who served as an advisor on the mission. 'When I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble,' Baumgartner said afterwards. 'You don't think about breaking records anymore, you don't think about gaining scientific data — the only thing that you want is to come back alive.' Though his altitude record was surpassed in 2014 by Google executive Alan Eustace, the 2012 Red Bull Stratos jump remains one of the most iconic moments in modern extreme sports. He is survived by Rădulescu, his family, and a global community of fans, aviators, and extreme sports enthusiasts who viewed him as the embodiment of fearless ambition.
L'Orient-Le Jour
6 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Giorgia Meloni condemns Israeli strikes on Gaza catholic church
The Israeli army carried out air raids that struck the Catholic parish in Gaza, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denounced on Thursday, with the Ansa news agency reporting two dead and several wounded in the attack. "The Israeli raids on Gaza also struck the Church of the Holy Family. The attacks against the civilian population carried out by Israel for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such behavior," Meloni said in a statement.
Middle East Eye
6 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Two dead, several injured in raid on Catholic church in Gaza
Two women were killed and several injured following a strike on the Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip, doctors at the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City said on Thursday. The strike damaged the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church inside the Palestinian enclave. Italy's Ansa news agency said six people were seriously injured, while parish priest Father Gabriel Romanelli, who used to regularly update the late Pope Francis about the war, suffered light leg injuries.
Bloomberg
16-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
ECB Should Cut Rates to Weaken Euro, Italy's Deputy Premier Says
The European Central Bank should reduce borrowing costs to help the economy by weakening the single currency, Italian Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani said. 'We have to ensure that the euro-dollar exchange rate isn't so detrimental to the euro, which is currently too strong,' Tajani, who is also foreign minister, was quoted as saying by Italian newswire Ansa. 'The ECB needs to intervene.'
