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☆ European police seize Lamborghinis and Rolexes over alleged $650M Covid-19 fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Christian Edwards | Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Police have arrested 22 people and seized assets worth more than €600 million ($650 million) in connection with alleged fraud linked to the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery fund. The alleged fraud is likely to renew concerns about the misuse of the EU’s €800-billion recovery fund to help revive the bloc’s economy. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said a criminal organization is suspected of running a fraud scheme between 2021 and 2023 to swindle Italy’s recovery packages. The prosecutor’s office claimed the group used cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and offshore cloud servers to carry out and conceal the fraud. The United States has also attempted to crack down on alleged fraud involving Covid-19 relief resources.

Persons: Lamborghinis, Cartier Organizations: CNN — Police, Prosecutor’s, Police, Public, ”, United, Small Business Administration Locations: Italy, Austria, Romania, Slovakia, United States

☆ Garisenda Tower: Italy races to stop leaning tower from collapsing
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The 48-meter (158 feet) Garisenda tower was built in the 12th century, during a boom period of the northern city’s history, but two centuries later it had already begun to tilt. Today, it leans at an angle of four degrees, just a little more than the Pisa tower’s current 3.9-degree slant. A rendering showing how the equipment from the Tower of Pisa will be used on the Garisenda tower. Michele Lapini/Getty ImagesWhile less well known than its counterpart at Pisa, the Torre Garisenda has long been a tourist attraction in Bologna. Today the bell tower is a stable monument mainly thanks to those steel pylons which will hopefully give the Garisenda tower a second life.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Matteo Lepore, ” Lepore, Lepori, Michele Lapini, Torre Garisenda, Dante Aligher’s, Asinelli Organizations: CNN, Torre, Pisa tower’s, Bologna Bologna’s, “, UNESCO Locations: Bologna, Pisa, Garisenda

CNN —A Russian missile strike hit civilian infrastructure in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens of others, Ukrainian officials said Friday. “The Russian missile attack killed a paramedic and a rescue worker who had arrived at the scene after the first explosion to provide assistance. ET), striking a civilian building and causing a fire to break out, Ukraine’s emergency services said. As well as the 14 killed, at least 46 people were injured, including seven emergency services personnel, Kiper said. Emergency services try to extinguish a fire caused by the Russian missile strike.

Persons: “, ” Oleh Kiper, Vladimir Putin, Rescuers, Kiper, Volodymyr Zelensky, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Zelensky, Mitsotakis, ” Organizations: CNN, Emergency, Russian, Emergency Service of, Reuters, NATO Locations: Russian, Ukrainian, Odesa, Russia, Ukraine, Emergency Service of Ukraine, Kyiv

CNN —The war in Sudan is “triggering the world’s largest hunger crisis,” with more than 25 million people “trapped in a spiral” of food insecurity, a United Nations agency has warned. The war, which has also created the world’s largest displacement crisis, according to the UN, has left 18 million people “acutely food insecure” in Sudan and millions more in neighboring South Sudan and Chad. “Twenty years ago, Darfur was the world’s largest hunger crisis, and the world rallied to respond. Nearly a year into a war that has sent Sudan to the verge of collapse, the vast majority of its people are going hungry, the UN's World Food Programme says. Armed transfers that must stop,” she said, remarking that the international community “is not doing nearly enough” to address the crisis.

Persons: “, ”, Cindy McCain, –, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, EBRAHIM HAMID, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Thomas Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Food Program, UN, Sudan’s Armed Forces, SAF, Rapid Support Forces, WFP “, WFP, Getty, Thomas, West Darfur “ Locations: Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Darfur, East, Sudan’s, Gedaref, AFP, West Darfur

☆ Senegal: UN raises alarm over escalating tensions after election delay
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Nimi Princewill | Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The United Nations is “deeply concerned” about the tense situation in Senegal, following the suspension of the country’s presidential election that was slated for February 25, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Liz Throssell said Tuesday. On Tuesday, the French Foreign Ministry said that Senegal must hold a new presidential election “as soon as possible” and refrain from disproportionate force when dealing with protests. “France offers its condolences to the relatives of those who died during the demonstrations in Senegal in recent days. The US also previously said it was “deeply concerned” by the moves to delay the election and urged the government to move forward with the ballot. A West African delegation from regional bloc ECOWAS arrived in Senegal on Monday to mediate on the escalating political crisis, ahead of fresh protests planned for this week, Senegalese state media RTS reported.

Persons: Liz Throssell, Macky Sall, Throssell, ”, Volker Türk, “, Abdou Diouf, Abdoulaye Wade, Sall Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Human, Mobile, French Foreign Ministry, “, US, ECOWAS Locations: Senegal, Dakar, Senegal’s, Geneva

London CNN —Catherine, Princess of Wales, will spend up to two weeks recovering in hospital after successfully undergoing abdominal surgery. “Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery,” Kensington Palace said in a statement Wednesday. It is unclear what the surgery was for, but a royal source told CNN that the 42-year-old’s condition was non-cancerous. Once discharged, the Princess of Wales is expected to recover at home in Windsor, the royal source said. The Prince and Princess of Wales with their children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, at Buckingham Palace in London, June 2022.

Persons: London CNN — Catherine, Princess of Wales, “, Wales, Catherine –, Kate –, Princess, Prince, Prince Louis , Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Chris Jackson, William , Prince of Wales, Kate, King Charles Organizations: London CNN, London Clinic, CNN, Getty, CNN’s Royal, United Locations: Kensington, Wales, Windsor, Buckingham, London, Regent’s

☆ Circus lion captured after hours on the loose near Rome
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A lion that escaped from a circus in the Italian town of Ladispoli, near Rome, on Saturday has been recaptured after several hours on the loose, the local mayor has announced. ET) on Saturday, Ladispoli mayor Alessandro Grando announced on his Facebook page that the lion had been caught. The animal had been on the loose for at least 5 hours, causing concern and confusion among local residents. ET) when it was announced the lion had escaped from the circus and that the animal was immediately tracked down within the adjacent waterway. Residents of Ladispoli, a seaside town near Rome, were told to stay home yesterday after Kimba the lion escaped from the circus before the animal was sedated and captured.

Persons: Ladispoli, Alessandro Grando, ” Grando, Grando, Sonia Logre Organizations: CNN, State Police, Fire Department, Health Authority, Circus, “, Law Enforcement, Italian, RAI, Residents, Getty, Organization Locations: Italian, Ladispoli, Rome, “, AFP

☆ Diver’s huge discovery of ancient coins off coast of Sardinia hints at shipwreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The diver spotted some “metal remains” in shallow water near the town of Arzachena, the ministry said in a statement Saturday. These turned out to be “follis”—Roman bronze or copper coins also later used as Byzantine currency. Italian Ministry of CultureBased on their weight, the total number of coins in the find is estimated to be between 30,000 and 50,000, the ministry said. According to the statement, the coins date from 324 to 340 CE and were produced by mints across the Roman empire. Italian Ministry of CultureThe culture ministry said the location where the coins were found—a sandy clearing between the beach and an area of seagrass—could, theoretically, preserve a shipwreck.

Persons: Luigi La Rocca, ” La Rocca Organizations: CNN, Italian Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Locations: Sardinia, Italy, Arzachena, Seaton , United Kingdom

☆ Luton Airport fire: All flights suspended at London hub following ‘significant’ blaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —All flights have been suspended in London’s Luton Airport following the breakout of a “significant” fire in the airport’s Terminal 2 parking lot, the airport said in a statement on Wednesday. The airport said it would be closed until at least 3 p.m. local time, with passengers advised not to travel to the airport. “Crews have controlled and extinguished the fire at Luton Airport,” it said in a statement posted on X/Twitter. Efforts are still ongoing to extinguish a serious fire at Luton Airport. For anyone whose travel plans may be affected, please refer to the advice being provided by London Luton Airport.

Persons: “ Crews, Andy Hopkinson, Marcin Nowak, Shutterstock Hopkinson, Hopkinson, Tamara Hardingham, Gill Organizations: London CNN, . Bedfordshire, Rescue Service, Luton Airport, Luton DART, London Luton Airport, Airport, Wizz Air, Ryanair Locations: London’s Luton, ”, Bedfordshire, London

☆ A pipeline in the Baltic Sea has been shut down. Authorities suspect sabotage
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Gasgrid, Finland’s gas transmission operator, said Sunday that it had temporarily shut the 95-mile-long Balticconnector pipeline, running under the Baltic Sea, over a suspected leak. Moreover, Finland can still source gas via its LNG terminal, and Estonia is still connected to the European gas grid via Lithuania. An ‘alarm bell’Gasgrid and its Estonian counterpart Elering “noticed an unusual drop in pressure in the Balticconnector offshore gas pipeline” on Sunday morning, Gasgrid said Tuesday. “It is reasonable to suspect that the cause of the incident was damage to the offshore gas pipeline,” the company said in a statement. “The European [gas] market remains very tight, and any news is having an impact,” said Sharples at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

Persons: Gasgrid, Sauli Niinistö, Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, Jack Sharples, Elering “, Kaja Kallas, Simone Tagliapietra, ”, Sharples, — James Frater, Sharon Braithwaite Organizations: London CNN, NATO, Finnish Border Guard, European Union, CNN, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, Estonian, Estonia’s, Authorities, Germany —, EU, Chevron Locations: Finland, Estonia, Baltic, Brussels, Lithuania, Latvia, Europe, United Kingdom, Germany, Nord, Norway, Algeria, Israel

☆ Mestre: Bus crash near Venice kills 21 people
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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London CNN —London’s Metropolitan Police said it has launched an investigation into allegations of “non-recent” sexual offenses in the United Kingdom, after a joint investigation by British media outlets revealed the comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape and sexual assault. “We have also received a number of allegations of sexual offences committed elsewhere in the country and will investigate these. One of the women said she was 16 and Brand was 31 at the time of the alleged assault in London. The Met announced last week that they were investigating an allegation of sexual assault in 2003. Without naming Brand, a Met spokesperson said: “We are aware of reporting by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches about allegations of sexual offenses.

Persons: Russell Brand, “, Brand, Andy Furphy, ” Brand, James Manning, Covid, Downing, ”, Rishi Sunak’s Organizations: London CNN — London’s Metropolitan Police, British, Sunday Times, Met’s, Crime Command, Park, AP Brand, YouTube, The Times, CNN, Police, Met Police, ”, The Met, The Sunday Times, Met Locations: United Kingdom, London, Los Angeles, Soho

CNN —Lampedusa has seen an influx of migrants with 7,000 people arriving in two days, prompting its mayor and the United Nations refugee agency to warn the Italian island is becoming overwhelmed. Alessandro Serranò/AFP/Getty ImagesMigrants from a migrant housing centre on Lampedusa are guided by a security official. The island of Lampedusa is struggling to cope with an influx of migrants. “The over 130 operators and volunteers of the Italian Red Cross are doing beyond the impossible to ensure basic necessities. However, Flavio Di Giacomo, from IOM, said the number of arrivals in Lampedusa now was much higher than before.

Persons: CNN — Lampedusa, Filippo Mannino, ” “, ” Mannino, agency’s, San Marino, Chiara Cardoletti, ” Cardoletti, Lampedusa, Alessandro Serranò, Gerard Darmanin, Darmanin, “, ”, ” Darmanin, Rosario Valastro, ” Valastro, Flavio Di Giacomo, Infrastructure Matteo Salvini, Giorgia Meloni’s, Ursula Von der Leyen Organizations: CNN, United Nations, RTL, UN, UNHCR, International Organization for Migration, Getty, European Union and, Red Cross Italy, Interior Ministry, Libyan Coast Guard, Italy’s, Infrastructure, Italy’s Foreign Press Association, EU, RAI Locations: Africa, Italy, San, Tunisia, Libya, AFP, Germany, Lampedusa, Ventimiglia, Menton, Great Britain, European Union and Great Britain, Europe, Meloni, Brussels

☆ Sarah Everard: London Met police pay "substantial damages" and apolgize to women held at vigil
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Two women who were arrested while attending a Sarah Everard vigil in London in 2021 have been paid damages and received an apology from the Metropolitan Police. A lawyer’s statement on Thursday confirmed that the London police force had apologized and agreed to pay “substantial” damages to the women, Patsy Stevenson and Dania Al-Obeid. “Together with making payments of substantial damages to Dania Al-Obeid and Patsy Stevenson, the MPS has issued an apology,” the statement by law firm Bindmans LLP reads. Police detain Patsy Stevenson at the 2021 vigil on London's Clapham Common. Hannah McKay/Reuters‘Tiring and difficult’ processIn a statement published by Bindmans LLP, Patsy Stevenson said the process had been a “tiring and difficult” one.

Persons: Sarah Everard, Patsy Stevenson, Dania, Everard, Stevenson, Bindmans, ‘, ”, Patsy, Hannah McKay, it’s, ” Stevenson, “ I’m, Obeid, Dylan Martinez, “, ” “ Organizations: CNN, Metropolitan Police, London police, Met, MPS, Metropolitan Police Service, Reuters, Bindmans LLP, Met Police Locations: London, Clapham Common, Clapham

☆ The Leaning Tower of Pisa was once tilting dangerously. Today it’s a different story
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Pisa, Italy CNN —The Tower of Pisa was once feared on the brink of collapse as the lean that made it such a popular landmark threatened its very existence. Trouble from the startExperts say the future of the tower is secure following remedial work to keep it standing. Earth was extracted from beneath the foundations of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to help reduce its tilt. Thanks to an agreement between Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and OPA, experts integrate satellite monitoring with data collected at ground level. The progress of these terrestrial and satellite monitoring activities will be presented next year, as part of the series of events scheduled to celebrate the tower’s 850th anniversary.

Persons: ” Andrea Maestrelli, Berta, Pisa Giovanni Paolo Benotto, Ignacio Palacios, Giulio Andreini, ”, Roberto Cela Organizations: Italy CNN, “, Opera, UNESCO, Getty, Italy’s Ministry, Cultural Locations: Pisa, Italy

Thousands of Wagner troops are reportedly in Belarus following a failed military uprising in Russia. What exactly Wagner troops are doing in Grodno is unclear, as Wagner has not commented on the reports. It is not clear exacttly how many Wagner troops are in Belarus. They were invited to the country as part of a deal negotiated by the Belarus president to end the mercenary group’s armed insurrection against the Kremlin last month. The two plan to hold joint military exercises near the border with Poland, a move likely to further raise tensions.

Persons: Wagner, Mateusz Morawiecki, Morawiecki, ”, “, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko, Putin Organizations: CNN, Poland ”, EU, NATO, Analysts, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Poland, Lithuania, Polish, Grodno, Belarus, Russia, Belarusian, EU, Kaliningrad, Baltic, Ukraine, Russia’s, “, ” Poland

CNN —Italy is facing multiple kinds of extreme weather at once, with southern parts of the country scorched by blistering heat, while the north is battered by deadly storms. On Tuesday alone, extreme weather killed at least three people, according to Italian authorities. Fabrizio Radaelli/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockAs storms disrupt the north, the south is sweltering under an extreme heat wave. Ufficio Stampa Gesap via ReutersMost budget airlines have been diverted to Trapani airport, according to the Palermo airport authority. Catania has also been affected by power and water supply cuts in part because of the extreme heat, according to Reuters.

Persons: Fabrizio Radaelli, Palermo’s Falcone, Falcone, Borsellino, Stampa, Nello Musumeci, ” Musumeci Organizations: CNN, Firefighters, SkyTG24, Stampa Gesap, Reuters, Twitter Locations: Italy, Veneto, Sicily, Palermo, Trapani, Catania

London CNN —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired his ambassador to the United Kingdom on Friday. The ambassador, Vadym Prystaiko, had criticized Zelensky over his reaction to recent remarks by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who had suggested Ukraine had not expressed sufficient “gratitude” for Western financial support. Prystaiko said Zelensky’s response to Wallace amounted to “unhealthy” sarcasm. A statement published Friday on the Ukrainian presidency’s website confirmed Prystaiko’s dismissal but did not provide a reason. When asked about those remarks by a reporter at the NATO summit, Zelensky was nonplussed.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Vadym Prystaiko, Zelensky, Ben Wallace, ”, Prystaiko, Wallace, “, ” Wallace, King Charlies III, Kirsty O'Connor, Ben Organizations: London CNN, British, NATO, Buckingham Palace, Getty, Sky News, CNN Locations: United Kingdom, Ukraine, Lithuania, Buckingham

“After examining several hints, there was not a single indication concerning a lioness or a wild animal in the area,” Michael Grubert, the mayor of Kleinmachnow, an area on the city’s southwest outskirts, told reporters. Michael Grubert, mayor of Kleinmachnow, holds a picture of the suspected animal. A major search involving 100 police officers was conducted. Grubert had said Thursday that the animal spotted was believed to be a lioness. That is to say, we checked zoos, animal parks and other animal-keeping facilities and made inquiries.

Persons: ” Michael Grubert, Michael Grubert, Annegret Hilse, Christian Mang, Grubert, Kerstin Schroeder, “ Organizations: CNN, Local, “, Reuters Authorities, Getty Images Police, ” Locations: Germany, Berlin, Kleinmachnow

CNN —Berlin police warned residents in parts of the capital to stay indoors as a wild animal, believed to be a lioness, is on the loose in the southwestern part of the German capital Thursday morning. “Please avoid leaving the house due to an escaped wild animal in the Kleinmachnow, Teltow & Stahnsdorf (PM) area and also bring your pets into the house. Our colleagues are on site and checking the situation,” local police said Thursday morning on Twitter. Police said that the wild animal has not been found yet and urged people to call emergency services if they spot it, according to their latest update posted at 6 a.m. local time.

Persons: CNN — Organizations: CNN, Twitter, Police

CNN —Belarusian forces will hold joint military exercises with Wagner fighters near its border with NATO-member Poland, Belarus’ Defence Ministry said. Wagner fighters arrived in Belarus following a short-lived mutiny by the private military group last month. “The Armed Forces of Belarus continue joint training with the fighters of PMC ‘Wagner,’” the defence ministry said in a statement. At the beginning of July, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko invited Wagner forces into Belarus to help train his country’s military. The invite came shortly after the failed armed insurrection by Wagner forces against Moscow, which Lukashenko was credited with helping diffuse.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, PMC ‘ Wagner, ’, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: CNN, NATO, Belarus ’ Defence Ministry, Armed Forces, PMC, Reuters Locations: Belarusian, Poland, Belarus, Moscow, Russia, Asipovichy, Minsk, “

CNN —Two more tourists have been caught apparently defacing the Colosseum in Rome, following a similar incident in June. The very next day, a 17-year-old student from Germany was caught allegedly doing something similar. This is the same punishment potentially faced by a 27-year-old British tourist who was filmed apparently carving his name into the wall of the ancient arena last month. Dimitrov allegedly scratched “Ivan+Hayley 23” into the wall of the Colosseum, representing his and his girlfriend’s names. A similar incident also occurred in 2020, when security staff spotted an Irish tourist allegedly carving his initials into the ancient structure and reported him to the police.

Persons: Ivan Dimitrov, “, regrettably, ”, Alexandro Maria Tirelli, Dimitrov, Ivan, Hayley, Gennaro Sangiuliano Organizations: CNN Locations: Rome, Switzerland, Province of Rome, Germany, Irish

CNN —Italian authorities have issued an “extreme” health risk for 15 cities including Rome and Florence this weekend as a heatwave that is baking Europe threatens to bring record temperatures. The ESA warned that Europe’s heatwave has only just begun with Spain, France, Germany and Poland also expected to see extreme weather, just as the continent welcomes an influx of tourists. In the south, temperatures in the cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada have reached 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, even the normally mild region of Navarra in the north is seeing up to 40 degrees Celsius. Heat is one of the deadliest natural hazards – more than 61,000 people died in Europe’s searing summer heat wave last year.

Persons: ”, Remo Casilli, Guglielmo Mangiapne, it’s, – Organizations: CNN, European Space Agency, ESA, Roman, Piazza del Popolo, Reuters, Local, Italian Meteorological Society Locations: Rome, Florence, Europe, Sicily, Sardinia, “, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Piazza, Reuters Greece, Athens, Italy, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Mallorca, Navarra

CNN —A blistering and deadly heat wave is sweeping Europe, potentially bringing record-breaking temperatures. Parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Italy are all facing intense heat, with temperatures rising above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Heat is one of the deadliest natural hazards – more than 61,000 people died in Europe’s searing summer heat wave last year. Sardinia and Sicily are expected to be close to the current European temperature record of 48.8 degrees Celsius (nearly 120 Fahrenheit), according to the ESA. Temperatures were expected to stay around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) across the region into next week.

Persons: –, Antonio Masiello, Florence –, Alessandro Miani, SIMA, Italy “, rvoje Organizations: CNN, European Space Agency, ESA, Italian Meteorological Society, Piazza del Popolo, Italian Health Ministry, Italian Society of Environmental Medicine, RAI, Greek Culture Ministry, Police, Canadair, Reuters Locations: Europe, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Rome, Lodi, Athens, Grebastica, Sbenik, Sibenik

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