Sicily

Mount Etna ash emissions halt arrivals at Catania Airport amid intense volcanic activity

Intense explosive activity continued at Mount Etna's Voragine crater on Monday, producing heavy ash emissions that prompted authorities to suspend incoming flights at Catania Airport until 5 p.m. local time.…

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Sicily issues red heat alerts for Palermo and Catania as wildfire risk rises

Sicily remained under intense heat and heightened wildfire risk on Tuesday as regional authorities issued a new civil protection alert covering the next 24 hours. The Sicilian Civil Protection Department…

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Italy battles two weather extremes: scorching heat in Sicily, deadly storms in the north

Italy expanded its highest-level heat alerts on Thursday as a prolonged heatwave tightened its grip across much of the country, with Sicily expected to endure some of the most extreme…

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Flights resume at Catania as Mount Etna activity eases

Operations have resumed at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport after Italian authorities lowered the volcanic aviation alert for Mount Etna, allowing flights to restart following disruption caused by the volcano's latest eruption. Airport…

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UPDATED: Italy says four people quarantined for hantavirus have all tested negative

Four people who have been under observation in Italy for possible hantavirus infection have all tested negative, the Italian health ministry said on Wednesday. Tests were conducted on an Argentine…

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Italy Says Iranian Missiles Unlikely to Reach Sicily, Bases Safe

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said there is no immediate threat of Iranian attacks on U.S. military bases in Italy, offering reassurance amid heightened regional tensions. “I see no danger…

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Unprecedented 16.66-Metre Wave Recorded in Sicily Channel During Cyclone Harry

Cyclone Harry has marked a clear turning point in the history of meteorology and oceanography, not only for Italy but also at an international level. On the afternoon of Tuesday,…

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Severe Storms Continue to Batter Southern Italy, With Sicily Under Sustained Pressure

Southern Italy is continuing to be battered by a powerful winter storm system, with Sicily facing the most severe and prolonged impact. The island remains under a red weather alert,…

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UPDATED: Hundreds Evacuated, Schools Closed Across Sicily as Civil Protection Activates Crisis Measures

Sicily’s regional Civil Protection authority has urged mayors to issue evacuation orders across several high-risk areas, leading to the displacement of around 190 people as severe weather conditions intensify. In…

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UPDATED: Storm Harry to Bring Heavy Rain and High Winds Across Mediterranean

A deep low-pressure system moving through the Mediterranean is expected to bring severe weather to large parts of southern Europe early this week, while eastern regions of the continent brace…

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Sicily ranks last in Italy for childhood vaccination coverage

Sicily recorded the lowest childhood vaccination coverage in Italy in 2024, according to a report released by the Ministry of Health on paediatric and adolescent vaccinations for children born in…

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Sicily set for mild Ferragosto heat as millions take to the roads

As much of central and northern Italy braces for oppressive Ferragosto heat, Sicily is expected to enjoy milder conditions, with three of its major cities forecast to stay in the…

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Blazing Heat Sparks Dozens of Wildfires Across Sicily

Sicily is engulfed in soaring temperatures and widespread fires, prompting emergency alerts from the Civil Protection and intense mobilization of firefighting teams across the region. Temperatures climbed well above 40 °C…

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Sicily to Host First F-35 Pilot Training Centre Outside US: Italy’s Defence Minister

Sicily will become the first location outside the United States to train F-35 fighter jet pilots, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced on Wednesday. Speaking during a visit to the…

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Thousands of tourists flock to see Etna eruption

Thousands of tourists have flocked to Mount Etna to watch spectacular eruptions on the volcano, but some people are blocking streets and preventing rescue services from reaching those in need…

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Italy Hit by Severe Weather, Orange Warning for Sicily and Sardinia

Italy is currently experiencing severe weather conditions due to the influence of two cyclones, leading to significant disruptions, particularly in the regions of Sicily and Sardinia. The Department of Civil…

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Southern Italy is grappling with the aftermath of severe weather

Southern Italy is grappling with the aftermath of severe weather, as heavy rains and floods have triggered hundreds of emergency interventions by firefighters. The regions of Sicily and Calabria were…

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Former Italian footballer Totò Schillaci hospitalized in Palermo hospital in critical condition

Totò Schillaci, the former footballer famous for his incredible performance during the 1990 World Cup, is currently hospitalized in critical condition at Palermo's Civic Hospital. His family has reassured fans…

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Body of last missing person found after Sicily yacht sank

Italian search crews on Friday resumed efforts to find the body of Mike Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, the last person missing after the yacht belonging to the British tech magnate sank…

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Mike Lynch’s co-defendant in US trial dies in UK road accident

Stephen Chamberlain, once Mike Lynch's co-defendant in the U.S. fraud trial over the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard, has died after a road accident, his lawyer said on Monday, days…

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Sicily’s orange growers call for help as drought threatens output

Sicily's orange farmers warned that searing heat and drought risked wrecking this year's production and called for help from regional and national authorities to save their business. After months of…

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‘Disastrous’ drought threatens to wipe out Sicilian goat breed

A blazing sun shining on the arid hills of San Cataldo in Sicily signals only despair for local goat breeder Luca Cammarata as he tries to find something for his…

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Sicily faces severe drought

he severe drought that Sicily is experiencing is a "national emergency", Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini told a question-time session in the Lower House on Wednesday.He…

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Mount Etna spits lava into the night sky

Europe’s tallest active volcano roared as it spewed lava from one of its largest craters. At around 3000 meters of altitude, the volcano showed off a spectacle of its unusual…

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Italy working to cut cost of mega Sicily bridge project

Italy's government is seeking ways to cut the expected cost for taxpayers of a giant bridge designed to connect Sicily with the mainland, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said. The government…

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Aim to start Messina Bridge work summer 2024 – Salvini

Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said that he is hopeful work will start next summer on a bridge across the Strait of Messina to connect Sicily…

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Red fire ant colonies found in Italy, fear they could spread across Europe

An invasive non-native ant species has become established in Italy and could rapidly spread through Europe to the UK with global heating, a study warns. The red fire ant, Solenopsis…

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Sicily’s Mount Etna erupts, Catania airport temporarily closed

Flights to and from Catania airport in southern Italy were suspended on Monday morning due to a volcanic eruption of Mount Etna, the airport's managing company said. Spewing ash onto…

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Catania airport in Sicily cleared to reopen main terminal

(Reuters) - The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) on Saturday gave its green light to reopen the main terminal at Sicily's Catania airport, a statement said, nearly three weeks after…

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Consumption of meat, eggs banned in Palermo due to dioxin alert

An alert over dioxin from a recent waste dump fire in Palermo on Sunday spurred an ordinance from the Sicilian capital's council banning citizens from eating eggs and meat for…

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Sicily bears the largest brunt due to wildfires

Some 51,386 hectares of crops, woodland and other vegetation have gone up in smoke in Italy due to mainly arson-caused wildfires since the start of the year, environmental group Legambiente…

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‘Record heat’, wildfires in Italy’s southern regions

Italy's southern regions have seen record heat in terms of both intensity and duration, Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said in an urgent briefing to the Lower House on Thursday.Temperatures…

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Three dead as Sicily counts losses from ‘devastating’ fires

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's southern island of Sicily has been devastated by wildfires that have killed three elderly people, its regional president said, as a heatwave and severe storms further…

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UPDATED: Five dead as Sicily counts losses from ‘devastating’ fires

By Alvise Armellini ROME, July 26 (Reuters) - Italy's southern island of Sicily has been devastated by wildfires that have killed at least five persons. The charred bodies of a…

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Italian police net record 5-tonne cocaine haul off Sicilian coast

ROME, July 21 (Reuters) - Italian authorities have seized a record 5.3 tonne cocaine haul being transferred between ships off the southern coast of Sicily, police said on Friday. …

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Sicily’s Catania airport reopens after Mount Etna ash disruption

ROME, May 22 (Reuters) - Catania airport has reopened after being forced to suspend flights on Sunday when nearby Mount Etna spewed volcanic ash onto its runways, the airport operator…

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Mount Etna eruption halts flights to Sicily’s Catania airport

ROME (Reuters) - Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania were halted on Sunday after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna spewed volcanic ash onto its runways, airport authorities…

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Mild earthquake rattles Catania, Sicily

An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 was registered at 3:22 am in north-eastern Sicily, in the province of Catania. According to data from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv),…

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EU ready to cover half of Messina Bridge study cost

The EU is ready to cover half of the cost of studies into the Messina Bridge project, Italy's transport ministry (MIT) said Wednesday. Brussels is ready to cover 50 per…

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Sicily Governor says island ‘swamped’ by migrant landings; Tension at Lampedusa hotspot

Sicily Governor Renato Schifani on Monday denounced the emergency situation on the island region, saying in the last month it has been "swamped" by the arrival of migrants and refugees…

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Italian police seize 2 tonnes of cocaine off the coast of Sicily

Finance police on Monday seized two tonnes of cocaine found floating off the east coast of Sicily.The drug, with an estimated market value of over 400 million euros, was wrapped…

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Italy’s planned bridge to Sicily sees costs ballooning

ROME, (Reuters) - A project to build a bridge connecting the Italian mainland to the island of Sicily will cost as much as 14.6 billion euros ($16.14 billion), a Treasury…

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Von der Leyen in Sicily: European solution on migrants possible

A European solution on migrants is possible, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the university of Palermo Thursday. "We must fight smugglers and traffickers, dialogue with partner…

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Photo Story: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Sicily

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday evening pays homage to judge Giovanni Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo and the escort agents murdered by the mafia in 1992,…

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Thunderstorms, gales whip eastern Sicily

Thunderstorms and gales have been whipping eastern Sicily since Wednesday night causing widespread flooding, local sources said. Mayors have told citizens not to go out unless it is strictly necessary…

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Italian authorities issue weather red alert for Sicily

A weather red alert will be in force in eastern Sicily on Thursday, the Italian civil protection agency said. Eastern Sicilian areas, in particular, will be at risk of flooding…

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Last migrants held up on charity ship allowed ashore in Italy

ROME (Reuters) - Thirty-five migrants who were held up on a rescue ship have been allowed ashore in Sicily, ending a stand-off between the German charity that runs the vessel…

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Dog owners in Sicily must now wash away pets’ urine as well

As well as picking up their pets' excrement, dog owners in Sicily will now have to wash away their urine under a regional law approved by the Sicilian Assembly (ARS)…

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Big police crackdown on Mafia clans in Sicily

Italian police on Thursday made 56 arrests in a crackdown on the prominent Santapaola-Ercolano clan in eastern Sicily.Some of the men arrested belonged to another clan, the Nardos from Lentini.The…

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UPDATED: Tragic shooting in Sicily as two children among four shot dead in Licata

Two children aged 11 and 15 were among four people shot dead in the Sicilian town of Licata on Wednesday as a man exterminated his brother's family. Angelo Tardino, 48,…

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Photo Story: Sicily’s iconic Scala dei Turchi defaced

The defaced Scala dei Turchi (Stair of the Turks) in Realmonte, Sicily, Italy. The famed white marl cliffs were stained with a mixture of water and red plaster powder on…

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UPDATED: Rescuers pull bodies from rubble after explosion in Sicily kills 7

RAVANUSA, Italy, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Rescuers were pulling out bodies on Monday from the rubble of houses destroyed by a suspected gas explosion on Saturday in the Sicilian town…

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Whirlwind kills man as flash floods hit Sicily

PALERMO, Sicily, Nov 17 (Reuters) - A whirlwind killed a man in southern Sicily and damaged properties on Wednesday, while heavy rains flooded streets and forced authorities to shut schools.…

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Photo Story: Aftermath of the storm that hit Sciacca, Sicily, Italy

A collapsed retaining wall near two buildings caused by the abundant rains that fell in the province of Agrigento in Sciacca, Italy, 11 November 2021. Agrigento Prefect Maria Rita Cocciufa…

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Bad weather causes damage and flooding in Sicily

Firefighters and civil protection volunteers rescued motorists and residents trapped by the floods after another massive storm hit Sicily. Situation was considered at risk and serious between Sciacca, Menfi, Mazara…

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Fierce storm turns squares into lakes in southern Italy

A powerful cyclonic storm hit the southern Italian island of Sicily on Tuesday causing widespread flooding around the city of Catania, turning streets and squares into rivers and lakes and…

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VIDEO: At least one person killed after Mediterranean hurricane batters Sicily

Fierce storms battered southern Italy for a second day on Monday, killing at least one person, triggering landslides and leaving roads and fields flooded, police said. The body of a…

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