Latest News from Local Italy
Local Italy
8 hours ago
- Business
- Local Italy
Italy's Neos airline to launch first-ever US-Puglia direct route on Tuesday
Milan-based Neos said it will offer weekly flights between New York JFK and Bari Karol Wojtyla Airport between Tuesday, June 3rd and Wednesday, October 15th. Flights to Bari are set to depart from JFK every Tuesday at 5pm and arrive in Puglia's capital at 7.40am the following day. Services in the opposite direction will depart from Bari every Wednesday at 11.35am and arrive in New York at 2.50pm. Passengers will travel on 335-seater Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners offering premium and economy class, the airline said. Puglia's Tourism Minister Gianfranco Lopane hailed the new flights as 'a formidable tool to position our region among the most sought-after international destinations'. 'This route not only makes it easier for American travellers, who are increasingly drawn to Puglia's beauty, culture, and traditions, to visit but also strengthens our ability to engage with a strategic market like the United States,' he added. Neos CEO Carlo Stradotti also expressed satisfaction over the launch of the new route, citing 'very strong interest' in long-haul links to Italy among Americans. 'Interest in [US-Italy] routes and ticket sales have exceeded expectations [...] and we haven't needed to use any promotions,' he said. The new seasonal link to Puglia will bring the number of New York-Italy routes operated by Neos to three, adding to existing JFK-Palermo and JFK-Milan Malpensa direct flights. The Italian airline's New York-Bari route is one of three US-Italy seasonal connections set to be launched this week, with American Airlines due to offer daily direct flights connecting Miami to Rome Fiumicino and Dallas-Fort Worth to Venice Marco Polo from Thursday, June 5th.
Local Italy
10 hours ago
- Business
- Local Italy
‘Shameful': Outrage in Italy as PM Meloni says she won't vote in June referendums
Meloni broke her months-long silence over the upcoming June 8th-9th referendums during official celebrations for Italy's Republic Day on Monday. 'I'll go to the polling station, but won't pick up the ballots,' she told reporters in Rome. 'It's one of the options,' she added. Under Italy's referendum laws, voters can head to their assigned polling stations on polling day and refuse to pick up the ballots used for voting. If they do so, they are considered 'non-voters', meaning that they won't count towards the quorum – the minimum voter turnout (over 50 percent) needed for referendum results to be valid. Meloni's announcement sparked cries of outrage from Italy's centre-left opposition, which strongly backs the June referendums, including a closely-watched vote on easing the country's rules on applying for citizenship through residency. Giuseppe Conte, the leader of Italy's populist Five-Star Movement (M5S), called Meloni's words 'shameful', saying that the premier's decision to abstain from voting was 'outrageous, albeit not surprising'. Elly Schlein, the head of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), accused Meloni of 'mocking Italians'. 'Instead of saying whether she's in favour of or against the five questions on labour and citizenship, she's confirmed that she wants to scuttle the referendums [...] because not picking up the ballots is equivalent to not voting,' she said. Several members of Italy's centre-left coalition argued that Meloni's announcement on Monday laid bare her fears that the referendums may reach the required voter turnout. 'If even the Prime Minister feels compelled to announce that she won't pick up the ballots, it can only mean one thing: they're afraid that the quorum might be reached,' Angelo Bonelli, head of the Greens-Left Alliance (AVS), told Ansa. Meloni's words came after multiple members of her government, which strongly opposes the proposed labour and citizenship reforms, publicly called on voters to boycott the vote. Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa, from Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, said in late May he would "campaign to ensure that people stay home" on polling day. Similarly, Igor Iezzi, an MP from Deputy PM Matteo Salvini's anti-immigration League party, said that abstention was his party's official position, adding that the "goal is to prevent the quorum from being reached." The government's attempts to encourage abstention have prompted vehement reactions from opposition members. Riccardo Magi, leader of the +Europa party, said that the hard-right coalition's 'coordinated strategy' to boycott the referendums shows 'a lack of awareness of the institutions and role they hold'. Italy needs 'a democratic rebellion' to fight abstentionism, he added.
Local Italy
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Local Italy
Is it safe to travel to Sicily after Mount Etna eruption?
Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, erupted in a dramatic display in the early hours of Monday morning. Footage shared widely on social media showed panicked visitors fleeing down one side of the volcano as a huge plume of smoke and ash billowed above them. No injuries were reported. Flights to and from Catania's Vincenzo Bellini Airport were unaffected, though Sicily's aviation authorities issued an orange alert on Monday urging pilots to exercise caution when flying near the area. As of Monday evening, Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) announced that the volcanic activity had finished. But does that mean it's safe to visit? Warning system The first thing to keep in mind is that Etna's eruptions are nothing new: the first recorded volcanic activity dates all the way back to 1,500 BC. The volcano has erupted regularly in recent years, with the most recent notable eruption happening in February of this year. Despite these flare-ups, Etna continues to be a popular destination for tourists, and authorities are well-equipped to deal with eruptions. The last time an eruption resulted in the loss of human life was 1987, when a woman and her seven-year-old son were caught in a sudden explosion while walking near the volcano's summit with their tour group. Sicily's President Renato Schifani on Monday said experts had assured him that there was "no danger for the population". However, local authorities will continue to monitor the situation "with extreme caution," he added. "Everything's under control," Catania Mayor Enrico Tarantino said, adding that the eruption "was expected, and access to the summit had already been restricted." Stefano Branca, director of the INGV's Etna Observatory, also told reporters that the "summit area had already been closed preventively and the entire warning system worked". He was referring to the Civil Protection Department's colour-coded tiered alert system, under which red represents the highest threat level and green the lowest. Each level triggers different public safety measures, with a red code requiring mandatory evacuations and major access restrictions, and a yellow code meaning people in the vicinity should keep checking for updates and be prepared. As of Tuesday, the Civil Protection Department's Etna alert level was at a yellow. Tourists seeking photo opportunities and thrills have in the past defied local ordinances blocking access to certain areas and ignored officials directing traffic and hikers away from danger zones. It's a given that if you don't follow the rules, you may be putting yourself in danger. How are flights affected by volcanic activity? Airport closures due to volcanic activity are not uncommon in Sicily. Catania's airport, Sicily's busiest airport, is frequently forced to halt or reduce flights due to clouds of ash in its airspace. During the last series of eruptions in February, it was forced to divert dozens of flights. Given that Catania's airport is closest to the 'epicentre' of volcanic activity, it is far more likely to be affected by closures than others in the region. Flights to the airport are usually diverted to Palermo's Falcone-Borsellino airport (a four-hour drive away) or Trapani's Vincenzo Florio in the event of closures. But it is not just air transportation that can be disrupted by the effects of a volcano. Ground transportation services (trains and buses) can be halted temporarily due to poor visibility from ashfall, especially when coupled with rainfall, which can cause slippery conditions on the roads near the volcano. Worsening air quality is also a risk for individuals with chronic breathing issues such as asthma or COPD. During periods of ashfall, officials advise limiting exposure, at least until the air has cleared. If you are planning to travel to affected areas of the island, you can find up-to-the-minute alerts on volcanic activity from the INGV here.
Local Italy
a day ago
- Politics
- Local Italy
Anger mounts in Florence as closure looms for US consulate
The Florence Consulate is one of over 100 bureaus and offices targeted for closure under President Donald Trump's sweeping plans to downsize the US State Department to slash costs and improve efficiency. Besides the Florence Consulate, other consulates slated for closure include Rennes, Lyon, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux in France, as well as Dusseldorf, Leipzig, and Hamburg in Germany. First announced in late April, plans to overhaul the State Department were formally presented to Congress by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday. "The reorganisation plan will result in a more agile Department, better equipped to promote America's interests and keep Americans safe across the world," Rubio said in a statement. The congressional notification sparked anger among Americans in Florence, reigniting concerns that thousands of US residents and visitors in the area may soon be stripped of quick access to essential services including emergency assistance in the event of natural disasters and hospitalisations. Mary Lokken, a California native who has been living in Florence for over 40 years, told La Repubblica that closing the Florence Consulate means 'depriving us of services that we all use at least once – from the issuance of visas and passports to information on taxes and elections, and even social benefits". Lindsey Brock, a member of local activist group Good Trouble Firenze, also voiced anger over the planned closure, calling it 'yet another cut to services aimed at American citizens'. 'Foreign residents and tourists will pay the real price," she added. According to La Repubblica, the Florence Consulate offers support to around four million visitors every year, as well as over 200 businesses operating between Italy and the US. If it were to close, US nationals in the area would need to travel to one of the country's other consulates in Milan or Naples, or the Rome Embassy to access help. The planned closure is 'madness,' Maurizio Mancianti, president of the Tuscan American Association, said. This 'directly affects all American citizens who live or pass through here', as well as 'anyone who needs to travel to or run a business in the United States,' he added. Plans to close the Florence Consulate were also harshly criticised by Mayor Sara Funaro, who called the move 'reckless' given 'the many Americans who study and work' in the city. Funaro said she intended to ask Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and US authorities for clarification on the matter. 'Florence cannot be written off like this," she said. Following last week's developments, the Florence Consulate said it would 'continue carrying out its usual activities' pending official communications from the US.
Local Italy
a day ago
- Climate
- Local Italy
Major Mount Etna eruption in Sicily sends tourists fleeing in panic
The eruption began at around 3.50am local time, following a series of volcanic tremors which started around midnight. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) said in a statement that the volcano was experiencing explosions 'of growing intensity' and that eruption activity was currently "almost continuous". 'Over the past few hours, the falling of thin ash has been flagged in the Piano Vetore area [south of the volcano],' the statement added. 'From a seismic point of view, the values of the tremor amplitude are currently high with a tendency to increase further,' INGV noted. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Toulouse, one of nine centres used to monitor aviation risks around the world, warned that Mount Etna's ash plume had reached an altitude of around 6,400 metres. Footage widely shared on social media (click here if it doesn't show below) showed people running down one side of the volcano, as a thick column of smoke billowed above them. #Etna éruption en live — 🥗Aurelien Pouzin🍯 (@aurelienpouzin) June 2, 2025 There were no immediate reports of injuries following the eruption. Italian media reports also said there was no immediate risk to the local population, which is accustomed to Mount Etna's frequent eruptions. "Everything's under control," Catania Mayor Enrico Tarantino told Il Sole 24 Ore. "There's no critical issue," he said. "Based on our monitoring of the volcano, [the eruption] was expected, and access to the summit had already been restricted." Flights to and from Catania's Vincenzo Bellini Airport weren't affected by the volcano's eruption, according to the latest local media reports. Though the airport remained fully operational, Sicily's aviation authorities issued an orange alert earlier on Monday, urging pilots to exercise caution when flying near the area. Mount Etna is Europe's largest and most active volcano. It last erupted on February 11th, spewing hot ash and lava from its top crater. Mount Etna's most destructive eruption on record took place in 1669, when lava swept through villages located on the volcano's slopes all the way down to Catania, on Sicily's eastern coast. Defensive walls protected the city and sent molten rock plunging into the harbour. Major eruptions have taken place roughly twice a decade since the 1970s, often accompanied by earthquakes. The last time an eruption resulted in the loss of human life was 1987, when a woman and her seven-year-old son were caught in a sudden explosion while walking near the summit with their tour group.
