Italy cleared the way Wednesday to build the world’s largest suspension bridge linking the Italian mainland with Sicily in a massive 13.5 billion euro ($15.5 billion) infrastructure project that has been long delayed by debates over its scale, earthquake threats, environmental impact and the spectre of mafia interference. The Strait of Messina Bridge will be “the biggest infrastructure project in the West,” Transport Minister Matteo Salvini told a news conference in Rome, after an interministerial committee with oversight of strategic public investments approved the project. Premier Giorgia Meloni said that the bridge “will be an engineering symbol of global significance.” Salvini cited studies showing the project will create 120,000 jobs a year and accelerate growth in economically lagging southern Italy, as billions more in investments are made in roads and other infrastructure projects accompanying the bridge. Preliminary work could begin between late September and early October, once Italy’s court of audit signs off, with construction expected to start next year. Despite bureaucratic delays, the bridge is expected to be completed between 2032-2033, Salvini said. Bridge could count toward NATO spending target The Strait of Messina Bridge has been approved and canceled multiple times since the Italian government first solicited proposals in 1969. Premier Giorgia Meloni’s administration revived the project in 2023, and this marks the furthest stage the ambitious project— first envisioned by the Romans — has ever reached. “From a technical standpoint, it’s an absolutely fascinating engineering project,’’ Salvini said. The Strait of Messina Bridge would measure nearly 3.7 kilometers (2.2 miles), with the suspended span reaching 3.3 kilometers (more than 2 miles), surpassing Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge, currently the longest, by 1,277 meters (4,189 feet). With three car lanes in each direction flanked by a double-track railway, the bridge would have the capacity to carry 6,000 cars an hour and 200 trains a day — reducing the time to cross the strait by ferry from up to 100 minutes to 10 minutes by car. Trains will save 2/12 hours in transit time, Salvini said. The project could provide a boost to Italy’s commitment to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP targeted by NATO, as the government has indicated it would classify the bridge as defense-related, helping it to meet a 1.5% security component. Italy argues that the bridge would form a strategic corridor for rapid troop movements and equipment deployment to NATO’s southern flanks, qualifying it as a “security-enhancing infrastructure.” Salvini confirmed the intention to classify the project as dual use, but said that was up to Italy’s defense and economic ministers. A group of more than 600 professors and researchers signed a letter earlier this summer opposing the military classification, noting that such a move would require additional assessments to see if it could withstand military use. Opponents also say the designation would potentially make the bridge a target. Concerns over organized crime Environmental groups have lodged complaints with the EU, citing concerns that the project will impact migratory birds, noting that environmental studies had not demonstrated that the project is a public imperative and that any environmental damage would be offset. The original government decree reactivating the bridge project included language giving the Interior Ministry control over anti-mafia measures. But Italy’s president insisted that the project remain subject to anti-mafia legislation that applies to all large-scale infrastructure projects in Italy out of […]
U.S. President Donald Trump raised the tariffs on Canadian goods to 35% last week, but a key exemption for Canada and Mexico shields the vast majority of goods from the punishing duties. Goods that comply with the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that Trump negotiated during his first term are excluded from the tariffs. Here’s a look at Trump’s tariffs on the two countries and their exemptions: Most Canadian exports reaching the US duty free Canada’s central bank says 100% of energy exports and 95% of other exports are compliant with the trade pact, known as USMCA. The Royal Bank estimated that almost 90% of Canadian exports appear to have accessed the U.S. market duty free in April. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the commitment of the U.S. to the core of USMCA, reaffirmed again last week, means the U.S. average tariff rate on Canadian goods remains one of its lowest, and over 85% of Canada-U.S. trade continues to be tariff free. “Canada is better off than any of the trading partners right now because the Americans appear to be relying as a default on USMCA,” said Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. “That gives them the tough tariff headline but also allows them the access to the stuff they need from us. Because of that we’re in a relative better position.” Canadian and Mexican companies can claim preferential treatment under the USMCA based on where the products are made. “The headline news is 35% tariffs but it’s somewhat targeted,” said John Manley, Canada’s former industry minister, finance minister, foreign affairs minister and deputy prime minister. Manley said Canada is doing okay despite the economic uncertainty. “There is a lot of resilience I’d say. The Canadian economy has done relatively well, better than most of us expected, and remember that there is no tariffs on any of our energy exports,” he said. 25% tariffs on Mexican goods target a small slice of trade Trump said last week he would enter into a 90-day negotiating period with Mexico, also one of America’s largest trading partners. The current 25% tariff rates are staying in place, down from the 30% he had threatened earlier. But that 25% only applies to the fraction of Mexico’s trade with the U.S. that isn’t covered by the USMCA. Shortly after speaking with Trump on Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that within the “new commercial world order,” Mexico was still the best positioned nation because of the free trade agreement. “What’s within (USMCA) has no tariff, with the exception of what we already know: autos, steel and aluminum; and what is outside the treaty has 25%,” Sheinbaum said. But Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard pointed out that under the USMCA no tariffs were paid on more than 84% of Mexico’s trade with the United States. Most imports from Canada and Mexico are still protected by the USMCA, but the deal is up for review next year. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said last month: “I think the president is absolutely going to renegotiate USMCA.” Preserving the free trade pact will be critical for Canada and Mexico. “It would be an incredible disruption to lose it especially if you lost it to the levels of tariffs Trump is imposing, 30%, 25% or even 20%. You can absorb a single digit tariff level across the board but […]
Several cars were set ablaze and threatening graffiti—including the phrase “Death to the IDF”—was spray-painted in a quiet residential neighborhood in the St. Louis suburb of Clayton on Tuesday night. Authorities say the attack targeted a Jewish American who had recently returned from serving in the IDF. Three vehicles were torched in the driveway of the victim’s family home, and hateful messages were scrawled across the property, including personalized threats too graphic to broadcast unblurred. Law enforcement is investigating the incident as a hate crime, and a suspect is reportedly in custody. “This was not random. It was targeted, deliberate, and rooted in hate,” said Leo Terrell, head of the Trump administration’s antisemitism task force. “This was a horrific antisemitic attack on a Jewish family simply because their son served in the IDF.” Terrell confirmed he has contacted the FBI regarding the case and vowed that “those who commit antisemitic hate crimes will be caught—and they will be held accountable.” No injuries were reported. The St. Louis Fire Department responded to the vehicle fires, and local police are working with federal authorities to determine if the attack is linked to broader extremist networks. The attack comes as the United States grapples with a historic spike in antisemitic hate crimes, which surged following Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel. According to new FBI data, antisemitic incidents hit a record 1,938 cases in 2024, accounting for nearly 70% of all religion-based hate crimes in the country. Jewish community leaders condemned the Clayton attack, blaming an atmosphere of unchecked hatred that has metastasized from online platforms and street protests into real-world violence. “When you hear people chant ‘globalize the intifada,’ this is what it looks like—burned cars in American neighborhoods,” said Jordan Kadosh of the Anti-Defamation League. “They aren’t speaking metaphorically. This is the real-world consequence of weaponized rhetoric.” The Jewish Federation of St. Louis issued a statement calling the incident “more than vandalism—it is a hateful act of intimidation” and “the direct result of antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric becoming normalized.” Danny Cohn, the Federation’s president and CEO, said the organization’s Community Security Team is working closely with law enforcement. “What starts as words quickly escalates into violence when hate is tolerated,” he warned. “We urge community leaders to speak out forcefully before more lives are put at risk.” Clayton Mayor Bridget McAndrew also condemned the arson as “an offensive and violent act of hate,” confirming that it is being investigated as a hate crime. “We will not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or violence based on someone’s nationality, race, religion, or ideology,” she said. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The German BILD newspaper published an investigation on Tuesday exposing a Gazan photographer as staging “starvation” scenes in Gaza as material for Hamas propaganda against Israel. The investigation found that many Gazan photographers are connected to Hamas. For example, photographer Anas Zayed Fteiha, whose photos and videos appear in international newspapers and news agencies, staged images to exaggerate suffering in Gaza and serve as leverage for international ire at Israel. Fteiha’s photos have been published in many outlets, including CNN, BBC, Reuters, and New York Magazine, as well as BILD, before the investigation. One of his widely circulated photos shows a group of Gazans, almost all women and children, holding empty pots at a food distribution site. The report notes that photographs by others at the site show that the group received food after the photo was taken, questioning why the “full picture” wasn’t presented. In addition, other photographs of the site show that the crowd waiting for food was mainly comprised of adult men, who also received food. The investigation notes that Fteiha is on a mission to “Free Palestine,” frequently publishing pro-Palestinian posts on social media, casting doubts about his objectivity. One of his Instagram posts shows him wearing combat gear with the word “Press,” which according to the report, was created by “an avowed Jew-hater.” Another video on his account is accompanied by a caption cursing Israel. Additionally, Fteiha presents himself as a “journalist” for Anadolu Agency, a state-supported Turkish news agency known for its support of Hamas. Historian and photography expert Gerhard Paul told Süddeutsche Zeitung, another German outlet that also carried the story, “In southern Gaza, Hamas controls 100 percent of image production to generate Western sympathy while inflaming anger toward Israel.” Süddeutsche Zeitung noted that there are serious doubts about the authenticity of many of the images from Gaza, with “at least some presented in a false or misleading context.” A photography expert quoted by the report said, “Many images of starving or sick children are likely staged or taken out of context. They’re not fake, but the subjects are positioned a certain way or paired with misleading captions that tap into our visual memory and emotions.” “Hamas is a master of staging visuals,” he added. “The images also serve another purpose: to overwrite the brutal visuals from Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack. Many people don’t even remember those images anymore.” Following the reports, Israel’s Foreign Ministry stated, “Beware of fake news. A joint investigation by Süddeutsche Zeitung and BILD reveals how Hamas uses ‘Pallywood,’ staged or selectively framed media, to manipulate global opinion.” “At the center is Anas Zayed Fteiha, a Palestinian photographer for Anadolu and an open Israel- and Jew-hater, whose images are designed to evoke pity and fuel outrage. Despite his bias, his photos are published by major outlets like CNN, BBC, and Reuters.” “With Hamas controlling nearly all media in Gaza, these photographers aren’t reporting; they’re producing propaganda.” “This investigation underscores how Pallywood has gone mainstream, with staged images and ideological bias shaping international coverage, while the suffering of Israeli hostages and Hamas atrocities are pushed out of frame.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
China, the adversary. China, the friend? These days, maybe a bit of both. From easing export controls to reportedly blocking the Taiwanese president’s plans to travel through the United States, President Donald Trump is raising eyebrows in Washington that he might offer concessions that could hurt U.S. interests in his quest to meet, and reach a deal with, the Chinese leader. There is no firm plan for Trump to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. But it’s widely believed that the men must meet in person, likely in the fall, for the two governments to ink a trade deal, and some are worried that Xi is leveraging Trump’s desire for more giveaways. “The summit mismatch is real. There’s a clear gap between Trump’s eagerness for a face-to-face with Xi and Beijing’s reluctance to engage,” said Craig Singleton, senior director of the China program at the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies. There are concerns that Trump may throttle back on export controls or investment curbs to preserve summit prospects, Singleton said, warning the risk “isn’t just in giving away too much” but also “in letting Beijing set the tempo.” China-U.S. relations have pinballed often since Washington established relations with communist-led Beijing in 1979. They’ve hit highs and lows — the latter in the aftermath of the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, after a 2001 incident involving a U.S. spy plane, during the COVID pandemic and right now. Both countries have struggled to understand each other, which has sometimes gotten in the way of deeper partnerships. And this time around, there’s a wild card: the anything-might-happen second presidency of Trump. Disputes often accompany potential US-China leader meetings Efforts by a U.S. president to meet the head of the authoritarian Chinese government have often met with partisan outcries — which happened when former President Joe Biden hosted Xi in California in 2023. But Trump’s case is peculiar, partly because he is willing to break with conventional political restraints to make deals and partly because his own party has grown hawkish towards China over national security. “With President Trump, everything seems to be open for negotiation, and there are few if any red lines,” said Gabriel Wildau, managing director of the global consultancy Teneo. “The hawks worry that if Trump gets into a room with Xi, he will agree to extraordinary concessions, especially if he believes that a big, beautiful deal is within reach.” While most Republican lawmakers have not voiced their concerns openly, Democrats are vocal in their opposition. “President Trump is giving away the farm to Xi just so he can save face and reach a nonsensical trade deal with Beijing that will hurt American families economically,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. On Tuesday, Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said the Trump administration “has not wavered — and will never waver — in safeguarding our national and economic security to put America first.” “The administration continues to have productive conversations with China to address longstanding unfair trade practices,” Desai said, adding that export controls on cutting-edge technology and many tariffs remain in place. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, after his latest round of trade negotiations with the Chinese in July, told CNBC that the team was “very careful to keep trade and national security […]
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The FBI’s Atlanta office says it is coordinating with the military amid a shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia. Officials report at least four people have been transported to hospitals.
Two Palestinians previously jailed for terror activity were recently detained in a joint operation by the IDF, Shin Bet, and the police’s elite Gideonim unit, after allegedly attempting to form a terror cell in the al-Am’ari refugee camp in Ramallah, police say.
Ambassador Huckabee criticizes proposals to recognize a Palestinian state, arguing they reward Hamas rather than applying pressure for the terror group to unconditionally release hostages and surrender immediately.
TRUMP: Senator Schumer is extorting $2B from Republicans to approve Trump appointments. Unprecedented delay in U.S. history! Republicans must act fast with legislation.
U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday they won’t seek the death penalty in their cases against Mexican cartel kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero, the drug lord charged with orchestrating the 1985 killing of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Caro Quintero, 72, and Zambada, 75, have pleaded not guilty to an array of drug trafficking charges. The prosecutions are separate, but they similarly target two of Mexico’s most notorious narcos. It is unclear whether taking the death penalty off the table signals any possibility of a plea deal with either or both men. Their lawyers welcomed the decision but were circumspect about what happens next. Caro Quintero’s attorney, Elizabeth Macedonio, said she and her client “look forward to resolving this matter quickly to bring closure to all parties.” Zambada’s lawyer, Frank Perez, said the government’s decision “marks an important step toward achieving a fair and just resolution.” Prosecutors said last winter that they were having plea discussions with Perez. Prosecutors wouldn’t comment further Tuesday after telling judges in brief letters that Attorney General Pam Bondi had directed them not to pursue capital punishment for Caro Quintero, Zambada, or a third defendant, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, known as “The Viceroy.” Sent from Mexico to the U.S. last winter along with Caro Quintero, he also has pleaded not guilty. Carrillo Fuentes’ lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, said he and his client “are very thankful and think it was the right decision.” The cases are unfolding in the same Brooklyn federal courthouse where infamous Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was tried and convicted. The Sinaloa cartel is Mexico’s oldest criminal group, with various incarnations dating to the 1970s. It is a drug trafficking power player: A former Mexican cabinet member was convicted of taking bribes to help the cartel. Guzmán and Zambada built it from a regional group into a huge manufacturer and smuggler of cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs to U.S., authorities say. While Zambada was seen as the cartel’s strategist and dealmaker, prosecutors have said he also was enmeshed in its violence, at one point ordering the murder of his own nephew. Zambada avoided capture for years, until he was arrested in Texas last year, after what he has described as a kidnapping in Mexico. One of Guzmán’s sons, Joaquin Guzmán Lopez, was arrested with Zambada and has pleaded not guilty in a Chicago federal court. Caro Quintero headed the Guadalajara cartel, parts of which later merged into the Sinaloa organization. The White House has called him “one of the most evil cartel bosses in the world.” Prosecutors say he is responsible for sending tons of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine into the U.S. and had DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena abducted, tortured and killed as revenge for a marijuana plantation raid. The killing was dramatized in the Netflix series “Narcos: Mexico.” (AP)
The mother of the man who killed four people at a Manhattan office tower home to the NFL told 911 dispatchers during a 2022 incident when he threatened to kill himself that he suffered from a sports-related concussion and other issues, new information released by Las Vegas police Tuesday revealed. Shane Tamura, 27, had a documented history of mental health problems and carried a handwritten note in his wallet when he carried out the shooting that claimed he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known at CTE, investigators said. He fatally shot three people in the building lobby before taking an elevator to the 33rd floor, killing a fourth victim and then ending his own life, according to police. He accused the football league of hiding the dangers of brain injuries linked to contact sports. Tamura didn’t play professional football but played during his high school years in Southern California, where he grew up. His mother told the dispatchers on Sept. 12, 2022, that her son was under a doctor’s care for “depression, concussion like sports concussion, chronic migraines, and insomnia.” She also said he was taking sleeping pills, smoking marijuana, and kept a gun in his backpack. It was one of two incidents that led to Tamura being admitted to hospitals for mental health crises. “He said he’s going to kill himself,” she said in the recorded 911 call. “He didn’t say he made a plan, he just said he just can’t take it anymore.” Tamura’s mother placed the call from outside a Budget Suites Motel. She told dispatchers she would wait in the stairwell because she did not want Tamura to know she had called the police. “He just started crying and slamming things and said I’m making him worse, so I said, ‘I’ll step outside,’” she said. “I don’t want you to be upset, but I’m afraid to leave.” Tamura was committed to a hospital again in 2024 after calling his mother and making statements about wanting to hurt himself, according to a first responder captured on body camera video released by Las Vegas police. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the records, which would normally be withheld due to privacy protections, were being released “in light of the extraordinary circumstances.” Tamura worked at the Horseshoe Las Vegas’ surveillance department until last week, when authorities say he drove his car to New York and carried out the shooting. He bought the rifle he used in the attack and the car he drove from his supervisor at the casino. New York City detectives searched Tamura’s locker at the Horseshoe casino Wednesday and found a tripod for his rifle, a box for a revolver that was found in his car in New York, and ammunition for both guns, the police department said. Police said they also found in his apartment a psychiatric medication, an epilepsy drug and an anti-inflammatory that had been prescribed to Tamura. His psychiatric history would not have prevented him from legally purchasing the revolver, unless relatives or law enforcement sought a so-called extreme risk protection order from the courts. However, a new state law effective this month will allow officers to confiscate firearms in the immediate vicinity of someone placed on a mental health crisis hold. Las Vegas police also released records Tuesday related to two […]
President Donald Trump on Tuesday condemned the latest Hamas hostage video as “horrible” and said he hopes “a lot of people” see it. The video, released by Hamas over the weekend, shows Evyatar David, an Israeli hostage abducted on October 7, emaciated and barely able to speak, digging what Hamas claimed was his own grave inside a tunnel. Asked by reporters in Washington for his reaction, Trump said, “I think it’s horrible. I hope a lot of people do get to see it, as bad as it is, because I think it’s a horrible thing.” When pressed on whether he supports Israel’s reported plans to expand its military operations and reoccupy all of Gaza, Trump declined to offer a position, saying, “That’s pretty much going to be up to Israel.” Trump shifted focus to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, saying his administration is prioritizing food aid. “They’re obviously not doing too well with the food,” he said, referring to Gazans. “Israel is going to help us with that in terms of distribution and also money.” While Jerusalem has not publicly confirmed it, Israeli officials have funneled millions of dollars to the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — an alternative aid mechanism meant to bypass Hamas. Funding the GHF remains politically sensitive inside Israel, where many view the group’s operations with suspicion. Trump also reiterated plans to establish new food centers in Gaza, although his administration has yet to roll out the long-promised aid distribution plan. He noted that multiple Arab states have agreed to assist “in terms of money and possibly distribution,” but did not name which countries were involved. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The two Chareidi brothers arrested by the military police this week were sentenced by the military court on Wednesday for failing to report for army service. The bochur who learns at the Maorot HaTorah yeshivah was sentenced to 17 days of detention, and his brother, a graduate of the yeshivah, was sentenced to 13 days of detention. It is likely that protests will take place against the prison sentences by various factions within the Chareidi sector. The Agudat Bnei HaYeshivos, which is handling the case, stated, “The Rabbanim of the Agudat Bnei HaYeshivot visited the residences of the Sephardi Gedolei HaTorah today and were advised that the Chareidi public will no longer remain silent in the face of the army’s attempts to target yeshiva students in peripheral cities and that they will soon announce an escalation of the public struggle.” Maorot HaTorah is a Chareidi yeshivah intended for bochurim who are ba’alei teshuvah or stem from a less religious background who are interested in becoming more yeshivish. Some Rabbanim are complaining that the army is davka targeting weaker bochurim. A Rav in Maorot HaTorah told Kikar H’Shabbat, “We all knew that the army would not start arresting standard bochurim from Jerusalem, Modiin Illit, Bnei Brak, or Beit Shemesh who are from mainstream families and learn in regular yeshivos.” However, the Rav warned that Chareidi leaders must fight for these bochurim. “This is the litmus test for what will happen to us later. Now they are normalizing arrests of non-mainstream bochurim, and when the army sees that it is getting away with it quietly, it will certainly increase its efforts, and then we will see a huge wave of arrests in in the Chareidi cities.” (YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
A small medical transport plane crashed and caught fire Tuesday on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, killing four people, the tribe said in a statement. A Beechcraft King Air 300 from the CSI Aviation company left Albuquerque, New Mexico, with two pilots and two health care providers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and CSI Aviation. It crashed in the early afternoon near the airport in Chinle, about 300 miles (483 kilometers) northeast of Phoenix. “They were trying to land there and unfortunately something went wrong,” district Police Commander Emmett Yazzie said. The crew was planning pick up a patient who needed critical care from the federal Indian Health Service hospital in Chinle, said Sharen Sandoval, director of the Navajo Department of Emergency Management. She said the plan was to return to Albuquerque. The patient’s location and condition were not known Tuesday evening. Tribal authorities began receiving reports at 12:44 p.m. of black smoke at the airport, Sandoval said. The cause of the crash wasn’t known, the tribe said. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating. CSI Aviation officials “with great sadness” confirmed the deaths in an emailed statement and extended condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the people killed. Their names haven’t been released. The company is cooperating with the investigation, according to the statement. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said in a social media post that he was heartbroken to learn of the crash. “These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation,” he said. Medical transports by air from the Navajo Nation are common because most hospitals are small and do not offer advanced or trauma care. The Chinle airport is one of a handful of airports that the tribe owns and operates on the vast 27,000-square-mile (70,000-square-kilometer) reservation that stretches into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah — the largest land base of any Native American tribe. In January, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing eight people. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, has said the voice recorder on that plane was not working. (AP)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott petitions Supreme Court to remove Dem Rep. Gene Wu for fleeing to IL, blocking redistricting vote. Court demands response by 5 PM Fri, Aug 8.
Sec. Noem on the “Speedway Slammer” in Indiana for criminal illegals: “If they’ve committed criminal acts or been convicted of them, we want them to pay the consequences … then we will send them home. They don’t belong in this country. They never should’ve been allowed in.”
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, following a meeting with PM Netanyahu and the military secretary: “I told Netanyahu that occupying Gaza is a terrible idea. You don’t launch such a move without broad public support—and the Israeli people are not behind this war. The price will be far too high.”
