http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/sicily/ en-us Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:37:21 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2241522/posts One of the Palestinians who hijacked the Achille Lauro cruise ship and killed an American Jewish passenger in 1985 has been released after more than 23 years in jail, officials said Thursday. Youssef Magied al-Molqui left prison in Palermo, Sicily, on Wednesday and was transferred to a holding center for immigrants in nearby Trapani while officials work to expel him, police in the Sicilian capital said. Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2241522/posts#comment Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:37:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2223047/posts Palermo, 3 April (AKI) SNIPPET: "Over 36,000 boat people arrived on the southern Italian coast last year - a 75 per cent increase over the number of arrivals in 2007 - according to the Italian government and the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR)." ADNKRONOS.com (AKI) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2223047/posts#comment Mon, 6 Apr 2009 02:46:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2152468/posts A French crew has begun to repair two undersea cables in the Mediterranean that were severed on Friday, disrupting internet and phone communications. A robot submarine will locate the ends of the cables on the sea bed and bring them to the surface to be re-connected. They were cut somewhere between Sicily and Tunisia, probably by an anchor. Egypt says it has been able to restore most of its communications by re-routing services, but other parts of the Middle East remain badly affected. Experts have warned that it may be days before the fault is fixed and that the knock-on... BBC NEWS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2152468/posts#comment Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:41:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2143157/posts An 82-year-old Italian man who took a Viagra pill scared his wife so much she called the police. Giovanni di Stefano, from Palermo, was so excited his wife thought he would have a heart attack and dialled 999. "The police didn't do anything but their presence had the desired effect. He lost interest in his love life pretty quickly," said a family friend. Terrified wife Carla, 69, told police: "He is 82-years-old and so I thought so much love could have lethal consequences." Ananova.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2143157/posts#comment Fri, 5 Dec 2008 02:02:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2132842/posts Archaeologists working at the ancient Greek city of Himera in northern Sicily have uncovered what they now believe to be the largest Greek necropolis on the island... Hundreds of graves have already been uncovered but archaeologists believe there are thousands more waiting to be found in the burial ground of the city, which rose to prominence more than 2,500 years ago. "The necropolis is of an extraordinary beauty and notable dimensions," Sicily's regional councillor for culture, Antonello Antinoro, said Tuesday. "Preliminary estimates indicate the presence of around 10,000 tombs, which gives the site a good claim to being one... ANSA.it http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2132842/posts#comment Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:04:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2035260/posts I can't post any of the pictures that I want to, but they're remarkable. 13 June 2008: Strong Activity at the Fissure in Valle del Bove Here's another site from Volcano Discovery on the May 2008 eruptions that's similar. From: Etna eruption May 2008 Here's a couple of context images. The first shows where the Valle del Bove is. The second is from space, and the Valle del Bove is the broad dark-brown area to the right (east) of the summit craters. Stromboli Online: Strong Activity at the Fissure in Valle del Bove http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2035260/posts#comment Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:58:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2015308/posts Lightning bolts appear above and around the Chaiten volcano as seen from Chana, some 30 kms (19 miles) north of the volcano, as it began its first eruption in thousands of years, in southern Chile May 2, 2008. Cases of electrical storms breaking out directly above erupting volcanos are well documented, although scientists differ on what causes them. Picture taken May 2, 2008. REUTERS/Carlos Gutierrez (CHILE) The Etna volcano in Sicily rumbled back to life on Tuesday with a "seismic event" followed by a burst of ash, volcanologists said three days after minor eruptions shook the cone. A "seismic... Yahoo News and AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2015308/posts#comment Tue, 13 May 2008 16:23:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2003202/posts "An American army officer, played by James Garner, tells his British paramour, played by Julie Andrews, "You American haters bore me to tears. ... I've dealt with Europeans all my life. I know all about us parvenus from the States who come over here and race around your old cathedral towns with our cameras and Coca-Cola bottles ... and act like we own the world. ... I've had Germans and Italians tell me how politically ingenuous we are. ... But we haven't managed a Hitler or a Mussolini yet. I've had Frenchmen call me a savage because I only took... The Bulletin http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2003202/posts#comment Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:49:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963825/posts New cable cut compounds net woes A submarine cable in the Middle East has been snapped, adding to global net problems caused by breaks in two lines under the Mediterranean on Wednesday. The Falcon cable, owned by a firm which operates another damaged cable, led to a "critical" telecom breakdown, according to one local official. The cause of the latest break has not been confirmed but a repair ship has been deployed, said owner Flag Telecom. The earlier break disrupted service in Egypt, the Middle East and India. "The situation is critical for us in terms of congestion," Omar Sultan,... BBC World News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963825/posts#comment Sat, 2 Feb 2008 17:52:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1891096/posts The Sicilian Mafia, the Cosa Nostra, is facing a revolt by local businessmen who refuse to pay protection money. Until now almost every business in the Sicilian capital, Palermo, has paid off the Mafia or faced retribution. news.bbc.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1891096/posts#comment Tue, 4 Sep 2007 21:27:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1875550/posts A Sicilian mother took away her 61-year-old son's house keys, cut off his allowance and hauled him to the police station because he stayed out late. Tired of her son's misbehaviour, the pensioner in the central Sicilian city of Caltagirone turned to the police to "convince this blockhead" to behave properly, La Sicilia, one of Sicily's leading newspapers, reported. The son responded by saying his mother did not give him a big enough weekly allowance and did not know how to cook. "My son does not respect me. He doesn't tell me where he's going in the evenings and returns... The West.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1875550/posts#comment Fri, 3 Aug 2007 01:37:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874029/posts Archaeologist uncover possible medieval mosque in Sicily The Normans are believed to have built the medieval castle of Salemi. It fell into ruin during the mid-20th century and was closed after a devastating earthquake in 1968. The castle is shown here prior to recent exterior renovations. Photo by Michael Kolb" Earlier this summer, while standing in an archaeological pit adjacent to an ancient hilltop castle in west-central Sicily, Northern Illinois University graduate student Bill Balco could literally reach out and touch the centuries—even the millennia. The dig site, about 7-by-10 meters near the castle entrance, reveals a crossroads of cultures... Physorg.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874029/posts#comment Tue, 31 Jul 2007 03:41:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792396/posts Which is the true face of 12,000 years BC? NICK PISA IN ROME "TRAVEL back through time and space to the edge of man's beginnings... discover a savage world whose only law was lust!" ran the tagline for One Million Years BC, the "caveman" film starring Raquel Welch. One can only hope that ancient ideals of feminine beauty were somewhat different, after scientists revealed for the first time what Stone Age women really looked like. Thea, who lived more than 14,000 years ago, was reconstructed by sculptors working with anthropologists using computer technology. Experts have recreated the faces of men... Scotman http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792396/posts#comment Wed, 28 Feb 2007 03:57:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1778446/posts Police officer killed in riots; all Serie A and B matches suspended Maria Sanminiatelli Canadian Press Friday, February 02, 2007 In this frame made from SKYTG24, fans clash with police outside Catania's Angelo Massimino stadium after the Italian first division soccer league match between Palermo and Catania, in Sicily, southern Italy, Friday. (AP/SkyTG24) ROME (AP) - A police officer was killed Friday when fans rioted at a Serie A game between Sicilian sides Catania and Palermo, prompting the Italian soccer federation (FIGC) to postpone all league matches this weekend and cancel next week's friendlies involving the national teams. Fans rioted... Canadian Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1778446/posts#comment Sat, 3 Feb 2007 04:32:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1718117/posts Italy has abandoned controversial plans to build a bridge between the country's mainland and the island of Sicily. The structure would have crossed the Messina Straits, forming the world's longest single-span suspension bridge. But Italian MPs voted to scrap the proposed construction, saying they had other priorities for Italy's impoverished southern island. There were also concerns that organised crime networks could hijack the lucrative project. A total of 272 MPs voted in favour of abandoning the bridge proposal, while 232 voted to continue. Earthquake risk The project had been promoted by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Two motions put... BBC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1718117/posts#comment Thu, 12 Oct 2006 15:06:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1688949/posts Phoenician tombs found in Sicily 40 sarcophagi unearthed at necropolis near ancient colony (ANSA) - Marsala (Trapani), August 23 - Archaeologists have unearthed 40 sarcophagi in what was once the sacred Phoenician burial grounds of Birgi, near the ancient colony of Motya . The tombs were discovered by chance by a group of construction workers excavating the foundations of a house close to the westernmost tip of Sicily near Marsala, culture officials said . Archaeologists said the sarcophagi were made of simple stone slabs and resembled those found on display outside the museum on the neighbouring island of Motya (present-day... ANSA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1688949/posts#comment Thu, 24 Aug 2006 01:12:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1653733/posts ROME (Reuters) - An underwater volcano with a base larger than Washington D.C. has been discovered just off the shores of Sicily, a scientist with Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology said on Thursday. The volcanic structure, which incorporates peaks previously thought to be separate volcanoes, was named Empedocles after the Greek philosopher who named the four classic elements of earth, air, fire and water. Legend has it that the philosopher died by throwing himself into Mount Etna, the nearby Sicilian volcano. Giovanni Lanzafame, who works at the institute and led the research, said Empedocles was at least 400... Reuters on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1653733/posts#comment Thu, 22 Jun 2006 16:19:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1623356/posts CORLEONE, Sicily - Decades before Mario Puzo borrowed its name for his novel about a ruthless Mafia family and Marlon Brando brought "The Godfather" to life with a throaty voice, Corleone — the town, not the don — had its own bloody story. For generations, this medieval mountain town overlooking rolling fields where sheep and horses graze has been home to the murderous Corleonesi crime clan. The capture this month of Bernardo Provenzano, reputed chieftain of the Corleonesi crime family and No. 1 boss of Cosa Nostra across Sicily, ended one shameful chapter in the town's life. While breathing a... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1623356/posts#comment Fri, 28 Apr 2006 18:48:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1622598/posts Bernardo Provenzano's arrest, on the day Silvio Berlusconi lost power, provoked a storm of speculation The head of the Sicilian Mafia, Bernardo Provenzano, nicknamed "The Tractor" for the way he once mowed down his rivals, was arrested without a struggle yesterday after 42 years on the run. The 73-year-old was found in a small farmhouse near his home town, Corleone. A small earthquake shuddered through the hills minutes before the police arrived.At first he denied being the world's most wanted Mafia fugitive. But after an on-the-spot DNA test, he confessed: "Yes, it's true, I am Bernado Provenzano."He was then... The Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1622598/posts#comment Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:21:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1613314/posts Laundry Betrays Reputed No. 1 Mafia Boss By LUCA BRUNO and FRANCES D'EMILIO, Associated Press Writers Italy's No. 1 fugitive and reputed Mafia "boss of bosses" practically thumbed his nose at authorities for more than 40 years. He counted on Sicilians' centuries-old mistrust of the state to help him on the run, sleeping in islanders' homes, having his children born at local hospitals, even sending the public health care system a bill for prostate treatment abroad under a false name. But police finally caught up with Bernardo "The Tractor" Provenzano on Tuesday in a farmhouse outside his power base, Corleone... yahoo news/AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1613314/posts#comment Tue, 11 Apr 2006 21:11:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1613049/posts Bernardo Provenzano, the chief of the Sicilian Mafia who has been on the run for more than four decades and was Italy's most wanted man, was arrested near Corleone in Sicily on Tuesday, officials said. It was the state's biggest success against the Mafia in more than 13 years. Provenzano, known as the "Phantom of Corleone" after the hill town in Sicily made famous by the Godfather films, has been running the Mafia since 1993, when former "boss of bosses" Toto Riina was arrested in the Sicilian capital Palermo. The last known photograph of mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano taken in... Reuters via Sydney Morning Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1613049/posts#comment Tue, 11 Apr 2006 14:23:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1612932/posts ROME (Reuters) - Police have arrested Bernardo Provenzano, the head of the Sicilian Mafia who has been on the run for more than four decades and is Italy's most wanted man, Italy's Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1612932/posts#comment Tue, 11 Apr 2006 09:46:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1587171/posts Phoenician temple found in SicilySite believed to be 'unique', archaeologists say (ANSA) - Palermo, February 28 - An ancient Phoenician temple unearthed in Sicily is "unique" in the West, the head of the Italian dig team claims. "You have to go all the way to Amrit in Syria to find a similar one," said Lorenzo Nigro of the Rome University team. The temple came to light last year after a portion of a lagoon surrounding the Phoenician city of Motya (present-day Mozia) was drained. The pool began to fill up again and a fresh-water spring was found - a fact... ANSA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1587171/posts#comment Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:37:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1541761/posts 475 families evacuated after storm floods Sigonella housing complex By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes European edition, Friday, December 16, 2005 Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy The military housing complex of Maranai at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, was evacuated Thursday morning after days of heavy rain and thunderstorms flooded the area, which sits in a valley. The complex houses about 475 families, all of whom were safely moved to area hotels. Some houses had up to 3 feet of water inside, officials said. In spite of flooding that trapped about 475 families overnight in their U.S. military base housing... Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1541761/posts#comment Fri, 16 Dec 2005 16:10:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1499615/posts  ANTONIN SCALIA, US SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, NAMED GRAND MARSHAL OF NEW YORK’S COLUMBUS DAY PARADEJustice Celebrated In Pageant of Italian-American AchievementNew York, NY, September 23, 2005 - Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, will be Grand Marshal of Manhattan’s 2005 Columbus Day Parade, Lawrence Auriana, president of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, announced today. The parade, which is produced by the non-profit Foundation, is the largest Columbus Day event in the world and will be held on New York’s Fifth Avenue on October 10, 2005.  "We are honored that Justice Scalia has accepted our invitation to be... Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1499615/posts#comment Sun, 9 Oct 2005 23:47:36 GMT