Rome (AFP) – Italians begin voting in an election expected to usher in the country’s first government led by the far-right since World War II, bringing eurosceptic populists to the heart of Europe. The Brothers of Italy party, led by one-time Mussolini supporter Giorgia Meloni, is leading opinion polls and looks set to take office in a coalition with the far-right League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia parties.
Milan (AFP) – Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy’s anti-immigration League party, casts his vote in Sunday’s general election, which is expected to usher in the country’s first government led by the far-right since World War II.
Taipei (AFP) – Across most of its habitats the biggest danger pangolins face comes from humans. But in Taiwan, a comparative conservation success story, the heavily trafficked scaly anteaters face a different threat — a surging feral dog population.
Skrunda (Latvia) (AFP) – Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the number of volunteers to join the national guard in Latvia has quadrupled. This year, about 4,000 people have signed up for a three-week basic military training course, in which they learn how to react to an attack and how to use a weapon.
Irpin (Ukraine) (AFP) – More than a hundred residential blocks in Irpin — dubbed a “hero city” by President Volodymyr Zelensky for holding back Russian invaders headed towards the capital — have been badly damaged by shelling. Now the advance of winter presents a different threat, as they urgently need to complete repairs before the temperatures drop.
Milan (AFP) – England manager Gareth Southgate says he will take the criticism from fans after his team was beaten again by their Euro 2020 conquerers Italy on Friday and relegated from the top division of the Nations League. His team have failed to score in open play for five whole matches.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemns “pseudo-referendums” as Kremlin proxies began voting on annexation by Russia in Moscow-held areas of Ukraine. “The world will react absolutely justly to pseudo-referendums — they will be unequivocally condemned,” Zelensky says in his daily address to the nation.
Le Bourget (France) (AFP) – Activists from Attac and Extinction Rebellion block a terminal at Le Bourget business airport near Paris for about an hour to protest the use of private jets.
Assisi (Italy) (AFP) – On a visit to Assisi, in central Italy, Pope Francis calls for greater immediate action on the climate, as “the earth burns today, and today we must change, at all levels.”
New York (AFP) – At a rally in New York, Indigenous leaders regret that despite the reality of the climate crisis, countries and companies continue to destroy the Amazon and do not resort to the ancestral knowledge of the native communities to save the planet.
