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Austria greenlights motorway project despite environmental objections

Austria greenlights motorway project  despite environmental objections
The divisive motorway project includes a tunnel under a national park.
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Updated 5 sec ago

Austria greenlights motorway project despite environmental objections

Austria greenlights motorway project  despite environmental objections

VIENNA: Austria’s government announced on Thursday it would press ahead with a divisive motorway project that includes a tunnel under a national park, dealing a blow to opponents of the plan.
The move follows years of prolonged protests and legal wrangling, with the Greens — formerly the governing coalition’s junior partner but now in opposition — securing a halt to the construction in 2021.
In a bid to protect the reserve’s rich and rare wildlife and the surrounding environment, the Greens had ordered a review of all new road-building plans by motorway operator Asfinag.
The project, which dates back to the early 2000s, is designed to ease traffic flow east of the capital, Vienna. It includes the construction of a new expressway junction and a disputed 8km motorway tunnel under part of the Lobau national park.
Opponents of the project argue that construction of the tunnel would damage the fragile ecosystem of the Lobau, which is part of the Danube-Auen National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and fragment natural habitats, thereby undermining Vienna’s commitment to more sustainable transport.
Austrian Infrastructure Minister Peter Hanke said on Thursday that the project, “including the tunnel solution, is the most efficient way to meet the living and economic requirements” of the Vienna and Lower Austria regions.
He argued that a comprehensive evaluation had shown that there was “no alternative” to the project, which sought to provide “the necessary economic impetus to the region” while “solving the transport challenges.”

BACKGROUND

The project, which dates back to the early 2000s, is designed to ease traffic flow east of the capital, Vienna.

The total cost of construction is estimated at €2.7 billion ($3.17 billion) and “will be entirely financed by Asfinag,” the government said.
The construction of the motorway junction is planned for spring 2026.
The project’s second phase, which includes the Lobau tunnel and is due to commence in 2030, is still awaiting final approval.
While some politicians and motorists’ associations welcomed the decision, the Greens and environmental organizations condemned it.
Greens leader Leonore Gewessler, who had spearheaded the suspension of the project as environment minister at the time, criticized the move as a “decision against nature, future generations and common sense.”
Austria’s branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature said the “environmental and health risks” as well as the high costs “clearly speak against” the Lobau tunnel.
The government has stated that it still aims to make the country carbon neutral — balancing greenhouse gas emissions against measures that absorb or sequester carbon — by 2040.


Two teens killed in shooting at Brazil school

Two teens killed in shooting at Brazil school
Updated 2 sec ago

Two teens killed in shooting at Brazil school

Two teens killed in shooting at Brazil school
The suspects fired the gunshots from the school sidewalk, hitting the victims in the school’s parking lot
Authorities have not provided details on a possible motive, and the suspects are still on the run

RIO DE JANEIRO: Two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were shot dead Thursday after gunmen opened fire on a school parking lot in northeastern Brazil, the state government said in a statement.
Another three teens, one aged 16 and two aged 17, were wounded in the incident in the town of Sobral in northern Ceara state.
“The suspects fired the gunshots from the school sidewalk, hitting the victims in the school’s parking lot,” read the statement.
Authorities have not provided details on a possible motive, and the suspects are still on the run.
“During the incident, a certain amount of drugs, a precision scale, and packaging were seized from one of the victims,” said the statement.
One of the injured teenagers, aged 16, was known to police and is “facing charges of homicide, robbery and illegal possession of a firearm.”
A police source told AFP that the gunmen were on motorcycles.
Ceara Governor Elmano de Freitas expressed his “deep sorrow” on X at the “intolerable” violence, adding he had ordered police forces boosted throughout the region to “capture the criminals.”
“It is time to unite and work together to preserve schools as sacred places of peace and welcome,” Education Minister Camilo Santana wrote on the social media platform.
Brazil is battling increased violence linked to rivalries between drug trafficking gangs, which have expanded rapidly into the poor northeastern region of the country in recent years.

Chinese premier says US and his country need to ‘work in the same direction’

Chinese premier says US and his country need to ‘work in the same direction’
Updated 4 min 20 sec ago

Chinese premier says US and his country need to ‘work in the same direction’

Chinese premier says US and his country need to ‘work in the same direction’
  • Premier Li Qiang is due to deliver China’s main speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday
  • President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump had a lengthy phone call last week

NEW YORK: Chinese Premier Li Qiang told a group of American business executives Thursday that the US and his country need “to work in the same direction” to further what he called “the most important bilateral partnership in the world.”
Li told the roughly 20 executives and others interested in US-China relations that their insights were valuable, and “the actions that you take are crucial.”
Journalists were escorted from the room after Li’s brief opening remarks at the event, hosted by two nonprofit groups, the US-China Business Council and the National Committee on US-China Relations.
The latter said the closed-door discussion touched on economic, investment and trade issues and the potential for greater cooperation around shared concerns.
“It is essential to American interests that business leaders and policy experts have the opportunity to discuss key issues, address concerns and maintain working relationships with Chinese leaders,” committee president Stephen Orlins said in a statement.
Li was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly’s annual meeting of world leaders, where he’s leading China’s delegation on behalf of President Xi Jinping. Li is due to deliver his country’s main speech to the assembly on Friday.
The meeting comes at a delicate but dynamic time for relations between the world’s two biggest economies. Trade, tariffs, TikTok’s ownership, computer chips, minerals and more are in the mix of contentious points, not to mention a myriad of geopolitical, strategic and other issues.
“The China-US relation is the most important bilateral partnership in the world,” Li told Thursday’s business gathering. “Its steady development requires our two governments to work in the same direction.”
Xi and US President Donald Trump had a lengthy phone call last week. Trump later said they plan to meet in person at an Asian regional summit next month in South Korea and that he plans to visit China next year.


Netherlands, Uganda edge closer to deal on migrant return center

Netherlands, Uganda edge closer to deal on migrant return center
Updated 19 min 11 sec ago

Netherlands, Uganda edge closer to deal on migrant return center

Netherlands, Uganda edge closer to deal on migrant return center
  • A return center will be set up in Uganda for rejected asylum seekers in the Netherlands

THE HAGUE: The Netherlands and Uganda signed a letter of intent Thursday to set up a return center in the east African country for rejected asylum seekers.
The move comes ahead of an election in October caused by the collapse of Dutch government when far-right leader Geert Wilders pulled his party from the ruling coalition in a row over asylum rules.
“We need to start focusing more on what can be done, rather than on what cannot,” Dutch Migration Minister David Van Weel said in a statement after meeting Ugandan Foreign Minister Odongo Jeje Abubakhar on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
“That is why we are taking this step with Uganda to get migration under control.”
The plan targets people from countries near Uganda who must leave the Netherlands but cannot be returned directly or voluntarily, the statement said.
The individuals concerned will be accommodated in Uganda temporarily at a reception location.
From there they will be expected to return to their country of origin.
“The ministers have made clear that the arrangements concerning the transit hub must comply with national, European and international law,” the statement said, assuring the human rights of those affected will be “safeguarded.”
The initiative drew criticism when first announced in 2024, with opposition parties calling it unrealistic.
Wilders has demanded sweeping asylum restrictions, including a freeze on applications, limits on family reunification and halting the construction of new reception centers.
In the United Kingdom, a plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda was struck down after a series of court challenges.
The scheme was formally scrapped in 2024 without a single transfer taking place.


Suspect in Dallas shooting sought to terrorize ICE agents, officials say

Suspect in Dallas shooting sought to terrorize ICE agents, officials say
Updated 28 min 17 sec ago

Suspect in Dallas shooting sought to terrorize ICE agents, officials say

Suspect in Dallas shooting sought to terrorize ICE agents, officials say
  • The shooter’s writings were discovered during a search of his home in Fairview, Texas, following Wednesday’s pre-dawn shooting
  • FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspect had searched for apps in August that track the location of ICE agents

DALLAS, USA: The gunman who opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas left behind a collection of notes at his home saying he acted alone in an attack that was intended to terrorize ICE agents and minimize harm to detainees at the facility, officials said on Thursday.
Nancy Larson, acting US attorney for the northern district of Texas, said at a news conference that the shooter’s writings were discovered during a search of his home in Fairview, Texas, following Wednesday’s pre-dawn shooting.
Earlier in the day, FBI Director Kash Patel said the suspect had searched for apps in August that track the location of ICE agents and downloaded a list of local Department of Homeland Security facilities.


Patel also said in a social media post that investigators determined that the suspect had researched video of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s highly publicized assassination before carrying out Wednesday’s pre-dawn attack in Texas.
One immigration detainee at the Dallas site was shot dead and two others were critically wounded. No federal personnel were injured in the incident.

EVIDENCE THAT ICE WAS A TARGET
Within hours of the shooting, the FBI released a photo of an unused bullet found inscribed with the phrase “ANTI-ICE,” an early piece of evidence, officials said, that the immigration enforcement agency was the target.
The perpetrator, who the FBI said had opened fire from the rooftop of a nearby building, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound afterward, Larson told reporters.
He was later identified as Joshua Jahn, 29, a Dallas-area resident who previously attended a community college and had worked as a solar panel installer.
The investigation thus far, Patel said on Thursday, “indicates a high degree of pre-attack planning.”
Patel also outlined additional evidence reinforcing the theory that the attack appeared to have been aimed not at the detainees who were shot but at ICE, the primary enforcement agency of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
According to Patel, a handwritten note recovered from Jahn’s home read: “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, ‘Is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?’” He did not provide photos or other documentation of the evidence.
Patel also said the suspect had downloaded a document titled “Dallas County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management” containing a list of DHS facilities. And during a period of several days in August, the perpetrator had searched apps that tracked the presence of ICE agents.
One of the seriously injured victims is a Mexican citizen, according to Mexico’s foreign ministry. The Dallas shooting came two weeks after Kirk, co-founder of the conservative student political group Turning Point USA and a close ally of Trump, was shot dead by a rooftop sniper during a speaking event in Utah, fueling fears of a new wave of violence in the United States.


Greece to guarantee safe sailing of Gaza flotilla in its waters, minister says

Greece to guarantee safe sailing of Gaza flotilla in its waters, minister says
Updated 41 min 42 sec ago

Greece to guarantee safe sailing of Gaza flotilla in its waters, minister says

Greece to guarantee safe sailing of Gaza flotilla in its waters, minister says
  • Athens had informed Israel that Greek citizens were in the flotilla
  • Italy sent a navy ship to the flotilla’s assistance after vessels were attacked

Greece will guarantee the safe sailing of boats currently in its waters as part of an international flotilla heading to Gaza, its foreign minister said on Thursday, adding that Athens had informed Israel that Greek citizens were in the flotilla.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is using about 50 civilian boats to try to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. Many lawyers and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, are on board.
“There are a small number of boats currently in the waters of Crete, and we will guarantee the safe sailing,” Giorgos Gerapetritis told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“We have already informed the Israeli government about the participation of Greek citizens in this, and we will make sure that everything goes well.”
Israel has repeatedly criticized the flotilla, accusing its activists of complicity with the Hamas militant group.
Italy sent a navy ship to the flotilla’s assistance after the vessels were attacked by 12 drones in international waters 30 nautical miles (56 km) off the Greek island of Gavdos.
Gerapetritis said Athens was not planning to join Italian and Spanish naval ships at this stage.
He played down the drone incident, but said there would be a full inquiry to determine what happened.
“At the moment, it seems that it is safe, but we are on full alert about it,” he said.