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WORLD NEWS Friday 31 January 2025
European court finds Italy violated the right to life of Naples

residents living in toxic dump area

By NICOLE WINFIELD failed to address the pollu-
Associated Press tion systematically and had
ROME (AP) — A European not done what was neces-
court on Thursday said Italy sary to protect residents’
violated the right to life of lives.
those living in a toxic-waste “Overall, the Court found
polluted area around that the Italian authorities
Naples, in a scathing rul- had not approached the
ing that validated a gen- Terra dei Fuochi problem
eration of residents’ com- with the diligence warrant-
plaints that mafia dumping ed by the seriousness of the
and burning of waste had situation,” the ruling said.
led to increased rates of “The Italian State had not
cancer and other ailments. done all that was required
The binding judgement of it to protect the appli-
from the European Court cants’ lives.” Italy’s govern-
of Human Rights ordered ment, in its arguments to
the Italian government to the court, had pointed to
develop a comprehensive seven environmental-relat-
strategy to address and ed convictions and numer-
monitor the contamina- ous initiatives to investigate
tion of the Tierra dei Fuoci, health problems. But the
or Land of Fires, an area of court blasted the Italian
90 municipalities around government’s recourse to
Caserta and Naples which Outside view March 22, 2011 of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. state secrecy and over-
is home for around 2.9 mil- Associated Press all delays in responding
lion people. to the problem. “Progress
The court found that Ital- residents have access to tered dozens of fields be- their hands for a fraction of had been glacial in assess-
ian authorities had known data about the pollution of cause their irrigation wells the cost of legal disposal. ing the pollution impact
about the pollution prob- their lands and the verified contained high levels of Over the years, Camorra when expedition had been
lem, blamed on mafia health risks associated with lead, arsenic and the indus- turncoats revealed how necessary,” according to
clans called Camorra that living there. Residents have trial solvent tetrachloride. the racket works, direct- a summary of the ruling,
control waste disposal, long complained about Authorities say the con- ing police to specific sites which noted a “gener-
since 1988 but failed to ad- adverse health effects from tamination is due to the where toxic garbage was alised problem of coordi-
dress it and had not done the dumping, which poi- Camorra’s multibillion-dol- dumped, buried or burned. nation and attribution of
what was necessary to pro- soned underground wells lar racket of disposing toxic The court found that Ital- responsibilities in Campa-
tect residents’ lives. used to irrigate the farm- waste, mainly from indus- ian authorities had ordered nia regarding decontami-
The Strasbourg-based court land that provides veg- tries in Italy’s wealthy north seven different parliamen- nation” such that “it was
gave the government two etables for much of Italy’s that ask no questions about tary commissions of inquiry, impossible to get an overall
years to also set up an in- center and south. Over the where the garbage goes but a chaotic public ad- sense of where had yet to
formation platform so that years, police have seques- as long as it’s taken off ministration system had be decontaminated.”q

Panama’s president says there will be no negotiation about

ownership of canal

By ALMA SOLÍS suggested the U.S. retake predecessor for the long- table and be able to speak drug trafficking, Mulino
Associated Press the Panama Canal. term concession made for with the United States and said.
PANAMA CITY (AP) — Pan- On the day of his inaugu- control of the ports. very frankly” about issues Rubio is scheduled to meet
ama President José Raúl ration, Trump claimed that “It’s impossible, I can’t ne- including immigration, se- with Mulino Sunday and
Mulino said Thursday there U.S. ships were being “se- gotiate,” Mulino said when curity and the fight against visit the canal.q
will be no negotiation with verely overcharged and asked about returning the
the United States over not treated fairly in any canal to U.S. control. “That
ownership of the Panama way, shape or form,” not- is done. The canal belongs
Canal, and he hopes U.S. ing that “above all, China is to Panama.”
Secretary of State Marco operating the Panama Ca- The United States built the
Rubio’s upcoming visit will nal.” He had previously said canal in the early 1900s as
allow them to focus on the U.S. could demand the it looked for ways to facili-
shared interests including canal be returned. tate the transit of commer-
migration and combating Mulino tried to downplay cial and military vessels be-
drug trafficking. the tension at his weekly tween its coasts. Washing-
Being the destination for press conference Thurs- ton relinquished control of
the first overseas visit by the day. He spoke of wanting the waterway to Panama
top U.S. diplomat would to clarify confusion about on Dec. 31, 1999, under
have been big for Pana- China’s role in the canal a treaty signed in 1977 by
ma in any case, but Ru- a Hong Kong consortium President Jimmy Carter.
bio comes as the emissary manages ports at both “The only thing that I want
of U.S. President Donald ends, but Panama controls is to clear all the garbage A cargo ship traverses the Gatún Locks of the Panama Canal in
Trump, who has repeatedly the canal – and blamed a from the path, clean the Colon, Panama, Sept. 2, 2024.
Associated Press