The planned Messina Bridge is once again stirring tensions, promises, and criticism in Italy. Designed to link Sicily to the mainland, the project sparks debate over costs, environmental risks, and social impact.

Messina

The Italian government has proposed constructing the Messina Bridge to connect Sicily with mainland Italy, making it one of Europe's most ambitious infrastructure projects. While some local officials support the initiative for its potential to create jobs and stimulate economic development, many residents and environmentalists have expressed skepticism and concern.

Critics argue that the project would lead to the demolition of homes, disrupt a crucial migratory route for over 300 bird species, and pose significant risks due to the region's seismic activity. The bridge, estimated to cost over 13 billion euros, still awaits final administrative approval, and if completed, would become the world's longest suspension bridge.

Messina bridge in Italy: Residents view project with skepticism

For Rosa, the coastline is more than just a backdrop. She lives in Messina, just a few meters from the sea that separates Sicily from Calabria. That's the Strait of Messina. I really feel I'm a citizen of the Strait. It's amazing to see Calabria just opposite, with the sea that unites us. But this landscape could soon change, because it is here that the Italian government intends to build one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Europe, the Messina Bridge, to connect the island of Sicily with the continent. I find it difficult to imagine a steel and concrete monster built here. That would loom over our heads. Just over there, there'd be a 400-meter pillar. Rosa's house is in the future construction zone, and would therefore disappear. It would be demolished to make way for the bridge. I live in fear. My life would be totally devastated. I would have to leave here, and go where? I've chosen to live here. And afterwards, where could we go? Despite Rosa, many other inhabitants of Messina are alarmed by this colossal project. This afternoon, no Ponte Committee members are getting organized. The Constitutional Court still has to rule on the legitimacy and the process of the project. The Committee has started a petition to get the attention of the mayor and denounce an unnecessary waste of public funds. The estimated cost for building the bridge is over 13 billion euros. Our region should be improved by other means. And up till now, nothing has been done, because the funds were invested elsewhere. This bridge on the Messina Strait is a bottomless pit that will use up all the resources that should be used elsewhere. Environmentalists are also concerned by the construction project, as the strait is a migratory route for more than 300 bird species. Anna Giordano is an ornithologist. She has been studying the area for more than 30 years. Many of them arrive from southern Sahara. They follow a diagonal line passing over there, towards land, towards the continent, flying over the Strait from Messina. The Strait of Messina has been designated a special protection area by the European Union to guarantee the conservation of wild bird species. The project would be catastrophic for millions and millions of birds year after year for all species, from the rarest to the most common, obviously causing an irreversible decline in bird populations. Despite the outcry, the mayor of Messina supports the initiative. The town's leader sees an opportunity to make Sicily more accessible and to boost the economy on this island that is one of the poorest regions of Italy. According to estimations, the construction would create over 100,000 jobs. This bridge should accelerate development, infrastructure for the Mezzogiorno that could develop and improve transport links throughout the whole of Sicily, and investment for my city, for example the construction of a metro. Irrespective of the economic considerations, the technical challenges are huge as the strait is exposed to strong winds and is in one of the continent's most active areas of seismic activity. Here we can see the tectonic faults on the surface that are considered active in the zone of the strait. Those in red correspond to the bridge's proposed structural areas, for example this one, which is right under one of the bridge's two pillars. The area has already been hit by devastating earthquakes, like the one in 1908 that caused nearly 70,000 deaths. Earthquakes like the one in 1908 will happen again. We have estimations of when a similar strength earthquake might happen. It's quite far away in time, we estimate in 1,000 or 1,500 years. For the time being, the project is still awaiting the final administrative authorizations. If it gets a definite green light, the construction could last more than a decade. Once completed, the Messina Bridge would become the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Amid growing impatience over the Kremlin’s reluctance to participate in direct talks with Ukraine, Washington is now considering providing Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, according to U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

Washington

Ukraine Invasion

Washington might send Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, Vance says

The FBI says it is investigating 'an act of targeted violence' after a man crashed his vehicle through the front doors of a Michigan church, opened fire with an assault rifle and set the church ablaze, killing at least four people and wounding at least eight others.

Grand Blanc

Investigators look for motive in deadly Michigan church shooting

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are set to meet at the White House on Monday over the ongoing war in Gaza. CBS News foreign correspondent Ramy Inocencio has the latest details.

Middle East Conflict

Trump set to meet with Netanyahu at White House

Washington is preparing for the arrival of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who is set to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. President Trump is advancing a plan aimed at securing the release of hostages, ending the war in Gaza, and outlining a post-war strategy.

Netanyahu set to meet Trump at the White House

The military wing of Hamas said it had lost contact with two Israeli hostages held in Gaza City, and called on Israel to pull troops back and suspend air strikes for 24 hours so fighters could retrieve the captives.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Hamas says it lost contact with two hostages in Gaza City siege

Iran's parliament on Sunday (September 28) condemned what it called "illegal" sanctions, after the United Nations reimposed restrictions over the country's nuclear program at the weekend.

Tehran

Iran parliament slams reimposed UN sanctions as 'illegal'

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed Russia for the new wave of attacks, which killed at least four in Kyiv, including a child, and accused them of deliberately targeting civilian positions to incite fear and terror. At least 70 others were injured.

Kyiv

At least four killed as Russia launches major offensive on Kyiv

At least 36 people were killed and more than 50 injured on Saturday (September 27) in a stampede at a rally held by Tamil actor Vijay, who is campaigning for election, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu said.

Tamil Nadu

Dozens killed in political rally stampede in India

Hezbollah has commemorated one year since the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel during their conflict. At a gathering in Beirut, the group's secretary-general Naim Qassem reaffirmed Hezbollah's refusal to disarm, despite ongoing Israeli attacks and a ceasefire agreement.

Beirut

Lebanon's Hezbollah refuses to disarm

Colombian President Gustavo Petro brushed off reports that his U.S. visa had been revoked, saying, “I don’t care.” The leader was filmed outside United Nations headquarters in New York, where he joined thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters during the General Assembly.

Manhattan

‘I don’t care’: Colombia’s Petro dismisses U.S. visa revocation

Surveillance video obtained by CBS News showed the moments a gunman shot at detainees and agents who were in a van at a Dallas ICE facility on Wednesday. One of the victim's pregnant wife also speaks out.

Dallas

Video shows gunman shooting at detainees, ICE agents

The Trump administration will ask the Supreme Court to decide the constitutionality of the president's executive order on the 14th Amendment, which seeks to curtail birthright citizenship, according to reports. Willie James Inman has the latest.

Supreme Court to decide on birthright citizenship

Powerful monsoon rains in the Southwest are blamed for several deaths in Arizona. The fast-rising water caused flash flooding and chaos. Meteorologist Andrew Kozak has the latest.

Globe

Deadly flooding in Arizona as intense weather sweeps across U.S

Dozens of people have been killed in Gaza on Saturday, as Israel's assault on Gaza City intensifies. In New York this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about prominent U.S. allies formally recognizing a Palestinian state.

Dozens killed in Gaza as Israel's assault intensifies

At least 36 people were killed and more than 50 injured in a stampede at a rally held by Tamil actor Vijay, who is campaigning for election, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu said.

Karur

According to the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, a store, ten retail outlets, two apartment buildings, and several non-residential premises were damaged.

Zaporizhzhia

Ukraine goes dark as Russian drone attacks damage facilities

A day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a fiery speech at the UN General Assembly, at least 44 people have been killed in attacks across Gaza. Ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza City are forcing more Palestinians to flee.

Trump talks of Israel-Gaza deal as IDF strikes refugee camp

U.S President Donald Trump has signed an executive order outlining the terms of a deal to sell TikTok’s American operation to a group of stateside investors. CBC’s Ashley Fraser breaks down the deal and what it could mean for the social media platform's algorithm.

Toronto

Global Tariffs

Breaking down Trump’s TikTok deal

UN sanctions on Iran that were lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear deal are set to come back in force, essentially killing the landmark agreement. The inability to find a common ground – on all sides - is raising fears of further confrontation.

Sanctions against Iran set to resume after UN vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly in New York City on Friday. The leader made defiant statements about the countries that recently recognized the Palestinian state, while U.N. delegates walked out.

New York

Netanyahu makes bold address as U.N. amid delegate walkouts, protests

UN sanctions are set to be reimposed on Iran on Saturday - after a failed bid by Russia and China to delay them. Only four countries voted in favour of the draft resolution.

UN set to reimpose sanctions on Iran on Saturday

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released more files turned over by the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Washington County

House Democrats release more Epstein files

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wore a QR code at the U.N. General Assembly linking to images of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack as Western nations move to recognize Palestine. Dozens of delegates walked out in protest.

Dozens of delegates walk out as Netanyahu speaks at U.N.

A court on Thursday (September 25) sentenced former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison over a scheme for late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to fund his 2007 presidential run.

Paris

Former French president Sarkozy sentenced to five years in prison

The U.S. Justice Department filed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday (September 25), in a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump's retribution campaign against his political enemies.

Former FBI chief James Comey charged

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday new tariffs set to take effect next Wednesday, including a 100% tariff on pharmaceutical drugs. There will also be tariffs on a broad range of imported goods, such as kitchen cabinets, some furniture and trucks.

U.S. to impose new tariffs on pharmaceuticals, some furniture, trucks

US President Donald Trump has hosted his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House. The two leaders discussed Türkiye's long-disputed F-35 fighter jets, trade and energy ties as well as regional matters.

Istanbul

Trump hosts Erdogan as U.S. considers lifting ban on F-35 sales

Danish officials say a series of drone incursions they’re calling hybrid attacks at airports were carried out by ‘professional actors,’ and some analysts are pointing to Russia as a culprit. Russia has denied involvement.

Copenhagen

Russia denies involvement in drone flyovers at Danish airports

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has summoned hundreds of senior military officials to Virginia for an urgent gathering. The pentagon has provided very little details about the purpose of this meeting.

Quantico

Hegseth calls rare meeting of hundreds of senior military officers

Spain and Italy have sent naval vessels into the eastern Mediterranean to escort a flotilla of activists trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. It’s a move that could set up tensions at sea and comes after the convoy says it was attacked by drones.

Breakdown