Around 5,000 migrants were rescued from rubber dingies in the Mediterranean on Thursday, the Italian coastguard said, averting a potential high seas disaster. 
 
A coastguard spokesman pointed out it appeared many people had left the Libyan coast to attempt the perilous voyage across the sea to Europe during a spell of good weather. 
 
&quot;Around 5,000 people were saved in 43 rescue operations,&quot; the coastguard said in a statement. 
 
A body was found on board one of the rubber dinghies, a coastguard spokesman told AFP earlier. 
 
&quot;We registered a large number of voyages today, after several days of bad weather at sea had stopped people leaving Libya,&quot; the spokesman added. 
 
Most of the migrants were on the dinghies, while three wooden boats were being used by Libyan people traffickers, the coastguard said. 
 
The Italian navy also noted a mass movement of boats in the Mediterranean from &quot;the first light of dawn.&quot; 
 
Five Italian navy ships took part in the rescue operations, together with two vessels from the EU&#39;s Operation Sophia, which was set up to combat human smuggling in the Mediterranean, and another four from humanitarian organisations. 
 
More than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe in overcrowded boats since 2014, according to UN figures published earlier this month. 
 
This year alone more than 50,000 migrants and asylum seekers from Africa have managed to complete the journey to Italy, a country that, like Greece, acts mainly as a gateway to northern Europe for most of the newcomers. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

More than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe in overcrowded boats since 2014, according to UN figures

Around 5,000 migrants were rescued from rubber dingies in the Mediterranean on Thursday, the Italian coastguard said, averting a potential high seas disaster. A coastguard spokesman pointed out it appeared many people had left the Libyan coast to attempt the perilous voyage across the sea to Europe during a spell of good weather. "Around 5,000 people were saved in 43 rescue operations," the coastguard said in a statement. A body was found on board one of the rubber dinghies, a coastguard spokesman told AFP earlier. "We registered a large number of voyages today, after several days of bad weather at sea had stopped people leaving Libya," the spokesman added. Most of the migrants were on the dinghies, while three wooden boats were being used by Libyan people traffickers, the coastguard said. The Italian navy also noted a mass movement of boats in the Mediterranean from "the first light of dawn." Five Italian navy ships took part in the rescue operations, together with two vessels from the EU's Operation Sophia, which was set up to combat human smuggling in the Mediterranean, and another four from humanitarian organisations. More than 10,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean to Europe in overcrowded boats since 2014, according to UN figures published earlier this month. This year alone more than 50,000 migrants and asylum seekers from Africa have managed to complete the journey to Italy, a country that, like Greece, acts mainly as a gateway to northern Europe for most of the newcomers. (AFP)

5,000 migrants rescued from rubber dingies in Mediterranean

Fans of renowned artist Christo faced disappointment for a second day today after his latest work in northern Italy was partly closed by rain. 
 
His ambitious three kilometre-long (1.9 miles) walkway of 200,000 floating cubes covered in orange fabric floating atop Lake Iseo was evacuated Saturday evening after wind and rain made it unstable. 
 
&quot;Given the influx of people and potentially bad weather, it is advisable to rethink your trip,&quot; said a manager at the installation in a statement. 
 
Local authorities have also cancelled train services to the lake to limit the numbers able to reach the project. 
 
After being closed throughout Saturday night, the project only partly reopened Sunday morning with one of the two walkways still closed to the public. 
 
Crowds of visitors hoping to visit Christo&#39;s &quot;The Floating Piers&quot; have been gathering around the lake since it opened on Saturday, with organisers hoping that 500,000 people will experience it by July 3 when the pontoons close to the public. 
 
But the walkways can only hold 11,000 people at any one time and only if weather conditions allow. 
 
More than 55,000 visitors attempted to cross the walkways on Saturday, forcing organisers who had anticipated just 40,000 to ask that they return another day. 
 
And by the early evening the bridges had been forced to close by heavy winds and driving rain. 
 
Christo first conceived the project in 1970 for the River Plate delta in Argentina but was thwarted after failing to secure the necessary permits. 
 
Despite the long delay in realising his vision Christo said on Thursday that the project, his first since 2005, &quot;stayed in our hearts&quot;. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Crowds of visitors hoping to visit Christo's "The Floating Piers" have been gathering around the lake since it opened on Saturday

Fans of renowned artist Christo faced disappointment for a second day today after his latest work in northern Italy was partly closed by rain. His ambitious three kilometre-long (1.9 miles) walkway of 200,000 floating cubes covered in orange fabric floating atop Lake Iseo was evacuated Saturday evening after wind and rain made it unstable. "Given the influx of people and potentially bad weather, it is advisable to rethink your trip," said a manager at the installation in a statement. Local authorities have also cancelled train services to the lake to limit the numbers able to reach the project. After being closed throughout Saturday night, the project only partly reopened Sunday morning with one of the two walkways still closed to the public. Crowds of visitors hoping to visit Christo's "The Floating Piers" have been gathering around the lake since it opened on Saturday, with organisers hoping that 500,000 people will experience it by July 3 when the pontoons close to the public. But the walkways can only hold 11,000 people at any one time and only if weather conditions allow. More than 55,000 visitors attempted to cross the walkways on Saturday, forcing organisers who had anticipated just 40,000 to ask that they return another day. And by the early evening the bridges had been forced to close by heavy winds and driving rain. Christo first conceived the project in 1970 for the River Plate delta in Argentina but was thwarted after failing to secure the necessary permits. Despite the long delay in realising his vision Christo said on Thursday that the project, his first since 2005, "stayed in our hearts". (AFP)

Christo fans told rain may prevent walking on water

Ever fancied walking on water? Well now you can, thanks to Bulgarian-born artist Christo&#39;s latest art installation providing a floating walkway at Italy&#39;s Lake Iseo. 
 
For just a few weeks, &quot;The Floating Piers&quot; will rest on the surface of the picturesque lake, 100 km northeast of Milan, with a 3-km walkway allowing visitors to set off from the mainland town of Sulzano to the islands of Monte Isola and San Paolo, usually accessed by boat. 
 
Some 220,000 high-density polyethylene cubes have been attached together and anchored by divers for the project. Covering them are 1,076,391 square feet of shimmering yellow fabric, which will also feature along 1.5 km of Sulzano streets. 
 
The piers, some 52 feet wide and 14 inches high, will &quot;undulate with the movement of the waves&quot; as visitors make their way, according to the project&#39;s website.&nbsp; 
 
They will be on display from June 18 to July 3, which the 81-year old artist said is all part of its beauty. 
 
&quot;The temporal character is also related to the dynamics of the project,&quot; Christo told Reuters, speaking in English. 
 
&quot;The project is designed to a particular moment of a voyage of many years ... The work of art is not the 14 days or 16 days. The work of art is ... that journey to that 14, 16 days.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Works by Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude, who died in 2009, have featured in various cities, such as &quot;The Gates&quot; in New York, where the artists put up 7,503 gates with saffron fabric panels in Central Park. 
 
According to the project&#39;s website, Christo and Jeanne-Claude came up with &quot;The Floating Piers&quot; concept in 1970 and Christo picked Lake Iseo as the location in 2014. 
 
Access to &quot;The Floating Piers&quot; will be free and organisers say volunteers will be present in case anyone should fall into the water. 
(Reuters)

The installation will rest on the surface of the lake allowing visitors to set off from the town of Sulzano usually, accessed by boat

Ever fancied walking on water? Well now you can, thanks to Bulgarian-born artist Christo's latest art installation providing a floating walkway at Italy's Lake Iseo. For just a few weeks, "The Floating Piers" will rest on the surface of the picturesque lake, 100 km northeast of Milan, with a 3-km walkway allowing visitors to set off from the mainland town of Sulzano to the islands of Monte Isola and San Paolo, usually accessed by boat. Some 220,000 high-density polyethylene cubes have been attached together and anchored by divers for the project. Covering them are 1,076,391 square feet of shimmering yellow fabric, which will also feature along 1.5 km of Sulzano streets. The piers, some 52 feet wide and 14 inches high, will "undulate with the movement of the waves" as visitors make their way, according to the project's website. They will be on display from June 18 to July 3, which the 81-year old artist said is all part of its beauty. "The temporal character is also related to the dynamics of the project," Christo told Reuters, speaking in English. "The project is designed to a particular moment of a voyage of many years ... The work of art is not the 14 days or 16 days. The work of art is ... that journey to that 14, 16 days." Works by Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude, who died in 2009, have featured in various cities, such as "The Gates" in New York, where the artists put up 7,503 gates with saffron fabric panels in Central Park. According to the project's website, Christo and Jeanne-Claude came up with "The Floating Piers" concept in 1970 and Christo picked Lake Iseo as the location in 2014. Access to "The Floating Piers" will be free and organisers say volunteers will be present in case anyone should fall into the water. (Reuters)

Walk on water at Italian lake 'Floating Piers' installation

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