Italy reports 401 coronavirus deaths, 23,832 new cases

ROME — Italy reported 401 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, up from 386 the day before, the health ministry said.

The daily tally of new infections slipped to 23,832 from 25,735 the day before, it added.

Italy has registered 104,642 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh-highest in the world. The country has reported 3.35 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 27,061 on Saturday, up from 26,858 a day earlier.

There were 243 new admissions to intensive care units, compared with 244 on Friday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 3,387.

-reuters

Doge's Palace reopens as tourists flock back to Venice

After three months of empty squares and alleys and gondoliers stranded on dry land, Venice sprang back to life on Saturday as tourists flocked back to the city for the reopening of the Doge's Palace.

Hundreds of Italians and foreigners lined up for more than 300 metres (yards) in Saint Mark's Square, in front of the Ducal Palace.

A local news agency said a thousand internet bookings had been recorded for the reopening day.

"There were people queuing at 8:00 am this morning and, to be honest, it's just what we were hoping for," Maria Cristina Gribaudi, president of the Venice Civic Museums Foundation, told AFP.

"It's a very strong emotion, like the first day of school," she explained.

Inside the palace, masks are compulsory, numerous signs encourage people to "keep their distance" and all the rooms are controlled to avoid overcrowding.

After months without tourists Saturday marked a clear change, with Venice bustling much as it would do on any ordinary spring weekend.

Souvenir shops have reappeared in Saint Mark's Square and almost all of the shops and restaurants -- including the historic Cafe Florian -- have reopened.

Around the Rialto Canal, visitors pushed their way through the tight alleys, and the famous gondolas and vaporetti, the city's water buses, were again loaded with passengers and going about their business on the canals.

"If the most spoken language is Italian, there are many Germans and, surprisingly, French," Ansa reported.

"We hope to have slow tourism in the future," said Gabriella Belli, director of the Foundation for the civic museums of Venice.

"This does not mean less tourism, it means better organised tourism."

The COVID-19 epidemic has killed more than 34,000 in Italy but as the number of new cases steadily falls so the country continues the process of deconfinement which began last month.

The country's many monuments, famous buildings, museums and emblematic places have almost all reopened, including St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the site of Pompeii, the leaning Tower of Pisa, and the cathedrals of Florence and Milan.

In a bid to retrieve the summer tourist season, Italy reopened its borders on June 3.

Agence France-Presse

Europe steps up reopening, unveils plans for summer travel

Europe moved ahead with its emergence from coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday and laid out plans for summer tourism, but the pandemic gathered pace elsewhere.

Britain followed France, Italy and Spain in easing its lockdown but only in England, where people were given more freedom to leave their homes and return to their jobs if they cannot work remotely.

Austria said its borders with Germany would reopen from mid-June and Berlin said it aimed to end virus checks at its land borders in about a month.

Desperate to save millions of tourism jobs, the European Union set out plans for a phased restart of travel this summer, with EU border controls eventually lifted and measures to minimise the risks of infection, like wearing face masks on shared transport.

"Today's guidance can be the chance of a better season for the many Europeans whose livelihood depends on tourism and, of course, for those who would like to travel this summer," EU Commission executive vice president Margrethe Vestager told reporters.

- Second wave fears -

But with the global death toll from the coronavirus exceeding 292,000, the picture was grim in other parts of the world.

Russia, now the country with the second-highest number of virus cases, recorded more than 10,000 new infections after authorities this week eased restrictions to allow some people back to work.

Brazil registered its highest virus death toll in a single day, with 881 new fatalities bringing the total to 12,400, and the country was emerging as a new global hotspot despite President Jair Bolsonaro dismissing the pandemic as a "little flu".

Fears were growing of a second wave of infections in China, with the northeastern city of Jilin put in partial lockdown and Wuhan, where the virus was first reported last year, planning to test its entire population after clusters of new cases.

- 'Risk of uncontrollable outbreak' -

And the United States, which has confirmed more than 1.36 million cases, saw a sharp rise in fatalities, with 1,894 new deaths reported on Tuesday after daily tolls fell below 1,000.

The country's top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci issued a stark warning about the dangers of resuming normal life too soon, saying a run of 14 days with falling cases was a vital first step.

"If a community or a state or region doesn't go by those guidelines and reopens... the consequences could be really serious," he said Tuesday.


"There is a real risk that you will trigger an outbreak that you may not be able to control."

Fauci said the true number killed by the epidemic in the US is likely greater than the official toll of over 82,000 -- the world's highest.

Facing a re-election campaign later this year, President Donald Trump is pressing for rapid steps to get the US economy moving again, despite warnings from health officials.

Washington has increasingly blamed China for the global outbreak and on Wednesday authorities warned healthcare and scientific researchers that Chinese-backed hackers were attempting to steal research and intellectual property related to treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus.

"China's efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nation's response to COVID-19," a statement from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said.

- Moves to reboot economies -

Countries around the world are grappling with how to reopen businesses after the pandemic forced half of the planet into some form of lockdown and ground the global economy to a near-halt.


Dire economic data from March and April have pointed to the worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s after millions of people were thrown out of work.

Figures from Britain on Wednesday showed its economy shrinking by two percent in January-March, its fastest slump since 2008 and with a far worse contraction to come.

The Bank of England last week warned that the economic paralysis could lead to Britain's worst recession in centuries, with output forecast to crash 14 percent this year.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said shutdowns in the United States would do "lasting damage" but "the economy should substantially recover once the virus is under control".

He said crisis measures, including spending beyond the nearly $3 trillion already approved in the United States, would be crucial to ensuring a strong recovery.

Health experts have warned of the potentially devastating consequences as the virus spreads through the developing world, where healthcare systems are under-funded and isolation regimes are often not possible.

- 'Tough old lady' -

In northern Nigeria, surging death tolls have sparked fears that the virus is spreading, with a team of government investigators saying hundreds of deaths were suspected to be linked to the pandemic.

Making the problem worse, hospitals have shut their doors to the sick out of fears over the virus -- meaning treatment for a raft of ailments has stopped.

Civil servant Binta Mohammed said she had to watch her husband die from "diabetic complications" after he was turned away for treatment.

"The four private hospitals we took him to refused to admit him for fear he had the virus," she said.

But there were stories of hope amid the gloom, including two centenarians who survived the virus.

In Spain, 113-year-old Maria Branyas fought off the illness during weeks of isolation at a retirement home where several other residents died from the disease.

And in Russia, 100-year-old Pelageya Poyarkova was discharged from a Moscow hospital after having recovered.

Russian television showed Poyarkova wearing a face mask and clutching a bouquet of red roses as she exited in a wheelchair, surrounded by doctors and journalists.

"She turned out to be a tough old lady," the hospital's acting director Vsevolod Belousov said.

burs-mm/jv

Agence France-Presse

Catholic churches across Rome shut due to virus

VATICAN CITY, Holy See — All Catholic churches across Rome have been closed to stem the spread of a coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 1,000 people across Italy.

The churches will reopen when a broader Italian government crackdown on public gatherings expires on April 3, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the papal vicar for Rome, said in a statement.

Catholic faithful have been exempted from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass.

The Vatican had spent days resisting having to take the drastic measure of shuttering places of worship in the overwhelmingly Catholic country.

It closed its museums and even the Saint Peter's Basilica — parts of its soaring dome designed by Michelangelo — to tourists as the death toll continued to mount.

All masses, weddings and funerals across the country have also been called off.

But some church buildings in the country will stay open as long as the faithful follow government regulations and remain a metre (three feet) apart while inside.

It was not immediately clear when Rome's churches were last forced to close en masse.

The Nazis and Italian Fascists kept Pope Pius XII confined to the Vatican during World War II.

Some Rome churches kept their doors open during the war.

'Domestic churches'

The closures come with the pope himself suffering from a cold and communicating with the faithful by livestream as a safety precaution.

Pope Francis complained of feeling "caged" while reading his traditional Sunday Angelus Prayer into a camera from a Vatican library instead of his usual window overlooking crowds on Saint Peter's Square.

The 83-year-old was also forced to miss his weekly Wednesday appearance on the square that he often uses to hug and shake hands with the faithful from across the world.

The new regulations cover the Italian capital and not the Vatican City statelet located entirely within Rome.

The Holy See has recorded one COVID-19 infection and is awaiting the results of another person who attended one of its functions at the start of the month.

The cardinal's statement said access to "churches of the Diocese of Rome open to the public — and more generally to religious buildings of any kind open to the public — is forbidden to all the faithful".

The statement added that monasteries would remain open to "communities that habitually use them as residents".

"This provision is for the common good," De Donatis wrote.

The Italian government on Wednesday announced a comprehensive crackdown that closed all stores except for pharmacies and groceries.

De Donatis said he was finally moved to close Rome's churches by "the even more binding restrictions placed on the ordinary movement of people".

Agence France-Presse

Italy limits travel and bans public gatherings across whole country

ROME, Italy — Italy's prime minister told people to "stay at home" as the government limited travel and banned public gatherings across the whole country to combat the threat posed by the new coronavirus.

From Tuesday, the unprecedented quarantine measures will be extended from several large areas of the north to Italy's entire population of more than 60 million, according to a new decree signed on Monday night.

Since the COVID-19 disease first emerged in China late last year, Italy has become Europe's hardest-hit country and has seen a rapid rise in cases to more than 9,000 with 463 deaths reported so far.

The strict new rules, in place until April 3, also cancel sporting events "of all levels and disciplines", stopping play in the top-flight Serie A football league.

Only competitions organised by international bodies will be allowed to go ahead, but without spectators.

Before signing the decree, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a dramatic evening television address that it could "be summarised as follows: I stay at home".

"Travel must be avoided across the entire peninsula unless it is justified by professional reasons, by cases of need or for health reasons," he told Italians.

The measures extend a quarantine zone that Italy had imposed for its industrial northern heartland around the cities of Milan and Venice on Sunday.


An AFP count showed Italy had recorded more than half of the 862 deaths reported outside China as of Monday night.

'Moment of responsibility'

The national restrictions mean that schools and universities will all immediately close.

However, it was not immediately clear how all these measures would be enforced.

Trains and numerous flights continued to operate into and out of Milan on Monday despite the earlier set of restrictions for its Lombardy region.

The government's first set of restrictions for Italy's north sent the stock market into a tailspin that saw the Milan exchange lose more than 11 percent on the day.

But the expansion of the northern restrictions to the rest of the country just a day later suggests a government struggling to cope with the scale of the medical emergency on its hands.

Italian health officials had warned on Saturday that the northern Lombardy region was starting to run out of hospital beds for its intensive care patients.

The government also began to recall retired doctors as part of an effort to quickly bolster the health service with 20,000 staff.

But the toll has kept growing by the day.

Italy recorded a record 133 deaths on Sunday and immediately announced that it was ordering 22 million surgical masks -- even though doctors question how effective they are in halting the spread of viral infections.

The government's latest set of measures mean that people will need to fill out a standard "self-certification" form justifying their reasons for travel.

These would be submitted to the authorities at train stations and airports as well as major roads running between cities.

The government decree says its forms will work on an honours system and no proof of "need" will be required.

"Everyone must give up something to protect the health of citizens," said Conte.

"Today is our moment of responsibility. We cannot let our guard down."

Agence France-Presse

Venice faces more floods as state of emergency declared

VENICE, Italy — Flood-hit Venice was bracing for another exceptional high tide Friday, as Italy declared a state of emergency for the UNESCO city where perilous deluges have caused millions of euros worth of damage.

Churches, shops and homes in the city of canals have been inundated by unusually intense "acqua alta," or high waters, which on Tuesday hit their highest level in half a century.

The crisis, driven by bad weather, has prompted the government to release 20 million euros ($22 million) in funds to tackle the devastation.

The water was expected to reach 1.5 metrers (5 feet) mid-morning on Friday as strong storms and winds batter the region—lower than Tuesday's peak but still dangerous, local officials said.

Undeterred, tourists have been larking around in the flooded St Mark's Square in the sunshine during breaks from the rain, snapping selfies in neon plastic boots.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who has called the flooding "a blow to the heart of our country," said late Thursday that a state of emergency had been approved.

Earlier that day he met Venice's mayor and emergency services before jumping in a speed boat to visit businesses and locals affected by the tide.

Residents whose houses had been hit would immediately get up to 5,000 euros in government aid, while restaurant and shop owners could receive up to 20,000 euros and apply for more later, he said.

Several museums remained closed to the public on Thursday.

As authorities assessed the extent of the damage to Venice's cultural treasures, such as St Mark's Basilica where water invaded the crypt, locals were defiant.

Many stopped for their usual coffees at flooded bars, drinking espresso while standing in several inches of water.

Austrian tourist Cornelia Litschauer, 28, said she felt mixed emotions seeing Venice's famous square half-submerged.

"For the tourists it's amazing, it's something to see. But for the people who live here it's a real problem," Litschauer said, cradling her white Chihuahua Pablo.

"It's strange. Tourists are taking pictures but the city is suffering."

'Need to adapt' 

The Locanda Al Leon hotel said its bookings had suffered from the international media coverage of the flood, with some guests canceling their rooms after seeing images of Venice underwater.

Under the arches of the Ducal Palace, a couple from Hong Kong posed for photos in the chilly morning sun.

"This (trip) was planned a long time ago so we couldn't change it," groom Jay Wong, 34, said.

"Actually this is a good experience. It's an adventure."

Tuesday's high waters submerged around 80 percent of the city, officials said.

Only once since records began in 1923 has the water crept even higher, reaching 1.94 metrer in 1966.

Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi arrived for a private tour of the damage sustained to the basilica, while rival leader of the Italian right Matteo Salvini was due to drop by for the same on Friday.

French tourist Manon Gaudre, 22, said seeing Venice submerged was a "unique experience."

"The damage it's causing to monuments and the people is worrying," she said, wondering if climate change was to blame.

Many, including Venice's mayor, have blamed the disaster on global warming and warned that Italy—a country prone to natural disasters—must wake up to the risks posed by ever more volatile seasons.

"We need to be resilient and adapt. We need a policy that looks at the climate through completely different eyes," Environment Minister Sergio Costa said Thursday.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has estimated the damage to Venice at hundreds of millions of euros.

The Serenissima, as the floating city is called, is home to a mere 50,000 residents but receives 36 million global visitors each year.

A massive infrastructure project has been under way since 2003 to protect the city, but it has been plagued by cost overruns, corruption scandals and delays.

The plan involves 78 gates that can be raised to protect Venice's lagoon during high tides—but a recent attempt to test part of it caused worrying vibrations and engineers discovered it had rusted.

source: philstar.com

Climate change, corruption blamed for Venice flood devastation

VENICE, Italy — Much of Venice was under water on Wednesday night after the highest tide in 50 years ripped through the historic Italian city, beaching gondolas, trashing hotels and sending tourists fleeing through rapidly rising waters.

The government in Rome was expected to declare a state of emergency at a cabinet meeting on Thursday after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte described the flooding as "a blow to the heart of our country."

Officials blamed climate change while shopkeepers on the Grand Canal raged against those who have failed to protect the UNESCO city from the high tide.


They said corruption had repeatedly delayed a barrier protection system that could have prevented the disaster.

"The city is on its knees," Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro said in an interview with national broadcaster RAI.

"There's widespread devastation," he said in the famed St Mark's Square, which bore the brunt of the flooding. "In all likelihood the damage from last night runs into hundreds of millions of euros."

The state of emergency for a natural disaster will allow the government to use "exceptional powers and means" to intervene more quickly, and Conte said his government was ready to allocate funds.

"The disaster that has struck Venice is a blow to the heart of our country," Conte said at the scene. "It hurts to see the city so damaged, its artistic heritage threatened."


St Mark's Square was calm on Wednesday evening, with just a smattering of tourists walking through the relatively dry square marked with occasional puddles.

Four Venetian friends who had gathered in the square, all wearing boots, said the relative quiet and lack of tourists was upside of an otherwise harrowing few days.

"We've never seen anything like it," said Alvise, 19.

Earlier, tourists lugging heavy suitcases waded in thigh-high boots or barefoot through the submerged alleys, as gondola and water taxi drivers baled sewage-tainted water out of their trashed vessels.

'We can't live like this' 

Dirty water was swirling around the marble tombs inside the 12th-century crypt of St Mark's Basilica, which suffered untold damage when an unprecedented high tide swept through the city.

It was closed to tourists as were many other Venice highlights including the Fenice Theatre and the Ducal Palace.

"We said last year that the basilica had aged 20 years in a high tide. It risks having aged much more than that in this one," said the building's procurator Carlo Alberto Tesserin.

A 78-year old was killed by an electric shock as the waters poured into his home.

"We ask the government to help us, the costs will be high," mayor Brugnaro tweeted. "These are the effects of climate change."

"The future of Venice is at stake," he warned. "We cannot live like this anymore."

Environment Minister Sergio Costa blamed climate change and the "tropicalization" of violent rainfall and strong winds.

"This is what is happening more and more often in the Mediterranean," Costa said on Facebook.

"Global warming will destroy our planet if we do not immediately reverse the direction."

'Acqua alta' 

The exceptionally intense "acqua alta," or high waters, peaked at 1.87 meters (six feet). Only once since records began in 1923 has the water crept even higher, reaching 1.94 meters in 1966.

"It was unbelievable. The water rose so quickly," said resident Tiziano Collarin, 59, as he surveyed the damage.

"Windows were blown out, there are those who have lost everything," he said as the flood alarm rang out to warn those in the canal city that the tide, which had receded somewhat overnight, was rising once again.

The fire brigade said it had carried out over 400 operations as well as laying on extra boats as water ambulances.

Around 160 firefighters were deployed to rescue people stranded on jetties and to recover boats broken free from their moorings.

President of the Veneto region Luca Zaia said 80 percent of the city had been submerged, causing "unimaginable damage" to the city, which has 50,000 residents but receives 36 million visitors each year.

A massive infrastructure project called MOSE has been under way since 2003 to protect the city, but it has been plagued by cost overruns, corruption scandals and delays.

The plan involves 78 gates that can be raised to protect Venice's lagoon during high tides—but a recent attempt to test part of the barrier caused worrying vibrations and engineers discovered parts had rusted.

Outside historic Venice, the Lido and Pellestrina islands were also hard hit by flooding

source: philstar.com

Highway bridge collapse in Italy kills at least 20

MILAN — A bridge on a main highway linking Italy with France collapsed yesterday in the Italian port city of Genoa during a sudden, violent storm, sending vehicles plunging 45 meters (nearly 150 feet) into a heap of rubble. Italian officials said at least 20 people were killed, although some people were found alive in the debris.

A huge section of the Morandi Bridge fell at midday over an industrial zone, sending tons of twisted steel and concrete onto warehouses below. Photos from the Italian news agency ANSA showed a massive gap between two sections of the bridge.

The head of Italy's civil protection agency, Angelo Borrelli, said 30-35 cars and three heavy trucks were on the 80-meter (260-foot) section of the bridge that collapsed.

Hundreds of firefighters and emergency officials were searching for survivors in the rubble with heavy equipment. Firefighters said at least two people were pulled alive from vehicles and taken by helicopter to a hospital.

Video of the collapse captured a man screaming: "Oh, God! Oh, God!" Other images showed a green truck that had stopped just short of the gaping hole in the bridge and the tires of a tractor trailer in the rubble.


There was confusion over the exact death toll.

Borrelli said at a news conference in Rome that 20 people were killed and 13 injured. All the victims appeared to all have been in vehicles that plunged from the bridge, he said.

But an Italian transport official, Edoardo Rixi, had said 22 people were killed and 13 injured, and the governor of the Liguria region, Giovanni Toti, also said 22 were killed. Rixi said the death toll was expected to rise.

The collapse came on the eve of a major Italian summer holiday on Wednesday called Ferragosto, which marks the religious feast of the Assumption of Mary. It's the high point of the Italian summer holiday season when most cities and business are closed and Italians head to the beaches or the mountains. That means traffic could have been heavier than usual on the Genoa highway.

The Morandi Bridge is a main thoroughfare connecting the A10 highway that goes toward France and the A7 highway that continues north toward Milan. Inaugurated in 1967, it is 45 meters (148 feet) high and just over a kilometer (.6 miles) long.

Borrelli said highway engineers were checking other parts of the bridge and that some areas were being evacuated as a precaution. He said they were still trying to figure out the reason for the collapse.

"You can see there are very big portions of the bridge (that collapsed). We need to remove all of the rubble to ascertain that all of the people have been reached," he said, adding that more than 280 rescue workers and dogs units were on the scene.

"Operations are ongoing to extract people imprisoned below parts of the bridge and twisted metal," he said.

Borrelli said there was no construction going on at the time on the bridge.

Firefighters told The Associated Press they were worried about gas lines exploding in the area from the collapse.

Transportation Minister Danilo Toninelli called the collapse "an enormous tragedy."

ANSA said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will travel to Genoa later in the day.

"We are following minute by minute the situation," Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Twitter.

The disaster occurred on a highway that connects Italy to France, and northern cities like Milan to the beaches of Liguria.

On Aug. 6, another major accident occurred on an Italian highway near the northern city of Bologna. A tanker truck carrying a highly flammable gas exploded after rear-ending a stopped truck and getting hit from behind. The accident killed one person, injured dozens and blew apart a section of a raised eight-lane highway.

source: philstar.com

Italy's interior minister in Libya for migrant crisis talks

TRIPOLI, Libya — Italy's firebrand interior minister vowed on Monday to do everything possible to help Libya stem the flow of migrants and develop itself commercially, saying Italy wants Europe to view its former colony as a "great opportunity" and not a problem.

Matteo Salvini made his first official visit abroad to Tripoli, Libya's capital, to hammer home his commitment to ending the migration flows that have fueled anti-migrant sentiment across Europe and brought his xenophobic party to power.

Speaking at a press conference with Ahmed Maiteeg, the deputy prime minister of the U.N.-backed Libyan government, Salvini insisted that new proposals in the European Union to create asylum identification centers for would-be refugees must be located at Libya's southern borders — not in Europe, as France initially proposed.


Salvini also vowed to help Libyan authorities assume control over Libyan territory, including its territorial waters, to prevent migrants from leaving.

Libya was plunged into chaos following the 2011 uprising that ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi and is now split between rival governments — one, backed by the United Nations, based in Tripoli, and the other in the country' east — each supported by an array of militias. Since then, it has been a frequently used as a route to Europe for migrants fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East.

Maiteeg announced that the Libyan coast guard had rescued some 1,000 migrants on Sunday, including dozens of women and children in several different rescues. All migrants were given humanitarian and medical aid, and were taken to a naval base in Tripoli and a refugee camp in the town of Khoms, he said.

Salvini praised the Libyans for the rescue and vowed to halt European aid groups that have been rescuing migrants. Italy is committed, he said, to "blocking the full-on invasion of those associations that would like to substitute the government and authorities and in fact help illegal migrant traffickers."

Salvini has accused these NGOs of operating as taxi services for Libyan-based smugglers. He has closed ports to their rescue ships, and on Sunday, the Italian coast guard declined offers of help from a Spanish NGO to take part in the rescue.
He added that Italy was committed to helping convince Europe that "Libya isn't a problem but is a great opportunity."

"Some European countries see Libya as a great problem," he said. "For us, it could return to be a great opportunity of exchange, development and growth."

He backed Libya's proposal to create a center to study migration.

Maiteeg urged Europeans especially Italy to help, saying that "the European participation should be through a training program."

Before Italy's new coalition government was installed, Italy already worked to bolster the Libyan coast guard's ability to patrol its coasts and to bring back migrants who launched from its shores.

Human rights organizations have criticized the practice, alleging that migrants are abused in Libya and the North African country hardly constitutes a "safe" port of call, as called for by international law.

___
Winfield reported from Rome. Associated Press writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.

source: philstar.com

Pope to mayors: Don't build towers, expand piazzas

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is urging Italian mayors to redouble their efforts to welcome migrants and refugees and promote ways to integrate them into their new communities.

In a meeting yesterday with the mayors, Francis said he understood the difficulties of providing accommodation and services for the waves of migrants who have arrived in Italy in recent years. But he called for a new ethics-based model of local leadership "that doesn't leave those who arrive on our territory on the margins," and creates spaces for people to meet and get to know one another.

He said: "It's not about building higher towers, but expanding piazzas."

This week Francis launched an education campaign urging politicians and people to go out and meet migrants and hear their stories, rather than considering them faceless statistics.

source: philstar.com

Porn star Rocco Siffredi offers to teach sex in Italy's schools

ROME, Italy - Porn star Rocco Siffredi, known as the "Italian stallion," has launched a petition demanding sex education become mandatory in Italy's schools and offered himself up as a teacher.

"I wanted to launch this appeal because sex is a magnificent thing," he wrote on the website that began collecting signatures on Tuesday.

"I put forth my name and my experience, I make myself fully available to go into Italian schools and personally promote this initiative," the 51-year-old added.

Despite efforts stretching back over a century and dozens of legislative proposals, sex education is not part of the curriculum in Italy's schools.

The petition on change.org, addressed to Italian Education Minister Stefania Giannini, had gathered some 21,600 supporters by Wednesday.

"Pornography should be entertainment, but due to lacking alternatives, it has become a means to learn, especially for young people," he said.

"I have been doing my work for 30 years and I have acquired enough experience to guarantee that what I do is not sex education," he added.

source: interaksyon.com

Rapper Snoop Dogg stopped in Italy airport with $422,000 in cash

ROME | Italian police stopped California rapper Snoop Dogg on Friday as he prepared to board a private plane bound for Britain with $422,000 in cash in his Louis Vuitton luggage, said an Italian lawyer representing the entertainer.

In the European Union, the maximum amount of undeclared cash one can take on board a plane is 10,000 euros ($10,986.00). Snoop Dogg, who has been touring Europe after releasing the album “Bush” earlier this year, will have to pay a fine, said Andrea Parisi, his lawyer.

“We clarified everything from a legal point of view. The money came from concerts he had performed around Europe. There was no crime; it was just an administrative infraction,” Parisi told Reuters on Saturday.

Half of the cash was given back to Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, while the other half is being held by Italian authorities until the amount of the fine is determined, Parisi said.

source: interaksyon.com

WATCH | 1,000 musicians perform ‘Learn to Fly’ to lure Foo Fighters

The Foo Fighters have two concert dates in Italy later this year — Casalecchio Di Reno on November 13 and  Turin the next day. They are now keen to include a stop at the northern city of Cesena now that a video of 1,000 Italian musicians simultaneously performing a cover of their hit “Learn to Fly” has gone viral.

The video is a crowd-funding event organized by Fabio Zaffagnini for the sole purpose of enticing the Foo Fighters to come and perform in Cesena, 322 kilometers north of Rome, near the Adriatic Sea. As of this posting, the video has already amassed over 2 million views since it was uploaded to YouTube Thursday.

Immediately, the Foo Fighters responded on Twitter with a message of appreciation: “Che bello, Cesena.” (How beautiful, Cesena.)

source: interaksyon.com

Pope Francis criticizes corruption in Rome in New Year's Eve message

VATICAN CITY - In the traditional year-end Vespers prayers, Pope Francis denounced the corruption infecting the city of Rome.

Before thousands who were packed into Saint Peter's Basilica, he said: ”Without a doubt, the serious affairs of corruption in these recent days require serious heart-searching and action for a spiritual and moral rebirth of the city of Rome, as well as a commitment to build a more just and brotherly city, where the poor, the weak and the marginalized are at the center of our actions and daily activities."



He was referring to a police investigation that uncovered a network of connections between politicians and criminals in Rome.

The Pope delighted the masses after his homily when he paid a visit to the nativity in St. Peter's Square.

source: interaksyon.com

Italy sells luxury state cars on eBay

ROME — Italy’s government on Friday said it had raised 371,400 euros ($513,200) so far in an eBay auction of luxury official cars in a symbolic effort to cut outrageous spending by ministries that has sparked public anger.

The 52 cars sold were being used by the police, the fire brigade and the defence ministry and included five BMWs and two Audis, the government said in a statement.

“The average final price was 7,142 euros,” it said.

A total of 151 chauffeured cars will be auctioned off by May 16 in an initiative that has gained broad public support and was launched by centre-left Prime Minister Matteo Renzi shortly after coming to power in February.

The cars yet to be sold include eight armoured Maseratis formerly used by the defence ministry. A brand new Maserati can cost around 100,000 euros.

The government said the official cars chosen for sale were “those that the public administration retains no longer essential for institutional ends”.

As Italy struggles to recover from a painful two-year recession, national and local authorities have been forced to cut down on thousands of official cars known as “auto blu” (blue cars) that have been for decades one of the many perks for the political class.

source: interaksyon.com

Matteo Renzi formally accepts Italy PM post

ROME - Matteo Renzi formally accepted the role of Italian prime minister Friday, kicking off hopes for a revival in the eurozone's third-largest economy and a fresh approach to the country's ills.

"I am aware of the responsibility, delicacy and extraordinary honour which comes from creating a government capable of bringing hope," the former mayor of Florence told journalists after nearly three hours of talks with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

"I will do everything possible to deserve the trust of deputies, senators and millions of Italians who are waiting for this government to provide concrete answers," he said.

The 39-year-old has became Italy's youngest-ever prime minister at the head of a coalition government, after helping engineer the downfall of his predecessor Enrico Letta, blamed for failing to carry out promised reforms.

Renzi unveiled his new 16-strong cabinet, which will be sworn in on Saturday, before the government goes to a vote in parliament next week.

Half of the new ministers are women, and -- with an average age of 47.8 years -- it is the youngest government in Italy's history, according to the Corriere della Sera daily.

The key post of finance minister has gone to Pier Carlo Padoan, the chief economist at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The interior ministry remains in the hands of Angelino Alfano, the head of the New Centre Right (NCR) party -- Renzi's coalition partner -- while the post of foreign minister has gone to Federica Mogherini, a specialist on European relations.

The announcement came after a day tense with last-minute haggling over key posts, with the new prime minister reluctant to keep a team that worked with Letta.

"Renzi's imprint emerges clearly from the many new names called to take on the role of minister for the first time," Napolitano said.

Economic reform promised

He called on the new government "to enact the institutional and economic reforms quickly," and bring relief to a country lumbered with a public debt equivalent to 130 percent of total economic output, and where hundreds of thousands of enterprises have been forced to fold.

Renzi has vowed to overhaul the job market, education and the tax system in his first few months in power.

His plan, outlined after a round of political negotiations on Wednesday, includes cutting the cost of politics, implementing constitutional and institutional reforms, and tackling the country's bloated justice system.

"All this will allow us -- by July, and our appointment with the EU presidency -- to be able to say what Italy asks of Europe, and not just what Europe asks of Italy," said Renzi, who has vowed his government will be able to last until the next scheduled elections in 2018.

The first test of political prowess for the fresh-faced former Boy Scout will be surviving a confidence vote in parliament next week.

Many Italians have appeared skeptical that the young Renzi can revolutionize the leadership and his popularity was dented by his daring power grab, which came just two months after he ruled out unseating Letta.

But in a country thirsting for change, analysts say his lack of experience in national government or parliament mean he is untainted by political corruption scandals, which may prove a winning quality.

With his catchy slogans and savvy use of social media, the informal Renzi has also proved particularly popular among younger voters turned off by old-school politicians -- and has called for his stellar rise to power to inspire the downtrodden and unemployed.

"If an under 40-year-old like me can become prime minister, this is a sign for the many youngsters who say that nothing is possible in Italy. It is not true," he said.

Renzi is little known internationally but sees himself in the mold of former British prime minister Tony Blair and the "New Labor" program, and his new government will be closely-watched by center-left parties in Europe.

source: interaksyon.com

Benassi: A delicious slice of Italy

MANILA, Philippines - People who go to Italy inevitably find themselves looking for the best pizza and pasta the place could offer — surely, these Italian plate staples have captured the global palate.  Well, on a Roman holiday not too long ago, my niece and I were eating pizza and pasta every day, like there was no tomorrow, and never did we meet a bad pizza or pasta.  I guess it’s a cardinal sin in a country that stakes its claim to culinary fame on these time-cherished specialties. You’ll be delighted to know that you’ll get the exact same experience we had in Italy when you dine at Benassi Alimento e Caffe, a 35-seat charming little Italian restaurant in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, that’s big on all-time Italian favorites.

Say ciao to Benassi, owned by young couple DJ de Guzman and Katia Benassi-de Guzman who share a passion for good home-cooked food. Katia grew up amid the delicious aroma of glorious Italian food cooking in the Benassi kitchen. She’s heir to the jealously-guarded, distinctly-Benassi family recipes from the town of Massa, Italy, that have been passed on from generation to generation.

Amid a warm, relaxing ambience, backed up by superb customer service, savor the best of Italian homecooking.  As the Italians would say, Buon Appetito! Bound to stir the taste buds is the selection of zuppas, among which are the crema di zucca (cream of baked pumpkin soup, P150); crema di funghi (cream of wild mushroom soup, P160); crema di mare (cream of crab meat, squid, bell pepper, and mushroom, P170); and Di Fagioli  (Barlotti beans, carrots, onions, fresh Italian herbs, P170).

Italians love salads and you’ll love Benassi’s fresh offerings, such as the insalata di casa of fresh greens drizzled with strawberry vinaigrette and olive oil-based dressing, and topped with Parmesan cheese (P185). Of course, there are other antipasti to choose from as a prelude to your meal, like the salmon carpaccio  (smoked Norwegian salmon sprinkled with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, and topped with capers and Parmesan flakes, P395); crostini ai funghi porcini (mushroom porcini cream cheese dip served with homemade crostini bread, P225); salsa firma (Benassi signature cream and spinach dip with toasted bread, P225); prosciutto e melone (Parma ham wrapped in fresh cantaloupe, P295); muscoli (mussels sautéed in white wine, garlic, and Italian herbs, P295); and salsiccia (sautéed Italian garlic sausages with caramelized onions, P295).

And now, we’ve come to the main event: From Benassi’s great brick oven come its assorted pizzas. You’re probably quite familiar with the margherita pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil). On top of that, Benassi has its really yummy salami e funghi (tomato sauce, mozzarella, salami Milano, and mushrooms, P470); frutti di mare (squid, shrimps, mussels in tomato sauce, topped with mozzarella, P580); pomodoro e acciughe (tomato sauce, mozzarella, and anchovies, P410); and prosciutto e rucola (tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parma ham, and arugula, P490).







But of course, there’s no way you’ll pass up on the pasta when you’re in an authentic Italian resto like Benassi. There’s a lot to choose from at Benassi — like the aglio olio e peperoncino (garlic, olive oil, parsley, and a hint of crushed chili peppers, P190); Pesto alla Genovese (pine nuts, Parmesan, basil, and garlic, P230); arrabbiata (stewed tomatoes, pimientos, onions, and crushed spicy chili peppers, P240); Ragu alla Bolognese (ground beef and stewed tomatoes, P240); carbonara (bacon, onions, garlic in light cream sauce, P250); vongole (fresh clams in white wine with garlic, parsley, chili pepper, and olive oil, P325); Tuscana (Italian garlic sausage slices in tomato sauce, P280).

Between the pizzas and pastas and the gelatos we chowed down on in Rome, we had no more room left for the risotto, that Italian creamy rice dish (though just to try it, we bought a ready-to-eat version at a grocery near the Vatican). Thus, it’s welcome news to know that Benassi has its risotti, like the risotto con funghi porcini (porcini mushrooms, P370).

For Italians, fresh is certainly best and Benassi proves just that with its fresh homemade ravioli or filled pasta.

Italians are, indeed, big, hearty eaters. But at Benassi, light eaters can opt for the grilled paninis, like the panini con tonno (chunky tuna in Benassi olive and caper spread with lettuce and tomatoes, P280) or the panini con verdure (grilled zucchini, tomato, bell pepper, and eggplant seasoned in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and pesto, and topped with mozzarella).

This great little Italian resto is not just about pizza and pasta and risotto. It’s also big on Italian dishes such as pollo alla cacciatore (chicken fillet, tomatoes, and black olives on top of fettuccini pasta, P340); polpetta con pomodoro (classic Italian meatballs seasoned in herbs and spices and fresh tomato sauce, served with pasta or bread, P380); carne alla pizzaiola (beef sirloin strips slow-cooked in tomatoes, olive oil, parsley, and capers, with a choice of mashed potato or steamed rice, P320); arrosto di manzo (chopped pork, olive oil, garlic, and Italian herbs served with sautéed garlic potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini, P340); and baccala (salted cod fish cooked in stewed tomatoes, black olives, capers, and fresh rosemary, and served with mashed potato, P550).

Leave some room for some dolci without guilt. Your sweet tooth just can’t say no to Benassi’s mascarpone cake (authentic tiramisu cake recipe from the Benassis’ hometown, P220, good for two).

To wrap up a truly great Italian dining experience, have some freshly brewed coffee or hot tea or hot chocolate. Benassi also has a fine selection of red and white Italian wines.

And so, as another new year unfolds, Benassi shares this hearty wish: Pizza on earth and good food to all men!



Benassi Alimento e Caffe is at the ground floor, The Exchange Regency Building, Exchange Road corner Jade Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. It is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., Saturday. Call 310-8566 or 09176203932.

source: philstar.com

30 killed in Italy coach crash - ANSA

ROME - Thirty people died after a coach came off a flyover and plunged 30 meters (98 feet) down a slope in southern Italy on Sunday, an ANSA news agency photographer at the scene said Sunday.

"Looking down from the overpass, the scene of the tragedy: some 30 bodies covered by white sheets, lined up along the roadside," said photographer Cesare Abbate. Several cars that had been hit by the coach lay piled up on the flyover, he added.

source: interaksyon.com

2 more cases of MERS-CoV SARS-like coronavirus confirmed in Italy; death toll at 30

GENEVA -- The Italian Ministry of Health has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an additional two laboratory-confirmed cases with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the WHO said Sunday.

WHO said in its latest disease outbreak update that both the patients had close contacts with the first confirmed case in the country, one is a two-year-old girl and the second is a 42-year-old woman. They are in stable condition.

Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of 53 confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 30 deaths, it said.

WHO said Saturday that a 45-year-old Italian resident with recent travel from Jordan has been confirmed with infection of the MER-CoV.

The man returned to Italy on May 25 with symptoms of cough and fatigue and was hospitalized on May 28 as his condition deteriorated. He is currently in stable condition, according to the WHO.

source: interaksyon.com

Pilgrim image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod now in Rome

CEBU CITY -- The pilgrim image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod arrived in Rome, Italy at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to Fr. Mhar Balili, a member of the liturgical committee for the Calungsod canonization in Rome.

Calungsod’s canonization, the Philippines’ second saint and the first Visayan martyr of the Catholic Church, is set on Sunday, Oct. 21.

Calungsod’s image was accompanied by Fr. Charles Jayme, the custodian of the image, aboard a Cathay Pacific flight.


The Cathay Pacific aircraft carrying the image took off from the Mactan Cebu International Airport at 12:56 p.m. Tuesday.

It arrived in Hong Kong at 3:15 p.m. and left at midnight for Rome.

The image occupied a passenger seat next to Father Jayme.

Jayme said being the custodian of the image is “a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

An estimated 20,000 people in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu went out to the streets waving palm leaves, small flags and Calungsod’s pictures Tuesday morning to send off the image of the teenaged martyr.

A convoy of nearly 100 vehicles accompanied the red pickup that carried the three-foot-tall image from Cebu City to Mandaue City and then to the Mactan airport.

More than 200 pilgrims were on the same flight with the pilgrim image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod.

A teenaged catechist, Calungsod was part of a Jesuit mission sent to teach catechism at the Ladrones Islands or the Marianas Islands in the late 1600s.

He served as the "sacristan" of Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores. They were killed when they tried to baptize one of the natives.

Calungsod was beatified by Blessed Pope John Paul II in March 2000.

source: interaksyon.com