ROME - Giovanni Brusca, the mafia boss turned informant, has been released from prison after 25 years, causing great upset for the families of his victims’ families.

  MEKELE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has provided emergency food assistance to 1 million people since starting distributions in Northwestern and Southern zones of Tigray region of Ethiopia in March.

  Aster Beyene, a 43-year-old mother of seven, who lost both her home and crops two months ago to conflict, became the 1 millionth person to collect wheat, split peas and vegetable oil from WFP on Monday.

  TARANTO - The Court of Assizes of Taranto have sentenced the former owners of the Ilva steel plant in Taranto, Fabio and Nicola Riva, to 22 and 20 years imprisonment respectively. Various reports by Italian health authorities found that the plant was emitting dangerous levels of pollution and causing a massively higher incidence of cancer and respiratory disease in the surrounding areas.

  FLORENCE - The all-female team, who for the last eight years have been restoring the interior of the New Sacristy of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, are this month preparing to officially reveal the results of their work, and more importantly, the work of their secret weapon: bacteria from Neapolitan tannery waste and diesel-contaminated soil, according to a New York Times report.