STRASBOURG - The freedom of the press and the safety of reporters in Italy have “clearly” deteriorated in the last year, announced a report from The Council of Europe, an organisation outside the European Union that deals with Europe’s protection of human rights, La Repubblica reported.

ROME - The the current net economic value of the controversial TAV Turin-Lyon high-speed rail link has a negative cost-benefit balance of some seven to eight billion euros, according to a much-awaited new analysis published Tuesday by the transport and infrastructure ministry.

 Despite the benefits of increased rail freight traffic and a rise in national and international passengers that the line would bring, the profitability analysis is negative. This will undeniably have a bearing on whether or not the Italian government decide to press ahead with the project.

ROME - Croatia and Slovenia challenged Tuesday the “revisionist” comments made by the Italian President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance of the Foibe, the crevasses into which Italians were thrown by Yugoslav Communist partisans in the Second World War.

PESCARA – Following the regional elections held in Abruzzo Sunday, Marco Marsilio, Senator of the right-wing party Brothers of Italy (FdI), has been elected as president of the region.

 “With this team we will give Abruzzo a future that Abruzzo deserves. I thank all the coalition parties with who we have done an extraordinary job,” said the new president.

 Marsilio was elected with 299,949, 48.03% of the votes. He was followed by Giovanni Legnini of the centre-left with at 31.28% of votes, and then by Sara Marcozzi of the Five Star Movement (M5S) with 20.20% of votes.