CATANIA – The 47 migrants aboard Sea Watch 3, the stranded rescue boat off the coast of Sicily, finally disembarked the vessel, ending a standoff that lasted 12 days, as Italy continually refused to take them.
"We are happy that this European hostage-taking is ending," Sea Watch spokesman Ruben Neugebauer was quoted as saying, adding that Europe should be "ashamed" that the migrants were left in limbo for such a long period of time.
ROME – An exuberant and energetic performance of Neil Simon’s adaptation of his hit comedy The Odd Couple, Female Version assertively parodied social stereotypes to ensure that the audience was kept laughing throughout. This light-hearted play was presented by The Rome Savoyards and Plays in Rome at Teatro San Genesio.
The production makes comedic the difficultly of coming to terms with the termination of marriage. By approaching the subject of divorce, a common hardship faced by many, the work’s underlying ideas are easily relatable and identifiable.
GENOA – Ten further individuals have been investigated in relation to the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Aug. 2018, police sources report.
Technicians and managers from engineering firms involved in the bridge’s construction have been included in an investigation by the ‘Guardia di Finanza’ into the events of Aug. 14, when a viaduct in Genoa collapsed, killing 43 people and injuring hundreds more.
The inquests, however, are focussing more specifically on five other viaducts in the area that are currently in critical condition.
SYRACUSE – The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has compelled Italy to provide assistance to migrants on board the NGO-operated vessel Sea Watch 3 which remains stranded off the coast of Sicily. However, the ECHR denied allowing the migrants to disembark the stranded rescue boat.
ROME – A prominent member of the Casamonica mafia clan has been arrested on charges of drug trafficking, police sources report.
The individual, who is yet to be named by the authorities, was taken into custody alongside four others after investigations by Rome’s district attorney reportedly showed they took part in international cocaine trafficking.
Just a few days previously another of the clan’s villas was raided and confiscated by police in an operation that seized over 2.4 million euros in assets from the Casamonica members.
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ROME – A 24-year-old man with previous convictions for sexual violence has been arrested for attacking a woman in the Eternal City’s Ostiense station.
On Monday afternoon, the man approached a 50-year-old Roman woman who was walking down the underpass of the railway station. He blocked her with her back to the wall and started to abuse her.
ROME - The Ministry of Defence has announced that Italian troops are to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Some 900 soldiers have been in the area for 17 years as part of a NATO-led mission.
The Minister of Defense, Elisabetta Trenta, has given directives to her ministry to coordinate the planned return of Italian troops with other NATO countries. It has been reported that the withdrawal of these troops could take place within a year.
UMBRIA - The 15th edition of the Trasimeno Music Festival (TMF) will be held from June 29 to July 5 2019, with the artistic direction of the Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt. The festival unites music-lovers and musicians from all over the world for a week in an intimate setting.
ROME – The Sant’Egidio Community has expressed its sorrow for the Catholic Church in the Philippines after an attack on a church during Sunday Mass that killed 20 people and left many more injured.
A statement from the Community insisted that the condemnation of such acts of violence must be “firm and total.”
Sant’Egidio took part in negotiations that brought peace in the Mindanao region of the Philippines and has reaffirmed its commitment to support the Church in the country and strive for peace.
