CORLEONE, Sicily – The courageous anti-Mafia priest Don Luigi Ciotti spearheaded solemn ceremonies this week recalling the 76th anniversary of the murder of trade unionist Placido Rizzotto by a Cosa Nostra boss in this remote mountain town made famous by the Godfather movies. The ceremonies climaxed with scores of school children reading poetry dedicated to Rizzotto in Corleone’s main Garibaldi square.
John Phillips
14 Mar 2024
KATARINA HARRISON-GAZE
ROME – No Italian teams have qualified for the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League after Atletico Madrid beat Inter Milan 3-2 on penalties on Wednesday night.
Out of the top five leagues in Europe, Serie A is the only league to not have any teams advance in the knockout stages of the tournament.
Inter drew with Atletico 2-2 on aggregate, however fell at the final hurdle of penalties in a surprising loss that did not reflect their strong domestic performances. A close penalty shootout finished 3-2.
14 Mar 2024
INSIDER NEWSDESK
BERLIN -- Within the last week, the Italian government has detained three NGO rescue ships flying the German flag. The Humanity 1, the Sea-Watch 5 and the Sea-Eye 4 are being prevented from carrying out their life-saving work on the basis of false accusations.
13 Mar 2024
INSIDER NEWSDESK
ROME – A 66-year-old former informant was shot and killed in a supermarket car park in Naples on Tuesday evening, police said.
Salvatore Coppola, an engineer, was shot in the face outside of a Decò supermarket in the San Giovanni a Teduccio neighbourhood.
He was a former criminal turned state informant after being caught up in a police investigation 15 years ago.
13 Mar 2024
KATARINA HARRISON-GAZE
ROME – Three Palestinians were arrested in L’Aquila, Abruzzo, on terrorism charges for allegedly planning to blow up Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank with car bombs, police said.
The suspects, named as Anan Kamal Afif Yaeesh, Ali Saji Ribhi Irar and Mansour Doghmosh, were arrested on Monday by L’Aquila police on charges of “association with the aim of terrorism, including international terrorism or the subversion of democratic order.”
12 Mar 2024
Michael Mewshaw
ROME -- Not so long ago, before the pro tennis tour began to resemble a snake eating its own tail, the tournament calendar fell into discreet segments. The Australian Open in January was followed by the indoor hardcourt season in Europe. Much as players complained of claustrophobia in bleak wintry cities, they consoled themselves that in March the tour would move back outdoors for what some PR maven had dubbed the “Sunshine Double,” a couple of Masters 1000 level events, the first in the desert in Indian Wells, California, the second at the Hardrock Stadium in Miami.
12 Mar 2024
INSIDER NEWSDESK
ROME – A four-year-old boy fell from a third-floor balcony in Carvico, Bergamo, falling 12 metres and fracturing both legs, police said.
The boy was at home with his mother when he climbed over the balcony railing and fell onto the street below.
His mother raised the alarm, and the boy was transported to Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo for treatment. The child never lost consciousness.
Local police arrived on scene to determine the motives, lead-up and cause of the accident.
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12 Mar 2024
INSIDER NEWSDESK
ROME – Marco Marsilio, of Fratelli D’Italia, won the regional elections in Abruzzo after receiving 53.5 percent of the vote.
The centre-right’s victory in Abruzzo comes after a string of regional victories was disrupted by the centre-left’s victory in Sardinia. The centre-left candidate, Luciano D’Amico, for Abruzzo received 46.5 percent of the vote.
Marsilio has become the first regional president of Abruzzo to be elected for a second term.
11 Mar 2024
INSIDER NEWSDESK
ROME – Tension rose in Serie A after the Lecce coach, Roberto D’Aversa, headbutted Verona’s striker Thomas Henry on the pitch. Both D'Aversa and Henry received red cards for the incident.
Verona won the game 0-1 thanks to a goal from Folorunsho in the first half of the match. This defeat comes as Lecce fall down the table after a strong start to the season, currently in 15th place in the standings, only one point above the relegation zone.
11 Mar 2024