ROME -- Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan's son Bilal is being investigated for money laundering in Italy after a formal denunciation was filed to the Italian authorities by Turkish dissident Murat Hakan Huzan, a strong opposer of Erdogan's autocratic government and now in exile in France, La Repubblica reported. Bilal has denied the accusations.
John Phillips
Ischia -- Most Italian islands close down outside the summer season but Ischia in the Gulf of Naples offers a constellation of attractions year round from thermal baths to underwater archaeology scuba diving and one of the world's most dazzling botanical gardens.
On a warm day in the second half of October I enjoyed a leisurely swim off the beach at the outlying village of Santamaria, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel regularly has taken a week's holiday every Easter with her husband for the past 30 years.
19 Feb 2016
Corinna Harrison
ROME -- Speaking to reporters on his trip back from Mexico, Pope Francis spoke out against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and some of his policies, saying that they are “Not Christian.” This comment came with particular reference to the wall that the Republican candidate says he would build between the United States and Mexico if he wins the presidential seat in the upcoming elections. Trump was quick to respond, calling the Pope’s comments “disgraceful.”
19 Feb 2016
JAN FILIPOWICZ
ROME – Professional staffers at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are increasingly frustrated over the unctuous new leadership of their AP-in-FAO staff association with its moustachioed president Roberto Bonafede seen by many as “doing everything in his power to comply with management,” sources at the UN agency say.
“The President of the AP is doing everything in his power to comply with Management, as opposed to defending staff interests,” a well-placed FAO source told Italian Insider. “the same holds true for the General Secretary, Spanish-born Juan Coy. “
19 Feb 2016
Desmond O'Grady
POMPEII -- The recent opening to the public of six restored houses in Pompeii, some of which have notable frescoes and mosaics, heralds a new era. All were damaged when nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, some had been partially excavated early in the past century but previously none were accessible.
19 Feb 2016
INSIDER NEWSDESK
LA SPEZIA -- An often talked about but never acted upon idea – that of limiting the number of tourists to provide some relief for fed up locals and for this beautiful area. For Cinque Terre it is to become a reality, put in place thanks to an online petition last month that had been signed by inhabitants of the area to be put in place by this summer, as the paths simply cannot support the number of people who pass along them each year.
18 Feb 2016
INSIDER NEWSDESK
MORELIA -- Pope Francis has spoken out against drug trafficking in Mexico. The head of the Catholic Church does not like to give up, and in the fight against drugs he won’t. In his view a Church that is resigned to the Mexico of drugs is unacceptable, as here, as in other places where wallets are bursting with ‘easy-money’, luxury cars and designer clothes capture the dreams of the young, ending in their becoming slaves to a life of crime.
17 Feb 2016
Gianfranco Nitti
ROME -- The sovereign assessment is detailed in Scope Ratings’ newly published analytical report on Italy. Among the larger European economies, Scope Ratings considers Italy as having low-to-medium sovereign credit strength.
Following a long period of economic stagnation, the country is expected to rebound in 2016, supported by a surge in domestic demand and a recovery in investment. Italy benefits from a low interest rate environment, which has significantly reduced interest-related costs for the public sector and businesses, whereas low inflation boosts consumption.
17 Feb 2016
INSIDER NEWSDESK
MONZA --The Italian dental and orthodontic sector has come under judicial investigation, along with the Lombardy Health board. According to the Prosecution Office in Monza who are holding the investigation Maria Paola Canegrati, an administrator of various companies in the sector, was acting as a type of ‘tsarina’ and had gained a monopoly in procuring contracts for hospital buildings.
17 Feb 2016