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☆ Italy shuts main Sicily airport until Wednesday due to fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, July 17 (Reuters) - The airport in the Sicilian city of Catania, close to some of the main tourist hot spots in eastern Sicily, has been shut down until Wednesday due to a fire, its management company wrote on Twitter. The fire broke out late on Sunday and there were no injuries, the airport said. Firefighters said they managed to contain the blaze about 90 minutes after it was called in, but provided no details on possible causes or any link to current high temperatures in the region. Flights at the Sicilian airport, which according to the Assoaeroporti sector group, ranked fifth for traffic in Italy last year and first on the island, have been suspended until 1200 GMT on Wednesday, the company said. The Catania airport is regularly used by tourists heading to places like Mount Etna and Taormina, which is about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) away, and Siracusa, with its Greek Theatre and the historical centre on the Ortigia island.

Persons: Firefighters, Angelo Amante, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Twitter, Greek Theatre, Thomson Locations: Sicilian, Catania, Sicily, Palermo, Messina, Italy, Mount Etna, Taormina

July 6 (Reuters) - Global tech investor Insight Partners has raised $118 million in its second 20/20 Vision Capital fund that aims to invest in venture capital funds led by diverse managers, the firm told Reuters. This new fund expands a strategy Insights first started in 2020, after its own employees pledged $15 million of their personal capital to diverse early-stage fund managers. The environment is especially challenging for first-time fund managers. Funds including Ansa Capital Management, Hannah Grey Ventures, and Wischoff Ventures have already received backing from the Vision Capital II. Richard Wells, Managing Director at Insight Partners, said it's too early to measure fund I returns, as seed investment is a long-term game.

Persons: Dionne Chingkoe, Hannah Grey, Richard Wells, it's, Wells, Krystal Hu, Chizu Organizations: Global, Partners, Vision Capital, Reuters, Vision, Insight Partners, Investment Management Board, Pennsylvania Public School, New, The, Ansa Capital Management, Hannah Grey Ventures, Wischoff Ventures, ”, Thomson Locations: Massachusetts, New York, The U.S

☆ Berlusconi leaves control of family business to two eldest children
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Eleonora Berlusconi, , Pier Silvio Berlusconi, Barbara Berlusconi, Luigi Berlusconi, Marina Berlusconi walk to attend the funeral of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at the Duomo Cathedral, in Milan, Italy June 14, 2023. Marina and Pier Silvio Berlusconi, who both already have executive roles in parts of the business, will hold equal stakes jointly worth around 53% in the Fininvest family holding company, the source said, confirming an earlier report from ANSA news agency. Marina chairs Fininvest while Pier Silvio has been in charge of the MFE-MediaForEurope (MFEB.MI) TV business which has long been the jewel in the family's crown. Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi Berlusconi, his three children from his second marriage, have been less involved in the family business. Berlusconi, who founded a business empire based on real estate and then television, died in Milan.

Persons: Eleonora Berlusconi, Pier Silvio Berlusconi, Barbara Berlusconi, Luigi Berlusconi, Marina Berlusconi, Silvio Berlusconi, Claudia Greco, Marta Fascina, Dell'Utri, Silvio Berlusconi's, Marina, Pier Silvio, Silvio, Barbara, Eleonora, Berlusconi, Paolo, Marcello Dell'Utri, Fascina, Milan's, Villa San, Villa, Costa, Vladimir Putin, Tony Blair, Giulio Piovaccari, Federico Maccioni, Keith Weir, Alvise Armellini, Mark Potter Organizations: Italian, Cathedral, REUTERS, MILAN, Fininvest SpA, Reuters, Forza Italia, Italian Serie A, Monza, Villa, British, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, Marina, Fininvest, Raffaele, Italian, Villa San Martino, Arcore, Russian

☆ Police say tourist filmed allegedly carving ‘Ivan+Hayley’ on Rome’s Colosseum has been identified
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —He caused shockwaves around the world when he was filmed apparently carving his name into a wall of Rome’s 2,000-year-old Colosseum – and grinning when he realized he was caught on camera. The visitor who this week allegedly scratched “Ivan+Hayley 23” on a brick wall of one of the world’s most precious buildings, has been identified, according to Italy’s culture minister. Police “identified the main suspect through traditional investigations and photographic comparison,” they wrote. In 2020, an Irish tourist was reported to the police for allegedly carving his initials into a wall. Last August, an American couple were caught carving their initials into the Arch of Augustus, a 2,000-year-old monument beside the Colosseum.

Persons: Ivan, Hayley, ”, Gennaro Sangiuliano, Hayley ”, Sangiuliano, commesso, k2apyx026A — Gennaro Sangiuliano, UK . Police “, “, ” Sangiuliano, Augustus, CNN’s Sharon Braithwaite Organizations: CNN, . Culture, Ministry, Culture, Piazza Venezia, Carabinieri, UK . Police, ” Locations: shockwaves, England, Irish, American

☆ EU-funded hybrid car prototype explodes in Italy, killing two people
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, June 29 (Reuters) - Two people have died after a hybrid car prototype that was being developed and tested with European Union funds blew up last week in the southern Italian city of Naples. The Life-Save project aimed to turn cars with conventional combustion engines into hybrid vehicles, running at least partly on solar energy. One vehicle equipped with the experimental technology caught fire last Friday, seriously injuring the two people who were on board. Maria Vittoria Prati, a researcher at Italy's National Council of Research (CNR), died of complications from third-degree burns on Monday. The other occupant, research apprentice Fulvio Filace, died overnight, a spokesperson for the Cardarelli hospital in Naples told Reuters on Thursday.

Persons: Maria Vittoria Prati, Fulvio Filace, Filace, Pietro Rinaldi, Prati, Alvise Armellini, David Evans Organizations: European Union, National Council of Research, Reuters, CNR, University of Salerno, Thomson Locations: Italian, Naples, Italy

☆ Italy vows to find and punish tourist who defaced Colosseum wall
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, June 27 (Reuters) - Italian authorities are looking for a tourist who scribbled graffiti on a wall of the Colosseum, with Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano calling for exemplary punishment for the so-far unidentified man. The tourist was caught in a video, posted on social media on Saturday, scratching his and his girlfriend's name with a key on an internal wall of the ancient Roman stone amphitheatre. He can be seen smiling, even as the author of the video, speaking in English and using swear words, reprimands him. [1/5]A tourist holding keys carves on the wall of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy June 23, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Built 2,000 years ago, the Colosseum was the biggest amphitheatre in the Roman empire and used to host gladiator fights, executions and animal hunts.

Persons: Gennaro Sangiuliano, Ivan, Hayley, Sangiuliano, Ryan Lutz, ANSA, Alvise, Keith Weir Organizations: Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

☆ Tourist filmed carving his girlfriend’s name into Rome’s Colosseum
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Italy’s culture minister is calling for a man to be “identified and sanctioned” after he was filmed allegedly carving his and his fiancée’s names into the Colosseum in Rome. The inscription read “Ivan+Haley 23,” according to Italian news agency ANSA. The alleged incident took place on Friday, and police were alerted by videos appearing on social media, ANSA reported. If convicted of a crime, the man could face a fine of at least €15,000 ($16,360) or up to five years in prison, the news agency said. A similar incident occurred in 2020, when an Irish tourist was accused of vandalizing the Colosseum, after security staff spotted him allegedly carving his initials into the ancient structure and reported him to the police.

Persons: Gennaro Sangiuliano, “, ”, Ivan, Haley, ANSA Organizations: CNN Locations: Rome, Irish

☆ Pope offers prayers to family of 'Vatican girl' who went missing 40 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from his window at the Vatican, June 25, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSVATICAN CITY, June 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday offered prayers and solidarity to the family of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40 years ago in one of Italy's most enduring mysteries. The case has drawn renewed worldwide attention following the release of the Netflix series "Vatican Girl" late last year. Pietro Orlandi was standing with a group of supporters holding up photographs and banners that called for "truth" and "justice". In April, Pope Francis called the allegations "offensive and unfounded insinuations".

Persons: Pope Francis, Emanuela Orlandi, Francis, Pietro, Pietro Orlandi, ANSA, Pope John Paul II, John Paul II, Alvise Armellini, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS VATICAN CITY, Netflix, Thomson Locations: Rome, St Peter's, Italian

MILAN, June 12 (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media mogul and former Italian prime minister who transformed the nation's politics with polarising policies and often alarmed his allies with his brazen remarks, died on Monday aged 86. Berlusconi, Italy's longest-serving premier who counted Russian President Vladimir Putin as a friend and gained notoriety for his "bunga bunga" sex parties, had suffered from leukaemia and recently developed a lung infection. Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition, and although he himself did not have a role in government, his death is likely to destabilise Italian politics in the coming months. Farewell Silvio," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said. After building a television empire in the 1980s, Berlusconi threw himself into politics in 1994 and almost immediately became prime minister.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Berlusconi, Italy's, Vladimir Putin, Paolo, ANSA, Giorgia Meloni's, Marina, Silvio, Giorgia Meloni, Enrico Letta, Putin, Emilio Parodi, Elvira Pollina, Alvise Armellini, Edmund Blair Organizations: MILAN, Berlusconi's Forza Italia, Twitter, Milan bourse, Forza Italia, Monza, Serie, Thomson Locations: San Raffaele, Milan, Italy, Italian, Ukraine, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Italy's elite special forces stormed a cargo ship taken over by knife-wielding stowaways, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Kieran Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Italian special forces scrambled to a cargo vessel in trouble on Friday. Italy's elite San Marco Brigade was photographed landing by helicopter on the Turkish Galata Seaways vessel off the Italian coast on Friday. Italian special forces landing on the Galata Seaways cargo ship on June 9, 2023. Italian special forces on board the Galata Seaways cargo ship on June 9, 2023. Getty ImagesItaly's ANSA news agency reported that the emergency broke out on Friday off the coast of Naples, leading the Italian military to scramble special forces to recapture it.

Persons: —, ANSA, Nobody, Guido Crosetto Organizations: Service, San Marco Brigade, Getty, Reuters, Italy's Navy, Royal Marines, US Marine Corps Locations: Turkish Galata, Galata, Danish, Turkey, France, Italian, Naples, East, North Africa, Europe, San Marco

☆ Italy special forces board Turkish vessel after alert over unidentified passengers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, June 10 (Reuters) - A Turkish cargo vessel that Italian special forces boarded after the crew detected a group of unidentified people on board is now sitting off the southern city of Naples, website MarineTraffic showed, while police continue to investigate the situation. "My congratulations to the guys of the San Marco battalion and the police, who completed a wonderful operation," he wrote. A Turkish transport ministry statement said on Friday the Galata Seaways roll-on-roll-off cargo vessel was sailing from the Turkish port of Yalova to Sete, France. The captain told Italian police he issued the alarm after he saw two of them carrying knives, Ansa reported. The crew locked themselves in the engine room and alerted maritime authorities in Turkey, who in turn contacted Italy and France.

Persons: MarineTraffic, Guido Crosetto, Crosetto, Ansa, Angelo Amante, Federica, Yesim, Nick Macfie, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Twitter, San Marco, Thomson Locations: Turkish, Naples, Yalova, Sete, France, Turkey, Italy

☆ 4 people died after a boat sank on a picturesque lake. All of the passengers had connections to Israeli and Italian intelligence.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Four people died in a boating accident on Italy's Lake Maggiore last month in a violent storm. All 21 passengers were linked to Israeli and Italian defense and intelligence work. All 21 passengers on the 52-foot houseboat were currently or formerly tied to Israeli and Italian defense and intelligence work, officials said, per CNN. Two of those who died had worked for the Italian intelligence authority. Lake Maggiore Mbdortmund/Wikimedia CmmonsSeveral companies that produce both military and civilian technology use are located in Lombardy, the BCC reported.

Persons: —, Benjamin Netanyahu, it's Organizations: Authorities, Service, CNN, Reuters, Wikimedia, BCC, BBC, Guardian, BBC News, New York Times Locations: Maggiore, Russian, Israel, Swiss, Italy's Lombardy, Ticino, Lake, Mbdortmund, Lombardy, Switzerland, Milan

☆ Venice's waters turn fluorescent green near Rialto Bridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Venice's waters turn green due to an unknown substance near the Rialto Bridge, in Venice, Italy in this handout image released May 28, 2023. Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERSMILAN, May 28 (Reuters) - The waters in Venice's main canal turned fluorescent green on Sunday in the area near the Rialto bridge and authorities are seeking to trace the cause, Italy's fire department said. The Venice prefect has called an emergency meeting of police forces to understand what happened and study possible countermeasures, the Ansa news agency reported. The incident echoes recent episodes in Italy where environmental groups have been colouring monuments, including using vegetable charcoal to turn the waters of Rome's Trevi fountain black in a protest against fossil fuels. However, unlike previous cases, no activist group has come forward to claim responsibility for what happened in Venice.

CNN —Flights from Catania airport in Sicily were grounded on Sunday after volcanic ash from an eruption of Mount Etna covered the runways. Volcanic ash in Nicolosi, near Catania Orietta Scardino/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockPictures and video footage show black volcanic ash covering planes at the airport, and blanketing roads in the area. In 2010, a volcanic eruption in Iceland sent a huge plume of ash moving across the Atlantic, causing massive disruption to air traffic across Western Europe. In the aftermath of the crisis, international aviation regulators introduced new risk management guidance on flight safety and volcanic ash. Mount Etna is Europe’s most active volcano, and also the highest, at about 3,350 meters (almost 11,000 feet) tall.

☆ Finland's Kaurismaki back in Cannes competition after over a decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Kuolleet lehdet" (Fallen Leaves - Les feuilles mortes) in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 22, 2023. Director Aki... Read moreCANNES, May 22 (Reuters) - Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki is back in competition for the Cannes Film Festival's top prize after more than a decade with his 20th film, "Fallen Leaves," which premiered on Monday. Under a sweltering afternoon sun, Kaurismaki, 66, was joined on the red carpet by his lead actors Alma Poysti and Jussi Vatanen. Written and directed by Kaurismaki, "Fallen Leaves" is his first feature in six years. "Fallen Leaves" is Kaurismaki's fifth competition title at Cannes.

☆ Italy is convening a crisis meeting this week to address soaring pasta prices, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Italy's industry minister has called a crisis meeting to address the soaring price of pasta, Reuters reported. Pasta prices jumped 16.3% in April, while broader Italian inflation came in at 8.8%. The comparable increase in Italy's harmonized index of consumer prices, a weighted average of Italian goods and services, measured a provisional 8.8% in April. But Coldiretti, an Italian agriculture group, said soaring pasta prices represented an "anomaly that needs clarification," given the price of a key ingredient, durum wheat, fell 30% in the year, per local publication Ansa. The National Consumer Union said until speculation on wheat prices was defined as an "unfair practice," the price of pasta may stay elevated, per Ansa.

☆ One dead, seven injured in Naples in night of soccer celebrations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, May 5 (Reuters) - One man died from gunshot wounds and seven people were injured overnight in Naples as the southern Italian city exploded in joy at the success of its soccer team, a local government official said on Friday. Hours later, a man died from gunshot wounds but the incident had "nothing to do with the celebrations", Naples Prefect Claudio Palomba told RAI public radio. Police are investigating the death, Palomba said, adding that of the seven people who were hurt during the night, some suffered fireworks injuries. Wild partying was widely expected in Naples over the "Scudetto" title win, and authorities had taken several steps to try to contain risks to public order. The city centre was pedestrianised while fireworks and firecrackers were banned, but that did not stop Neapolitans celebrating with such items throughout the night.

☆ Italy's Naples explodes in joy as city finally regains Serie A crown
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Antonio Denti | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kevin, another fan who declined to give his surname, said of the expected Scudetto party: "It will be chaos, mayhem. Authorities also banned car and scooter traffic from the city centre in the hope of minimising risk to public order. "I've been waiting for the Napoli Scudetto since I was small," said a teenage girl out with two friends, her cheeks painted Napoli blue. "It's a victory for the entire city, it's wonderful," she added, declining to give her name. In Udine, there were post-match scuffles as Napoli fans ran onto the stadium pitch to celebrate with players, but were met by hostile home supporters armed with belts and batons, the ANSA news agency said.

☆ Torrential rain lashes northern Italy, killing at least two people
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, May 3 (Reuters) - Torrential rain lashed Italy's northern Emilia Romagna region over the last 24 hours, causing extensive flooding and killing at least two people, rescuers and media said on Wednesday. An elderly cyclist drowned when he was swept away by flood waters in the town of Castel Bolognese, Ansa news agency reported. The rain follows months of drought which raised concerns about the low water level in the Po, Italy's largest river, which runs West to East through the northern part of Emilia Romagna. An aerial view shows a flooded area after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in Massa Lombarda, Italy, May 2, 2023. Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERSFootage released by the fire brigade showed extensive flooding in an area between Bologna, Emilia Romagna's capital, and the city of Ravenna on the Adriatic coast.

☆ Payments are broken. From fraud to a lack of innovation, these are the biggest pain points in the space, according to experts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Experts at the conference named time-to-money, faster payments processing leading to faster fraud, and political hurdles that stunt innovation as the biggest challenges for payments. But with faster payments comes faster fraud, Soups Ranjan, cofounder and CEO of Sardine, said. Still, the threat of faster fraud "shouldn't change why we lean into faster payments," Kirkpatrick added. "Because this problem will exist whether we have faster payments or we don't." "We don't have anything close to that in the US," Kirkpatrick added.

☆ Juventus stadium ban for Lukaku abuse overturned
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Wednesday that all areas of the Allianz Stadium would be open after the sanction originally imposed by the sports judge had been annulled. Juventus were hit with the partial stadium closure after racist chants aimed at Lukaku were heard during their 1-1 first leg draw against Inter in the Coppa Italia. Italian news agency ANSA reported that Juve banned two fans from their stadium after video footage of the incident went viral. The club have appealed against the sanction and a decision is expected shortly. Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Summary Pontiff was hospitalised unexpectedly on WednesdayVatican says he has respiratory infectionNot clear if pope will be able to lead Easter servicesVATICAN CITY, March 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis spent a peaceful night in a Rome hospital after suffering from a respiratory infection, a Vatican source said on Thursday. Bruni has said Francis would have to stay at Rome's Gemelli hospital for "a few days" for "appropriate" medical treatment. An official update on his condition was expected in late morning, the Vatican source said. Last year, the pope attended but did not preside at some of the Easter services due to his knee pain. Francis, who this month marked 10 years as pope, is sometimes short of breath and generally more exposed to respiratory problems.

☆ Italy blames surge in migration on Russia's Wagner group
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, March 13 (Reuters) - The Italian government on Monday said Russian mercenary group Wagner was behind a surge in migrant boats trying to cross the central Mediterranean as part of Moscow's strategy to retaliate against countries supporting Ukraine. He then used a series of obscenities to describe Crosetto and to urge him to pay attention to his own country. Wagner forces have been accused of operating in several African countries including Libya, Mali, and Central African Republic. Crosetto, a senior figure in Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy party, called on the NATO allies to help Italy face the rise in migrant arrivals. Similar remarks also came from Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who during a visit to Israel told ANSA news agency that it was worrying many migrants came from areas "controlled by the Wagner group".

☆ At least 33 dead in southern Italy after migrant shipwreck - ANSA
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Alvise Armellini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Feb 26 (Reuters) - At least 33 people have died after a migrant shipwreck off the eastern coast of Italy's Calabria region, ANSA and other Italian news agencies reported on Sunday. "Several dead are reported among the migrants, (and) about 40 survivors," the national firefighters' department wrote on the Telegram messaging app, adding the migrants' ship had run aground by the coast. The Italian coast guard, reported to be on the scene with firefighters and other police forces, was not immediately reachable for comment. Italy is one of the main landing points for migrants trying to enter Europe by sea. According to the International Organization for Migration's Missing Migrants Project, 20,333 people have died or gone missing in the central Mediterranean since 2014.

☆ Italy sounds alarm on large-scale computer hacking attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Thousands of computer servers around the world have been targeted by a ransomware hacking attack, Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) said on Sunday, warning organisations to take action to protect their systems. The hacking attack sought to exploit a software vulnerability, ACN director general Roberto Baldoni told Reuters, adding it was on a massive scale. Italy's ANSA news agency, citing the ACN, reported that servers had been compromised in other European countries such as France and Finland as well as the United States and Canada. Telecom Italia customers reported internet problems earlier on Sunday, but the two issues were not believed to be related. Reporting by Elvira Pollina; Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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