<p>In a tragic turn of events, a 26-year-old lost his life in the early hours of Friday morning after being wounded in the wild celebrations in Naples after its soccer team became Serie A champions for the first time in 33 years, as per local officials.</p>

<p>According to the police, the man died in Cardarelli Hospital in Naples.</p>

<p>UK media outlets linked the death of the individual to celebratory gunshots, whereas, Reuters, citing Naples Prefect Claudio Palomba, said the incident had “nothing to do with the celebrations” and linked it to score-settling within the local Camorra mafia.</p>

<p>On Thursday evening, thousands of Napoli supporters took to the streets to celebrate the club's win. After the Napoli team secured the "Scudetto" title with a 1-1 draw away at Udinese in northeast Italy, mass street partying, followed by fireworks, flares, horns and firecrackers, began.</p>

<p>"Even those who don't follow football took to the streets to celebrate. I am not a supporter, but I took to the streets for a sense of belonging to this wonderful city, which has so much to offer," a Naples resident, who gave her name only as Federica, told Reuters.</p>

<p>According to Naples health authorities, at least 203 people accessed emergency services overnight, including 22 with "red-level" critical injuries and 75 with "yellow-level" serious but not life-threatening conditions.</p>

<h2><strong>Scuffles between Napoli and Udinese fans after match</strong></h2>

<p>As per Italy's news agency, on Thursday, post-match brawls broke out in Udine as Napoli fans ran onto the stadium pitch to celebrate with players.</p>

<p>The reports further added that the fans then encountered aggressive home supporters armed with belts and batons.</p>

<p>According to RAI public television reports, anti-riot police interceded to break up the fights, and reportedly six fans sustained non-serious injuries.</p>

<h2><strong>Napoli's historic triumph</strong></h2>

<p>Napoli finally ended their long wait to win Italy's Serie A on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at Udinese secured their third league title with a record-equalling five games to play.</p>

<p>Victor Osimhen scored the decisive goal in the second half as Napoli's current stars came back from behind to Sandi Lovric's opener at half-time and emulated the teams led by Diego Maradona which won the league in 1987 and 1990.</p>

<p>Spalletti and his squad will receive an emotional welcome when they return to Naples, where the partying is set to continue until at least their next home fixture against Fiorentina on Sunday evening.</p>

<p>"Seeing Neapolitans happy is enough to give you a sense of that joy they are feeling," Spalletti told DAZN on the verge of tears.</p>

<p>"These people will look to this moment when life gets hard, they have every right to celebrate like this. You feel a bit more relaxed knowing that you've given them this moment of happiness."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
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In a tragic turn of events, a 26-year-old lost his life in the early hours of Friday morning after being wounded in the wild celebrations in Naples after its soccer team became Serie A champions for the first time in 33 years, as per local officials.

In a tragic turn of events, a 26-year-old lost his life in the early hours of Friday morning after being wounded in the wild celebrations in Naples after its soccer team became Serie A champions for the first time in 33 years, as per local officials. According to the police, the man died in Cardarelli Hospital in Naples. UK media outlets linked the death of the individual to celebratory gunshots, whereas, Reuters, citing Naples Prefect Claudio Palomba, said the incident had “nothing to do with the celebrations” and linked it to score-settling within the local Camorra mafia. On Thursday evening, thousands of Napoli supporters took to the streets to celebrate the club's win. After the Napoli team secured the "Scudetto" title with a 1-1 draw away at Udinese in northeast Italy, mass street partying, followed by fireworks, flares, horns and firecrackers, began. "Even those who don't follow football took to the streets to celebrate. I am not a supporter, but I took to the streets for a sense of belonging to this wonderful city, which has so much to offer," a Naples resident, who gave her name only as Federica, told Reuters. According to Naples health authorities, at least 203 people accessed emergency services overnight, including 22 with "red-level" critical injuries and 75 with "yellow-level" serious but not life-threatening conditions. Scuffles between Napoli and Udinese fans after match As per Italy's news agency, on Thursday, post-match brawls broke out in Udine as Napoli fans ran onto the stadium pitch to celebrate with players. The reports further added that the fans then encountered aggressive home supporters armed with belts and batons. According to RAI public television reports, anti-riot police interceded to break up the fights, and reportedly six fans sustained non-serious injuries. Napoli's historic triumph Napoli finally ended their long wait to win Italy's Serie A on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at Udinese secured their third league title with a record-equalling five games to play. Victor Osimhen scored the decisive goal in the second half as Napoli's current stars came back from behind to Sandi Lovric's opener at half-time and emulated the teams led by Diego Maradona which won the league in 1987 and 1990. Spalletti and his squad will receive an emotional welcome when they return to Naples, where the partying is set to continue until at least their next home fixture against Fiorentina on Sunday evening. "Seeing Neapolitans happy is enough to give you a sense of that joy they are feeling," Spalletti told DAZN on the verge of tears. "These people will look to this moment when life gets hard, they have every right to celebrate like this. You feel a bit more relaxed knowing that you've given them this moment of happiness." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Mafia revenge killing? Napoli fan dies after sustaining wounds from celebratory gunshots

Italy suffered its most severe drought in 70 years in 2022 and prolonged dry winter weather has raised fears that 2023 could be even worse. Eric Njoka brings you the report.

Italy must learn to cope with drought-inducing weather: Minister

<p>A group of climate activists in Italy Saturday staged a protest against fossil fuel consumption by pouring vegetable-based charcoal-black liquid into Rome's famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. The group, known as Ultima Generazione, is associated with the campaign "WE DON'T PAY FOR FOSSIL." It said in a statement, “Our future is as black as this water: without water there is no life.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">ROME, Italy—Climate activists have just poured black dye in Bernini’s priceless “Fountain of the Four Rivers” in Piazza Navona.<br />
<br />
Thoughts? <a href="https://t.co/eWNeBzOnvr">pic.twitter.com/eWNeBzOnvr</a></p>
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) <a href="https://twitter.com/breeadail/status/1654877819271249920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Significance of the Fiumi Fountain</strong></h2>

<p>The Fiumi Fountain, also known as the Fountain of Four Rivers, was built in 1651 by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Rome's famous Piazza Navona plaza. The fountain features statues depicting the four main rivers of the Earth, one for each continent known at the time: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio de la Plata. The activists chose this fountain to symbolize the importance of water for human life and how the current climate crisis threatens this equilibrium.</p>

<h2><strong>The Italian govt condemns the protest</strong></h2>

<p>The Italian government condemned the protest, and members of the group were arrested and are now facing accusations of defacing a public monument. Italy’s minister of culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, slammed the activists' protest, saying those guilty must "pay out of their own pockets."&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said, “As I have explained many times, these are acts against the environment which they claim to want to defend because the notion of landscape includes what beautiful things over centuries of history human genius has produced.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Experts talk about the anthropization of the environment. Now again, a lot of water will have to be used to clean up and costs incurred to restore the state of the monument – and (paying for it) will be Italian citizens,” the minister added.</p>

<h2><strong>Second fountain to be defaced in Italy</strong></h2>

<p>The same group had previously staged protests at other Italian historical sites, including the Barcaccia fountain in Rome's centre, which they also poured dark liquid into last month. The group said that it was done to highlight dangers to the water resources due to global warming. "Those in power are wreaking far worse havoc before our eyes. How can we accept that we continue to give money to those responsible for pollution and destructive weather?" the group said in a Tweet.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-climate-activists-in-rome-turn-17th-century-landmark-fountain-black-in-protest-578109">WATCH | Climate activists in Rome turn 17th-century landmark fountain black in protest</a></strong></p>

<p>Climate activists allege that the government continues to use taxpayer funds to support the fossil fuel sector rather than taking action to preserve crops, the economy, and, most importantly, the population.&nbsp;</p>

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A group of climate activists in Italy Saturday staged a protest against fossil fuel consumption by pouring vegetable-based charcoal-black liquid into Rome's famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi.

A group of climate activists in Italy Saturday staged a protest against fossil fuel consumption by pouring vegetable-based charcoal-black liquid into Rome's famous Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. The group, known as Ultima Generazione, is associated with the campaign "WE DON'T PAY FOR FOSSIL." It said in a statement, “Our future is as black as this water: without water there is no life.” ROME, Italy—Climate activists have just poured black dye in Bernini’s priceless “Fountain of the Four Rivers” in Piazza Navona. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/eWNeBzOnvr — Bree A Dail (@breeadail) May 6, 2023 × Significance of the Fiumi Fountain The Fiumi Fountain, also known as the Fountain of Four Rivers, was built in 1651 by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Rome's famous Piazza Navona plaza. The fountain features statues depicting the four main rivers of the Earth, one for each continent known at the time: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio de la Plata. The activists chose this fountain to symbolize the importance of water for human life and how the current climate crisis threatens this equilibrium. The Italian govt condemns the protest The Italian government condemned the protest, and members of the group were arrested and are now facing accusations of defacing a public monument. Italy’s minister of culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, slammed the activists' protest, saying those guilty must "pay out of their own pockets." He said, “As I have explained many times, these are acts against the environment which they claim to want to defend because the notion of landscape includes what beautiful things over centuries of history human genius has produced.” “Experts talk about the anthropization of the environment. Now again, a lot of water will have to be used to clean up and costs incurred to restore the state of the monument – and (paying for it) will be Italian citizens,” the minister added. Second fountain to be defaced in Italy The same group had previously staged protests at other Italian historical sites, including the Barcaccia fountain in Rome's centre, which they also poured dark liquid into last month. The group said that it was done to highlight dangers to the water resources due to global warming. "Those in power are wreaking far worse havoc before our eyes. How can we accept that we continue to give money to those responsible for pollution and destructive weather?" the group said in a Tweet. Also Read | WATCH | Climate activists in Rome turn 17th-century landmark fountain black in protest Climate activists allege that the government continues to use taxpayer funds to support the fossil fuel sector rather than taking action to preserve crops, the economy, and, most importantly, the population. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Watch: Activists deface Rome's iconic fountain with black liquid 'to highlight impact of climate change'

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<p>Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday gave his first public address since being hospitalised a month ago. Delivering a video message to his Forza Italia party members, Berlusconi said he was ready to get back to work.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Here I am, here for you, wearing a shirt and jacket for the first time in a month," said the 86-year-old billionaire media mogul in a pre-recorded video.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I never stopped, not even in the past few weeks. worked on the party's new structure and I'm ready to return to work with you and fight alongside you our fights for freedom," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The party members watching the 20-minute video clapped enthusiastically at the end while some could be seen wiping away a tear or two.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Italian media reports, the video was filmed on Friday after Berlusconi was not allowed to leave the hospital by doctors and relatives as he would have tried to attend the party's two-day convention in Milan.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-serving-as-pm-thrice-to-hosting-bunga-bunga-parties-the-controversial-life-of-silvio-berlusconi-580274" target="_blank"><strong>ALSO READ | From serving as PM thrice to hosting 'bunga-bunga' parties - the controversial life of Silvio Berlusconi</strong></a></p>

<p>Having been diagnosed with persistent leukaemia, Berlusconi was admitted to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital on April 5. He spent two weeks in the intensive care unit before being moved to a general ward in mid-April.</p>

<p>Berlusconi's health has deteriorated in recent years. In 2016, he had open heart surgery and three years later, an intestine surgery. He was hospitalised for Covid-related pneumonia in September 2020. Later, he developed complications linked to Covid and was admitted several times the next year. According to reports, he also had prostate cancer.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Berlusconi's party</strong></h2>

<p>However, despite being a pale shadow of his former self, Berlusconi, nicknamed Il Cavaliere (The Knight) has managed to remain in the news cycle, year after year, despite last serving as the prime minister in 2011.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Berlusconi founded Italy's centre-right party Forza Italia in the summer of 1994 to beat the 'communists'. His party pioneered the populist brand of politics in the European country and propelled him to the higher echelons of the bureaucracy.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/will-silvio-berlusconi-woo-backers-for-italian-presidency-445894"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Will Silvio Berlusconi woo backers for Italian presidency?</strong></a></p>

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<p>In 2011, he stepped down as the PM. However, to this day, he leads his party and is an elected senator. Currently, his party is a junior member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier this year, Berlusconi was cleared of bribing young showgirls to lie about his notoriously infamous "bunga bunga" parties.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
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Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday gave his first public address since being hospitalised a month ago. Delivering a video message to his Forza Italia party members, Berlusconi said he was ready to get back to work.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday gave his first public address since being hospitalised a month ago. Delivering a video message to his Forza Italia party members, Berlusconi said he was ready to get back to work. “Here I am, here for you, wearing a shirt and jacket for the first time in a month," said the 86-year-old billionaire media mogul in a pre-recorded video. "I never stopped, not even in the past few weeks. worked on the party's new structure and I'm ready to return to work with you and fight alongside you our fights for freedom," he added. The party members watching the 20-minute video clapped enthusiastically at the end while some could be seen wiping away a tear or two. According to Italian media reports, the video was filmed on Friday after Berlusconi was not allowed to leave the hospital by doctors and relatives as he would have tried to attend the party's two-day convention in Milan. ALSO READ | From serving as PM thrice to hosting 'bunga-bunga' parties - the controversial life of Silvio Berlusconi Having been diagnosed with persistent leukaemia, Berlusconi was admitted to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital on April 5. He spent two weeks in the intensive care unit before being moved to a general ward in mid-April. Berlusconi's health has deteriorated in recent years. In 2016, he had open heart surgery and three years later, an intestine surgery. He was hospitalised for Covid-related pneumonia in September 2020. Later, he developed complications linked to Covid and was admitted several times the next year. According to reports, he also had prostate cancer. Berlusconi's party However, despite being a pale shadow of his former self, Berlusconi, nicknamed Il Cavaliere (The Knight) has managed to remain in the news cycle, year after year, despite last serving as the prime minister in 2011. Berlusconi founded Italy's centre-right party Forza Italia in the summer of 1994 to beat the 'communists'. His party pioneered the populist brand of politics in the European country and propelled him to the higher echelons of the bureaucracy. WATCH | Will Silvio Berlusconi woo backers for Italian presidency? × In 2011, he stepped down as the PM. However, to this day, he leads his party and is an elected senator. Currently, his party is a junior member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition government. Earlier this year, Berlusconi was cleared of bribing young showgirls to lie about his notoriously infamous "bunga bunga" parties. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Italy ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi says he is ready to get back at work after serious illness

<p>The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is likely to give a heritage tag to the world-famous Italian cuisine by December 2025.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Italian cuisine is a comfort food for people across the world. People love to gorge on wood-fired pizzas, delectable cheesy pasta, and much more. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Italian cuisine enjoys worldwide popularity and continues to remain an important feature of food menus at parties. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recognising the cuisine's diversity and popularity, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will soon give recognition to Italian cuisine.</p>

<p>As per multiple news outlets, the Italian Government announced the nomination of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage element in March 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/arrivederci-dominos-pizza-to-leave-italy-after-it-fails-to-win-over-local-customers-netizens-cheer-exit-575019">Arrivederci! Domino's Pizza to leave Italy after it fails to win over local customers, netizens cheer exit</a></p>

<p>The nomination documents reportedly emphasise on the impact Italian cuisine has been leaving on the country's bio-cultural diversity.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the European Food Agency, the nomination dossier has defined Italian cuisine as a "set of social practices, rites, and gestures based on the many local knowledge that, without hierarchies, identify and connote it".</p>

<p>In March 2023, the Italian government had officially announced that it is nominating the country's cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage element.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is not the first time that Italian cuisine has made its place on UNESCO's list. In 2017, the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list had added the Neapolitan-stylised pizza which is made using the culinary art of the Neapolitan 'Pizzaiuolo'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The list, which is revised annually, comprises “cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage,” as per the UNESCO site.</p>

<p>According to the reports, UNESCO will not take a decision till December 2025, however, more plans will be made with the aim to promote Italy and its cuisine in the coming days.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Italy's effort to make crops more resilient to drought risk</strong></p>

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<p>La Cucina Italiana's editor-in-chief Maddalena Fossati said that she is “deeply moved by this news” after she campaigned for this since 2020.</p>

<p>"I believe in our identity and in the complicated-yet-wonderful country that is Italy. Now’s the time to try and determinedly reaffirm the importance of our culinary lifestyle, which is loved and imitated all over the planet,” said Fossati.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In her campaign, Fossati was supported by world-renowned Italian chefs Massimo Bottura, Davide Oldani, and Antonia Klugmann.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The campaign was aimed at celebrating Italian cuisine's exceptional range and promoting the gastronomic culture of the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently, Italy was voted among the regions with the best food around the world in the Conde Nast Traveller's 2022 Readers' Choice Awards.&nbsp;</p>

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is likely to give a heritage tag to the world-famous Italian cuisine by December 2025.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is likely to give a heritage tag to the world-famous Italian cuisine by December 2025. Italian cuisine is a comfort food for people across the world. People love to gorge on wood-fired pizzas, delectable cheesy pasta, and much more. Italian cuisine enjoys worldwide popularity and continues to remain an important feature of food menus at parties. Recognising the cuisine's diversity and popularity, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will soon give recognition to Italian cuisine. As per multiple news outlets, the Italian Government announced the nomination of Italian cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage element in March 2023. ALSO READ | Arrivederci! Domino's Pizza to leave Italy after it fails to win over local customers, netizens cheer exit The nomination documents reportedly emphasise on the impact Italian cuisine has been leaving on the country's bio-cultural diversity. As per the European Food Agency, the nomination dossier has defined Italian cuisine as a "set of social practices, rites, and gestures based on the many local knowledge that, without hierarchies, identify and connote it". In March 2023, the Italian government had officially announced that it is nominating the country's cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage element. This is not the first time that Italian cuisine has made its place on UNESCO's list. In 2017, the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list had added the Neapolitan-stylised pizza which is made using the culinary art of the Neapolitan 'Pizzaiuolo'. The list, which is revised annually, comprises “cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage,” as per the UNESCO site. According to the reports, UNESCO will not take a decision till December 2025, however, more plans will be made with the aim to promote Italy and its cuisine in the coming days. WATCH | Italy's effort to make crops more resilient to drought risk La Cucina Italiana's editor-in-chief Maddalena Fossati said that she is “deeply moved by this news” after she campaigned for this since 2020. "I believe in our identity and in the complicated-yet-wonderful country that is Italy. Now’s the time to try and determinedly reaffirm the importance of our culinary lifestyle, which is loved and imitated all over the planet,” said Fossati. In her campaign, Fossati was supported by world-renowned Italian chefs Massimo Bottura, Davide Oldani, and Antonia Klugmann. The campaign was aimed at celebrating Italian cuisine's exceptional range and promoting the gastronomic culture of the country. Recently, Italy was voted among the regions with the best food around the world in the Conde Nast Traveller's 2022 Readers' Choice Awards. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Italian cuisine to get UNESCO world heritage tag by December 2025

<p>Napoli finally ended their long wait to win Italy's Serie A on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at Udinese secured their third league title with a record-equalling five games to play.</p>

<p>Thousands of fans in Udine, at the Stadio Maradona in Naples and all around southern Italy's biggest city exploded with joy at the final whistle as 33 years of waiting came to an end.</p>

<p>Supporters streamed onto the pitch at the Dacia Arena to celebrate after a season dominated by Luciano Spalletti's side, creating moments of tension with home fans not happy at such open partying on their ground.</p>

<p>Victor Osimhen scored the decisive goal in the second half as Napoli's current stars came back from trailing to Sandi Lovric's opener at half-time and emulated the teams led by Diego Maradona which won the league in 1987 and 1990.</p>

<p>Spalletti and his squad will receive an emotional welcome when they return to Naples, where the partying is set to continue to until at least their next home fixture against Fiorentina on Sunday evening.</p>

<p>"Seeing Neapolitans happy is enough to give you a sense of that joy they are feeling," Spalletti told DAZN on the verge of tears.</p>

<p>"These people will look to this moment when life gets hard, they have every right to celebrate like this. You feel a bit more relaxed knowing that you've given them this moment of happiness."</p>

<p>It was appropriate that Osimhen was the man to take Napoli over the line as the Nigeria striker has had the best season of his career and been key to Napoli's historic charge to glory.</p>

<p>Osimhen's title-deciding strike was his 22nd goal in 28 league appearances and rightly caused bedlam among the massed ranks of away fans who took over Udine.</p>

<p>Napoli's 16-point lead over second-placed Lazio leaves them with a month-long parade between now and the end of the season which will allow their long-suffering supporters to fully unload more than a generation of frustration.</p>

<p><strong>Osimhen seals deal</strong><br />
<br />
Napoli were straight on the front foot but as on Sunday looked worryingly bereft of ideas in the final third, and the away side were stunned in the 13th minute following the first spell of play in Udinese's favour.</p>

<p>Lovric was given the freedom of the penalty area after being fed by Destiny Udogie, and the Slovenia midfielder took advantage by placing a lovely shot in the top corner.</p>

<p>Lovric stung the fingers of former Udine youth product Alex Meret in the Napoli goal just after the half-hour mark, by which point Napoli hadn't created a single goalscoring opportunity.</p>

<p>Seconds later Osimhen, who looked like Napoli's only hope of scoring in the opening period, headed a deep cross just the wrong side of the post.</p>

<p>And in the 52nd minute, the 24-year-old stepped up as so often he has this season to unleash a wave of relief and blue smoke from the stands with his 27th goal in all competitions.</p>

<p>Osimhen was on hand to ram home the leveller when, after a corner, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's low shot was blocked and fell to the clinical striker.</p>

<p>He had the ball in the net again in the 67th minute but was denied by referee Rosario Abisso who rightly whistled for a foul by Eljif Elmas.</p>

<p>But by that point the fans grew ever more sure that Thursday night would be the night, chanting victory songs in Udine while flares billowed and fireworks were set off at the other end of the country.</p>

<p>While fans had to be cleared from the pitch in Udine to avoid clashes with home supporters the Stadio Maradona was lit up by phones held by teary-eyed Neapolitans singing along to songs by late local singer-songwriter Pino Daniele.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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Napoli finally ended their long wait to win Italy's Serie A on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at Udinese secured their third league title with a record-equalling five games to play.

Napoli finally ended their long wait to win Italy's Serie A on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at Udinese secured their third league title with a record-equalling five games to play. Thousands of fans in Udine, at the Stadio Maradona in Naples and all around southern Italy's biggest city exploded with joy at the final whistle as 33 years of waiting came to an end. Supporters streamed onto the pitch at the Dacia Arena to celebrate after a season dominated by Luciano Spalletti's side, creating moments of tension with home fans not happy at such open partying on their ground. Victor Osimhen scored the decisive goal in the second half as Napoli's current stars came back from trailing to Sandi Lovric's opener at half-time and emulated the teams led by Diego Maradona which won the league in 1987 and 1990. Spalletti and his squad will receive an emotional welcome when they return to Naples, where the partying is set to continue to until at least their next home fixture against Fiorentina on Sunday evening. "Seeing Neapolitans happy is enough to give you a sense of that joy they are feeling," Spalletti told DAZN on the verge of tears. "These people will look to this moment when life gets hard, they have every right to celebrate like this. You feel a bit more relaxed knowing that you've given them this moment of happiness." It was appropriate that Osimhen was the man to take Napoli over the line as the Nigeria striker has had the best season of his career and been key to Napoli's historic charge to glory. Osimhen's title-deciding strike was his 22nd goal in 28 league appearances and rightly caused bedlam among the massed ranks of away fans who took over Udine. Napoli's 16-point lead over second-placed Lazio leaves them with a month-long parade between now and the end of the season which will allow their long-suffering supporters to fully unload more than a generation of frustration. Osimhen seals deal Napoli were straight on the front foot but as on Sunday looked worryingly bereft of ideas in the final third, and the away side were stunned in the 13th minute following the first spell of play in Udinese's favour. Lovric was given the freedom of the penalty area after being fed by Destiny Udogie, and the Slovenia midfielder took advantage by placing a lovely shot in the top corner. Lovric stung the fingers of former Udine youth product Alex Meret in the Napoli goal just after the half-hour mark, by which point Napoli hadn't created a single goalscoring opportunity. Seconds later Osimhen, who looked like Napoli's only hope of scoring in the opening period, headed a deep cross just the wrong side of the post. And in the 52nd minute, the 24-year-old stepped up as so often he has this season to unleash a wave of relief and blue smoke from the stands with his 27th goal in all competitions. Osimhen was on hand to ram home the leveller when, after a corner, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's low shot was blocked and fell to the clinical striker. He had the ball in the net again in the 67th minute but was denied by referee Rosario Abisso who rightly whistled for a foul by Eljif Elmas. But by that point the fans grew ever more sure that Thursday night would be the night, chanting victory songs in Udine while flares billowed and fireworks were set off at the other end of the country. While fans had to be cleared from the pitch in Udine to avoid clashes with home supporters the Stadio Maradona was lit up by phones held by teary-eyed Neapolitans singing along to songs by late local singer-songwriter Pino Daniele. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Napoli end 33-year wait for Italy's Serie A title

<p>Tourism campaigns are made for one sole purpose and that is to&nbsp;boost a country's economy by attracting tourists and&nbsp;promoting&nbsp;their cities. But, unfortunately, some do the exact opposite.&nbsp;There're so many embarrassing, cringy and sometimes even appalling tourism ads out there. The latest one being from Italy, which uses an&nbsp;AI version of Botticelli's Venus dressed up as an influencer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Let's take a quick look at 6&nbsp;of the most cringy tourism ad campaigns of all time!</p>

<h2><strong>Worst tourism campaigns of all time</strong></h2>

<h2>Hong Kong</h2>

<p>Back in 2003, the Hong Kong Tourism Board had to withdraw a long-running ad campaign that used the phrase, "Hong Kong: Takes Your Breath Away"&nbsp;because it brought back memories of the deadly SARS epidemic which broke out in the city the same year. The campaign was created by Banks Hoggins O'Shea FCB and was pulled down because of sensitivity over the strapline.</p>

<p>"The ads were commissioned before the outbreak began. There were a couple of them which ran slightly later than we would have liked, owing to difficulties withdrawing them," a spokesman for the Hong Kong Tourism Board said at the time, confirming that all the ads had&nbsp;been pulled.</p>

<p><img alt="hong" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="51f9c534-3dbf-4f0b-999d-e8d7f503ad16" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/16610860ef5d7d6f52a.png" /></p>

<h2>Italy</h2>

<p>If Italy's tourism ministry hoped to make waves with a new tourism campaign this year, they&nbsp;certainly did so, however, not in the way the government&nbsp;would have imagined or anticipated.&nbsp;Their latest campaign titled 'Open to Meraviglia', which was presented last week, is facing backlash for using a computerised version of Botticelli's Venus as an influencer travelling across different tourist spots in Italy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The campaign has caused Italians to lose their minds with fury, with an Italian netizen saying, "Only a poor mind can transform one of the greatest masterpieces into an influencer with trendy little dresses!"<br />
Another wrote, "They look like lousy prints from a Venetian tourist shop."</p>

<p>Meanwhile, an eagle-eyed observer also noticed that the winery featured in a video explaining the tourism campaign was actually in Slovenia and not Italy.</p>

<p>Check out the campaign below!</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrTbfk1INgR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by italia.it (@italiait)</a></p>
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<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-masterchef-australia-judge-and-renowned-chef-jock-zonfrillo-passes-away-at-46-587689">MasterChef Australia judge and renowned chef Jock Zonfrillo passes away at 46</a></p>

<h2>Syria</h2>

<p>In 2016, the Syrian government released a series of cringe-worthy and bizarre ad campaigns to woo tourists and boost the economy of the civil war-torn country. In one of the ads featuring clips from Aleppo the theme song of the popular TV series <em>Game of Thrones </em>was used, for literally no logical reason. And, what's to be noted is that the ad carefully omitted scenes of destruction while promoting the war-ravaged city. For obvious reasons, the ad didn't sit down well with many netizens.&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GIdtA4fRyyw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>

<h2>Lithuania</h2>

<p>Lithuania, a tiny European country, ended up promoting other countries in their own tourism campaign in 2016, as&nbsp;a state-funded ad campaign featured stock images of various Nordic and eastern European countries. And ironically, the campaign was titled "Real is Beautiful". The head of Lithuania's State Tourism Department,&nbsp;Jurgita Kazlauskiene,&nbsp;resigned in the wake of the scandal in 2017.</p>

<h2>Rhode Island</h2>

<p>Rhode Island in the US was mocked mercilessly online for using pictures of famous eateries located in Massachusetts, a different US state, for their own 2016 ad campaign. Rhode Island's chief marketing officer had to resign as the&nbsp;backlash grew. The ad also&nbsp;featured a confusing slogan, which triggered a meme-fest online.</p>

<h2>Singapore</h2>

<p>In 2014, Singapore's Tourism Board released an ad, which can be best described as a cringe-fest. The three-minute-long video, which seems like a parody but isn't, is aimed at the Philippine market and followed a young couple celebrating their anniversary. In the whole video, they're just seen pointing at things and saying cliche phrases like - "I like coming to Singapore" and "Honey, look!". The video was deleted from Singapore Tourism Board's official YouTube page as soon as it started going viral for all the wrong reasons.</p>

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Tourism campaigns are made for one sole purpose and that is to boost a country's economy by attracting tourists and promoting their cities. But, unfortunately, some do the exact opposite.

Tourism campaigns are made for one sole purpose and that is to boost a country's economy by attracting tourists and promoting their cities. But, unfortunately, some do the exact opposite. There're so many embarrassing, cringy and sometimes even appalling tourism ads out there. The latest one being from Italy, which uses an AI version of Botticelli's Venus dressed up as an influencer. Let's take a quick look at 6 of the most cringy tourism ad campaigns of all time! Worst tourism campaigns of all time Hong Kong Back in 2003, the Hong Kong Tourism Board had to withdraw a long-running ad campaign that used the phrase, "Hong Kong: Takes Your Breath Away" because it brought back memories of the deadly SARS epidemic which broke out in the city the same year. The campaign was created by Banks Hoggins O'Shea FCB and was pulled down because of sensitivity over the strapline. "The ads were commissioned before the outbreak began. There were a couple of them which ran slightly later than we would have liked, owing to difficulties withdrawing them," a spokesman for the Hong Kong Tourism Board said at the time, confirming that all the ads had been pulled. Italy If Italy's tourism ministry hoped to make waves with a new tourism campaign this year, they certainly did so, however, not in the way the government would have imagined or anticipated. Their latest campaign titled 'Open to Meraviglia', which was presented last week, is facing backlash for using a computerised version of Botticelli's Venus as an influencer travelling across different tourist spots in Italy. The campaign has caused Italians to lose their minds with fury, with an Italian netizen saying, "Only a poor mind can transform one of the greatest masterpieces into an influencer with trendy little dresses!" Another wrote, "They look like lousy prints from a Venetian tourist shop." Meanwhile, an eagle-eyed observer also noticed that the winery featured in a video explaining the tourism campaign was actually in Slovenia and not Italy. Check out the campaign below! View this post on Instagram A post shared by italia.it (@italiait) Also read: MasterChef Australia judge and renowned chef Jock Zonfrillo passes away at 46 Syria In 2016, the Syrian government released a series of cringe-worthy and bizarre ad campaigns to woo tourists and boost the economy of the civil war-torn country. In one of the ads featuring clips from Aleppo the theme song of the popular TV series Game of Thrones was used, for literally no logical reason. And, what's to be noted is that the ad carefully omitted scenes of destruction while promoting the war-ravaged city. For obvious reasons, the ad didn't sit down well with many netizens. Lithuania Lithuania, a tiny European country, ended up promoting other countries in their own tourism campaign in 2016, as a state-funded ad campaign featured stock images of various Nordic and eastern European countries. And ironically, the campaign was titled "Real is Beautiful". The head of Lithuania's State Tourism Department, Jurgita Kazlauskiene, resigned in the wake of the scandal in 2017. Rhode Island Rhode Island in the US was mocked mercilessly online for using pictures of famous eateries located in Massachusetts, a different US state, for their own 2016 ad campaign. Rhode Island's chief marketing officer had to resign as the backlash grew. The ad also featured a confusing slogan, which triggered a meme-fest online. Singapore In 2014, Singapore's Tourism Board released an ad, which can be best described as a cringe-fest. The three-minute-long video, which seems like a parody but isn't, is aimed at the Philippine market and followed a young couple celebrating their anniversary. In the whole video, they're just seen pointing at things and saying cliche phrases like - "I like coming to Singapore" and "Honey, look!". The video was deleted from Singapore Tourism Board's official YouTube page as soon as it started going viral for all the wrong reasons. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Italy, Hong Kong, Egypt & more: Worst tourism campaigns of all time

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<p>German and Italian police on Wednesday arrested more than 100 members of the Italian ’Ndrangheta' organised crime syndicate as part of a "wide-scale" operation. In Germany, more than 1,000 officers searched dozens of homes, offices and stores across Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia. Operations also took place in Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.</p>

<p>Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta' is regarded as the world's richest organised crime group and European authorities have been waging a war against it for years. The mafia group has managed to earn revenues in excess of tens of billions of dollars by selling cocaine over the decades.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police in Bavaria said the arrests on Wednesday were the culmination of a three-year investigation effort codenamed 'Operation Eureka'. Michael Ebling, State Interior Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, said the arrests were an "effective blow"&nbsp;against organised crime.</p>

<p>“Today sends out a very clear signal: There is no place for organised crime in Europe and there is certainly no place for it here with us in Rhineland-Palatinate,” Ebling was quoted as saying by dpa.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/italys-largest-mafia-trial-opens-for-ndrangheta-mob-group-356592" target="_blank"><strong>WATCH | Italy's largest mafia trial opens for 'Ndrangheta mob group'</strong></a></p>

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<p>German state office of the criminal investigation said most of the suspects arrested are accused of money laundering, gang tax evasion, commercial gang fraud, and narcotics smuggling.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to reports, the investigators unearthed a widespread network of cafes, restaurants, pizzerias and ice cream parlours which acted as a front for the mafia organisation and took part in money laundering operations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Italian and Belgian investigators said the crime group smuggled close to 25 tonnes of cocaine worth $24.2 million between October 2019 and January 2022 from Calabria to Belgium, the Netherlands and South America.</p>

<p>Notably, last year in November, Carmine Alfonso Maiorano, a 68-year-old leader of the mafia group was arrested in the town of Guernica in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Ndrangheta's genesis</strong></h2>

<p>The mafia group's genesis dates back to the 18th century. Unlike most modern-day mafia groups, members of 'Ndrangheta' still follow ancient rites which are passed down orally and through secret codes. To avoid clutches of the law enforcement agencies, the group members avoid speaking on phones entirely, opting to drive hundreds of miles for a meeting.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-italian-mobster-belonging-to-the-ndrangheta-mafia-captured-in-argentina-530207"><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;Top Italian mobster belonging to the 'Ndrangheta mafia captured in Argentina</strong></a></p>

<p>It consists of autonomous clans known as 'ndrine' which are based almost exclusively on blood ties. It has a monopoly on drug trafficking in Europe and also deals in arms trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, extortion, loan sharking, and prostitution.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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German and Italian police on Wednesday arrested more than 100 members of the Italian ’Ndrangheta' organised crime syndicate as part of a "wide-scale" operation. In Germany, more than 1,000 officers searched dozens of homes, offices and stores across Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia.

German and Italian police on Wednesday arrested more than 100 members of the Italian ’Ndrangheta' organised crime syndicate as part of a "wide-scale" operation. In Germany, more than 1,000 officers searched dozens of homes, offices and stores across Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia. Operations also took place in Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta' is regarded as the world's richest organised crime group and European authorities have been waging a war against it for years. The mafia group has managed to earn revenues in excess of tens of billions of dollars by selling cocaine over the decades. Police in Bavaria said the arrests on Wednesday were the culmination of a three-year investigation effort codenamed 'Operation Eureka'. Michael Ebling, State Interior Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, said the arrests were an "effective blow" against organised crime. “Today sends out a very clear signal: There is no place for organised crime in Europe and there is certainly no place for it here with us in Rhineland-Palatinate,” Ebling was quoted as saying by dpa. WATCH | Italy's largest mafia trial opens for 'Ndrangheta mob group' × German state office of the criminal investigation said most of the suspects arrested are accused of money laundering, gang tax evasion, commercial gang fraud, and narcotics smuggling. According to reports, the investigators unearthed a widespread network of cafes, restaurants, pizzerias and ice cream parlours which acted as a front for the mafia organisation and took part in money laundering operations. Italian and Belgian investigators said the crime group smuggled close to 25 tonnes of cocaine worth $24.2 million between October 2019 and January 2022 from Calabria to Belgium, the Netherlands and South America. Notably, last year in November, Carmine Alfonso Maiorano, a 68-year-old leader of the mafia group was arrested in the town of Guernica in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ndrangheta's genesis The mafia group's genesis dates back to the 18th century. Unlike most modern-day mafia groups, members of 'Ndrangheta' still follow ancient rites which are passed down orally and through secret codes. To avoid clutches of the law enforcement agencies, the group members avoid speaking on phones entirely, opting to drive hundreds of miles for a meeting. ALSO READ | Top Italian mobster belonging to the 'Ndrangheta mafia captured in Argentina It consists of autonomous clans known as 'ndrine' which are based almost exclusively on blood ties. It has a monopoly on drug trafficking in Europe and also deals in arms trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, extortion, loan sharking, and prostitution. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Germany, Italy clamp down on notorious mafia group 'Ndrangheta'

Italian farmers are preparing to protect their crops and trees with smart irrigation systems. But despite all the efforts to save water, the region is still set to struggle if rains don't arrive on time.

Italy's effort to make crops more resilient to drought risk

The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, ChatGPT, is once again available to users in Italy after its owners addressed data privacy concerns, an Italian regulator said on Friday.

Italy lifts ban on ChatGPT after data privacy improvements

<p>Popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, which was banned in Italy over data privacy concerns last month, has now been made available to users again after the company 'addressed, clarified' issues raised by Italy’s data protection authority and complied with the demands of regulators.</p>

<p>"ChatGPT is available again for our users in Italy. We are delighted to welcome them back and remain committed to protecting their personal data," an OpenAI spokesperson said.</p>

<p>OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also tweeted&nbsp;that he is excited about ChatGPT services resuming in Italy.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">we’re excited chatgpt is available in 🇮🇹 again!</p>
— Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1652006977734836224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Italy's data protection agency, Garante, had laid out a list of demands, and guidelines which it said ChatGPT maker OpenAI must meet by the end of April if it wanted its services to resume in the country.</p>

<p>"Only in this case...the authority will suspend the provisional restrictions on the use of the data of Italian users...and ChatGPT will once again become accessible in Italy," it said.</p>

<p>OpenAI welcomed the agency's move and in a statement to Reuters said, "We are happy that the Italian Garante is reconsidering their decision and we look forward to working with them to make ChatGPT available to our customers in Italy again soon."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/openais-chatgpt-blocked-in-italy-reports-577685"><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;OpenAI’s ChatGPT blocked in Italy over alleged privacy violations</strong></a></p>

<h2>ChatGPT to provide greater visibility of privacy policy</h2>

<p>Garante had accused ChatGPT of not showing 'any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data' to 'train' their chatbot.</p>

<p>It also condemned Open AI for failing to check the age of ChatGPT's users who are supposed to be aged either 13 or above.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The company has now said that it will offer a tool to verify users' ages in Italy upon sign-up and will also provide greater visibility of its privacy policy and user content opt-out form.</p>

<p>According to a company spokesperson, OpenAI will now also provide a new form for the European Union users to exercise their right to object to the use of their personal data to train the chatbot.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/italy-lifts-ban-on-chatgpt-after-data-privacy-improvements-587233"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Italy lifts ban on ChatGPT after data privacy improvements</strong></a></p>

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<p>Garante said that it recognises the steps taken to combine technological progress with respect to people's rights and hopes that the company will continue along this path of compliance with European data protection regulations.</p>

<p>Last month, Italy became the very first Western country to take action against the artificial intelligence chatbot which caused a global sensation for generating essays, writing exams, and composing songs from brief prompts.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>
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Popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, which was banned in Italy over data privacy concerns last month, has now been made available to users again after the company 'addressed, clarified' issues raised by Italy’s data protection authority and complied with the demands of regulators.

Popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, which was banned in Italy over data privacy concerns last month, has now been made available to users again after the company 'addressed, clarified' issues raised by Italy’s data protection authority and complied with the demands of regulators. "ChatGPT is available again for our users in Italy. We are delighted to welcome them back and remain committed to protecting their personal data," an OpenAI spokesperson said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also tweeted that he is excited about ChatGPT services resuming in Italy. we’re excited chatgpt is available in 🇮🇹 again! — Sam Altman (@sama) April 28, 2023 × Italy's data protection agency, Garante, had laid out a list of demands, and guidelines which it said ChatGPT maker OpenAI must meet by the end of April if it wanted its services to resume in the country. "Only in this case...the authority will suspend the provisional restrictions on the use of the data of Italian users...and ChatGPT will once again become accessible in Italy," it said. OpenAI welcomed the agency's move and in a statement to Reuters said, "We are happy that the Italian Garante is reconsidering their decision and we look forward to working with them to make ChatGPT available to our customers in Italy again soon." ALSO READ | OpenAI’s ChatGPT blocked in Italy over alleged privacy violations ChatGPT to provide greater visibility of privacy policy Garante had accused ChatGPT of not showing 'any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data' to 'train' their chatbot. It also condemned Open AI for failing to check the age of ChatGPT's users who are supposed to be aged either 13 or above. The company has now said that it will offer a tool to verify users' ages in Italy upon sign-up and will also provide greater visibility of its privacy policy and user content opt-out form. According to a company spokesperson, OpenAI will now also provide a new form for the European Union users to exercise their right to object to the use of their personal data to train the chatbot. WATCH | Italy lifts ban on ChatGPT after data privacy improvements × Garante said that it recognises the steps taken to combine technological progress with respect to people's rights and hopes that the company will continue along this path of compliance with European data protection regulations. Last month, Italy became the very first Western country to take action against the artificial intelligence chatbot which caused a global sensation for generating essays, writing exams, and composing songs from brief prompts. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

ChatGPT services resume in Italy after OpenAI complies with regulators’ demands

Banks of river Po face drought-like conditions, that affect tourism activities like river cruises and boating.

Lack of snow condemns Italy's Po to desperate dry summer

<p>The Italian tourism ministry found itself in hot waters after its official video aimed at attracting tourists to the nation used footage of people in Slovenia drinking Slovenian wine. Critics mocked the campaign on social media even before it emerged that part of it had been shot abroad.</p>

<p>News agency Reuters reported that the video was part of a $9.91 million campaign, which has been produced by the Armando Testa communications group. It was widely criticised even within the government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The campaign, titled "Open to Meraviglia" (Open to Wonder), features Sandro Botticelli's Venus as a "virtual influencer". Venus is a symbol of Italian art and it has been depicted by Botticelli in his Renaissance masterpiece The Birth of Venus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the video, the computerised "Venus" was seen donning a mini-skirt and is shown eating pizza and presenting some of Italy's main tourist attractions such as Rome's Coliseum or Florence's cathedral.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Art historian Tomaso Montanari called the advertising campaign "grotesque" and an "obscene" waste of money.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/heres-how-a-german-magazine-fell-for-hitlers-fake-diaries-which-are-set-to-be-made-public-586277">Here's how a German magazine fell for Hitler's fake diaries which are set to be made public</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Italian culture undersecretary and outspoken art critic Vittorio Sgarbi told La Repubblica newspaper, "Since Venus is naked, it would have been better to see her that way, without needing to dress her up like this."<br />
<br />
Sgarbi described the campaign as "the stuff of Ferragni", (referring to social media influencer Chiara Ferragni) and asked: "Open to meraviglia? What's that about? What language is it?"&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many users of Italian social media platforms have mocked the video for its most controversial part, showing a group of young people smiling on a sunlit patio drinking wine in what is presented as a typical Italian scene.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The controversy erupted when some eagle-eyed viewers spotted that the patio in question is actually in the Cotar region of Slovenia, which is close to the Italian border, and the bottle on the table has a Cotar wine label, which is Slovenian, not Italian.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jacinda-ardern-joins-harvard-university-takes-up-online-extremism-and-leadership-roles-586236">Jacinda Ardern joins Harvard University, to work on online extremism and leadership roles</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The Armando communications group has not responded to the criticism yet, but the Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche, a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, called critics of the video "snobs".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Santanche added that the depiction of Venus as an influencer was aimed at attracting young people.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Santanchè told Radio RTL 102.5 at the weekend: "Regarding the memes circulating on the net, I had a laugh. I consciously chose Botticelli's Venus, an icon known throughout the world and a symbol of our Italian spirit."&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the attacks on pizza-making campaign, Santanchè said: "I don't understand the criticism, pizza is famous all over the world, it is part of the Mediterranean diet and of our cuisine, which is appreciated, imitated and copied all over the world. Perhaps it is criticised by the slightly snobby and radical chic people who eat caviar and salmon."&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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The Italian tourism ministry found itself in hot waters after its official video aimed at attracting tourists to the nation used footage of people in Slovenia drinking Slovenian wine.

The Italian tourism ministry found itself in hot waters after its official video aimed at attracting tourists to the nation used footage of people in Slovenia drinking Slovenian wine. Critics mocked the campaign on social media even before it emerged that part of it had been shot abroad. News agency Reuters reported that the video was part of a $9.91 million campaign, which has been produced by the Armando Testa communications group. It was widely criticised even within the government. The campaign, titled "Open to Meraviglia" (Open to Wonder), features Sandro Botticelli's Venus as a "virtual influencer". Venus is a symbol of Italian art and it has been depicted by Botticelli in his Renaissance masterpiece The Birth of Venus. In the video, the computerised "Venus" was seen donning a mini-skirt and is shown eating pizza and presenting some of Italy's main tourist attractions such as Rome's Coliseum or Florence's cathedral. Art historian Tomaso Montanari called the advertising campaign "grotesque" and an "obscene" waste of money. ALSO READ | Here's how a German magazine fell for Hitler's fake diaries which are set to be made public Italian culture undersecretary and outspoken art critic Vittorio Sgarbi told La Repubblica newspaper, "Since Venus is naked, it would have been better to see her that way, without needing to dress her up like this." Sgarbi described the campaign as "the stuff of Ferragni", (referring to social media influencer Chiara Ferragni) and asked: "Open to meraviglia? What's that about? What language is it?" Many users of Italian social media platforms have mocked the video for its most controversial part, showing a group of young people smiling on a sunlit patio drinking wine in what is presented as a typical Italian scene. The controversy erupted when some eagle-eyed viewers spotted that the patio in question is actually in the Cotar region of Slovenia, which is close to the Italian border, and the bottle on the table has a Cotar wine label, which is Slovenian, not Italian. ALSO READ | Jacinda Ardern joins Harvard University, to work on online extremism and leadership roles The Armando communications group has not responded to the criticism yet, but the Italian Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche, a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, called critics of the video "snobs". Santanche added that the depiction of Venus as an influencer was aimed at attracting young people. Santanchè told Radio RTL 102.5 at the weekend: "Regarding the memes circulating on the net, I had a laugh. I consciously chose Botticelli's Venus, an icon known throughout the world and a symbol of our Italian spirit." For the attacks on pizza-making campaign, Santanchè said: "I don't understand the criticism, pizza is famous all over the world, it is part of the Mediterranean diet and of our cuisine, which is appreciated, imitated and copied all over the world. Perhaps it is criticised by the slightly snobby and radical chic people who eat caviar and salmon." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Italy tourism campaign video mocked for featuring Slovenian wine and virtual Venus

Climate change is triggering extreme weather in large parts of Europe. This is leading to extended periods of dry spells, and Italy is the latest country to face the heat. It is going to experience its 2nd year of severe droughts and lake Garda in northern Italy has dropped to its lowest levels in 70 years. Last year, Italy's lakes helped ease the drought. This year, chances look bleak. As per a researcher at the Italian National Research Council, water in lake Garda, which flows into the river Po, is below half the normal levels.

Italy faces 2nd straight year of droughts, worst in 70 years

<p>The tourists as well as the people are being slapped with a hefty fine in an Italian town if the local authorities catch them taking a selfie.</p>

<p>Italy's Portofino, which is situated on the Italian Riviera, is among the various incredible beautiful towns that attract thousands of tourists every year to the boot-shaped country.</p>

<p>The picturesque town is a perfect place for travellers looking for pastel-coloured houses, seafood restaurants and high-end boutiques. However, for the selfie-lovers, the town may not be the best place to visit.</p>

<p>No-waiting zones have been introduced by the local government in the town to prevent tourists and visitors from 'lingering' for a long period of time in popular tourist spots.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/selfie-with-spy-balloon-us-pilot-captures-chinese-balloon-at-60000-feet-565011">Selfie with spy balloon! US pilot captures Chinese balloon at 60,000 feet</a></p>

<p>If a person is caught by local officials taking a selfie in specific spots then they may have to pay a fine of €275 ($303).</p>

<p>Portofino's mayor Matteo Viacava said that people taking selfies cause "anarchic chaos", which includes blocked streets and huge traffic jams.</p>

<p>The local government had introduced the rule over the Easter weekend and plans to keep the selfie rule imposed till the holiday season ends in October.</p>

<p>For tourists who are desperate to take a selfie of themselves in the forbidden zones, the ban imposed by the local government is lifted every day at 6pm. Portofino is not the only town where the authorities have banned people from taking selfies.</p>

<p>Japan's railway authorities have forbidden people from using selfie sticks across the railway network fearing that the selfie-takers may touch overhead wiring mistakenly and electrocute themselves.</p>

<p>In the United Kingdom, people have been banned from taking selfies in parts of the Tower of London because of security concerns related to the Crown Jewels. Taking any kind of photos or videos with royal gems is strictly forbidden inside the Jewel House as it may pose threat to their security.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | OpenAI block ChatGPT after ban in Italy over privacy concerns</strong></p>

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<p>In Spain, the government has banned people from taking selfies during the annual Running of the Bulls event which is held in Pamplona. The rule has been imposed to avoid people from getting hit by the running bulls and those caught clicking themselves have been fined €3000 ($3,305).</p>

<p>The authorities taking care of California's Lake Tahoe have also banned the practice of taking selfies as too many visitors were seen trying to snap themselves along with the bears.</p>

<p>“We’ve had mobs of people that are actually rushing toward the bears trying to get a ‘selfie’ photo,” said Lisa Herron, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit's spokesperson, while speaking to the Reno Gazette-Journal in 2014.</p>

<p>“It is presenting a safety issue. We are afraid someone is going to get attacked,” she added.&nbsp;</p>

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The tourists as well as the people are being slapped with a hefty fine in an Italian town if the local authorities catch them taking a selfie. Italy's Portofino, which is situated on the Italian Riviera, is among the various incredible beautiful towns that attract thousands of tourists every year to the boot-shaped country.

The tourists as well as the people are being slapped with a hefty fine in an Italian town if the local authorities catch them taking a selfie. Italy's Portofino, which is situated on the Italian Riviera, is among the various incredible beautiful towns that attract thousands of tourists every year to the boot-shaped country. The picturesque town is a perfect place for travellers looking for pastel-coloured houses, seafood restaurants and high-end boutiques. However, for the selfie-lovers, the town may not be the best place to visit. No-waiting zones have been introduced by the local government in the town to prevent tourists and visitors from 'lingering' for a long period of time in popular tourist spots. ALSO READ | Selfie with spy balloon! US pilot captures Chinese balloon at 60,000 feet If a person is caught by local officials taking a selfie in specific spots then they may have to pay a fine of €275 ($303). Portofino's mayor Matteo Viacava said that people taking selfies cause "anarchic chaos", which includes blocked streets and huge traffic jams. The local government had introduced the rule over the Easter weekend and plans to keep the selfie rule imposed till the holiday season ends in October. For tourists who are desperate to take a selfie of themselves in the forbidden zones, the ban imposed by the local government is lifted every day at 6pm. Portofino is not the only town where the authorities have banned people from taking selfies. Japan's railway authorities have forbidden people from using selfie sticks across the railway network fearing that the selfie-takers may touch overhead wiring mistakenly and electrocute themselves. In the United Kingdom, people have been banned from taking selfies in parts of the Tower of London because of security concerns related to the Crown Jewels. Taking any kind of photos or videos with royal gems is strictly forbidden inside the Jewel House as it may pose threat to their security. WATCH | OpenAI block ChatGPT after ban in Italy over privacy concerns In Spain, the government has banned people from taking selfies during the annual Running of the Bulls event which is held in Pamplona. The rule has been imposed to avoid people from getting hit by the running bulls and those caught clicking themselves have been fined €3000 ($3,305). The authorities taking care of California's Lake Tahoe have also banned the practice of taking selfies as too many visitors were seen trying to snap themselves along with the bears. “We’ve had mobs of people that are actually rushing toward the bears trying to get a ‘selfie’ photo,” said Lisa Herron, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit's spokesperson, while speaking to the Reno Gazette-Journal in 2014. “It is presenting a safety issue. We are afraid someone is going to get attacked,” she added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Italy's beautiful town imposes hefty fine on tourists for taking selfies

Russia's Wagner Group helps the warring factions in Sudan's civil war Why is Italy notorious as the narco highway of Europe? & 'Sweet Sixteen' Birthday party turns into a night of horror in the United States Mohammed Saleh gets you an indepth report of the world's biggest warzones of the week in #WorldAtWar

World at War | Russia to pump in 400,000 more soldiers to fight the Ukraine war

<p>It's safe to say that Italian painter Sandro Botticelli never pictured Venus, the goddess of love shown in his masterpieces "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" from the 15th century, eating spaghetti or sporting shorts in front of the Roman Colosseum.</p>

<p>The ancient deity, however, has been transformed into a "virtual influencer", thanks to artificial intelligence technology in a new promotion by Italy's tourist ministry. reported CNN.</p>

<p>Venus is seen in the advertising campaign, "Open to Wonder," taking photographs in St. Mark's Square, riding a bike in front of the Colosseum, and eating pizza by Lake Como.</p>

<p>“A Venus in the role of a modern influencer will lead every international visitor by the hand to discover our country,” the announcement from the Ministry of Tourism said.</p>

<p>“We welcome Botticelli’s iconic Venus, who lends her face to tell of our beauty, from the most famous big cities to the most hidden corners of Italy,” it added.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/explained-deepfake-porn-a-massive-concern-amid-artificial-intelligence-rage-584525">Explained: Why deepfake porn is a massive concern amid artificial intelligence hype</a></p>

<p>The National Tourism Agency and the Ministry of Tourism have teamed up to create the campaign, which will be promoted on social media with an animated Venus winking at those who follow her under the handle @venereitalia23.</p>

<h2><strong>AI in India: Kerala's smart camera's to monitor traffic</strong></h2>

<p>Launching on April 20, the 'Safe Kerala' project will use artificial intelligence (AI) cameras to identify violations of traffic laws and impose fines in the souther Indian state of Kerala.&nbsp;To track down violations of the law, the Kerala Motor Vehicle Department has installed up 726 AI cameras.</p>

<p>The violations that the AI camera will pick up on first are riding a two-wheeler without a helmet, riding with more than two passengers, using a phone while driving, and speeding through traffic lights.</p>

<p>In order to detect legal offences through cameras as part of the "Safe Kerala" project, the Motor Vehicle Department has opted to implement the "Fully Automated Traffic Enforcement System," claiming that roadside policing makes life difficult for the general public.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: How to weed out AI chatbot cheating? | Can oral assessments weed out cheats?</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-how-to-weed-out-ai-chatbot-cheating-can-oral-assessments-weed-out-cheats-584923/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>The AI cameras are solar-powered, and 4G LTE SIM is used to send data. The visual processing unit in the camera box will examine every vehicle. The control room of the Motor Vehicles Department will receive photos of the vehicles that violated traffic laws as well as the driver. A system is in place to gather six months' worth of infraction footage. According to the Motor Vehicles Department, up to 30,000 penalty notifications may be delivered in a single day.</p>

<p>Traffic violations will be checked and examined by motor vehicle inspectors before warnings are issued.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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It's safe to say that Italian painter Sandro Botticelli never pictured Venus, the goddess of love shown in his masterpieces "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" from the 15th century, eating spaghetti or sporting shorts in front of the Roman Colosseum.

It's safe to say that Italian painter Sandro Botticelli never pictured Venus, the goddess of love shown in his masterpieces "The Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" from the 15th century, eating spaghetti or sporting shorts in front of the Roman Colosseum. The ancient deity, however, has been transformed into a "virtual influencer", thanks to artificial intelligence technology in a new promotion by Italy's tourist ministry. reported CNN. Venus is seen in the advertising campaign, "Open to Wonder," taking photographs in St. Mark's Square, riding a bike in front of the Colosseum, and eating pizza by Lake Como. “A Venus in the role of a modern influencer will lead every international visitor by the hand to discover our country,” the announcement from the Ministry of Tourism said. “We welcome Botticelli’s iconic Venus, who lends her face to tell of our beauty, from the most famous big cities to the most hidden corners of Italy,” it added. ALSO READ | Explained: Why deepfake porn is a massive concern amid artificial intelligence hype The National Tourism Agency and the Ministry of Tourism have teamed up to create the campaign, which will be promoted on social media with an animated Venus winking at those who follow her under the handle @venereitalia23. AI in India: Kerala's smart camera's to monitor traffic Launching on April 20, the 'Safe Kerala' project will use artificial intelligence (AI) cameras to identify violations of traffic laws and impose fines in the souther Indian state of Kerala. To track down violations of the law, the Kerala Motor Vehicle Department has installed up 726 AI cameras. The violations that the AI camera will pick up on first are riding a two-wheeler without a helmet, riding with more than two passengers, using a phone while driving, and speeding through traffic lights. In order to detect legal offences through cameras as part of the "Safe Kerala" project, the Motor Vehicle Department has opted to implement the "Fully Automated Traffic Enforcement System," claiming that roadside policing makes life difficult for the general public. ALSO WATCH | Gravitas: How to weed out AI chatbot cheating? | Can oral assessments weed out cheats? The AI cameras are solar-powered, and 4G LTE SIM is used to send data. The visual processing unit in the camera box will examine every vehicle. The control room of the Motor Vehicles Department will receive photos of the vehicles that violated traffic laws as well as the driver. A system is in place to gather six months' worth of infraction footage. According to the Motor Vehicles Department, up to 30,000 penalty notifications may be delivered in a single day. Traffic violations will be checked and examined by motor vehicle inspectors before warnings are issued. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Brought to life by AI: Italy presents Botticelli Venus as new tourism ambassador

<p>A study published in the academic journal Antiquity, on Monday (April 17), detailed how when citizens in ancient Rome were watching gladiator duels the elite were present in the mini-city spanning 24 hectares for a very different reason, winemaking.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Villa of Quintilii</strong></p>

<p>Villa of the Quintilii was once home to a theatre, an arena for chariot races and a bath complex with walls and floors lined in marble also had a winery where the Roman elite gathered annually for viewing the theatre of winemaking.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is situated, south of Rome, next to the ancient Appian Way road and is also said to be the only second known example in the Graeco-Roman world of a site built specifically for this purpose.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The complex whose origins lie in the second century AD also included a series of luxurious dining rooms which had a view of fountains flowing with wine and is also just beyond the city limits possibly allowing the very elite of the Roman world like emperors.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Villa of the Quintilii “was an amazing mini city completed by a luxury winery for the emperor himself to indulge his Bacchic tendencies,” said archaeologist Dr Emlyn Dodd who is also an expert on ancient wine production, as per the Guardian.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The villa was likely built by the Quintilii brothers who served as consuls of Rome in 151AD and were killed by Emperor Commodus around 181AD. It is also speculated that once the imperial rulers took personal ownership of the complex they had been expanding and modifying it for centuries.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Importance of wine at the time</strong></p>

<p>Notably, wine and agriculture held great importance to the nobility’s wealth and power, “Wine was a huge source of wealth for the Roman elite,” Dodd told NBC News. He added, “They owned vast amounts of land dedicated to viniculture, winemaking, and they were selling it all across the Mediterranean.”</p>

<p>Dodd also pointed out how “wine permeates the whole culture and society — it’s used in religion, medicine, in daily life, it was the main beverage when water wasn’t safe to drink,” reported NBC News.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>About the winery and the process</strong></p>

<p>The winery had a purpose-built facility complete with marble-lined areas for treading grapes and fountains of wine, said a recent study. Dodd also highlighted the recently excavated areas where men would be treading grapes with their bare feet in a rectangular area measuring 37 feet by 14 feet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also found that the treading areas which would typically have waterproof concrete were covered in red marble. “Which isn’t ideal, as marble gets incredibly slippery when wet. But it shows that whoever built this was prioritising the extravagant nature of the winery over practical considerations,” said Dodd, as per the Guardian.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study then details how the crushed grapes would be taken to the two mechanical presses, 2 metres in diameter, which stood nearby before the brightly-coloured liquid flowed into niches and created a fountain-like effect. Altogether there were five fountains, two of which produced water set into a courtyard wall.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Only one of the dining rooms has been excavated, so far, and had been lavishly decorated with marble motifs possibly to allow guests to view each stage of the winemaking process through wide entrances which were set around three sides of the open courtyard.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The grape would flow along open channels into vast ceramic dolia or storage jars placed underground which was a standard winemaking technique in ancient Rome. “It’s much more about the spectacle than the product being produced. The level of decoration, with these fountains of wine, really shows that,” said Dodd, as per NBC News.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
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A study published in the academic journal Antiquity, on Monday (April 17), detailed how when citizens in ancient Rome were watching gladiator duels the elite were present in the mini-city spanning 24 hectares for a very different reason, winemaking.

A study published in the academic journal Antiquity, on Monday (April 17), detailed how when citizens in ancient Rome were watching gladiator duels the elite were present in the mini-city spanning 24 hectares for a very different reason, winemaking. Villa of Quintilii Villa of the Quintilii was once home to a theatre, an arena for chariot races and a bath complex with walls and floors lined in marble also had a winery where the Roman elite gathered annually for viewing the theatre of winemaking. It is situated, south of Rome, next to the ancient Appian Way road and is also said to be the only second known example in the Graeco-Roman world of a site built specifically for this purpose. The complex whose origins lie in the second century AD also included a series of luxurious dining rooms which had a view of fountains flowing with wine and is also just beyond the city limits possibly allowing the very elite of the Roman world like emperors. The Villa of the Quintilii “was an amazing mini city completed by a luxury winery for the emperor himself to indulge his Bacchic tendencies,” said archaeologist Dr Emlyn Dodd who is also an expert on ancient wine production, as per the Guardian. The villa was likely built by the Quintilii brothers who served as consuls of Rome in 151AD and were killed by Emperor Commodus around 181AD. It is also speculated that once the imperial rulers took personal ownership of the complex they had been expanding and modifying it for centuries. Importance of wine at the time Notably, wine and agriculture held great importance to the nobility’s wealth and power, “Wine was a huge source of wealth for the Roman elite,” Dodd told NBC News. He added, “They owned vast amounts of land dedicated to viniculture, winemaking, and they were selling it all across the Mediterranean.” Dodd also pointed out how “wine permeates the whole culture and society — it’s used in religion, medicine, in daily life, it was the main beverage when water wasn’t safe to drink,” reported NBC News. About the winery and the process The winery had a purpose-built facility complete with marble-lined areas for treading grapes and fountains of wine, said a recent study. Dodd also highlighted the recently excavated areas where men would be treading grapes with their bare feet in a rectangular area measuring 37 feet by 14 feet. He also found that the treading areas which would typically have waterproof concrete were covered in red marble. “Which isn’t ideal, as marble gets incredibly slippery when wet. But it shows that whoever built this was prioritising the extravagant nature of the winery over practical considerations,” said Dodd, as per the Guardian. The study then details how the crushed grapes would be taken to the two mechanical presses, 2 metres in diameter, which stood nearby before the brightly-coloured liquid flowed into niches and created a fountain-like effect. Altogether there were five fountains, two of which produced water set into a courtyard wall. Only one of the dining rooms has been excavated, so far, and had been lavishly decorated with marble motifs possibly to allow guests to view each stage of the winemaking process through wide entrances which were set around three sides of the open courtyard. The grape would flow along open channels into vast ceramic dolia or storage jars placed underground which was a standard winemaking technique in ancient Rome. “It’s much more about the spectacle than the product being produced. The level of decoration, with these fountains of wine, really shows that,” said Dodd, as per NBC News. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Lavish winery for ancient Roman elite found in ruins of Villa of the Quintilii

<p>Pope Francis publicly defended the late pontiff, Saint John Paul II while condemning the recent insinuations as “offensive and baseless” by the brother of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40 years ago. The remarks were made on Sunday (April 16), when Francis was addressing around 20,000 tourists and pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>What were the ‘insinuations’?</strong></p>

<p>The pope’s remarks came days after the Vatican media called an audiotape from a purported Roman mobster, “slanderous” who insinuated that John Paul would go out looking for underage girls to molest. The audio clip in question was played on an Italian TV program by Pietro Orlandi, the brother of a schoolgirl named Emanuela Orlandi, who was also the daughter of a Vatican usher.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The alleged mobster said that more than 40 years ago, girls were brought into the Vatican to be molested and that Pope John Paul knew about it. In 1983, Emanuela, who was 15 years old, at the time, did not return home on June 22 after a music lesson in Rome. She lived with her parents in a Vatican City apartment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After years of investigating her disappearance, it continues to remain one of Italy’s most enduring mysteries and has given rise to several theories over the years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A recent Netflix documentary “Vatican Girl” which looked at some of the possibilities related to the case also provided new testimony. It showed a friend who said that Emanuela had told her a week before her disappearance that a high-ranking Vatican cleric had made sexual advances toward her.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Pope Francis’ remarks</strong></p>

<p>In recent days, the audio clip has caused a stir in the Vatican with many condemning and criticising the insinuation about the late pontiff.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Sunday, Francis defended John Paul whose papacy spanned from 1978 to 2005 and said, “Certain that I am interpreting the sentiments of the faithful from all over the world, I express a grateful thought to the memory of St John Paul, who in these days has been the object of offensive and unfounded insinuations.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a telephonic interview with Reuters, Orlandi, on Sunday also said that it was “correct that Francis defended John Paul II,” adding that during the TV appearance, he was just “repeating what others had said. I certainly did not see it myself.”</p>

<p>However, John Paul’s secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, throughout his leadership called Orlandi’s actions “ignoble, unrealistic, laughable if they were not tragic, even criminal”. Meanwhile, even Pietro’s lawyer, Laura Sgro, has insisted her client wasn’t accusing anyone, reported Associated Press.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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Pope Francis publicly defended the late pontiff, Saint John Paul II while condemning the recent insinuations as “offensive and baseless” by the brother of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40 years ago.

Pope Francis publicly defended the late pontiff, Saint John Paul II while condemning the recent insinuations as “offensive and baseless” by the brother of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40 years ago. The remarks were made on Sunday (April 16), when Francis was addressing around 20,000 tourists and pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square. What were the ‘insinuations’? The pope’s remarks came days after the Vatican media called an audiotape from a purported Roman mobster, “slanderous” who insinuated that John Paul would go out looking for underage girls to molest. The audio clip in question was played on an Italian TV program by Pietro Orlandi, the brother of a schoolgirl named Emanuela Orlandi, who was also the daughter of a Vatican usher. The alleged mobster said that more than 40 years ago, girls were brought into the Vatican to be molested and that Pope John Paul knew about it. In 1983, Emanuela, who was 15 years old, at the time, did not return home on June 22 after a music lesson in Rome. She lived with her parents in a Vatican City apartment. After years of investigating her disappearance, it continues to remain one of Italy’s most enduring mysteries and has given rise to several theories over the years. A recent Netflix documentary “Vatican Girl” which looked at some of the possibilities related to the case also provided new testimony. It showed a friend who said that Emanuela had told her a week before her disappearance that a high-ranking Vatican cleric had made sexual advances toward her. Pope Francis’ remarks In recent days, the audio clip has caused a stir in the Vatican with many condemning and criticising the insinuation about the late pontiff. On Sunday, Francis defended John Paul whose papacy spanned from 1978 to 2005 and said, “Certain that I am interpreting the sentiments of the faithful from all over the world, I express a grateful thought to the memory of St John Paul, who in these days has been the object of offensive and unfounded insinuations.” In a telephonic interview with Reuters, Orlandi, on Sunday also said that it was “correct that Francis defended John Paul II,” adding that during the TV appearance, he was just “repeating what others had said. I certainly did not see it myself.” However, John Paul’s secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, throughout his leadership called Orlandi’s actions “ignoble, unrealistic, laughable if they were not tragic, even criminal”. Meanwhile, even Pietro’s lawyer, Laura Sgro, has insisted her client wasn’t accusing anyone, reported Associated Press. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Pope Francis condemns ‘offensive and baseless’ insinuations about St John Paul II

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<p>A female bear named JJ4 who had been sentenced to death for killing a trail runner last week has been granted a stay on the execution. The killer bear was to be 'tracked and euthanised' but the decision was overturned after animal rights groups successfully intervened.&nbsp;</p>

<p>26-year-old Andrea Papi was mauled by a bear last week when he went running near his village, Caldes, in north-east Italy’s Trentino region. After Papi did not return home, his family raised the alarm and the search and rescue team was pressed into service.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His body was found overnight with deep wounds to the neck, arms and chest. DNA samples were found on a stick at the scene which Papi apparently used to defend himself but to no avail. However, the authorities, upon investigating the scene and Papi's clothes, concluded that it was the job of 17-year-old JJ4. The autopsy confirmed the theory as well.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/polar-bear-kills-a-woman-and-child-in-alaska-know-whats-pushing-the-arctic-animal-to-attack-humans-lately-554062"><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;Polar bear kills woman and child in Alaska. Know what's pushing the arctic animal to attack humans</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Trento governor orders putting down the bear</strong></h2>

<p>Afterwards, Trento Governor Maurizio Fugatti signed an order to euthanise the bear. However, Italian Anti Vivisection League&nbsp;(LAV), an animal rights campaign group, protested the decision and went to a regional court and petitioned to impose a stay.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The tribunal of Trento eventually agreed and the bear was granted a reprieve. LAV took to its Twitter account to celebrate the decision by posting a picture of a baby bear and its mother.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The order has been suspended by the regional tribunal which accepted our requests," LAV tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="it">+++VITTORIA LAV! +++👏<br />
TAR sospende l'esecuzione di <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JJ4?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JJ4</a>, accolte le motivazioni del nostro ricorso!!!<br />
<br />
Battuta d'arresto all'arroganza del Presidente <a href="https://twitter.com/MaurizioFugatti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaurizioFugatti</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ProvinciaTrento?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ProvinciaTrento</a>.<br />
<br />
🐻Gli orsi e i cittadini trentini hanno diritto a vivere in pace <a href="https://t.co/7ZneG7vDOS">pic.twitter.com/7ZneG7vDOS</a></p>
— LAV (@LAVonlus) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAVonlus/status/1646789668317306882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>LAV targeted Fugatti and called him arrogant for the decision to euthanise the bear. "It's evidently clear the desire of Mr Fugatti, he has no intention of working with us for a peaceful solution between bears and humans."</p>

<p>"What he wants is a vendetta towards bears, all he wants to do is kill them or move them out of the area."</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-climate-tracker-study-canadian-polar-bears-declining-at-alarming-rate-547431/embed" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/polar-bear-kills-a-woman-and-child-in-alaska-know-whats-pushing-the-arctic-animal-to-attack-humans-lately-554062#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></p>

<p>Fugatti and the local administration have now until May 11 to appeal the decision. While local animal rights groups are against the killing of JJ4, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which had previously batted to keep the female bear alive, told CNN they agree that the bear should be put down.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, this is not the first instance when a euthanisation order has been passed against JJ4. In 2020, the bear attacked a different father and son but a court intervened and stayed the execution. A GPS monitoring device was attached to the bear for monitoring but the battery died a few days before the attack on Papi.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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A female bear named JJ4 who had been sentenced to death for killing a trail runner last week has been granted a stay on the execution. The killer bear was to be 'tracked and euthanised' but the decision was overturned after animal rights groups successfully intervened.

A female bear named JJ4 who had been sentenced to death for killing a trail runner last week has been granted a stay on the execution. The killer bear was to be 'tracked and euthanised' but the decision was overturned after animal rights groups successfully intervened. 26-year-old Andrea Papi was mauled by a bear last week when he went running near his village, Caldes, in north-east Italy’s Trentino region. After Papi did not return home, his family raised the alarm and the search and rescue team was pressed into service. His body was found overnight with deep wounds to the neck, arms and chest. DNA samples were found on a stick at the scene which Papi apparently used to defend himself but to no avail. However, the authorities, upon investigating the scene and Papi's clothes, concluded that it was the job of 17-year-old JJ4. The autopsy confirmed the theory as well. ALSO READ | Polar bear kills woman and child in Alaska. Know what's pushing the arctic animal to attack humans Trento governor orders putting down the bear Afterwards, Trento Governor Maurizio Fugatti signed an order to euthanise the bear. However, Italian Anti Vivisection League (LAV), an animal rights campaign group, protested the decision and went to a regional court and petitioned to impose a stay. The tribunal of Trento eventually agreed and the bear was granted a reprieve. LAV took to its Twitter account to celebrate the decision by posting a picture of a baby bear and its mother. "The order has been suspended by the regional tribunal which accepted our requests," LAV tweeted. +++VITTORIA LAV! +++👏 TAR sospende l'esecuzione di #JJ4, accolte le motivazioni del nostro ricorso!!! Battuta d'arresto all'arroganza del Presidente @MaurizioFugatti @ProvinciaTrento. 🐻Gli orsi e i cittadini trentini hanno diritto a vivere in pace pic.twitter.com/7ZneG7vDOS — LAV (@LAVonlus) April 14, 2023 × LAV targeted Fugatti and called him arrogant for the decision to euthanise the bear. "It's evidently clear the desire of Mr Fugatti, he has no intention of working with us for a peaceful solution between bears and humans." "What he wants is a vendetta towards bears, all he wants to do is kill them or move them out of the area." × Fugatti and the local administration have now until May 11 to appeal the decision. While local animal rights groups are against the killing of JJ4, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which had previously batted to keep the female bear alive, told CNN they agree that the bear should be put down. Notably, this is not the first instance when a euthanisation order has been passed against JJ4. In 2020, the bear attacked a different father and son but a court intervened and stayed the execution. A GPS monitoring device was attached to the bear for monitoring but the battery died a few days before the attack on Papi. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Female bear that killed Italian man gets stay on execution after animal rights groups intervene

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<p>Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is currently engaged in a health battle, having been diagnosed with persistent leukaemia. He is admitted to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital and updates have been gnarly in the last few days. Sympathisers have flocked to the hospital to wish for his speedy recovery - or if it is the last hurrah, to pay their respects.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Throughout his colourful life, Berlusconi has always bounced back. Having been at the centre of Rome's power corridor, not once but three times, most supporters and detractors believe that it is almost difficult to knock him out - for the 86-year-old billionaire, nicknamed Il Cavaliere (The Knight) always bounces back.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Combining his shrewd business acumen with tactical political nuance, Berlusconi has managed to remain in the news cycle, year after year, despite last serving as the prime minister in 2011.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-italy-pm-silvio-berlusconi-diagnosed-with-leukaemia-579809" target="_blank"><strong>ALSO READ | Former Italy prime minister Silvio Berlusconi diagnosed with leukaemia, battling lung infection</strong></a></p>

<p>His last years in power were often marred by allegations of sex and corruption scandals with infamous “bunga bunga” sex parties at the Arcore mansion taking the cake. Despite all the dirt thrown his way, only tax-fraud allegations have managed to stick and send him to prison.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The genesis&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Born in 1936 to a middle-class family, Berlusconi's rise to power is a story that should inspire most, if it is not for his unconventional life choices. Currently the owner of broadcasting giant Mediaset, he first entered the world of media in 1973 by setting up a small cable television company called TeleMilano.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The channel would later evolve into Canale 5 as Berlusconi bought two more channels before moving his operations to central Milan and broadcasting over the airwaves. This move would eventually pave way for his modern-day media mogul status as the owner of Mediaset which would also fuel his political aspirations.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The political life of Berlusconi</strong></h2>

<p>Berlusconi founded Italy's centre-right party Forza Italia in the summer of 1994 to beat the 'communists'. His party pioneered the populist brand of politics in the European country and propelled him to the higher echelons of the bureaucracy.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/italian-envoy-will-contribute-to-indias-g20-presidency-success-554494" target="_blank"><strong>WATCH | Italian Envoy: Will contribute to India's G20 Presidency success</strong></a></p>

<p>He won the 1994 general election by forging alliances, some not to his liking but necessary to gain the majority and managed to come to power by securing 21 per cent of the popular vote -- more than any other single party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, his first stint as the prime minister was brief as fractures within the haphazardly stitched coalition with the rightwing National Alliance and Northern League widened and he had to vacate the position.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2001, he returned to power and his government went on to become the longest-serving in Italy's history since the world war. At the pinnacle of his power, Berlusconi in 2006 declared himself "the Jesus Christ of politics".&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2008, he went on to taste success for the third time and became the PM for another term. However, over the next three years, he faced over 50 votes of confidence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2009, Patrizia D'Addario, a prostitute went on national Tv and claimed that the PM slept with him knowing her profession. What followed was an unravelling as allegations of 'bunga-bunga' sex parties smeared his name.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2011, he stepped down as the PM. However, to this day, he leads his party and is an elected senator. The story behind his status as a present-day senator is another example of his tenacity to grind out results.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After Senate expelled him due to a tax fraud conviction in 2013, many thought it was the end of the road for Berlusconi as he was banned from holding public office for six years. However, after serving a sentence of community service, a court ruled he could once again hold public office and he won a seat in the European Parliament in 2019.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The sporting interests of Berlusconi</strong></h2>

<p>Apart from his obvious interests, Berlusconi is known for his sporting taste. He owned the decorated Seria A club AC Milan for over three decades before selling it to Chinese investors for $858 million in 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After selling his prized team, Berlusconi went on to buy small Lombardy side AC Monza for an estimated $3.4 million and since then, through his holding company Fininvest, he has poured over $76 million into the club.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The result? AC Monza has climbed from the third tier of Italian football to Seria A within a five-year timespan - a feat that most 'Football Manager' players may not be able to achieve.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently, Berlusconi made media waves after he openly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - thereby drawing a sharp response from Kyiv of being a Putin propaganda soldier.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is currently engaged in a health battle, having been diagnosed with persistent leukaemia. He is admitted to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital and updates have been gnarly in the last few days.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is currently engaged in a health battle, having been diagnosed with persistent leukaemia. He is admitted to Milan’s San Raffaele Hospital and updates have been gnarly in the last few days. Sympathisers have flocked to the hospital to wish for his speedy recovery - or if it is the last hurrah, to pay their respects. Throughout his colourful life, Berlusconi has always bounced back. Having been at the centre of Rome's power corridor, not once but three times, most supporters and detractors believe that it is almost difficult to knock him out - for the 86-year-old billionaire, nicknamed Il Cavaliere (The Knight) always bounces back. Combining his shrewd business acumen with tactical political nuance, Berlusconi has managed to remain in the news cycle, year after year, despite last serving as the prime minister in 2011. ALSO READ | Former Italy prime minister Silvio Berlusconi diagnosed with leukaemia, battling lung infection His last years in power were often marred by allegations of sex and corruption scandals with infamous “bunga bunga” sex parties at the Arcore mansion taking the cake. Despite all the dirt thrown his way, only tax-fraud allegations have managed to stick and send him to prison. The genesis Born in 1936 to a middle-class family, Berlusconi's rise to power is a story that should inspire most, if it is not for his unconventional life choices. Currently the owner of broadcasting giant Mediaset, he first entered the world of media in 1973 by setting up a small cable television company called TeleMilano. The channel would later evolve into Canale 5 as Berlusconi bought two more channels before moving his operations to central Milan and broadcasting over the airwaves. This move would eventually pave way for his modern-day media mogul status as the owner of Mediaset which would also fuel his political aspirations. The political life of Berlusconi Berlusconi founded Italy's centre-right party Forza Italia in the summer of 1994 to beat the 'communists'. His party pioneered the populist brand of politics in the European country and propelled him to the higher echelons of the bureaucracy. WATCH | Italian Envoy: Will contribute to India's G20 Presidency success He won the 1994 general election by forging alliances, some not to his liking but necessary to gain the majority and managed to come to power by securing 21 per cent of the popular vote -- more than any other single party. However, his first stint as the prime minister was brief as fractures within the haphazardly stitched coalition with the rightwing National Alliance and Northern League widened and he had to vacate the position. In 2001, he returned to power and his government went on to become the longest-serving in Italy's history since the world war. At the pinnacle of his power, Berlusconi in 2006 declared himself "the Jesus Christ of politics". In 2008, he went on to taste success for the third time and became the PM for another term. However, over the next three years, he faced over 50 votes of confidence. In 2009, Patrizia D'Addario, a prostitute went on national Tv and claimed that the PM slept with him knowing her profession. What followed was an unravelling as allegations of 'bunga-bunga' sex parties smeared his name. In 2011, he stepped down as the PM. However, to this day, he leads his party and is an elected senator. The story behind his status as a present-day senator is another example of his tenacity to grind out results. After Senate expelled him due to a tax fraud conviction in 2013, many thought it was the end of the road for Berlusconi as he was banned from holding public office for six years. However, after serving a sentence of community service, a court ruled he could once again hold public office and he won a seat in the European Parliament in 2019. The sporting interests of Berlusconi Apart from his obvious interests, Berlusconi is known for his sporting taste. He owned the decorated Seria A club AC Milan for over three decades before selling it to Chinese investors for $858 million in 2017. After selling his prized team, Berlusconi went on to buy small Lombardy side AC Monza for an estimated $3.4 million and since then, through his holding company Fininvest, he has poured over $76 million into the club. The result? AC Monza has climbed from the third tier of Italian football to Seria A within a five-year timespan - a feat that most 'Football Manager' players may not be able to achieve. Recently, Berlusconi made media waves after he openly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - thereby drawing a sharp response from Kyiv of being a Putin propaganda soldier. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

From serving as PM thrice to hosting 'bunga-bunga' parties - the controversial life of Silvio Berlusconi

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidBgPx5B7jbygQ" /><meta charset="utf-8" />Warning bells are ringing in Italy regarding a population collapse. A new report presented by National Statistics Bureau ISTAT stated that the birth rate in the European country touched a historic&nbsp;low in 2022 with less than seven newborns for every 1,000 inhabitants. The population shrank by 179,000 to 58.85 million, added the agency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are ominous signs as the number of deaths (12) far exceeded the births (7) per 1,000. Notably, the population has been on a downward slope since 2008 but it was for the first time that the number sunk below the 400,000 mark. Italy recorded only 392,600 births in 2022, down from 400,249 recorded in the previous year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"A major factor is the reduction and the ageing of the female population in the 15-49 age group conventionally considered reproductive," said the institute in its report.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It added that fertility rate for Italian women went down to 1.24 from 1.25 in 2021 —&nbsp;with the central and northern region registering a decline.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Though the population decline slowed down moderately compared to 2021 and 2020, experts say the two years in question were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the population of centenarians (those 100 years old or above) climbed by more than 2,000 compared to 2021.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-japans-pm-kishida-vows-to-raise-birth-rate-555652" target="_blank"><strong>WATCH | WION Fineprint: Japan's PM Kishida vows to raise birth rate</strong></a></p>

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<p>The numbers could have been far more upsetting if it wasn't for the immigrant population. The immigrants exceeded the emigrant population by 229,000 in 2022 compared to 160,000 in 2021. In total, foreigners made up 8.6 per cent of Italy's population or 5.05 million.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>During her election canvassing trail, Italy's newly elected Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had made fixing the population problem a major poll plank. The release of the worrisome figures is expected to add to her woes.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-may-cease-to-exist-warns-pm-fumio-kishida-aide-as-birthrate-plummets-to-record-levels-569234" target="_blank"><strong>ALSO READ | Japan may cease to exist, warns PM Fumio Kishida aide as birthrate plummets to record levels</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Japan facing same problem</strong></h2>

<p>Notably, Italy is not the only country that is facing such an existential crisis. Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's close aide stated that the Asian country might cease to exist if the current trend of falling birth rate continues.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"If we go on like this, the country will disappear. It's the people who have to live through the process of disappearance who will face enormous harm. It's a terrible disease that will afflict those children," warned Masako Mori.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Japanese PM Kishida has stated the situation is grim and that it cannot be put in cold storage any more.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Japan is standing on the verge of whether we can continue to function as a society. Focusing attention on policies regarding children and child-rearing is an issue that cannot wait and cannot be postponed."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
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Warning bells are ringing in Italy regarding a population collapse. A new report presented by National Statistics Bureau ISTAT stated that the birth rate in the European country touched a historic low in 2022 with less than seven newborns for every 1,000 inhabitants.

Warning bells are ringing in Italy regarding a population collapse. A new report presented by National Statistics Bureau ISTAT stated that the birth rate in the European country touched a historic low in 2022 with less than seven newborns for every 1,000 inhabitants. The population shrank by 179,000 to 58.85 million, added the agency. There are ominous signs as the number of deaths (12) far exceeded the births (7) per 1,000. Notably, the population has been on a downward slope since 2008 but it was for the first time that the number sunk below the 400,000 mark. Italy recorded only 392,600 births in 2022, down from 400,249 recorded in the previous year. "A major factor is the reduction and the ageing of the female population in the 15-49 age group conventionally considered reproductive," said the institute in its report. It added that fertility rate for Italian women went down to 1.24 from 1.25 in 2021 — with the central and northern region registering a decline. Though the population decline slowed down moderately compared to 2021 and 2020, experts say the two years in question were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the population of centenarians (those 100 years old or above) climbed by more than 2,000 compared to 2021. WATCH | WION Fineprint: Japan's PM Kishida vows to raise birth rate × The numbers could have been far more upsetting if it wasn't for the immigrant population. The immigrants exceeded the emigrant population by 229,000 in 2022 compared to 160,000 in 2021. In total, foreigners made up 8.6 per cent of Italy's population or 5.05 million. During her election canvassing trail, Italy's newly elected Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had made fixing the population problem a major poll plank. The release of the worrisome figures is expected to add to her woes. ALSO READ | Japan may cease to exist, warns PM Fumio Kishida aide as birthrate plummets to record levels Japan facing same problem Notably, Italy is not the only country that is facing such an existential crisis. Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's close aide stated that the Asian country might cease to exist if the current trend of falling birth rate continues. "If we go on like this, the country will disappear. It's the people who have to live through the process of disappearance who will face enormous harm. It's a terrible disease that will afflict those children," warned Masako Mori. Japanese PM Kishida has stated the situation is grim and that it cannot be put in cold storage any more. "Japan is standing on the verge of whether we can continue to function as a society. Focusing attention on policies regarding children and child-rearing is an issue that cannot wait and cannot be postponed." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Population collapse imminent? Italy's birth rate drops to historic low in 2022

According to the Italian data protection office Grante, ChatGPT manufacturer OpenAI intends to present solutions to allay data privacy concerns that led to a temporary prohibition in Italy.

OpenAI block ChatGPT after ban in Italy over privacy concerns

<p>OpenAI is planning to suggest measures to Italian government authorities on Thursday to resolve their concerns which led to the banning of its ChatGPT chatbot in the country last week, stated Italy's data protection authorities.</p>

<p>ChatGPT was taken offline by Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI in Italy after it was temporarily restricted by Garante last week, which began an investigation into a suspected breach of privacy rules.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/heres-how-ai-can-help-modern-day-goldilocks-get-a-good-nights-sleep-578610">Here's how Artificial Intelligence can help modern-day Goldilocks get a good night's sleep</a></p>

<p>Garante, the Italian agency, accused Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI of not being able to check the age of people using ChatGPT and the "absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data" to "train" the AI chatbot.</p>

<p>The ChatGPT maker said that it does not intend to pause the development of AI but also emphasised the importance of following and respecting the rules laid out by the authorities to protect the personal data of Italian and European citizens.</p>

<p>During a video conference late on Wednesday, OpenAI pledged that will incorporate more transparency in handling users' data and will verify the age of its users, said the authority. The conference was attended by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, among others.</p>

<p>The company stated that a document about measures to be taken, as per its requests, will be sent to Garante. The data authority stated that the proposals submitted by Open AI will be evaluated.</p>

<p>A blog post was published by OpenAI on Thursday, titled "Our approach to AI safety", which stated that it was working for the development of "nuanced policies against behaviour that represents a genuine risk to people".</p>

<p>"We don’t use data for selling our services, advertising, or building profiles of people. We use data to make our models more helpful for people. ChatGPT, for instance, improves by further training on the conversations people have with it. While some of our training data includes personal information that is available on the public internet, we want our models to learn about the world, not private individuals,” the company said.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Gravitas: Is AI going to replace your brain?</strong></p>

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<p>OpenAI added that personal information has been removed from its datasets wherever possible, and models have been fine-tuned to reject user prompts when such information is being asked and to respond to every user's requests to remove their data from its systems.</p>

<p>The ban imposed by Italy has increased the interest of Europe's other privacy regulators who are studying the need to impose harsher measures to rein in chatbots and whether such actions should be co-ordinated.</p>

<p>AI chatbot company Replika was also banned by Garante in February from using Italian users' personal data, citing risks to emotionally fragile people and minors.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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OpenAI is planning to suggest measures to Italian government authorities on Thursday to resolve their concerns which led to the banning of its ChatGPT chatbot in the country last week, stated Italy's data protection authorities.

OpenAI is planning to suggest measures to Italian government authorities on Thursday to resolve their concerns which led to the banning of its ChatGPT chatbot in the country last week, stated Italy's data protection authorities. ChatGPT was taken offline by Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI in Italy after it was temporarily restricted by Garante last week, which began an investigation into a suspected breach of privacy rules. ALSO READ | Here's how Artificial Intelligence can help modern-day Goldilocks get a good night's sleep Garante, the Italian agency, accused Microsoft Corp-backed OpenAI of not being able to check the age of people using ChatGPT and the "absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data" to "train" the AI chatbot. The ChatGPT maker said that it does not intend to pause the development of AI but also emphasised the importance of following and respecting the rules laid out by the authorities to protect the personal data of Italian and European citizens. During a video conference late on Wednesday, OpenAI pledged that will incorporate more transparency in handling users' data and will verify the age of its users, said the authority. The conference was attended by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, among others. The company stated that a document about measures to be taken, as per its requests, will be sent to Garante. The data authority stated that the proposals submitted by Open AI will be evaluated. A blog post was published by OpenAI on Thursday, titled "Our approach to AI safety", which stated that it was working for the development of "nuanced policies against behaviour that represents a genuine risk to people". "We don’t use data for selling our services, advertising, or building profiles of people. We use data to make our models more helpful for people. ChatGPT, for instance, improves by further training on the conversations people have with it. While some of our training data includes personal information that is available on the public internet, we want our models to learn about the world, not private individuals,” the company said. WATCH | Gravitas: Is AI going to replace your brain? OpenAI added that personal information has been removed from its datasets wherever possible, and models have been fine-tuned to reject user prompts when such information is being asked and to respond to every user's requests to remove their data from its systems. The ban imposed by Italy has increased the interest of Europe's other privacy regulators who are studying the need to impose harsher measures to rein in chatbots and whether such actions should be co-ordinated. AI chatbot company Replika was also banned by Garante in February from using Italian users' personal data, citing risks to emotionally fragile people and minors. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Won't stop developing AI, responds OpenAI to Italian ban on ChatGPT

Italy is the first Western country to ban AI chatbot ChatGPT. Italian authorities are concerned about ChatGPT’s lack of transparency in its use of data. Other countries like China and Russia have blocked access to ChatGPT over the fear of misinformation. Watch this to know more.

ChatGPT banned in many countries, here's the full list

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<p>Irked by&nbsp;false results, a mayor in Australia has warned OpenAI that he may sue the platform. Brian Hood, an elected mayor of Hepburn Shire - a town located 120 kilometres northwest of Melbourne is worried about his reputation as ChatGPT continues to falsely claim that he had served time in prison for bribery.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hood was elected last November but soon ran into troubles after members of the public informed him that ChatGPT returned results which framed him as a guilty party in a foreign bribery scandal involving Reserve Bank of Australia's subsidiary in the early 2000s.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, Hood worked for the subsidiary named "Note Printing Australia"&nbsp;but he was the one who informed authorities about the bribes being paid to foreign officials. Hood was never charged with any crime, the lawyers representing him informed the media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His lawyers have written a letter of concern to OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT which is based in the US city of San Francisco and backed by tech behemoth Microsoft.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It would potentially be a landmark moment in the sense that it's applying this defamation law to a new area of artificial intelligence and publication in the IT space," said&nbsp;James Naughton, a partner at Hood's law firm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's very difficult for somebody to look behind that to say 'how does the algorithm come up with that answer?'" said Naughton. "It's very opaque."</p>

<p>If Hood goes ahead with the suit, he will be the first person in the world to have sued the AI application.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/italy-becomes-first-western-country-to-temporarily-ban-chatgpt-577950"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Italy becomes first western country to temporarily ban ChatGPT</strong></a></p>

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<p>After a stellar reception amongst the public last year, OpenAI has come under the scanner. The Italian government last week banned the AI application over privacy concerns.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Italian Data Protection watchdog ordered OpenAI to immediately stop processing data of&nbsp;Italian users. The regulator claimed that a security breach allowed&nbsp;users to view the titles of conversations other users were having with the chatbot.</p>

<p>It also justified the ban by citing OpenAI's alleged failure to check the age of its users. It is essential to note that the AI application is supposed to be for individuals above the age of 13.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/openais-chatgpt-blocked-in-italy-reports-577685" target="_blank"><strong>ALSO READ | OpenAI’s ChatGPT blocked in Italy over alleged privacy violations</strong></a></p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Irked by false results, a mayor in Australia has warned OpenAI that he may sue the platform. Brian Hood, an elected mayor of Hepburn Shire - a town located 120 kilometres northwest of Melbourne is worried about his reputation as ChatGPT continues to falsely claim that he had served time in prison for bribery.

Irked by false results, a mayor in Australia has warned OpenAI that he may sue the platform. Brian Hood, an elected mayor of Hepburn Shire - a town located 120 kilometres northwest of Melbourne is worried about his reputation as ChatGPT continues to falsely claim that he had served time in prison for bribery. Hood was elected last November but soon ran into troubles after members of the public informed him that ChatGPT returned results which framed him as a guilty party in a foreign bribery scandal involving Reserve Bank of Australia's subsidiary in the early 2000s. Notably, Hood worked for the subsidiary named "Note Printing Australia" but he was the one who informed authorities about the bribes being paid to foreign officials. Hood was never charged with any crime, the lawyers representing him informed the media. His lawyers have written a letter of concern to OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT which is based in the US city of San Francisco and backed by tech behemoth Microsoft. "It would potentially be a landmark moment in the sense that it's applying this defamation law to a new area of artificial intelligence and publication in the IT space," said James Naughton, a partner at Hood's law firm. "It's very difficult for somebody to look behind that to say 'how does the algorithm come up with that answer?'" said Naughton. "It's very opaque." If Hood goes ahead with the suit, he will be the first person in the world to have sued the AI application. WATCH | Italy becomes first western country to temporarily ban ChatGPT × After a stellar reception amongst the public last year, OpenAI has come under the scanner. The Italian government last week banned the AI application over privacy concerns. Italian Data Protection watchdog ordered OpenAI to immediately stop processing data of Italian users. The regulator claimed that a security breach allowed users to view the titles of conversations other users were having with the chatbot. It also justified the ban by citing OpenAI's alleged failure to check the age of its users. It is essential to note that the AI application is supposed to be for individuals above the age of 13. ALSO READ | OpenAI’s ChatGPT blocked in Italy over alleged privacy violations (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Australian mayor threatens to sue OpenAI over false ChatGPT content

<p>An Italian Coast Guard helicopter, on Monday (April 3), rescued 32 migrants, including a child who had been stranded on the uninhabited isle south of Sicily in the central Mediterranean, said the country’s coast guard, in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The officials were forced to use a helicopter after “particularly adverse” weather and high waves which made evacuation by sea from the islet of Lampione, was impossible,&nbsp;said the Italian Coast Guard.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italy-migrant-shipwreck-death-toll-likely-to-be-over-100-reports-suggest-566781">Italy migrant shipwreck death toll likely to be over 100, reports suggest</a></strong><br />
<br />
The helicopter took the migrants to Lampedusa which is said to be the usual landing spot for sea migrants from Tunisia and Libya and made several trips amid winds of up to 50 knots, reported Reuters, citing the coast guard. The rescue hours after helicopters had dropped food and blankets on Lampione,&nbsp;part of the same archipelago as Lampedusa island,&nbsp;to aid the migrants until they would be saved, reported the local media.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>While it was not immediately clear if the case was of human smuggling, a report by the ANSA news agency, said that the rescue migrants are from Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Mali. The charity Alarm Phone, which attends calls from migrant boats in distress said that a vessel with at least 500 on board needed rescuing in international waters off Libya, on Monday, reported Reuters.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-artist-banksys-migrant-rescue-ship-seized-by-italian-officials-576017">British artist Banksy’s migrant rescue ship seized by Italian officials</a></strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p>A report by the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) Missing Migrants Project, published in November last year said, more than half of the 50,000 individual deaths documented occurred to and within Europe. Mediterranean routes accounted for at least 25,104 lives since 2014.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last month, more than 1,300 migrants had been rescued in three separate operations off the southern tip of Italy, the coast guard had said in a statement. As of early March, over 17,000 people have reached Italy.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
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An Italian Coast Guard helicopter, on Monday (April 3), rescued 32 migrants, including a child who had been stranded on the uninhabited isle south of Sicily in the central Mediterranean, said the country’s coast guard, in a statement.

An Italian Coast Guard helicopter, on Monday (April 3), rescued 32 migrants, including a child who had been stranded on the uninhabited isle south of Sicily in the central Mediterranean, said the country’s coast guard, in a statement. The officials were forced to use a helicopter after “particularly adverse” weather and high waves which made evacuation by sea from the islet of Lampione, was impossible, said the Italian Coast Guard. ALSO READ | Italy migrant shipwreck death toll likely to be over 100, reports suggest The helicopter took the migrants to Lampedusa which is said to be the usual landing spot for sea migrants from Tunisia and Libya and made several trips amid winds of up to 50 knots, reported Reuters, citing the coast guard. The rescue hours after helicopters had dropped food and blankets on Lampione, part of the same archipelago as Lampedusa island, to aid the migrants until they would be saved, reported the local media. While it was not immediately clear if the case was of human smuggling, a report by the ANSA news agency, said that the rescue migrants are from Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Mali. The charity Alarm Phone, which attends calls from migrant boats in distress said that a vessel with at least 500 on board needed rescuing in international waters off Libya, on Monday, reported Reuters. ALSO READ | British artist Banksy’s migrant rescue ship seized by Italian officials A report by the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) Missing Migrants Project, published in November last year said, more than half of the 50,000 individual deaths documented occurred to and within Europe. Mediterranean routes accounted for at least 25,104 lives since 2014. Last month, more than 1,300 migrants had been rescued in three separate operations off the southern tip of Italy, the coast guard had said in a statement. As of early March, over 17,000 people have reached Italy. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Italian authorities rescue 32 migrants stranded on remote island via helicopter

Italy has become the first western country to block chat-gpt. The Italian data-protection authority said there were privacy concerns relating to the model, which was created by US start-up open-ai and is backed by Microsoft. Meanwhile, key figures in artificial intelligence want training of powerful A-I systems to be suspended amid fears of a threat to humanity. Michael Owens, the president of US Global center for cyber policy talks to WION's Eric Njoka on the pros and cons of the rise of artificial intelligence.

Chatgpt banned in Italy over privacy concerns

Italy has become the first European country to temporarily block ChatGPT because of data privacy concerns. This comes after the government's data protection authority claim the United States firm open AI which makes ChatGPT had no legal basis to justify the mass collection and storage of personal data.

Italy becomes first western country to temporarily ban ChatGPT

<p>OpenAI’s ChatGPT is blocked in Italy, as per reports. Alleging&nbsp;privacy violations , the Italian privacy&nbsp;regulatory on Friday imposed a ban on the AI application which is gaining grounds in a vast variety of sectors.</p>

<p>The national data protection authorities announced that it will immediately stop processing data of&nbsp;Italian users for OpenAI.&nbsp;It also announced to start an investigation into this.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another accusation that the Italian regulator levelled against ChatGPT is its alleged failure to check the age of its users. It is essential to note that the AI application is supposed to be for individuals above the age of 13.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-top-10-corrupt-countries-in-the-world-577675">Top 10 corrupt countries in the world</a></p>

<p>"You must be at least 13 years old to use the Services. If you are under 18 you must have your parent or legal guardian’s permission to use the Services. If you use the Services on behalf of another person or entity, you must have the authority to accept the Terms on their behalf," as per ChatGPT's terms of use which is mentioned on its website.&nbsp;</p>

<p>OpenAI has yet not commented on this latest development clarifying the allegations the Italian regulator has made. The privacy regulator said "the absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data in order to 'train' the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform".</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/japan-to-restrict-chipmaking-equipment-exports-as-it-aligns-with-us-china-curbs-577627">Japan to restrict chipmaking equipment exports as it aligns with US China curbs</a></p>

<p>According to a UBS study released last month, it is projected to have achieved 100 million monthly active users in January. This is a significant feat given the fact that the OpenAI chatbot was launched only a couple of&nbsp;months ago.</p>

<p>With this, the AI app has become one of the fastest-growing consumer application. Last week, the law enforcement agency&nbsp;of the European Union, Europol&nbsp;issued&nbsp;a warning about the possible use of chatbots in phishing scams, misinformation campaigns, and cyber crimes.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Will Ben Stokes be CSK's impact player?&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>As per reports by Politico, the&nbsp;order of block in Italy is only in effect until the ChatGPT&nbsp;complies with the General Data Protection Regulation, a historic EU privacy regulation (GDPR).&nbsp;Many countries are able to make use of ChatGPT, nonetheless, some nations may have a firm grip on things for regulatory reasons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Open AI reportedly has 20 days to extending information about how the AI app will bring itself to compliance with EU rules. If it fails to comply, as per reports, it may face a penalty of up to 4 percent of its global revenue, as per Politico.&nbsp;</p>

<p><i>(With inputs from agencies)</i></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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OpenAI’s ChatGPT is blocked in Italy, as per reports. Alleging privacy violations , the Italian privacy regulatory on Friday imposed a ban on the AI application which is gaining grounds in a vast variety of sectors.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is blocked in Italy, as per reports. Alleging privacy violations , the Italian privacy regulatory on Friday imposed a ban on the AI application which is gaining grounds in a vast variety of sectors. The national data protection authorities announced that it will immediately stop processing data of Italian users for OpenAI. It also announced to start an investigation into this. Another accusation that the Italian regulator levelled against ChatGPT is its alleged failure to check the age of its users. It is essential to note that the AI application is supposed to be for individuals above the age of 13. Also Read | Top 10 corrupt countries in the world "You must be at least 13 years old to use the Services. If you are under 18 you must have your parent or legal guardian’s permission to use the Services. If you use the Services on behalf of another person or entity, you must have the authority to accept the Terms on their behalf," as per ChatGPT's terms of use which is mentioned on its website. OpenAI has yet not commented on this latest development clarifying the allegations the Italian regulator has made. The privacy regulator said "the absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data in order to 'train' the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform". Also Read | Japan to restrict chipmaking equipment exports as it aligns with US China curbs According to a UBS study released last month, it is projected to have achieved 100 million monthly active users in January. This is a significant feat given the fact that the OpenAI chatbot was launched only a couple of months ago. With this, the AI app has become one of the fastest-growing consumer application. Last week, the law enforcement agency of the European Union, Europol issued a warning about the possible use of chatbots in phishing scams, misinformation campaigns, and cyber crimes. Watch | Will Ben Stokes be CSK's impact player? × As per reports by Politico, the order of block in Italy is only in effect until the ChatGPT complies with the General Data Protection Regulation, a historic EU privacy regulation (GDPR). Many countries are able to make use of ChatGPT, nonetheless, some nations may have a firm grip on things for regulatory reasons. Open AI reportedly has 20 days to extending information about how the AI app will bring itself to compliance with EU rules. If it fails to comply, as per reports, it may face a penalty of up to 4 percent of its global revenue, as per Politico. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT blocked in Italy over alleged privacy violations

<p>Italy's right-wing&nbsp;government of Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday introduced legislation banning the use and sale of lab-grown food and animal products (effectively all synthetic food items).&nbsp;The move is aimed at safeguarding the European country's agri-food heritage, according to the government ministers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The bill will now be sent to parliament where it will have to be adopted within two months if it is to come into force. Once implemented, the law will impose a blanket ban following which the Italian food industry will not be allowed to produce food or feed&nbsp;"from cell cultures or tissues derived from vertebrate animals", according to a Reuters report.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A hefty fine of $65,022 (60,000 euros) has also been placed in the fine print of the legislation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-is-lab-food-the-future-427471"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: Is lab food the future?</strong></a></p>

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<p>"Laboratory products in our opinion do not guarantee quality, well-being and the protection of our culture, our tradition," said Francesco Lollobrigida, a senior member of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The move was welcomed by&nbsp;Italy's agricultural association Coldiretti which organised a flash mob&nbsp;in central Rome with the message 'no to synthetic food'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Italy, which is a European leader in food quality and safety, has a duty to be at the forefront of food policies to defend citizens and businesses," said&nbsp;Ettore Prandini, the organisation's president.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The lies about test-tube food confirm that there is a precise strategy by the multinationals, which, with skillful marketing operations, are trying to change natural dietary habits based on quality and tradition."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/consuming-more-highly-processed-food-items-is-related-to-faster-cognitive-decline-study-503025"><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;Consuming more highly processed food items is related to faster cognitive decline: Study</strong></a></p>

<p>Meanwhile, the detractors of the move slammed the government for shutting down an entire industry that was still in its infancy. According to&nbsp;Alice Ravenscroft, head of policy at the Good Food Institute Europe, the legislation was holding back 'scientific progress'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The passing of such a law would shut down the economic potential of this nascent field in Italy, holding back scientific progress and climate mitigation efforts," said Ravenscroft.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meloni's government has injected the feeling of nationalism into the food debate as well. She has pledged to protect the country and its food habits from technological innovations that are seen as harmful. In a related move, her administration renamed the agriculture ministry to the "ministry for agriculture and food sovereignty".&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
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Italy's right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday introduced legislation banning the use and sale of lab-grown food and animal products (effectively all synthetic food items).

Italy's right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday introduced legislation banning the use and sale of lab-grown food and animal products (effectively all synthetic food items). The move is aimed at safeguarding the European country's agri-food heritage, according to the government ministers. The bill will now be sent to parliament where it will have to be adopted within two months if it is to come into force. Once implemented, the law will impose a blanket ban following which the Italian food industry will not be allowed to produce food or feed "from cell cultures or tissues derived from vertebrate animals", according to a Reuters report. A hefty fine of $65,022 (60,000 euros) has also been placed in the fine print of the legislation. WATCH | Gravitas Plus: Is lab food the future? × "Laboratory products in our opinion do not guarantee quality, well-being and the protection of our culture, our tradition," said Francesco Lollobrigida, a senior member of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party. The move was welcomed by Italy's agricultural association Coldiretti which organised a flash mob in central Rome with the message 'no to synthetic food'. "Italy, which is a European leader in food quality and safety, has a duty to be at the forefront of food policies to defend citizens and businesses," said Ettore Prandini, the organisation's president. "The lies about test-tube food confirm that there is a precise strategy by the multinationals, which, with skillful marketing operations, are trying to change natural dietary habits based on quality and tradition." ALSO READ | Consuming more highly processed food items is related to faster cognitive decline: Study Meanwhile, the detractors of the move slammed the government for shutting down an entire industry that was still in its infancy. According to Alice Ravenscroft, head of policy at the Good Food Institute Europe, the legislation was holding back 'scientific progress'. "The passing of such a law would shut down the economic potential of this nascent field in Italy, holding back scientific progress and climate mitigation efforts," said Ravenscroft. Meloni's government has injected the feeling of nationalism into the food debate as well. She has pledged to protect the country and its food habits from technological innovations that are seen as harmful. In a related move, her administration renamed the agriculture ministry to the "ministry for agriculture and food sovereignty". (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Italy: Govt set to ban production, consumption of synthetic food to safeguard country’s agri-food heritage

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