One of Italy's largest mafia trial has kicked off with the fate of 365 suspected mobsters and their associates. The accused gangsters face an array of the charges including extortion, drug trafficking, and theft.

Italy's largest mafia trial opens for 'Ndrangheta mob group'

A giant sinkhole opened up in the car park of a hospital in Naples, Italy which is 20-metre-deep and has led to the temporary closure of a COVID-19 residence in the neighbourhood.

On Friday, at dawn, a large portion of the ground in the car park of a famous hospital started breaking out, leading to the formation of a giant sinkhole.

The sinkhole is&nbsp;20-metre-deep (66ft), 2,000 sq metre (21,527 sq ft) and is located in the centre of the car park.

It also led to a temporary closure of a nearby residence which was giving a roof to coronavirus patients. Nobody from the COVID-19 residence was hurt during this incident.&nbsp;

However, the residence faced major power cuts and water services were also interrupted. The hospital, too, lost access to electricity and water, but the backup services let the hospital continue their work.

Local authorities believe this sinkhole may have been&nbsp;caused by an infiltration of water underground from the recent heavy rains, as reported by local media.

As of now, the&nbsp;regional governor has assured people the care home will soon reopen and the services will be restored as soon as possible in the COVID-19 residence and the hospital.&nbsp;

An investigation in the matter has been initiated.

A giant sinkhole opened up in the car park of a hospital in Naples, Italy which is 20-metre-deep and has led to the temporary closure of a COVID-19 residence in the neighbourhood.

A giant sinkhole opened up in the car park of a hospital in Naples, Italy which is 20-metre-deep and has led to the temporary closure of a COVID-19 residence in the neighbourhood. On Friday, at dawn, a large portion of the ground in the car park of a famous hospital started breaking out, leading to the formation of a giant sinkhole. The sinkhole is 20-metre-deep (66ft), 2,000 sq metre (21,527 sq ft) and is located in the centre of the car park. It also led to a temporary closure of a nearby residence which was giving a roof to coronavirus patients. Nobody from the COVID-19 residence was hurt during this incident. However, the residence faced major power cuts and water services were also interrupted. The hospital, too, lost access to electricity and water, but the backup services let the hospital continue their work. Local authorities believe this sinkhole may have been caused by an infiltration of water underground from the recent heavy rains, as reported by local media. As of now, the regional governor has assured people the care home will soon reopen and the services will be restored as soon as possible in the COVID-19 residence and the hospital. An investigation in the matter has been initiated.

Giant sinkhole appears in hospital's car park in Italy

Italy's legendary Befana the gift-giving witch paid a spectacular visit to children in an Italian hospital on Wednesday (January 6).

Italy: High flying witch brings cheer to children in Italian hospital

Digital services taxes adopted by India, Italy and Turkey discriminate against U.S. companies and are inconsistent with international tax principles, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Wednesday, paving the way for potential retaliatory tariffs.

USTR slams India, Italy, Turkey on digital taxes but holds off on tariffs

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faces a showdown with his coalition partner and former premier Matteo Renzi this week that could bring down his government even as it struggles to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Long-strained relations between the two men have deteriorated markedly in recent weeks, with Renzi calling for radical changes to plans to reboot the economy while also demanding that Conte cede his control over the secret services.

The prime minister has resisted the pressure, saying last week he was prepared to confront Renzi in parliament, effectively challenging him to act on his recent threats and abandon the coalition, thereby triggering an ill-timed crisis.

Renzi told Il Messaggero newspaper at the weekend he would not back down and dismissed suggestions that Conte could persuade a limited number of opposition politicians to prop up the government if his small Italia Viva party walked away.

"If he has decided to go to parliament and see the numbers, we accept the challenge," Renzi said. "If ... he goes under, we have several different solutions that can be assessed by parliament and the head of state," he added.

A political source said matters could come to a head at a cabinet meeting expected for Jan. 7, when Conte was expected to ask ministers to support his economic recovery plan. If Italia Viva`s two ministers refused, the prime minister would go to parliament and start work on trying to find a new consensus.

Conte`s two main coalition allies, the 5-Star Movement and centre-left Democratic Party (PD), have both urged restraint, but appeared resigned to an eventual face-off with Renzi, who is looking to carve out a strong identity for his group which is struggling in the opinion polls on around 3%.

"At this point, it is difficult to move ahead without a real clarification, in terms of the content and structure of the government," Luigi Zanda, a senior PD senator, told Corriere della Sera on Sunday.

If the government falls, the coalition parties could seek to draw up a new pact and agree on a new team of ministers, with or without Conte as prime minister. Alternatively, the head of state could try to put together a government of national unity to confront the health and economic crisis.

If all else fails, national elections would have to be held some two years ahead of time, but such an outcome would appear highly unlikely given the COVID emergency in Italy, which has registered 74,985 COVID-19 deaths, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faces a showdown with his coalition partner and former premier Matteo Renzi this week that could bring down his government even as it struggles to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faces a showdown with his coalition partner and former premier Matteo Renzi this week that could bring down his government even as it struggles to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-strained relations between the two men have deteriorated markedly in recent weeks, with Renzi calling for radical changes to plans to reboot the economy while also demanding that Conte cede his control over the secret services. The prime minister has resisted the pressure, saying last week he was prepared to confront Renzi in parliament, effectively challenging him to act on his recent threats and abandon the coalition, thereby triggering an ill-timed crisis. Renzi told Il Messaggero newspaper at the weekend he would not back down and dismissed suggestions that Conte could persuade a limited number of opposition politicians to prop up the government if his small Italia Viva party walked away. "If he has decided to go to parliament and see the numbers, we accept the challenge," Renzi said. "If ... he goes under, we have several different solutions that can be assessed by parliament and the head of state," he added. A political source said matters could come to a head at a cabinet meeting expected for Jan. 7, when Conte was expected to ask ministers to support his economic recovery plan. If Italia Viva`s two ministers refused, the prime minister would go to parliament and start work on trying to find a new consensus. Conte`s two main coalition allies, the 5-Star Movement and centre-left Democratic Party (PD), have both urged restraint, but appeared resigned to an eventual face-off with Renzi, who is looking to carve out a strong identity for his group which is struggling in the opinion polls on around 3%. "At this point, it is difficult to move ahead without a real clarification, in terms of the content and structure of the government," Luigi Zanda, a senior PD senator, told Corriere della Sera on Sunday. If the government falls, the coalition parties could seek to draw up a new pact and agree on a new team of ministers, with or without Conte as prime minister. Alternatively, the head of state could try to put together a government of national unity to confront the health and economic crisis. If all else fails, national elections would have to be held some two years ahead of time, but such an outcome would appear highly unlikely given the COVID emergency in Italy, which has registered 74,985 COVID-19 deaths, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

Italian government totters as Conte, Renzi divide deepens

Buried under the snow from head to toe, Fulvio Giovannini have survived nearly an hour without being able to make the slightest movement. WION brings you the story of this Italian Avalanche survivor.

Fulvio Giovannini: The Italian man who survived Avalanche

This has been an ugly year for Italy.

The first wave of the coronavirus took the country by surprise and killed tens of thousands. The second wave somehow took the government by surprise and has killed thousands more. And Italians, desperate for the new vaccine, have struggled to get their hands on simple flu shots or to understand if they will have to be home — and stay home — for the holidays.

To brighten things up as Italians await the vaccine, the government has turned to urban planner and architect Stefano Boeri. Best known for making so-called vertical forests out of Milan skyscrapers, Boeri has sought to help his country with architectural flower power — designing 1,500 pavilions with a primrose theme where the vaccine will be distributed.

“The primrose is the first flower after the winter, it’s something even a child knows,” Boeri said in an interview, calling his vision for the building design “a strong message that everyone can understand.”

Italy has run with the proposal. On Sunday, medical workers received the first vaccinations under posters bearing the country’s official slogan for the program, “With a flower, Italy comes back to life.”

Critics have found the government’s emphasis on Milanese design a little misplaced in a pandemic.

“A clown show,” proclaimed one Italian member of the European Parliament. “Idiots,” offered a prominent commentator. “I don’t want a primrose,” protested a top Italian economist, Carlo Cottarelli. “I want an anti-COVID vaccine!”

But Boeri rejects the cynicism. “Flowers are serious,” he wrote on Twitter, and in the interview he explained why the primrose was the ideal image for Italy’s vaccination program, which kicked off Sunday.

“It’s one thing to go get vaccinated in a container or in a military field hospital and it’s another to go into a luminous space in the form of a flower,” he said.

The project took root about a month ago when Boeri received a call from Domenico Arcuri, Rome’s special commissioner for the coronavirus emergency. Arcuri explained, he said, that although hospitals and empty gyms would be the main vaccination points, there would also be a need for external, temporary pavilions to be created. The program to vaccinate at least 40 million Italians to reach herd immunity would last for at least a year and a half.

Boeri immediately agreed to help.

Like many in northern Italy, he has lost close friends and family to the coronavirus. He said that while the pandemic cast a pall over the year and the country, that made the flashes of generosity and kindness, professionalism and sacrifice shine even brighter.

“The demonstrations of generosity were beautiful,” said Boeri, adding that Italy’s vibrant volunteer sector “at times substituted the lacunae of the state.” It was in that spirit that he and his team, which took no compensation, labored. “It was the least we could do.”

He and Arcuri agreed that they needed a single, coherent image to spread the word and inspire people to roll up their sleeve.

Boeri said he and his team worked furiously over two weeks to come up with something. They sought an image, he said, that could be universally understood as positive “by a 4-year-old or an intellectual in the north or a young migrant.”

He said they excluded antagonistic images that could “promote anxiety,” like a simple graphic of a bar crossing out the spiky virus, but were also careful not to promote the notion that a vaccine would set you free. So they nixed proposals like an image of two young people wrapped in an embrace, or of a mask flying away into the uninfected ether.

When the flower idea emerged, it immediately resonated.

“We began to think that the message had to be so direct that even the pavilions should resemble flowers,” Boeri said.

The next question became which flower to choose, a complicated decision in a country where flowers are often identified with political parties.

“We entered in a madness about the relationship between politics and botany,” he said.

Boeri first thought of a daisy, but then he and his team recalled that it was affiliated with a now-defunct center-left party. They dismissed an Alpine flower, which is the symbol of the nationalist League. They flirted with the idea of the yellow sunflower, but it seemed too close to the bright yellow stars of Italy’s populist Five Star Movement.

But once the primrose entered the picture, it struck them as a no-brainer.

Boeri presented the plan to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the country’s powerful health minister, Roberto Speranza. They expressed their pleasure with the “positivity of the message” and thanked him for his work, he said. But since the primrose comes in many different hues, “we discussed a little bit on the color.”

Conte liked the fuchsia chosen by Boeri, but also thought yellow would be nice, the architect said. Fuchsia was the final choice.

The government will now open bids for construction companies and publicity firms, which could make alterations. But as it stands now, the pavilions are to be built from wood and biodegradable fabric and have airflow, waiting rooms, and light. They are to be inviting hubs of inoculation.

The promotional video for the project shows flowers blooming in thousands of piazzas across the peninsula. Models of the round white pavilions, stamped from above with fuchsia flowers were imagined in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, and in Trieste and Naples and elsewhere. The designs looked as if Scooby-Doo had taken a spin through Italy in a giant Mystery Machine van, losing tires along the way.

Boeri said smaller towns would have flower-branded gazebos. In any case, the primrose would mark the spot where vaccines could be found. Some have even proposed that the vaccinated should wear primrose pins to identify themselves.

“The primrose is the symbol of the vaccination,” Boeri said. “Wherever you get vaccinated, there will be a primrose.”

This has been an ugly year for Italy. The first wave of the coronavirus took the country by surprise and killed tens of thousands. The second wave somehow took the government by surprise and has killed thousands more.

This has been an ugly year for Italy. The first wave of the coronavirus took the country by surprise and killed tens of thousands. The second wave somehow took the government by surprise and has killed thousands more. And Italians, desperate for the new vaccine, have struggled to get their hands on simple flu shots or to understand if they will have to be home — and stay home — for the holidays. To brighten things up as Italians await the vaccine, the government has turned to urban planner and architect Stefano Boeri. Best known for making so-called vertical forests out of Milan skyscrapers, Boeri has sought to help his country with architectural flower power — designing 1,500 pavilions with a primrose theme where the vaccine will be distributed. “The primrose is the first flower after the winter, it’s something even a child knows,” Boeri said in an interview, calling his vision for the building design “a strong message that everyone can understand.” Italy has run with the proposal. On Sunday, medical workers received the first vaccinations under posters bearing the country’s official slogan for the program, “With a flower, Italy comes back to life.” Critics have found the government’s emphasis on Milanese design a little misplaced in a pandemic. “A clown show,” proclaimed one Italian member of the European Parliament. “Idiots,” offered a prominent commentator. “I don’t want a primrose,” protested a top Italian economist, Carlo Cottarelli. “I want an anti-COVID vaccine!” But Boeri rejects the cynicism. “Flowers are serious,” he wrote on Twitter, and in the interview he explained why the primrose was the ideal image for Italy’s vaccination program, which kicked off Sunday. “It’s one thing to go get vaccinated in a container or in a military field hospital and it’s another to go into a luminous space in the form of a flower,” he said. The project took root about a month ago when Boeri received a call from Domenico Arcuri, Rome’s special commissioner for the coronavirus emergency. Arcuri explained, he said, that although hospitals and empty gyms would be the main vaccination points, there would also be a need for external, temporary pavilions to be created. The program to vaccinate at least 40 million Italians to reach herd immunity would last for at least a year and a half. Boeri immediately agreed to help. Like many in northern Italy, he has lost close friends and family to the coronavirus. He said that while the pandemic cast a pall over the year and the country, that made the flashes of generosity and kindness, professionalism and sacrifice shine even brighter. “The demonstrations of generosity were beautiful,” said Boeri, adding that Italy’s vibrant volunteer sector “at times substituted the lacunae of the state.” It was in that spirit that he and his team, which took no compensation, labored. “It was the least we could do.” He and Arcuri agreed that they needed a single, coherent image to spread the word and inspire people to roll up their sleeve. Boeri said he and his team worked furiously over two weeks to come up with something. They sought an image, he said, that could be universally understood as positive “by a 4-year-old or an intellectual in the north or a young migrant.” He said they excluded antagonistic images that could “promote anxiety,” like a simple graphic of a bar crossing out the spiky virus, but were also careful not to promote the notion that a vaccine would set you free. So they nixed proposals like an image of two young people wrapped in an embrace, or of a mask flying away into the uninfected ether. When the flower idea emerged, it immediately resonated. “We began to think that the message had to be so direct that even the pavilions should resemble flowers,” Boeri said. The next question became which flower to choose, a complicated decision in a country where flowers are often identified with political parties. “We entered in a madness about the relationship between politics and botany,” he said. Boeri first thought of a daisy, but then he and his team recalled that it was affiliated with a now-defunct center-left party. They dismissed an Alpine flower, which is the symbol of the nationalist League. They flirted with the idea of the yellow sunflower, but it seemed too close to the bright yellow stars of Italy’s populist Five Star Movement. But once the primrose entered the picture, it struck them as a no-brainer. Boeri presented the plan to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the country’s powerful health minister, Roberto Speranza. They expressed their pleasure with the “positivity of the message” and thanked him for his work, he said. But since the primrose comes in many different hues, “we discussed a little bit on the color.” Conte liked the fuchsia chosen by Boeri, but also thought yellow would be nice, the architect said. Fuchsia was the final choice. The government will now open bids for construction companies and publicity firms, which could make alterations. But as it stands now, the pavilions are to be built from wood and biodegradable fabric and have airflow, waiting rooms, and light. They are to be inviting hubs of inoculation. The promotional video for the project shows flowers blooming in thousands of piazzas across the peninsula. Models of the round white pavilions, stamped from above with fuchsia flowers were imagined in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, and in Trieste and Naples and elsewhere. The designs looked as if Scooby-Doo had taken a spin through Italy in a giant Mystery Machine van, losing tires along the way. Boeri said smaller towns would have flower-branded gazebos. In any case, the primrose would mark the spot where vaccines could be found. Some have even proposed that the vaccinated should wear primrose pins to identify themselves. “The primrose is the symbol of the vaccination,” Boeri said. “Wherever you get vaccinated, there will be a primrose.”

Italy turns to flower power to help spread vaccine message

The crystalline silence of snow was felt in Milan as snow hit overnight and in the early hours of the morning, leaving a white layer covering the financial hub and bringing a Christmassy feel to the iconic Duomo square by the cathedral.

Heavy snowfall blankets the city of Milan

The world is paying the price of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus </a>pandemic with massive loss of lives and livelihoods.&nbsp;

China, the exporter of the virus should be paying the bill of this havoc.

In a first of its kind, now people of Italy are suing their government for failing to protect the lives of its citizens.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/families-of-coronavirus-victims-sue-italy-for-100-million-euros-351928">Families of coronavirus victims sue Italy for 100 million euros</a>

Over 70,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Italy and families demand justice and accountability,&nbsp;

Italians have sued the nation's top leaders and are demanding $122 million in compensation.&nbsp;

A group of 500 families have filed civil lawsuits against three Italian leaders: Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Health Minister Roberto Speranza and the President of the Lombardy region Attilio Fontana.&nbsp;

All three leaders have been accused of criminal negligence and the plaintiffs say the authorities had no plan in place, either nationally or locally.&nbsp;

It said Italy's pandemic plan dated back to 2006, but was never tested.&nbsp;

Italy must answer these valid questions and in fact, the rest of the governments should also do the same.

If the nations cannot hold China accountable, they must answer their citizens on how they themselves handled the outbreak.&nbsp;

On a closer look, one gets to know that Italy's death toll was higher as the country comprised several in the elderly age group, who are more susceptible to the virus.&nbsp;

Also, Lombardy was hit the hardest because it is the nation's most populated region.&nbsp;

The Italian government could have done better by imposing lockdown measures, but why did lockdown protesters derail government measures?

To cushion a disaster, the government and people need to work collectively.&nbsp;

<h2>An experiment in France</h2>

Italy's neighbour France is also badly hit and now the country aims to ban unvaccinated people from public transport.&nbsp;

A recent opinion poll found that 55 per cent of the French population said they will not get inoculated despite no solid foundation of scepticism.&nbsp;

On Monday, Singapore Airlines became the first country to start a digital health verification process for passengers.&nbsp;

This is the future, if citizens can sue governments, administrations can mandate health-related regulations.&nbsp;

Covid-19 has jolted Europe and the new strain can make the situation scarier.&nbsp;

If the continent wants to save its population, solid measures need to be taken which will require citizen cooperation.&nbsp;

The world is paying the price of coronavirus pandemic with massive loss of lives and livelihoods. China, the exporter of the virus should be paying the bill of this havoc.

The world is paying the price of coronavirus pandemic with massive loss of lives and livelihoods. China, the exporter of the virus should be paying the bill of this havoc. In a first of its kind, now people of Italy are suing their government for failing to protect the lives of its citizens. Also read | Families of coronavirus victims sue Italy for 100 million euros Over 70,000 people have died from the novel coronavirus in Italy and families demand justice and accountability, Italians have sued the nation's top leaders and are demanding $122 million in compensation. A group of 500 families have filed civil lawsuits against three Italian leaders: Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Health Minister Roberto Speranza and the President of the Lombardy region Attilio Fontana. All three leaders have been accused of criminal negligence and the plaintiffs say the authorities had no plan in place, either nationally or locally. It said Italy's pandemic plan dated back to 2006, but was never tested. Italy must answer these valid questions and in fact, the rest of the governments should also do the same. If the nations cannot hold China accountable, they must answer their citizens on how they themselves handled the outbreak. On a closer look, one gets to know that Italy's death toll was higher as the country comprised several in the elderly age group, who are more susceptible to the virus. Also, Lombardy was hit the hardest because it is the nation's most populated region. The Italian government could have done better by imposing lockdown measures, but why did lockdown protesters derail government measures? To cushion a disaster, the government and people need to work collectively. An experiment in France Italy's neighbour France is also badly hit and now the country aims to ban unvaccinated people from public transport. A recent opinion poll found that 55 per cent of the French population said they will not get inoculated despite no solid foundation of scepticism. On Monday, Singapore Airlines became the first country to start a digital health verification process for passengers. This is the future, if citizens can sue governments, administrations can mandate health-related regulations. Covid-19 has jolted Europe and the new strain can make the situation scarier. If the continent wants to save its population, solid measures need to be taken which will require citizen cooperation.

Italians are suing their governments, but are citizens acting responsibly?

About 500 relative of coronavirus victims are suing Italian state for 100 million euros (USD 122 million) alleging failure in early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. A group by the name of "Noi Denunceremo" (We Will Denounce) is driving the action. The group has already filed around 300 complaints in prosecutors in Lombardy region. This region has suffered most from first wave of the virus. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-will-stay-with-us-for-the-next-10-years-says-vaccine-creator-351920">Also read | Coronavirus will stay with us for the next 10 years, says vaccine creator</a> 
 
The legal action targets PM Giuseppe Conte Health Minister Roberto Speranza and the president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, the group said in a statement. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-us-nurse-passes-out-after-getting-pfizer-biontechs-covid-19-vaccine-350712">Watch: US nurse passes out after getting Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine</a>

Italy was the first country outside China to suffer a major outbreak of coronavirus and remains one of the worst hit, with almost 70,000 reported deaths so far. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-trial-volunteers-who-got-pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-developed-bells-palsy-348547">Also read: Four trial volunteers who got Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine developed Bell's palsy</a>

The lawsuit alleges "serious omissions" by the Lombardy and central governments, starting with a decision to reopen the Alzano hospital on February 23 after it was shut following the detection of the first Covid-19 cases.

The statement also cited a "severe delay" in closing off the infected towns of Alzano and Nembro, as well as a lack of up-to-date pandemic plans at both local and regional levels.

"This proceeding is to be considered a Christmas gift to those who should have done what they were supposed to do and did not do, while in Italy on December 25, there will be 70,000 empty chairs," said Noi Denunceremo president Luca Fusco.

"With proper planning, as requested over and over again by the European Union and World Health Organization, we are sure there would have been many fewer."

Half of the coronavirus deaths recorded in Italy have been since mid-July, when infections reached their lowest point, which means that the second wave looks set to be least as deadly as the first.

(With AFP inputs)

About 500 relative of coronavirus victims are suing Italian state for 100 million euros (USD 122 million) alleging failure in early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

About 500 relative of coronavirus victims are suing Italian state for 100 million euros (USD 122 million) alleging failure in early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. A group by the name of "Noi Denunceremo" (We Will Denounce) is driving the action. The group has already filed around 300 complaints in prosecutors in Lombardy region. This region has suffered most from first wave of the virus. Also read | Coronavirus will stay with us for the next 10 years, says vaccine creator The legal action targets PM Giuseppe Conte Health Minister Roberto Speranza and the president of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, the group said in a statement. Watch: US nurse passes out after getting Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine Italy was the first country outside China to suffer a major outbreak of coronavirus and remains one of the worst hit, with almost 70,000 reported deaths so far. Also read: Four trial volunteers who got Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine developed Bell's palsy The lawsuit alleges "serious omissions" by the Lombardy and central governments, starting with a decision to reopen the Alzano hospital on February 23 after it was shut following the detection of the first Covid-19 cases. The statement also cited a "severe delay" in closing off the infected towns of Alzano and Nembro, as well as a lack of up-to-date pandemic plans at both local and regional levels. "This proceeding is to be considered a Christmas gift to those who should have done what they were supposed to do and did not do, while in Italy on December 25, there will be 70,000 empty chairs," said Noi Denunceremo president Luca Fusco. "With proper planning, as requested over and over again by the European Union and World Health Organization, we are sure there would have been many fewer." Half of the coronavirus deaths recorded in Italy have been since mid-July, when infections reached their lowest point, which means that the second wave looks set to be least as deadly as the first. (With AFP inputs)

Families of coronavirus victims sue Italy for 100 million euros

A hospital in Rome decided to gift children with the most precious of presents in this social-distanced Christmas: a plastic tent allowing them to feel the human heat again, safe from coronavirus infection.

Children in hospital feel the warmth of a hug again - even if through a plastic tent

Relatives of Coronavirus victims are taking legal actions against the top Italian officials for alleged criminal negligence over their handling of pandemic. The group of 500 family members filling a civil law suit seeking compensation of nearly € 100 million euros.

500 kin of COVID-19 Victims sue the Italian government seeking € 100 Compensation

The pandemic seem to have made Jennifer Lopez rethink about her wedding plans with fiance Alex Rodriguez.&nbsp; 
 
The singer-actress recently appeared on Andy Cohen's radio show and admitted that she is not in a rush to marry Rodriguez.&nbsp; 
 
"We've talked about (not getting married) for sure," Lopez responded to Cohen after he asked her about Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell's relationship. 
 
Hawn and Russel have been together for 35 years but never married. &nbsp;Reacting to their relationship, Lopez said "With like the Goldie thing and Kurt, you think, do you have to, should we?"&nbsp; 
 
"I mean at our age, we've both been married before, it's like, do we get married? Do we not? What does it mean for us? And it's just, it comes down to like personal, like, what do you want to do? There's definitely no rush though," she further added.&nbsp; 
 
Lopez has been married three times before. She was first married to waiter Ojani Noa (1997 to 1998), then to dancer Cris Judd (2001 to 2003) and then to singer Marc Anthony (2004 to 2014), with whom she shares 12-year-old twins, Maximilian David and Emme Maribel.&nbsp; 
 
Rodriguez was married to Cynthia Scurtis from 2002 to 2008. They have two daughters: Natasha Alexander, 16, and Ella Alexander, 12. 
 
JLo and Rodriguez were engaged in March 2019 and were set to get married in Italy in July 2020 but the pandemic made them cancel their wedding plans.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-jennifer-lopez-on-dressing-up-as-alex-rodriguezs-ex-madonna-for-halloween-it-wasnt-weird-351611" hreflang="en">Jennifer Lopez on dressing up as Alex Rodriguez's ex Madonna, for Halloween: 'It wasn't weird'</a>

"It was really sad because we were supposed to get married in June and we had planned it all," Lopez told Cohen. "So in March or April, we're looking down the pipe and we're going, 'This is maybe not going to happen.' Italy's the worst place in the world. And we were going to get married in Italy. I was like, 'OK, we got to cancel everything.'" 
 
The singer admits that cancelling her wedding plans made her feel disappointed but she has faith in "divine time." 
 
"It just kind of gave us a moment to pause and think about it," she added. "And I think it's something that maybe is still important to us, but there's no rush… it'll happen when it happens."

The pandemic seem to have made Jennifer Lopez rethink about her wedding plans with fiance Alex Rodriguez. The singer-actress recently appeared on Andy Cohen's radio show and admitted that she is not in a rush to marry Rodriguez.

The pandemic seem to have made Jennifer Lopez rethink about her wedding plans with fiance Alex Rodriguez. The singer-actress recently appeared on Andy Cohen's radio show and admitted that she is not in a rush to marry Rodriguez. "We've talked about (not getting married) for sure," Lopez responded to Cohen after he asked her about Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell's relationship. Hawn and Russel have been together for 35 years but never married. Reacting to their relationship, Lopez said "With like the Goldie thing and Kurt, you think, do you have to, should we?" "I mean at our age, we've both been married before, it's like, do we get married? Do we not? What does it mean for us? And it's just, it comes down to like personal, like, what do you want to do? There's definitely no rush though," she further added. Lopez has been married three times before. She was first married to waiter Ojani Noa (1997 to 1998), then to dancer Cris Judd (2001 to 2003) and then to singer Marc Anthony (2004 to 2014), with whom she shares 12-year-old twins, Maximilian David and Emme Maribel. Rodriguez was married to Cynthia Scurtis from 2002 to 2008. They have two daughters: Natasha Alexander, 16, and Ella Alexander, 12. JLo and Rodriguez were engaged in March 2019 and were set to get married in Italy in July 2020 but the pandemic made them cancel their wedding plans. Also read: Jennifer Lopez on dressing up as Alex Rodriguez's ex Madonna, for Halloween: 'It wasn't weird' "It was really sad because we were supposed to get married in June and we had planned it all," Lopez told Cohen. "So in March or April, we're looking down the pipe and we're going, 'This is maybe not going to happen.' Italy's the worst place in the world. And we were going to get married in Italy. I was like, 'OK, we got to cancel everything.'" The singer admits that cancelling her wedding plans made her feel disappointed but she has faith in "divine time." "It just kind of gave us a moment to pause and think about it," she added. "And I think it's something that maybe is still important to us, but there's no rush… it'll happen when it happens."

Jennifer Lopez admits the pandemic made her re-think about marrying Alex Rodriguez

The blood of San Gennaro, the patron of Naples, failed to liquefy despite two rounds of praying by the faithful, which some in the southern Italian city see as an omen of bad things to come.

Blood of Naples saint fails to liquefy in what some see as bad omen

Weeks before Christmas and New Year, Netherlands and Italy have said that they're going to follow Germany in imposing stricter lockdown during the holiday period.

Netherlands, Italy to follow Germany for COVID-19 lockdown during upcoming holidays

Inter Milan scored three times in the last 15 minutes as they came from behind to win 3-1 at Cagliari in a dramatic Serie A match on Sunday. 
 
Inter, knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday after finishing bottom of their group, missed a flurry of chances in the first half hour, and Riccardo Sottil made them pay when he volleyed midtable Cagliari ahead in the 42nd minute. 
 
The visitors lost their way after the break but levelled out of the blue when Nicolo Barella volleyed home against his old club in the 77th minute before substitute Danilo D`Ambrosio headed a second seven minutes later, less than a minute after coming on. 
 
Romelu Lukaku broke away to score a third in stoppage time as Inter moved back into second place with 24 points from 11 games, two behind leaders AC Milan who play at home against Parma later on Sunday.

Inter Milan scored three times in the last 15 minutes as they came from behind to win 3-1 at Cagliari in a dramatic Serie A match on Sunday. Inter, knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday after finishing bottom of their group, missed a flurry of chances in the first half hour, and Riccardo Sottil made them pay when he volleyed midtable Cagliari ahead in the 42nd minute.

Inter Milan scored three times in the last 15 minutes as they came from behind to win 3-1 at Cagliari in a dramatic Serie A match on Sunday. Inter, knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday after finishing bottom of their group, missed a flurry of chances in the first half hour, and Riccardo Sottil made them pay when he volleyed midtable Cagliari ahead in the 42nd minute. The visitors lost their way after the break but levelled out of the blue when Nicolo Barella volleyed home against his old club in the 77th minute before substitute Danilo D`Ambrosio headed a second seven minutes later, less than a minute after coming on. Romelu Lukaku broke away to score a third in stoppage time as Inter moved back into second place with 24 points from 11 games, two behind leaders AC Milan who play at home against Parma later on Sunday.

Serie A: Inter fight back late to win 3-1 at Cagliari

The W.H.O has been accused of conspiring with Italian Health Ministry to remove a report on COVID-19. The report reveled Italy's mismanagement during the Pandemic.

W.H.O accused of conspiring with Italy

Venice submerged, way too much this time

Children won't get the chance to sit on Santa's lap at theatres across Italy this year but if you ask nicely and you have been well behaved he may find the time to give you a call instead.

Pick up the phone - Santa is on the line

One of the largest 'Christmas trees' in the world was lit up on Monday (December 7) in the medieval Italian town of Gubbio, a tradition dating back 40 years in which the entire slope of Mount Ingino is lit up with lights in the shape of a tree.

Giant Christmas tree display lights up Italian mountain

The Christmas season has began but COVID-19 pandemic has cast a large shadow on the celebrations this year. So how are different nations around the world preparing for Christmas, WION brings you a report.

Nations around the world preparing for Christmas amid pandemic

Italy has been hit by heavy rain and snowfall that caused landslides, flooding and a high risk of avalanches. In the area of Modena, in Emilia-Romagna, 60 families have been evacuated due to the overflowing of the Panaro river due to heavy rain.

Heavy rain and Snowfall wreak havoc in Italy

Central Italy hit by severe floods & heavy snowfall

The Italian naval data was compromised as a group of men tried to steal the defence data from the Italian&nbsp;aerospace and electronics group Leonardo, the interior ministry reported on Saturday.

The company, Leonardo, has a wide array of activities in Italian naval electronics, network and protection systems, electronic warfare and global communications. Leonardo noticed a serious computer hack. This was followed by a detailed investigation by a Naples prosecutor.

"At the end of a complex investigation by the Naples prosecutor into a serious computer attack against Leonardo .. a former worker and a company director were arrested," a ministry statement said.

In the investigation, it was found out that a programme was inserted into dozens of work computers through a USB stick that allowed the hackers to gather data on several projects over a period of two years. This also included many strategic projects. The hack took place at the company's plant in Pomigliano d'Arco, near Naples.

The incident came to light when a&nbsp;computer crime unit at the prosecutor's office got a hint of it. The unit also issued arrest warrants for&nbsp;illegal access to a computer system, interception of IT communications and illegal use of personal data. Company's former employee and director were arrested.

In addition to those two, the head of the company's anti-hacking unit was also arrested on charges of obstructing an ongoing investigation and providing false information about the nature and effects of the hack.

As per the investigators, the company's IT system was under "Advanced persistent threat" between the period of May 2015 and January 2017. The company's officials observed abnormal data traffic from work stations in 2017 which was being generated through a malware under the pretence of "cftmon.exe". This was when the company was able to identify the hack.

While it is not yet clear which systems were hacked, it has been reported that a total of 94 computers were compromised, 48 of which belonged to aerospace sector and some sectors were being used to create strategic products.

No less than 10 gigabytes of data, equivalent to around 100,000 files, were lifted from the plant in Pomigliano d'Arco, including information on components of civilian and military aircraft.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Italian naval data was compromised as a group of men tried to steal the defence data from the Italian aerospace and electronics group Leonardo, the interior ministry reported on Saturday.

The Italian naval data was compromised as a group of men tried to steal the defence data from the Italian aerospace and electronics group Leonardo, the interior ministry reported on Saturday. The company, Leonardo, has a wide array of activities in Italian naval electronics, network and protection systems, electronic warfare and global communications. Leonardo noticed a serious computer hack. This was followed by a detailed investigation by a Naples prosecutor. "At the end of a complex investigation by the Naples prosecutor into a serious computer attack against Leonardo .. a former worker and a company director were arrested," a ministry statement said. In the investigation, it was found out that a programme was inserted into dozens of work computers through a USB stick that allowed the hackers to gather data on several projects over a period of two years. This also included many strategic projects. The hack took place at the company's plant in Pomigliano d'Arco, near Naples. The incident came to light when a computer crime unit at the prosecutor's office got a hint of it. The unit also issued arrest warrants for illegal access to a computer system, interception of IT communications and illegal use of personal data. Company's former employee and director were arrested. In addition to those two, the head of the company's anti-hacking unit was also arrested on charges of obstructing an ongoing investigation and providing false information about the nature and effects of the hack. As per the investigators, the company's IT system was under "Advanced persistent threat" between the period of May 2015 and January 2017. The company's officials observed abnormal data traffic from work stations in 2017 which was being generated through a malware under the pretence of "cftmon.exe". This was when the company was able to identify the hack. While it is not yet clear which systems were hacked, it has been reported that a total of 94 computers were compromised, 48 of which belonged to aerospace sector and some sectors were being used to create strategic products. No less than 10 gigabytes of data, equivalent to around 100,000 files, were lifted from the plant in Pomigliano d'Arco, including information on components of civilian and military aircraft. (With inputs from agencies)

Defence data stolen from Italian naval electronics; two arrested

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically impacted all of our lives. Face masks have now become a must have accessory & compulsory in many regions around the world. Centuries old Italian workshop is producing luxury face masks made out of gold thread & linen. WION brings you a report.

Italy: Tela Umbra workshop weaves masks from Gold thread & linen

Floods in the Nuoro province of Italy's Sardinia island have left at least three people killed and one gone missing, local media reported on Saturday.

At least 3 killed as floods hit Italy Sardina island

Floods in the Nuoro province of Italy's Sardinia island have left at least three people killed. According to the local media, one person has gone missing.

Heavy rains rocked Sardinia early on Saturday, causing floods and mudslides, with Nuoro's Bitti city facing the worst consequences.

La Nuova Sardegna newspaper reported electricity and internet blackouts in the city as rescue teams struggle to tackle the disaster.

A 55-year-old farmer was killed by a landslide and a 90-year-old man died at home, according to Italian news agency ANSA, while emergency services are still searching for the body a woman in her nineties.

Rivers of mud blocked roads all across Nuovo, forcing the authorities to close schools and parks, according to the report. The weather forecast promises an improvement by Sunday afternoon.

In Bitti,&nbsp;streets were turned into rivers of mud which covered cars and flooded cellars, video footage showed.

“The situation in Bitti has been particularly dramatic,” regional environment councillor Gianni Lampis told reporters. “We have been informed by the mayor that two people have died and some are still missing,” Lampis added.

He said a red weather alert had been issued with heavy rains expected to hit the whole of the island on Sunday.

Floods in the Nuoro province of Italy's Sardinia island have left at least three people killed. According to the local media, one person has gone missing. Heavy rains rocked Sardinia early on Saturday, causing floods and mudslides, with Nuoro's Bitti city facing the worst consequences.

Floods in the Nuoro province of Italy's Sardinia island have left at least three people killed. According to the local media, one person has gone missing. Heavy rains rocked Sardinia early on Saturday, causing floods and mudslides, with Nuoro's Bitti city facing the worst consequences. La Nuova Sardegna newspaper reported electricity and internet blackouts in the city as rescue teams struggle to tackle the disaster. A 55-year-old farmer was killed by a landslide and a 90-year-old man died at home, according to Italian news agency ANSA, while emergency services are still searching for the body a woman in her nineties. Rivers of mud blocked roads all across Nuovo, forcing the authorities to close schools and parks, according to the report. The weather forecast promises an improvement by Sunday afternoon. In Bitti, streets were turned into rivers of mud which covered cars and flooded cellars, video footage showed. “The situation in Bitti has been particularly dramatic,” regional environment councillor Gianni Lampis told reporters. “We have been informed by the mayor that two people have died and some are still missing,” Lampis added. He said a red weather alert had been issued with heavy rains expected to hit the whole of the island on Sunday.

At least three people killed by flooding in Italy's Sardinia island

The global demand for ‘ultra-cold’ freezers has increased exponentially as countries prepare for the arrival of a Covid vaccine.

Italy producing freezers for COVID vaccines

LONDON — Dr. Chiara Lepora had never imagined being deployed in her home country of Italy. As a physician for the international relief agency Doctors Without Borders, she was accustomed to caring for people in countries like Yemen and South Sudan, amid extreme poverty and war.

But early this year, as the novel coronavirus spread from Asia to Europe, Lepora found herself pressed into service in the northern Italian region of Lombardy, one of the wealthiest places on earth.

Anchored by Milan, Italy’s financial and fashion capital, Lombardy boasts sophisticated industry and world-class medical facilities. Yet it was overwhelmed by the first wave of the global pandemic, forcing doctors to ration ventilators and hospital beds while having to decide who lived and who died.

The catastrophe in Italy’s most affluent region was in part a consequence of having entrusted much of the public health care system to private, profit-making companies while failing to coordinate their services. Over the previous quarter-century, substantial investment has flowed into lucrative specialties like cardiac surgery and oncology. Areas on the front lines of the pandemic, like family medicine and public health, have been neglected, leaving people excessively reliant on hospitals for care.

As Italy now contends with a brutal second wave, Lombardy is again near the breaking point, with three-fourths of its hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients — nearly double the level considered dangerous by the national Health Ministry.

“If you consider profit to be the endgame of health care instead of health, some people are going to be left out,” Lepora said. “The pandemic exposes all of those weaknesses.”

Unlike the United States, where more than 30 million people lack health insurance, Europe remains a land of universally accessible, government-furnished medical care — Italy included. Yet in Lombardy, the hardest-hit region, the pandemic has revealed the pitfalls of a poorly executed push to open the system to private providers.

“Specializations such as hygiene and prevention, primary health care, outpatient clinics, infectious diseases and epidemiology have been considered not strategic assets, not sexy enough,” said Michele Usuelli, a neonatologist in Milan who holds a seat on the regional assembly, representing the center-left Più Europa party.

“That is why we have a health system very well prepared to treat the most complicated diseases but completely unprepared to fight something like a pandemic,” Usuelli added.

The same could be said about many wealthy countries, including the United States and Britain, where state-of-the-art medical care has provided no immunity against the pandemic. Only a handful of places — among them Taiwan, South Korea and New Zealand — stand out for their effective responses to the pandemic.

But Lombardy claims distinction as an outlier among the worst-hit places on earth. Italy has suffered more than 760 deaths per million people, according to the World Health Organization, more than the United States and nearly as many as Britain. By mid-October, about half of Italy’s deaths had transpired in Lombardy. The number of the country’s deceased now stands at more than 47,000.

The roots of Lombardy’s alteration go back to 1995, when a flamboyant politician named Roberto Formigoni became the regional governor. He championed legislation that allowed private providers to serve patients while collecting payment from the taxpayer-financed regional health care system.

Many embraced the change as an innovation that brought competition, forcing public hospitals and clinics to improve. But privatization was laced with corruption.

Formigoni would serve more than five years in prison for a scheme in which he accepted jaunts on yachts, holidays at lavish Caribbean resorts and sundry gifts from a lobbyist for private medical providers in exchange for steering the region’s business his way.

The scandal was less an outlier than an indicator of the forces driving privatization, a reality that continued even after Formigoni left office in 2013, experts say.

Many argue that the problems plaguing the regional health care system are an indictment not of privatization but of the failure of local government leaders to ensure that private companies delivered needed services.

“The problem is in the governance of hospitals and clinics,” said Francesco Paolucci, professor of health economics and policy at the University of Bologna.

Regional officials could have conditioned their willingness to pay for treatments at cutting-edge cancer centers on promises that private providers would furnish less lucrative services like geriatric care. But that mindset was trumped by the profits to be made.

“They gave permission to the private sector to more or less open whatever they wanted,” Usuelli said. “It was a complete missed opportunity to hold private companies accountable to their social responsibility.”

The focus on profitable specialties created incentives for doctors to seek jobs in those areas while forsaking general medicine.

In 2016, Lombardy — home to more than 10 million people — saw only 90 medical school graduates go on to pursue specialized studies toward becoming general practitioners. They received annual scholarships of 11,000 euros (nearly $13,000), less than half those secured by people preparing for specialties like cardiology. The numbers have grown in recent years, but not enough to replace retiring general practitioners, medical associations say.

With the best medical minds focused on advanced treatments, Lombardy’s capacity to provide basic medical care and safeguard public health gradually deteriorated. Over the past decade, total health care spending in Lombardy increased 11%, while support for primary care was cut 3%, according to official data analyzed by Usuelli.

Lombardy appears to have compounded its problems with a 2015 law that centralized services for chronic diseases like hypertension in hospitals, further diminishing the role of general practitioners in helping keep their patients healthy.

“This was about rationalizing the costs and avoiding waste,” said Marco Cambielli, a gastroenterologist who heads an association of doctors and dentists in the city of Varese. “But it caused the loss of the relationship between patients and their general practitioners.”

In the neighboring region of Veneto, a health care system centered on so-called community care — in which family doctors and nurses made home visits with an eye toward prevention — performed far better. There, primary care physicians and an effective contact-tracing effort prevented a surge of people from reaching hospitals.

“Family doctors are a cost,” said Filippo Anelli, president of the national federation of doctors and dentists. “If the mentality is that you need to make money from health care, the investment in community medicine looks clearly less remunerative.”

When the first wave hit, Milan — a city of more than 1.3 million — had only five doctors expert in public health and hygiene, said Roberto Carlo Rossi, president of Milan’s Doctors’ and Dentists’ Guild. They were responsible for setting up a testing and contact-tracing regimen.

The region has since hired more. Yet as recently as last month, Lombardy’s health department notified doctors that the agency “can no longer conduct prompt epidemiological investigation.” That notice was as untimely as it was disturbing; Italy’s daily COVID deaths have nearly tripled over the past two weeks, with Lombardy again leading the trend.

Lepora, the Doctors Without Borders physician, was en route to her base in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in February, returning from a trip to the United States, when she stopped to visit her family in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. The pandemic shut down the airports, leaving her marooned.

Two dozen other Italians working with Doctors Without Borders were similarly stuck. They set up a support unit at a public hospital in the city of Lodi.

The doctors were experienced in disaster zones and astonished to see that Italy had become one. Their Italian colleagues were venturing into intensive care units full of COVID patients without adequate protective gear.

Lepora tried to institute a rationing system by limiting the number of people entering the hospital. But she said that plan collided with the operations of private companies that provided meals and cleaning services. They refused to limit their visits, concerned that they could be accused of breaching their contracts.

By the time she returned to the Middle East in June, Lepora had diagnosed a worrying problem.

“The service rather than the patient had been put at the center of attention,” she said.

In Milan, Erika Conforti, 35, opened her own practice as a family doctor in February, just in time for the pandemic. She had taken over a practice from a retired doctor, working out of a private office in an apartment building.

Under the rules governing Lombardy’s health care system, general practitioners were supposed to be responsible for no more than 1,500 patients, but Conforti initially inherited 1,800, including 500 elderly people.

She had been drawn to general practice out of a desire to help people with everyday ailments.

“I love to speak with patients,” she said.

As the pandemic spread, she found herself working 12 hours a day and still failing to keep up with the barrage of calls and emails. She struggled to visit patients stricken by the coronavirus. The regional system lacked protective gear like masks and gloves, so she bought her own.

As the second wave gathers force, Conforti frets that the same afflictions are at work. The region has added hospital beds but lacks nurses and anesthesiologists.

“If there’s not enough people who know how to work in the hospital setting, then increasing the number of beds is pointless,” she said.

At her own practice, 30 of her patients tested positive for COVID-19 on a recent day, while over 50 more were quarantined, awaiting tests that took five and six days to yield results.

“I’d like to be able to contact positive COVID patients at least once a day, but I just don’t have the time,” Conforti said. “I’m worried that every minor distraction that I have has very serious consequences. I’m scared as I’m working.”

 
&nbsp;

LONDON — Dr. Chiara Lepora had never imagined being deployed in her home country of Italy. As a physician for the international relief agency Doctors Without Borders, she was accustomed to caring for people in countries like Yemen and South Sudan, amid extreme poverty and war.

LONDON — Dr. Chiara Lepora had never imagined being deployed in her home country of Italy. As a physician for the international relief agency Doctors Without Borders, she was accustomed to caring for people in countries like Yemen and South Sudan, amid extreme poverty and war. But early this year, as the novel coronavirus spread from Asia to Europe, Lepora found herself pressed into service in the northern Italian region of Lombardy, one of the wealthiest places on earth. Anchored by Milan, Italy’s financial and fashion capital, Lombardy boasts sophisticated industry and world-class medical facilities. Yet it was overwhelmed by the first wave of the global pandemic, forcing doctors to ration ventilators and hospital beds while having to decide who lived and who died. The catastrophe in Italy’s most affluent region was in part a consequence of having entrusted much of the public health care system to private, profit-making companies while failing to coordinate their services. Over the previous quarter-century, substantial investment has flowed into lucrative specialties like cardiac surgery and oncology. Areas on the front lines of the pandemic, like family medicine and public health, have been neglected, leaving people excessively reliant on hospitals for care. As Italy now contends with a brutal second wave, Lombardy is again near the breaking point, with three-fourths of its hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients — nearly double the level considered dangerous by the national Health Ministry. “If you consider profit to be the endgame of health care instead of health, some people are going to be left out,” Lepora said. “The pandemic exposes all of those weaknesses.” Unlike the United States, where more than 30 million people lack health insurance, Europe remains a land of universally accessible, government-furnished medical care — Italy included. Yet in Lombardy, the hardest-hit region, the pandemic has revealed the pitfalls of a poorly executed push to open the system to private providers. “Specializations such as hygiene and prevention, primary health care, outpatient clinics, infectious diseases and epidemiology have been considered not strategic assets, not sexy enough,” said Michele Usuelli, a neonatologist in Milan who holds a seat on the regional assembly, representing the center-left Più Europa party. “That is why we have a health system very well prepared to treat the most complicated diseases but completely unprepared to fight something like a pandemic,” Usuelli added. The same could be said about many wealthy countries, including the United States and Britain, where state-of-the-art medical care has provided no immunity against the pandemic. Only a handful of places — among them Taiwan, South Korea and New Zealand — stand out for their effective responses to the pandemic. But Lombardy claims distinction as an outlier among the worst-hit places on earth. Italy has suffered more than 760 deaths per million people, according to the World Health Organization, more than the United States and nearly as many as Britain. By mid-October, about half of Italy’s deaths had transpired in Lombardy. The number of the country’s deceased now stands at more than 47,000. The roots of Lombardy’s alteration go back to 1995, when a flamboyant politician named Roberto Formigoni became the regional governor. He championed legislation that allowed private providers to serve patients while collecting payment from the taxpayer-financed regional health care system. Many embraced the change as an innovation that brought competition, forcing public hospitals and clinics to improve. But privatization was laced with corruption. Formigoni would serve more than five years in prison for a scheme in which he accepted jaunts on yachts, holidays at lavish Caribbean resorts and sundry gifts from a lobbyist for private medical providers in exchange for steering the region’s business his way. The scandal was less an outlier than an indicator of the forces driving privatization, a reality that continued even after Formigoni left office in 2013, experts say. Many argue that the problems plaguing the regional health care system are an indictment not of privatization but of the failure of local government leaders to ensure that private companies delivered needed services. “The problem is in the governance of hospitals and clinics,” said Francesco Paolucci, professor of health economics and policy at the University of Bologna. Regional officials could have conditioned their willingness to pay for treatments at cutting-edge cancer centers on promises that private providers would furnish less lucrative services like geriatric care. But that mindset was trumped by the profits to be made. “They gave permission to the private sector to more or less open whatever they wanted,” Usuelli said. “It was a complete missed opportunity to hold private companies accountable to their social responsibility.” The focus on profitable specialties created incentives for doctors to seek jobs in those areas while forsaking general medicine. In 2016, Lombardy — home to more than 10 million people — saw only 90 medical school graduates go on to pursue specialized studies toward becoming general practitioners. They received annual scholarships of 11,000 euros (nearly $13,000), less than half those secured by people preparing for specialties like cardiology. The numbers have grown in recent years, but not enough to replace retiring general practitioners, medical associations say. With the best medical minds focused on advanced treatments, Lombardy’s capacity to provide basic medical care and safeguard public health gradually deteriorated. Over the past decade, total health care spending in Lombardy increased 11%, while support for primary care was cut 3%, according to official data analyzed by Usuelli. Lombardy appears to have compounded its problems with a 2015 law that centralized services for chronic diseases like hypertension in hospitals, further diminishing the role of general practitioners in helping keep their patients healthy. “This was about rationalizing the costs and avoiding waste,” said Marco Cambielli, a gastroenterologist who heads an association of doctors and dentists in the city of Varese. “But it caused the loss of the relationship between patients and their general practitioners.” In the neighboring region of Veneto, a health care system centered on so-called community care — in which family doctors and nurses made home visits with an eye toward prevention — performed far better. There, primary care physicians and an effective contact-tracing effort prevented a surge of people from reaching hospitals. “Family doctors are a cost,” said Filippo Anelli, president of the national federation of doctors and dentists. “If the mentality is that you need to make money from health care, the investment in community medicine looks clearly less remunerative.” When the first wave hit, Milan — a city of more than 1.3 million — had only five doctors expert in public health and hygiene, said Roberto Carlo Rossi, president of Milan’s Doctors’ and Dentists’ Guild. They were responsible for setting up a testing and contact-tracing regimen. The region has since hired more. Yet as recently as last month, Lombardy’s health department notified doctors that the agency “can no longer conduct prompt epidemiological investigation.” That notice was as untimely as it was disturbing; Italy’s daily COVID deaths have nearly tripled over the past two weeks, with Lombardy again leading the trend. Lepora, the Doctors Without Borders physician, was en route to her base in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in February, returning from a trip to the United States, when she stopped to visit her family in the northern Italian region of Piedmont. The pandemic shut down the airports, leaving her marooned. Two dozen other Italians working with Doctors Without Borders were similarly stuck. They set up a support unit at a public hospital in the city of Lodi. The doctors were experienced in disaster zones and astonished to see that Italy had become one. Their Italian colleagues were venturing into intensive care units full of COVID patients without adequate protective gear. Lepora tried to institute a rationing system by limiting the number of people entering the hospital. But she said that plan collided with the operations of private companies that provided meals and cleaning services. They refused to limit their visits, concerned that they could be accused of breaching their contracts. By the time she returned to the Middle East in June, Lepora had diagnosed a worrying problem. “The service rather than the patient had been put at the center of attention,” she said. In Milan, Erika Conforti, 35, opened her own practice as a family doctor in February, just in time for the pandemic. She had taken over a practice from a retired doctor, working out of a private office in an apartment building. Under the rules governing Lombardy’s health care system, general practitioners were supposed to be responsible for no more than 1,500 patients, but Conforti initially inherited 1,800, including 500 elderly people. She had been drawn to general practice out of a desire to help people with everyday ailments. “I love to speak with patients,” she said. As the pandemic spread, she found herself working 12 hours a day and still failing to keep up with the barrage of calls and emails. She struggled to visit patients stricken by the coronavirus. The regional system lacked protective gear like masks and gloves, so she bought her own. As the second wave gathers force, Conforti frets that the same afflictions are at work. The region has added hospital beds but lacks nurses and anesthesiologists. “If there’s not enough people who know how to work in the hospital setting, then increasing the number of beds is pointless,” she said. At her own practice, 30 of her patients tested positive for COVID-19 on a recent day, while over 50 more were quarantined, awaiting tests that took five and six days to yield results. “I’d like to be able to contact positive COVID patients at least once a day, but I just don’t have the time,” Conforti said. “I’m worried that every minor distraction that I have has very serious consequences. I’m scared as I’m working.”

Why COVID caused such suffering in Italy's wealthiest region

Romelu Lukaku helped fire Belgium into the UEFA Nations League finals by scoring twice in a 4-2 win over Denmark on Wednesday, while Italy also secured a place in the last four with victory away to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The world's number one-ranked side, Belgium only required a draw from their last League A, Group 2 game at home to Denmark behind closed doors in Leuven and took an early lead through Youri Tielemans.

Jonas Wind equalised for Denmark, but Lukaku got a second-half double and Kevin De Bruyne made sure of the victory for Roberto Martinez's side after Thibaut Courtois allowed a Nacer Chadli back-pass to squirm under his leg and in for an own goal.

Italy secured first place in Group 1 with a 2-0 triumph in Sarajevo thanks to a goal in each half from Torino's Andrea Belotti and Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo.

That ensured they finished a point ahead of the Netherlands, who came from behind to beat Poland 2-1 away with captain Georginio Wijnaldum scoring the winner after Memphis Depay's penalty cancelled out Kamil Jozwiak's opener.

Italy and Belgium join Spain and World Cup holders France in a final tournament which is expected to be held in Italy in October next year.&nbsp;

Before the finals, European national teams will start their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in March and then the delayed Euro 2020 is set to go ahead next June and July.

England have more than one eye on that tournament, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for Wembley, and Gareth Southgate's team rounded out their Nations League campaign with a 4-0 win over Iceland.

Declan Rice and Mason Mount scored in the first half and Manchester City's Phil Foden got his first international goals with a late brace as England had three players aged 21 or younger score in the same match for the first time since 1883.

"It was a very difficult game. All the players were hearing messages that this is meaningless and there was nothing to play for but they did play for it," Southgate told Sky Sports.

Birkir Mar Saevarsson was sent off for Iceland who, like Bosnia, are relegated and will compete in League B in the next edition.&nbsp;

<h2>- Wales move up, Scotland miss out -</h2>

Wales won promotion to League A with a 3-1 win over 10-man Finland in Cardiff that allowed them to top Group B4.

Despite manager Ryan Giggs being missing after his recent arrest on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend, Wales came good with goals from Harry Wilson, Daniel James and Kieffer Moore.

Teemu Pukki netted for Finland, who had left-back Jere Uronen sent off after just 12 minutes.

Winning their group also improves Wales' chances of securing a place in the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-offs, as the two best group winners in the Nations League&nbsp;are guaranteed&nbsp;play-off places if they don't&nbsp;make it via&nbsp;the usual route.

While Wales go up, Scotland missed out on promotion from League B, Group 2 after losing 1-0 in Israel, their second consecutive loss since clinching qualification for Euro 2020.

Manor Solomon's first-half goal sunk the Scots, and the Czech Republic won promotion at their expense after beating Slovakia 2-0.

"We are all disappointed with the way the week's finished," Scotland manager Steve Clarke told Sky Sports.

"It's been an historic week for Scottish football. There was no lack of endeavour. It was similar to the game on Sunday (1-0 loss in Slovakia), just a little lack of quality in the final third meant we couldn't get a goal."

Also securing promotion to the top tier were Austria, who drew 1-1 with a Norway side deprived of stars Erling Braut Haaland and Martin Odegaard after being ordered to quarantine because of a positive coronavirus test in their squad.

Hungary won promotion too thanks to a 2-0 victory over Turkey combined with a 5-0 hammering for Russia at the hands of Serbia.

The Republic of Ireland avoided relegation to League C after drawing 0-0 with Bulgaria, but Northern Ireland and Turkey were among the sides to go down, while Montenegro, Armenia, Slovenia and Albania go up to the second level.

Romelu Lukaku helped fire Belgium into the UEFA Nations League finals by scoring twice in a 4-2 win over Denmark on Wednesday, while Italy also secured a place in the last four with victory away to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Romelu Lukaku helped fire Belgium into the UEFA Nations League finals by scoring twice in a 4-2 win over Denmark on Wednesday, while Italy also secured a place in the last four with victory away to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The world's number one-ranked side, Belgium only required a draw from their last League A, Group 2 game at home to Denmark behind closed doors in Leuven and took an early lead through Youri Tielemans. Jonas Wind equalised for Denmark, but Lukaku got a second-half double and Kevin De Bruyne made sure of the victory for Roberto Martinez's side after Thibaut Courtois allowed a Nacer Chadli back-pass to squirm under his leg and in for an own goal. Italy secured first place in Group 1 with a 2-0 triumph in Sarajevo thanks to a goal in each half from Torino's Andrea Belotti and Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo. That ensured they finished a point ahead of the Netherlands, who came from behind to beat Poland 2-1 away with captain Georginio Wijnaldum scoring the winner after Memphis Depay's penalty cancelled out Kamil Jozwiak's opener. Italy and Belgium join Spain and World Cup holders France in a final tournament which is expected to be held in Italy in October next year. Before the finals, European national teams will start their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in March and then the delayed Euro 2020 is set to go ahead next June and July. England have more than one eye on that tournament, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for Wembley, and Gareth Southgate's team rounded out their Nations League campaign with a 4-0 win over Iceland. Declan Rice and Mason Mount scored in the first half and Manchester City's Phil Foden got his first international goals with a late brace as England had three players aged 21 or younger score in the same match for the first time since 1883. "It was a very difficult game. All the players were hearing messages that this is meaningless and there was nothing to play for but they did play for it," Southgate told Sky Sports. Birkir Mar Saevarsson was sent off for Iceland who, like Bosnia, are relegated and will compete in League B in the next edition. - Wales move up, Scotland miss out - Wales won promotion to League A with a 3-1 win over 10-man Finland in Cardiff that allowed them to top Group B4. Despite manager Ryan Giggs being missing after his recent arrest on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend, Wales came good with goals from Harry Wilson, Daniel James and Kieffer Moore. Teemu Pukki netted for Finland, who had left-back Jere Uronen sent off after just 12 minutes. Winning their group also improves Wales' chances of securing a place in the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-offs, as the two best group winners in the Nations League are guaranteed play-off places if they don't make it via the usual route. While Wales go up, Scotland missed out on promotion from League B, Group 2 after losing 1-0 in Israel, their second consecutive loss since clinching qualification for Euro 2020. Manor Solomon's first-half goal sunk the Scots, and the Czech Republic won promotion at their expense after beating Slovakia 2-0. "We are all disappointed with the way the week's finished," Scotland manager Steve Clarke told Sky Sports. "It's been an historic week for Scottish football. There was no lack of endeavour. It was similar to the game on Sunday (1-0 loss in Slovakia), just a little lack of quality in the final third meant we couldn't get a goal." Also securing promotion to the top tier were Austria, who drew 1-1 with a Norway side deprived of stars Erling Braut Haaland and Martin Odegaard after being ordered to quarantine because of a positive coronavirus test in their squad. Hungary won promotion too thanks to a 2-0 victory over Turkey combined with a 5-0 hammering for Russia at the hands of Serbia. The Republic of Ireland avoided relegation to League C after drawing 0-0 with Bulgaria, but Northern Ireland and Turkey were among the sides to go down, while Montenegro, Armenia, Slovenia and Albania go up to the second level.

Belgium, Italy into Nations League finals as Foden stars in England win

A 10-year-old boy underwent surgery in Italy on Monday (November 16) not with the beeping sounds of machines all around him but with the sound of "healing" music being played on a piano next to him.

Boy has surgery as piano played next to operating table

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