Thousands of Italians descended on the streets of central Rome to protest against a compulsory government issued Covid green pass, while at work.

Thousands of Italians protest against Covid green pass

Thousands of protesters including members of far-right groups demonstrated in central Rome on Saturday against the extension of the Covid-19 health pass system to all workplaces. Watch this report for more details.

Rome: Thousands protest against extension of COVID health pass to workplaces

Rachele Mussolini, the granddaughter of Italy's fascist dictator Benito Mussolini has been elected as city councilor in Rome for the second time. Palki Sharma tells you how her victory shows that a person can be more than their surname.

Gravitas: Mussolini's granddaughter wins Rome election

A huge fire on Saturday night damaged Rome's famed "Iron Bridge," as parts of the 19th-century structure plunged into the River Tiber.

The bridge was opened in 1863 and is formally named as Ponte dell' Industria (Industry Bridge). It connects the densely populated Ostiense and Portuense neighbourhoods.

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The tragic moment when Rome’s “Ponte di Ferro” or “iron bridge” broke apart in flames early this morning. Built in 1860s, it was iconic. Luckily no injuries. It’s thought gas canisters in shacks beneath could be to blame but could also be electric cables. <a href="https://t.co/GWbMpvhznU">pic.twitter.com/GWbMpvhznU</a>
— Mark Lowen (@marklowen) <a href="https://twitter.com/marklowen/status/1444559731343958016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Romans call the 131-metre long bridge "Ponte di Ferro" (Iron Bridge), since most of Rome's other bridges are made of stone.

No injuries have been reported so far. However, the fire was evident as flames shot into the night sky.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-fissures-erupt-in-canary-islands-volcano-417900">Also read |&nbsp;New fissures erupt in Canary Islands volcano</a>

As per media reports, it may have been started by a short circuit in shacks below the bridge. Firefighters said that the blaze, which was put out during the night, was fuelled by a damaged gas pipe.

Due to the fire, there was a power cut in surrounding areas.&nbsp;

The incident took place on the eve of elections for the next mayor, where the main issue has been the general decay of infrastructure and public services in the Italian capital.

A huge fire on Saturday night damaged Rome's famed "Iron Bridge," as parts of the 19th-century structure plunged into the River Tiber. The bridge was opened in 1863 and is formally named as Ponte dell' Industria (Industry Bridge).

A huge fire on Saturday night damaged Rome's famed "Iron Bridge," as parts of the 19th-century structure plunged into the River Tiber. The bridge was opened in 1863 and is formally named as Ponte dell' Industria (Industry Bridge). It connects the densely populated Ostiense and Portuense neighbourhoods. The tragic moment when Rome’s “Ponte di Ferro” or “iron bridge” broke apart in flames early this morning. Built in 1860s, it was iconic. Luckily no injuries. It’s thought gas canisters in shacks beneath could be to blame but could also be electric cables. pic.twitter.com/GWbMpvhznU — Mark Lowen (@marklowen) October 3, 2021 × Romans call the 131-metre long bridge "Ponte di Ferro" (Iron Bridge), since most of Rome's other bridges are made of stone. No injuries have been reported so far. However, the fire was evident as flames shot into the night sky. Also read | New fissures erupt in Canary Islands volcano As per media reports, it may have been started by a short circuit in shacks below the bridge. Firefighters said that the blaze, which was put out during the night, was fuelled by a damaged gas pipe. Due to the fire, there was a power cut in surrounding areas. The incident took place on the eve of elections for the next mayor, where the main issue has been the general decay of infrastructure and public services in the Italian capital.

Fire damages Rome's 19th century 'Iron Bridge', no injuries so far

Rome’s main airport border police seems to have stopped a Naples tobacco shop owner, who is suspected of running off with a customer’s winning game ticket. &nbsp;

The shop owner was trying to board a flight to the Canary Islands, news reports said. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;European carmakers try to shift to EVs

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As per the LaPresse news agency on Sunday, the man did not have the filched card worth €500,000 (£429,000) with him, but he did have a plane ticket for Fuerteventura. &nbsp;

The man was wanted for investigation of suspected theft. He has not been identified. He allegedly snatched the ticket and ran off with it on his scooter after the customer on Friday asked the shop in a working-class district of Naples to verify the win, which was the top prize. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-to-increase-freeze-limit-for-eggs-sperm-embryo-to-55-years-from-10-now-411103" hreflang="en">UK to increase freeze limit for eggs, sperm, embryo to 55 years from 10 now</a>

An elderly woman, who had purchased two “scratch and win” cards, asked a shop employee to verify the win. The employee then gave the card to one of the shop’s owners for making the final check, reports said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

But instead, the owner allegedly kept the card and raced off on his scooter. The investigators are still looking for the card. &nbsp;

However, the authorities at the Italian tax office, which runs the “scratch and win” operation, have frozen the entire block of card numbers that were distributed to the tobacco shop to prevent anyone cashing in the card.&nbsp;

Rome’s main airport border police seems to have stopped a Naples tobacco shop owner, who is suspected of running off with a customer’s winning game ticket. The shop owner was trying to board a flight to the Canary Islands, news reports said.

Rome’s main airport border police seems to have stopped a Naples tobacco shop owner, who is suspected of running off with a customer’s winning game ticket. The shop owner was trying to board a flight to the Canary Islands, news reports said. Watch: European carmakers try to shift to EVs × As per the LaPresse news agency on Sunday, the man did not have the filched card worth €500,000 (£429,000) with him, but he did have a plane ticket for Fuerteventura. The man was wanted for investigation of suspected theft. He has not been identified. He allegedly snatched the ticket and ran off with it on his scooter after the customer on Friday asked the shop in a working-class district of Naples to verify the win, which was the top prize. Also Read: UK to increase freeze limit for eggs, sperm, embryo to 55 years from 10 now An elderly woman, who had purchased two “scratch and win” cards, asked a shop employee to verify the win. The employee then gave the card to one of the shop’s owners for making the final check, reports said. But instead, the owner allegedly kept the card and raced off on his scooter. The investigators are still looking for the card. However, the authorities at the Italian tax office, which runs the “scratch and win” operation, have frozen the entire block of card numbers that were distributed to the tobacco shop to prevent anyone cashing in the card.

Suspected thief of winning scratch card stopped at Rome airport

The town of Baiae was once a spot for holidaying Romans to drink and party - until it began to sink. Now the ruins of the palaces and domed bathhouses built for Rome's nobility form an underwater archaeological park near Naples.

Diving among ancient ruins where Romans used to party

The 16th edition of UEFA's greatest international competition, Euro 2020, has not only brought delight and excitement to thousands of fans around Europe and the world, but it has also provided massive financial rewards to the 24 teams who have competed.&nbsp;

Italy, the Euro 2020 champions, took home €34 million in total prize money, including €10 million for winning the final on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, the runners-up, England, took home €30.25 million in total prize money, including €7 million for losing in the final.&nbsp;

All 24 teams will receive a participating fee of €9.25 million.

This year, UEFA upped the prize fund for the competition to €371 million, a significant increase above the previous year's prize pool of €304 million.&nbsp;

Qualifying for the round of 16 adds another €2 million to the pot, while the quarter-finals add another €3.25 million.

A semi-final berth is worth €5 million, while the losing finalist is worth €7 million dollars on the day.&nbsp;

The runner-up England team will contribute prize money earned during their historic run to the European Championship final to NHS charity.&nbsp;

The National Health Service (NHS) is the general name for the United Kingdom's nationalised healthcare services.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The 16th edition of UEFA's greatest international competition, Euro 2020, has not only brought delight and excitement to thousands of fans around Europe and the world, but it has also provided massive financial rewards to the 24 teams who have competed.

The 16th edition of UEFA's greatest international competition, Euro 2020, has not only brought delight and excitement to thousands of fans around Europe and the world, but it has also provided massive financial rewards to the 24 teams who have competed. Italy, the Euro 2020 champions, took home €34 million in total prize money, including €10 million for winning the final on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the runners-up, England, took home €30.25 million in total prize money, including €7 million for losing in the final. All 24 teams will receive a participating fee of €9.25 million. This year, UEFA upped the prize fund for the competition to €371 million, a significant increase above the previous year's prize pool of €304 million. Qualifying for the round of 16 adds another €2 million to the pot, while the quarter-finals add another €3.25 million. A semi-final berth is worth €5 million, while the losing finalist is worth €7 million dollars on the day. The runner-up England team will contribute prize money earned during their historic run to the European Championship final to NHS charity. The National Health Service (NHS) is the general name for the United Kingdom's nationalised healthcare services. (With inputs from agencies)

Euro 2020: How much prize money did winners, runners-up and teams get

The champions of the 2020 European Championship are Italy. Roberto Mancini's side crushed England at the Wembley Stadium on penalties. Italy won the penalty shoot-out 3-2 to win their second Euro title.&nbsp;

Luke Shaw scored an excellent volley inside the initial two minutes to give England a 1-0 lead at half-time. Leonardo Bonucci evened out with a short proximity finish as the match went into additional time.&nbsp;

England kept up with their great beginning, with Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips controlling the midfield for England, yet Italy developed into the game in the closing phases of the first half.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/euro-2020-gareth-southgate-says-england-fans-can-intimidate-italy-but-not-boo-anthem-397302" hreflang="en">Euro 2020: Gareth Southgate says England fans can intimidate Italy but not boo anthem</a>

Despite the fact that chances were restricted, Federico Chiesa went close with a low left-foot shot from 20 yards which flew barely wide of the England post in the blink of an eye before half-time.&nbsp;

Federico Chiesa's miss demonstrated a warning of what was to come in the second half, with Italy ruling the game and making various possibilities before Leonardo Bonucci evened out the scores partially as the second progressed half.&nbsp;Lorenzo Insigne passed a 20-yard free-kick wide on 50 minutes before keeper Pickford had to plunge low to one side to deny Federico Chiesa.

Italy's strength was compensated, however, when Leonardo Bonucci clambered home from close proximity after England had neglected to clear a corner. Bonucci struck from the rebound after Pickford had pushed Marco Verratti's header onto the post.&nbsp;

England were playing in the first major final since winning the 1966 World Cup. This was their most recent sorrow in shootouts at a major tournament, after routs in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, and 2012.&nbsp;

The Euro football festival is over as Italy who kick-started the tournament with a success over Turkey ended up being the champions of the current edition. They had a stunning excursion all through the competition and all the credit goes to Roberto Mancini who restored this group and convert them into a feral side.

The champions of the 2020 European Championship are Italy. Roberto Mancini's side crushed England at the Wembley Stadium on penalties. Italy won the penalty shoot-out 3-2 to win their second Euro title.

The champions of the 2020 European Championship are Italy. Roberto Mancini's side crushed England at the Wembley Stadium on penalties. Italy won the penalty shoot-out 3-2 to win their second Euro title. Luke Shaw scored an excellent volley inside the initial two minutes to give England a 1-0 lead at half-time. Leonardo Bonucci evened out with a short proximity finish as the match went into additional time. England kept up with their great beginning, with Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips controlling the midfield for England, yet Italy developed into the game in the closing phases of the first half. ALSO READ: Euro 2020: Gareth Southgate says England fans can intimidate Italy but not boo anthem Despite the fact that chances were restricted, Federico Chiesa went close with a low left-foot shot from 20 yards which flew barely wide of the England post in the blink of an eye before half-time. Federico Chiesa's miss demonstrated a warning of what was to come in the second half, with Italy ruling the game and making various possibilities before Leonardo Bonucci evened out the scores partially as the second progressed half. Lorenzo Insigne passed a 20-yard free-kick wide on 50 minutes before keeper Pickford had to plunge low to one side to deny Federico Chiesa. Italy's strength was compensated, however, when Leonardo Bonucci clambered home from close proximity after England had neglected to clear a corner. Bonucci struck from the rebound after Pickford had pushed Marco Verratti's header onto the post. England were playing in the first major final since winning the 1966 World Cup. This was their most recent sorrow in shootouts at a major tournament, after routs in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, and 2012. The Euro football festival is over as Italy who kick-started the tournament with a success over Turkey ended up being the champions of the current edition. They had a stunning excursion all through the competition and all the credit goes to Roberto Mancini who restored this group and convert them into a feral side.

Euro 2020 Final: 'It is going to Rome' comes true as Italy beat England 3-2 on penalties

Oscar winner Tilda Swinton on Thursday (June 24) brought costumes seen in Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini's films back to life in a special performance where the focus is on the clothes.

Tilda Swinton brings costumes to life in Rome in Pasolini tribute

Another sinkhole opened up in Italy’s Rome, causing damage to two cars that were parked on the side of the road.

A six-meter-deep and 20-meter-long hole suddenly appeared at the side of a road in the Torpignattara district. While nobody was injured in this incident, a Mercedes SUV and a smart car fell into the pit.

An initial investigation has revealed that the sinkhole might have been caused by water leakage in a garage that ran under the streets, the local media reported.

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The authorities were informed about a possible leak by the residents of the area, a local newspaper claimed.

This sinkhole has once again brought attention to the increasing number of such incidents in the city, which, many believe, is being caused by the poor quality of underground tunnels and sewers in the city.

"Episodes that attest to the serious morphological fragility deriving from the characteristics of the city are multiplying,"&nbsp;said Roberto Morassut, a politician with the centre-left Democratic party.

A recent sinkhole in the parking lot of a hospital in Naples had also caused chaos as the hospital had to be temporarily shut down while COVID-19 patients were being treated there.

Another sinkhole opened up in Italy’s Rome, causing damage to two cars that were parked on the side of the road. A six-meter-deep and 20-meter-long hole suddenly appeared at the side of a road in the Torpignattara district.

Another sinkhole opened up in Italy’s Rome, causing damage to two cars that were parked on the side of the road. A six-meter-deep and 20-meter-long hole suddenly appeared at the side of a road in the Torpignattara district. While nobody was injured in this incident, a Mercedes SUV and a smart car fell into the pit. An initial investigation has revealed that the sinkhole might have been caused by water leakage in a garage that ran under the streets, the local media reported. Also read | Giant sinkhole appears in hospital's car park in Italy The authorities were informed about a possible leak by the residents of the area, a local newspaper claimed. This sinkhole has once again brought attention to the increasing number of such incidents in the city, which, many believe, is being caused by the poor quality of underground tunnels and sewers in the city. "Episodes that attest to the serious morphological fragility deriving from the characteristics of the city are multiplying," said Roberto Morassut, a politician with the centre-left Democratic party. A recent sinkhole in the parking lot of a hospital in Naples had also caused chaos as the hospital had to be temporarily shut down while COVID-19 patients were being treated there.

Italy: Giant sinkhole in Rome swallows two parked cars

Beaches near the Italian capital of Rome, in the Fiumicino and Ostia area, reopened to the public on Saturday with a special beach for dogs welcoming back visitors for the first time.

Beach for dogs in Italy welcomes first clients

Second-seeded Rafael Nadal raced out to a quick start and posted a 6-3, 6-4 win over sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Friday.

The Spaniard won the first four games in the first set and saved all eight break points he faced in the second to continue his pursuit of the 10th title in Rome.

The convincing two-hour victory was appreciated by Nadal, who snapped a three-match losing skid to Zverev -- including a straight-set defeat at the Mutua Madrid Open last week.

"I think I played more solid than in Madrid. At the same time, conditions are different," said Nadal, who was referring to the high altitude of the Spanish capital.

"In Madrid, he was able to create a lot of damage with his serve and then with the first shot. Here, the situation is a little bit different. (These are) a little bit more normal conditions on the clay, so I was able to control a little bit more the game than in Madrid."\

Nadal, 34, benefited from six aces to dispatch Zverev, who won the tournament in Madrid.

Nadal will face Reilly Opelka, who advanced to his first Masters semifinals with a 7-5, 7-6 (2) victory over Argentine Federico Delbonis on Friday.

"(I will face) a big chance against a player who has almost an unreturnable serve. (Reilly) is playing well," Nadal said. "I need to be very focused with my serve and then try to be ready to accept (the situation) and be (engaged) on the return. That is what I am looking for."

The 6-foot-11 Opelka recorded 18 aces and saved all four break points he faced to win his match in one hour and 41 minutes.

"I am surprised (to reach my first Masters 1000 semifinal here). Clay is not really my thing," the 47th-ranked Opelka said in his post-match interview. "(It is) not much of an American thing. It is probably just a fluke, but I'll run with it."

Top seed and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic's quarterfinal match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece was suspended due to rain with the latter leading 6-4, 2-1 and up a break in the second set. The match will resume on Saturday.

Russian Andrey Rublev's match versus Italian Lorenzo Sonego didn't get started.

Second-seeded Rafael Nadal raced out to a quick start and posted a 6-3, 6-4 win over sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Friday.

Second-seeded Rafael Nadal raced out to a quick start and posted a 6-3, 6-4 win over sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany in the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Friday. The Spaniard won the first four games in the first set and saved all eight break points he faced in the second to continue his pursuit of the 10th title in Rome. The convincing two-hour victory was appreciated by Nadal, who snapped a three-match losing skid to Zverev -- including a straight-set defeat at the Mutua Madrid Open last week. "I think I played more solid than in Madrid. At the same time, conditions are different," said Nadal, who was referring to the high altitude of the Spanish capital. "In Madrid, he was able to create a lot of damage with his serve and then with the first shot. Here, the situation is a little bit different. (These are) a little bit more normal conditions on the clay, so I was able to control a little bit more the game than in Madrid."\ Nadal, 34, benefited from six aces to dispatch Zverev, who won the tournament in Madrid. Nadal will face Reilly Opelka, who advanced to his first Masters semifinals with a 7-5, 7-6 (2) victory over Argentine Federico Delbonis on Friday. "(I will face) a big chance against a player who has almost an unreturnable serve. (Reilly) is playing well," Nadal said. "I need to be very focused with my serve and then try to be ready to accept (the situation) and be (engaged) on the return. That is what I am looking for." The 6-foot-11 Opelka recorded 18 aces and saved all four break points he faced to win his match in one hour and 41 minutes. "I am surprised (to reach my first Masters 1000 semifinal here). Clay is not really my thing," the 47th-ranked Opelka said in his post-match interview. "(It is) not much of an American thing. It is probably just a fluke, but I'll run with it." Top seed and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic's quarterfinal match against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece was suspended due to rain with the latter leading 6-4, 2-1 and up a break in the second set. The match will resume on Saturday. Russian Andrey Rublev's match versus Italian Lorenzo Sonego didn't get started.

Fast start fuels Rafael Nadal to victory in Rome

An Italian court convicted two Americans on Wednesday for murder of a policeman near their Rome hotel in 2019 while they were on a summer holiday, sentencing them to the maximum life in prison.

Two American tourists given life sentences for killing police officer in Italy

The ancient Roman Colosseum is once again going to have a floor thanks to a new, hi-tech project announced by the culture ministry on Sunday.

Italy plans new floor for 2,000-year-old Colosseum

A flight from New Delhi arrived Wednesday evening in Rome carrying 210 passengers, who will be placed in mandatory quarantine.

Officials said that a new ordinance signed earlier in the day by Health Minister Roberto Speranza requires that passengers arriving from India are quarantined for 10 days at a site indicated by Italian health officials, due to concerns about the deadly spike in that country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-expats-hire-private-jets-to-escape-covid-19-crisis-381339">Also watch |&nbsp;Indian expats hire private jets to escape COVID-19 crisis</a>

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The passengers were being tested upon arrival and anyone testing positive will be taken instead to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID</a> hotel near Rome's main Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. The 210 passengers include children.

Officials indicated that they were primarily Indian nationals who are residents in Italy.

A flight from New Delhi arrived Wednesday evening in Rome carrying 210 passengers, who will be placed in mandatory quarantine. Officials said that a new ordinance signed earlier in the day by Health Minister Roberto Speranza requires that passengers arriving from India are quarantined for 10 days at a site indicated by Italian health officials, due to concerns about the deadly spike in that country.

A flight from New Delhi arrived Wednesday evening in Rome carrying 210 passengers, who will be placed in mandatory quarantine. Officials said that a new ordinance signed earlier in the day by Health Minister Roberto Speranza requires that passengers arriving from India are quarantined for 10 days at a site indicated by Italian health officials, due to concerns about the deadly spike in that country. Also watch | Indian expats hire private jets to escape COVID-19 crisis The passengers were being tested upon arrival and anyone testing positive will be taken instead to a COVID hotel near Rome's main Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. The 210 passengers include children. Officials indicated that they were primarily Indian nationals who are residents in Italy.

Coronavirus: Italy to quarantine travellers from India

To most eyes, the scruffy, sun-faded ship that left Venice for Sicily last week might have looked like a junkyard-ready wreck.

Instead, as the ship embarked upon what might have been its final voyage, via barge and tugboat, and arrived in Sicily on Tuesday, others were hoping it would become a monument to the devastating toll exacted by the trafficking of people across the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe by unscrupulous operators.

The ship, the relic of the deadliest wreck in the Mediterranean in living memory, is a symbol of contemporary migration in Europe that has become part of its cultural heritage, said Maria Chiara Di Trapani, an independent curator working on future projects for the vessel.

On April 18, 2015, the unnamed ship, originally built as a fishing vessel for a crew of around 15, capsized off the coast of Libya, becoming the watery grave for the more than 1,000 people — many from Mali, Mauritius and the Horn of Africa — crammed onboard. Only 28 passengers survived.

The ship’s fate “has to be a reminder that this situation cannot happen in a civilized country,” said Cristina Cattaneo, a forensic pathologist and anthropologist who has been working to identify the hundreds of victims who were trapped in the hull when it sank.

The ship became a tangible symbol of Europe’s failings on migration and of the continent’s inability to conceive of, let alone implement, coordinated policies to handle the mass arrival of migrants, which has intensified in recent decades. Since that disaster, the Missing Migrants Project, run by the International Organization for Migration, has recorded a minimum of 12,521 deaths or disappearances during migration across the Central Mediterranean route.

The ship sank after colliding with a Portuguese freighter that had come to its assistance. An analysis of the shipwreck has been treated by migration activists as a case study on the perils of inexpert assistance at sea. The ship was later used as evidence in a case against the Tunisian captain who piloted the ship and in 2018 was convicted of human trafficking.

“The story of the boat is very complex, involving many people,” said Enzo Parisi, spokesman for the Comitato 18 Aprile, a citizens group in Augusta, Sicily, that wants the boat to become a monument, “a testimony to tragedies at sea.”

In June 2016, the Italian government decided to raise the wreck 1,200 feet from the bottom of the sea to identify the victims. The ship was taken to a naval base in Augusta, and the victims were extracted.

Genetic data was sampled, and corpses and remains were photographed, as were passports, vaccination records and scraps of paper with hand-scribbled telephone numbers. Everything was sent to a forensic laboratory at the University of Milan for the laborious task of cataloging and possible identification.

The ship’s destiny, at that point, was to head to the scrapyard, like hundreds of ships that have been seized by Italian authorities.

But the wreck’s symbolic power had become apparent. In 2019, supported by the Comitato 18 Aprile, Augusta’s municipal council was granted custody of the ship. The region lobbied to have it declared a monument of cultural interest and the committee came up with proposals for a memorial that would have the ship as the centerpiece.

“As a seaport, Augusta has always been welcoming,” said Mayor Giuseppe Di Mare.

The Sicilian city is a first landing spot for many migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, before they are processed and shuttled off to other Italian cities. Because of the coronavirus, the sea rescues now include an interim stop on quarantine ships, and currently there are two such ships in Augusta’s harbor.

In 2019, the ship took an unexpected detour, when — with the approval of city hall and the committee — Swiss Icelandic artist Christoph Büchel took the wreck to the Venice Biennale, mooring it at the Arsenale, the former shipyard of the once-formidable Venetian Republic.

Now christened “Barca Nostra” (Italian for “Our Ship”), the vessel was presented at the art exhibit as a “monument to contemporary migration” and restrictions on personal freedoms.

Last Wednesday, the ship was loaded onto a barge. It arrived in Augusta on Tuesday.

With its return to Sicily, the wreck can become a “starting point to reflect on Italy’s responsibility for these deaths at sea,” said Giorgia Mirto, a doctoral student at Columbia University who has mapped where migrants who die at sea are buried in Italian cemeteries. In a 2019 documentary about the disaster and the attempts to identify the victims, Mirto counted headstones in a cemetery that read: “Unknown Immigrant Deceased in the Strait of Sicily on 18.4.2015.”

The project to identify victims continues. Cattaneo, who is responsible for the university laboratory in Milan, said that funding shortages had hampered the work and that, so far, only six victims had been identified using their methodology, which involves comparing the DNA extracted from the victims to that of family members, as well as anthropological and dental traits.

She is hopeful that progress will be made this year, as the university is now working with other academic institutions, as well as Italian law enforcement authorities, but she cautioned that the condition in which researchers had found the bodies after a year underwater made everything “extremely complex.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross and other national affiliates have also been involved in identifying the victims of the tragedy. They have adopted a different, complementary approach, attempting to draft a list of the passengers onboard by cross-referencing the accounts of survivors, witnesses, relatives and friends, as well as from the objects recovered from the ship. Currently, they are calling some of the nearly 1,500 phone numbers — which have been tracked to 56 countries — that were found in the wreckage in hopes of gleaning new clues.

“For us, the passenger manifest is the most important thing, because by naming victims you are acknowledging them as persons,” said Jose Pablo Baraybar Do Carmo, transregional forensic coordinator for the Red Cross, who has been “working like crazy” on the wreck since 2017. “It’s important to remove these people from invisibility” and let their families know that “there is someone who is trying to find out what happened” to someone who is missing, he said.

So far, his team has managed to identify 474 people who were on the boat.

The coronavirus has drastically reduced Mediterranean crossings over the past 14 months, as well as deaths. Even so, as of Tuesday, 449 migrants are known to have died in the first months of 2021.

The ship will now undergo urgent maintenance, after two years exposed to a north Italian climate.

Augusta has envisioned placing the ship in what the authorities describe as a “Garden of Memory,” which “will have to be in the open, because that boat gives a sense of the sea, the air, the skies. To enclose it in a building would clash with its’ story,” said Di Mare. “Certainly, the ship has attained an international dimension and we want this garden to become a place of reflection for the world, so that all people can ponder.”

To most eyes, the scruffy, sun-faded ship that left Venice for Sicily last week might have looked like a junkyard-ready wreck. Instead, as the ship embarked upon what might have been its final voyage, via barge and tugboat, and arrived in Sicily on Tuesday, others were hoping it would become a monument to the devastating toll exacted by the trafficking of people across the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe by unscrupulous operators.

To most eyes, the scruffy, sun-faded ship that left Venice for Sicily last week might have looked like a junkyard-ready wreck. Instead, as the ship embarked upon what might have been its final voyage, via barge and tugboat, and arrived in Sicily on Tuesday, others were hoping it would become a monument to the devastating toll exacted by the trafficking of people across the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe by unscrupulous operators. The ship, the relic of the deadliest wreck in the Mediterranean in living memory, is a symbol of contemporary migration in Europe that has become part of its cultural heritage, said Maria Chiara Di Trapani, an independent curator working on future projects for the vessel. On April 18, 2015, the unnamed ship, originally built as a fishing vessel for a crew of around 15, capsized off the coast of Libya, becoming the watery grave for the more than 1,000 people — many from Mali, Mauritius and the Horn of Africa — crammed onboard. Only 28 passengers survived. The ship’s fate “has to be a reminder that this situation cannot happen in a civilized country,” said Cristina Cattaneo, a forensic pathologist and anthropologist who has been working to identify the hundreds of victims who were trapped in the hull when it sank. The ship became a tangible symbol of Europe’s failings on migration and of the continent’s inability to conceive of, let alone implement, coordinated policies to handle the mass arrival of migrants, which has intensified in recent decades. Since that disaster, the Missing Migrants Project, run by the International Organization for Migration, has recorded a minimum of 12,521 deaths or disappearances during migration across the Central Mediterranean route. The ship sank after colliding with a Portuguese freighter that had come to its assistance. An analysis of the shipwreck has been treated by migration activists as a case study on the perils of inexpert assistance at sea. The ship was later used as evidence in a case against the Tunisian captain who piloted the ship and in 2018 was convicted of human trafficking. “The story of the boat is very complex, involving many people,” said Enzo Parisi, spokesman for the Comitato 18 Aprile, a citizens group in Augusta, Sicily, that wants the boat to become a monument, “a testimony to tragedies at sea.” In June 2016, the Italian government decided to raise the wreck 1,200 feet from the bottom of the sea to identify the victims. The ship was taken to a naval base in Augusta, and the victims were extracted. Genetic data was sampled, and corpses and remains were photographed, as were passports, vaccination records and scraps of paper with hand-scribbled telephone numbers. Everything was sent to a forensic laboratory at the University of Milan for the laborious task of cataloging and possible identification. The ship’s destiny, at that point, was to head to the scrapyard, like hundreds of ships that have been seized by Italian authorities. But the wreck’s symbolic power had become apparent. In 2019, supported by the Comitato 18 Aprile, Augusta’s municipal council was granted custody of the ship. The region lobbied to have it declared a monument of cultural interest and the committee came up with proposals for a memorial that would have the ship as the centerpiece. “As a seaport, Augusta has always been welcoming,” said Mayor Giuseppe Di Mare. The Sicilian city is a first landing spot for many migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, before they are processed and shuttled off to other Italian cities. Because of the coronavirus, the sea rescues now include an interim stop on quarantine ships, and currently there are two such ships in Augusta’s harbor. In 2019, the ship took an unexpected detour, when — with the approval of city hall and the committee — Swiss Icelandic artist Christoph Büchel took the wreck to the Venice Biennale, mooring it at the Arsenale, the former shipyard of the once-formidable Venetian Republic. Now christened “Barca Nostra” (Italian for “Our Ship”), the vessel was presented at the art exhibit as a “monument to contemporary migration” and restrictions on personal freedoms. Last Wednesday, the ship was loaded onto a barge. It arrived in Augusta on Tuesday. With its return to Sicily, the wreck can become a “starting point to reflect on Italy’s responsibility for these deaths at sea,” said Giorgia Mirto, a doctoral student at Columbia University who has mapped where migrants who die at sea are buried in Italian cemeteries. In a 2019 documentary about the disaster and the attempts to identify the victims, Mirto counted headstones in a cemetery that read: “Unknown Immigrant Deceased in the Strait of Sicily on 18.4.2015.” The project to identify victims continues. Cattaneo, who is responsible for the university laboratory in Milan, said that funding shortages had hampered the work and that, so far, only six victims had been identified using their methodology, which involves comparing the DNA extracted from the victims to that of family members, as well as anthropological and dental traits. She is hopeful that progress will be made this year, as the university is now working with other academic institutions, as well as Italian law enforcement authorities, but she cautioned that the condition in which researchers had found the bodies after a year underwater made everything “extremely complex.” The International Committee of the Red Cross and other national affiliates have also been involved in identifying the victims of the tragedy. They have adopted a different, complementary approach, attempting to draft a list of the passengers onboard by cross-referencing the accounts of survivors, witnesses, relatives and friends, as well as from the objects recovered from the ship. Currently, they are calling some of the nearly 1,500 phone numbers — which have been tracked to 56 countries — that were found in the wreckage in hopes of gleaning new clues. “For us, the passenger manifest is the most important thing, because by naming victims you are acknowledging them as persons,” said Jose Pablo Baraybar Do Carmo, transregional forensic coordinator for the Red Cross, who has been “working like crazy” on the wreck since 2017. “It’s important to remove these people from invisibility” and let their families know that “there is someone who is trying to find out what happened” to someone who is missing, he said. So far, his team has managed to identify 474 people who were on the boat. The coronavirus has drastically reduced Mediterranean crossings over the past 14 months, as well as deaths. Even so, as of Tuesday, 449 migrants are known to have died in the first months of 2021. The ship will now undergo urgent maintenance, after two years exposed to a north Italian climate. Augusta has envisioned placing the ship in what the authorities describe as a “Garden of Memory,” which “will have to be in the open, because that boat gives a sense of the sea, the air, the skies. To enclose it in a building would clash with its’ story,” said Di Mare. “Certainly, the ship has attained an international dimension and we want this garden to become a place of reflection for the world, so that all people can ponder.”

After a tragedy at sea, a wrecked ship becomes a powerful symbol in Italy

Rome's Stadio Olimpico has been "fully confirmed" as a venue for Euro 2020 matches after the Italian government guaranteed the presence of at least 25 percent of fans, UEFA announced on Wednesday.

Rome was one of four of the 12 host cites threatened with having its matches removed because it could not give assurances that spectators would be allowed into grounds given the ongoing Covid-19 situation.

"The authorities have guaranteed at least 25 percent of the stadium’s capacity will be filled," European football's governing body said.

"As a result, UEFA considers Rome to be fully confirmed as a venue for the tournament."

Three other cities -- Munich, Bilbao and Dublin -- have until April 19 to provide UEFA with additional information on their plans for spectators.

Rome is set to host the opening fixture for the tournament, between Turkey and Italy, on June 11.&nbsp;

It was also picked to host Italy's other group matches against Switzerland and Wales, as well as a quarter-final.

"Fans with tickets for matches in Rome should note that there will be no exemptions granted, to any travel restrictions that will be in place at the time, for people arriving from outside Italy," UEFA added.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has warned that countries that failed to offer guarantees on supporter numbers could be dropped as hosts.

Dublin's Aviva Stadium is scheduled to host three group matches and a last-16 game but there are growing doubts over the issue of fan attendance.

The Football Association of Ireland said last week it was "not in a position at this point to provide assurances on minimum spectator levels at the UEFA Euro 2020 matches due to be held in Dublin in June".

Rome's Stadio Olimpico has been "fully confirmed" as a venue for Euro 2020 matches after the Italian government guaranteed the presence of at least 25 percent of fans, UEFA announced on Wednesday.

Rome's Stadio Olimpico has been "fully confirmed" as a venue for Euro 2020 matches after the Italian government guaranteed the presence of at least 25 percent of fans, UEFA announced on Wednesday. Rome was one of four of the 12 host cites threatened with having its matches removed because it could not give assurances that spectators would be allowed into grounds given the ongoing Covid-19 situation. "The authorities have guaranteed at least 25 percent of the stadium’s capacity will be filled," European football's governing body said. "As a result, UEFA considers Rome to be fully confirmed as a venue for the tournament." Three other cities -- Munich, Bilbao and Dublin -- have until April 19 to provide UEFA with additional information on their plans for spectators. Rome is set to host the opening fixture for the tournament, between Turkey and Italy, on June 11. It was also picked to host Italy's other group matches against Switzerland and Wales, as well as a quarter-final. "Fans with tickets for matches in Rome should note that there will be no exemptions granted, to any travel restrictions that will be in place at the time, for people arriving from outside Italy," UEFA added. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has warned that countries that failed to offer guarantees on supporter numbers could be dropped as hosts. Dublin's Aviva Stadium is scheduled to host three group matches and a last-16 game but there are growing doubts over the issue of fan attendance. The Football Association of Ireland said last week it was "not in a position at this point to provide assurances on minimum spectator levels at the UEFA Euro 2020 matches due to be held in Dublin in June".

Rome 'fully confirmed' as host city for Euro 2020: UEFA

Traditional white-gloved traffic police returned to Italy's Rome as Cristina Corbucci becomes the first female traffic cop to stand on a podium to direct vehicles approaching from three directions.&nbsp;

Giuliana Cazzarolli who saw officers change shifts on Thursday said the return of traffic officers, is "a reminder of the beautiful times", reports The Guardian.&nbsp;

The podium was first introduced in the late 1920s in a bid to make the traffic controllers more visible while managing the traffic.&nbsp;

Corbucci said that the job now has "the female touch" as quoted by Il Messaggero newspaper. &nbsp;

"Up there you really feel as if you are in the centre-of-the-centre of Rome," the female cop said.&nbsp;

"The truly intelligent traffic light is this one."&nbsp;

Fabio Grillo, known as the "maestro" trains the officers for the job as since 2004 he has been on and off the podium.&nbsp;

"It's a wonderful job," Grillo said.&nbsp;

"I mean look – we're in the middle of this fantastic square which is a crossroads for Romans, tourists, everyone. You see everything."

Cazzarolli and her husband, Romalo, who were both born in Rome and are in their 80s are delighted with the return of traditional traffic cops. &nbsp;

"It gives us joy to see this and reminds me of how it used to be," said Romalo.

 
&nbsp;

Traditional white-gloved traffic police returned to Italy's Rome as Cristina Corbucci becomes the first female traffic cop to stand on a podium to direct vehicles approaching from three directions.

Traditional white-gloved traffic police returned to Italy's Rome as Cristina Corbucci becomes the first female traffic cop to stand on a podium to direct vehicles approaching from three directions. Giuliana Cazzarolli who saw officers change shifts on Thursday said the return of traffic officers, is "a reminder of the beautiful times", reports The Guardian. The podium was first introduced in the late 1920s in a bid to make the traffic controllers more visible while managing the traffic. Corbucci said that the job now has "the female touch" as quoted by Il Messaggero newspaper. "Up there you really feel as if you are in the centre-of-the-centre of Rome," the female cop said. "The truly intelligent traffic light is this one." Fabio Grillo, known as the "maestro" trains the officers for the job as since 2004 he has been on and off the podium. "It's a wonderful job," Grillo said. "I mean look – we're in the middle of this fantastic square which is a crossroads for Romans, tourists, everyone. You see everything." Cazzarolli and her husband, Romalo, who were both born in Rome and are in their 80s are delighted with the return of traditional traffic cops. "It gives us joy to see this and reminds me of how it used to be," said Romalo.

'Reminder of beautiful times': Rome witnesses first female traffic cop to work atop podium

If, as it’s said, all roads lead to Rome, then they intersect at Piazza Venezia, the downtown hub of the Italian capital, watched over by a traffic officer on a pedestal who choreographs streamlined circulation out of automotive chaos.

For many Romans and tourists alike, those traffic controllers are as much a symbol of the Eternal City as the Colosseum or the Pantheon.

That may explain why the return this past week of the pedestal (plus its traffic cop) after a yearlong hiatus while the piazza was being paved, set off a media frenzy — even if there was little traffic to direct given the widespread lockdown that began this past week to contain an upsurge of coronavirus cases.

“In this difficult period, I think that it was seen as a sign of something returning to normal,” said Fabio Grillo, 53, who, with 16 years under his belt, is the senior member of the team of four or five municipal police officers who direct traffic from the Piazza Venezia pedestal.

In rain or sleet, or sweltering through Rome’s sultry summers, officers have directed traffic from the Piazza Venezia pedestal near the mouth of the Via del Corso, one of Rome’s main streets, for as long as anyone can remember. And the gestures they make with their white-gloved hands is something that all Italian motorists dutifully memorize for their driver’s tests. (Important note: Two hands straight out with palms facing motorists is equivalent to a red light.)

“It’s been compared to conducting an orchestra,” said Grillo.

Apart from regular traffic, Piazza Venezia is also a crossroads that leads to City Hall, the Parliament, Italy’s presidential palace and a national monument where visiting heads of state routinely pay homage — which all contributes to the chaos at the hub.

“This piazza is the aortic epicenter of the country,” said Angelo Gallicchio, 62, who has managed a newspaper kiosk in the square since 1979. “Every person of note who comes to Rome has to pass through Piazza Venezia — you can’t avoid it.”

For many years, traffic police were instructed by Mario Buffone, whose three decades on the pedestal — making him one of the city’s most recognizable figures — were immortalized in a book. He retired in 2007. “He was an icon for us,” said Grillo.

Giuseppe Battisti, 47, an officer who has been on the pedestal for 12 years, said all that’s required to do the job well is passion and “a little elegance.” Although the traffic signals are enshrined in the driver’s code of conduct, “every agent personalizes it,” he said.

Pierluigi Marchionne’s elegance on the pedestal — his gestures earned him a “He’s bellissimo! It’s marvelous!” from a passerby Thursday — is likely what grabbed Woody Allen’s eye when he was scouting locations for his 2012 movie “To Rome With Love.” After seeing Marchionne in action, he was so taken with the traffic officer that he rewrote the beginning of his script so that he could cast him in the movie, Marchionne said.

That affection for these officers has not been without some criticism, however. The image of the municipal police, of which the traffic officers are a part, has been tarnished in recent years by investigations into possible wrongdoing — such as closing an eye to illegal construction and taking kickbacks.

A history of municipal police forces in Italy posted on the website of one national association traces their origins to the guardians of a Roman temple in fifth century B.C. An educational film from the early 1950s from Italy’s national archive, Istituto Luce, however, instead traces the corps’ history to first century B.C., during the reign of the Emperor Augustus. (There’s a nice touch of a chariot segueing into a convertible.)

Today, Piazza Venezia has the only traffic pedestal left in the city. “It is part of the architecture of the piazza,” said Gallicchio, the kiosk owner.

At first, the pedestals were made of wood, and traffic officers would carry them into crossings.

At one point, a fixed, cement pedestal was installed in the piazza, lit up by a spotlight on a nearby building at night when no officer was on duty, Gallicchio said.

The spotlight didn’t help as “motorists kept smashing into it,” Grillo said. So in 2006 it was replaced with a mechanical pedestal that rises from the paving stones to welcome officers arriving for work.

Now, with the work done on the piazza this year, the officers say they are keen to get back to a job they love and, hopefully, to become a focus of tourists’ cameras again after the pandemic passes.

“Maybe we weren’t as famous as the Fountain of Trevi, but we were a tourist attraction.” Battisti said, smiling. “I bet there are even photos of us in North Korea.”

If, as it’s said, all roads lead to Rome, then they intersect at Piazza Venezia, the downtown hub of the Italian capital, watched over by a traffic officer on a pedestal who choreographs streamlined circulation out of automotive chaos.

If, as it’s said, all roads lead to Rome, then they intersect at Piazza Venezia, the downtown hub of the Italian capital, watched over by a traffic officer on a pedestal who choreographs streamlined circulation out of automotive chaos. For many Romans and tourists alike, those traffic controllers are as much a symbol of the Eternal City as the Colosseum or the Pantheon. That may explain why the return this past week of the pedestal (plus its traffic cop) after a yearlong hiatus while the piazza was being paved, set off a media frenzy — even if there was little traffic to direct given the widespread lockdown that began this past week to contain an upsurge of coronavirus cases. “In this difficult period, I think that it was seen as a sign of something returning to normal,” said Fabio Grillo, 53, who, with 16 years under his belt, is the senior member of the team of four or five municipal police officers who direct traffic from the Piazza Venezia pedestal. In rain or sleet, or sweltering through Rome’s sultry summers, officers have directed traffic from the Piazza Venezia pedestal near the mouth of the Via del Corso, one of Rome’s main streets, for as long as anyone can remember. And the gestures they make with their white-gloved hands is something that all Italian motorists dutifully memorize for their driver’s tests. (Important note: Two hands straight out with palms facing motorists is equivalent to a red light.) “It’s been compared to conducting an orchestra,” said Grillo. Apart from regular traffic, Piazza Venezia is also a crossroads that leads to City Hall, the Parliament, Italy’s presidential palace and a national monument where visiting heads of state routinely pay homage — which all contributes to the chaos at the hub. “This piazza is the aortic epicenter of the country,” said Angelo Gallicchio, 62, who has managed a newspaper kiosk in the square since 1979. “Every person of note who comes to Rome has to pass through Piazza Venezia — you can’t avoid it.” For many years, traffic police were instructed by Mario Buffone, whose three decades on the pedestal — making him one of the city’s most recognizable figures — were immortalized in a book. He retired in 2007. “He was an icon for us,” said Grillo. Giuseppe Battisti, 47, an officer who has been on the pedestal for 12 years, said all that’s required to do the job well is passion and “a little elegance.” Although the traffic signals are enshrined in the driver’s code of conduct, “every agent personalizes it,” he said. Pierluigi Marchionne’s elegance on the pedestal — his gestures earned him a “He’s bellissimo! It’s marvelous!” from a passerby Thursday — is likely what grabbed Woody Allen’s eye when he was scouting locations for his 2012 movie “To Rome With Love.” After seeing Marchionne in action, he was so taken with the traffic officer that he rewrote the beginning of his script so that he could cast him in the movie, Marchionne said. That affection for these officers has not been without some criticism, however. The image of the municipal police, of which the traffic officers are a part, has been tarnished in recent years by investigations into possible wrongdoing — such as closing an eye to illegal construction and taking kickbacks. A history of municipal police forces in Italy posted on the website of one national association traces their origins to the guardians of a Roman temple in fifth century B.C. An educational film from the early 1950s from Italy’s national archive, Istituto Luce, however, instead traces the corps’ history to first century B.C., during the reign of the Emperor Augustus. (There’s a nice touch of a chariot segueing into a convertible.) Today, Piazza Venezia has the only traffic pedestal left in the city. “It is part of the architecture of the piazza,” said Gallicchio, the kiosk owner. At first, the pedestals were made of wood, and traffic officers would carry them into crossings. At one point, a fixed, cement pedestal was installed in the piazza, lit up by a spotlight on a nearby building at night when no officer was on duty, Gallicchio said. The spotlight didn’t help as “motorists kept smashing into it,” Grillo said. So in 2006 it was replaced with a mechanical pedestal that rises from the paving stones to welcome officers arriving for work. Now, with the work done on the piazza this year, the officers say they are keen to get back to a job they love and, hopefully, to become a focus of tourists’ cameras again after the pandemic passes. “Maybe we weren’t as famous as the Fountain of Trevi, but we were a tourist attraction.” Battisti said, smiling. “I bet there are even photos of us in North Korea.”

Return of traffic cops to landmark piazza brings unlikely joy in Rome

The sounds of classical music echoed around an almost empty Colosseum on Monday (February 1) as a concert took place that organisers wished would be a sign of hope for a new beginning.

Classical concert a 'sign of hope' as Colosseum reopens

The Indian embassy in Italy was vandalised ahead of Republic Day Celebrations. 'Khalistan Zindabad' scribbled on walls. Who was behind it? WION's Molly Gambhir gets you a report.

Gravitas: Indian Embassy in Italy vandalised

The Indian Embassy building in Italy's Rome was reportedly vandalised by Khalistan elements just ahead of India's Republic Day. India has strongly raised the issue with Italian authorities, even as it complimented the UK on handling the situation expertly.

WION Dispatch: India expresses concern over vandalism on Rome embassy with Italy

India has strongly raised the vandalism issue of the Indian mission in Rome by Khalistan elements with Italian authorities, even as it complimented the UK on handling the situation expertly.

India expresses concern over vandalism of India's Italy embassy by Khalistanis

Italy's mint stamped a new 2 euro coin on Thursday (January 21), commemorating the role of health workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Italian mint stamps new 2 euro coin commemorating health workers

Italian chef Marco Manili is demoralised, the Spazio Caffe restaurant where he works in Rome is struggling to get by and now the government has collapsed into crisis. He says it is difficult to understand how people will be able to keep going if the government goes into free-fall.

Small businesses cry for help, no time for government crisis

The San Callisto Church in the Trastevere neighbourhood of the Italian capital has been outfitted with 15 cubicles each with a bed and a nightstand. The church which has opened its doors to house the homeless.

Rome church opens its doors to the homeless

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

An American woman who visited the beautiful city, Rome, decided to return an ancient Roman marble that she stole in 2017 with a personal apology note.&nbsp;

The woman, identified as Jess, returned an ancient marble to the&nbsp;National Roman Museum and apologised "for being such an American a*****e" for taking something that was not "rightfully mine".

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/skeletons-of-rich-man-and-his-male-slave-found-from-ashes-at-pompeii-excavation-344621">Skeletons of rich man and his 'male slave' found from ashes at Pompeii excavation</a>

When the marble was returned, a message reading 'To Sam, love Jess, Rome 2017' was also inscribed on it with a black marker pen. She also claimed that she tried removing the message, but was unsuccessful in every possible way.

"I feel terrible for not only stealing this item from its rightful place but placing writing on it," her apology note read. "It was a big mistake on my part and only now, as an adult, do I realise just how thoughtless and despicable it was."

The package was sent to the museum from Atlanta, the US and the museum has decided not to press charges against the woman.&nbsp;"From its tone, we imagine it was a young woman…In 2017 she must have come to Rome, and took this fragment of marble in order to gift it to her boyfriend," said&nbsp;National Roman Museum director Stéphane Verger.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/two-million-year-old-skull-of-human-cousin-unearthed-342100">Two million-year-old skull of human cousin unearthed</a>

He also added that the officials found the apology letter was heartfelt and left an impact on him "precisely because she is young – she understood that she had made a mistake."

"It is a spontaneous gesture, but the fruit of conscious reflection," he added.&nbsp;

This letter has come a few months after a Canadian woman,&nbsp;Nicole, sent back two mosaic tiles,&nbsp;a piece of ceramic, and parts of an amphora in the package claiming the artefacts were "cursed" — after stealing them in 2015 from&nbsp;Pompeii.

Referring to the same incident, Verger said, "Maybe she did hear about the Canadian woman. The year 2020, decimated by the COVID pandemic, has made people reflect, as well as moved the conscience. The fact is that three years after the theft, she returned it – it’s a very important symbolic gesture."

An American woman who visited the beautiful city, Rome, decided to return an ancient Roman marble that she stole in 2017 with a personal apology note. The woman, identified as Jess, returned an ancient marble to the National Roman Museum and apologised "for being such an American a*****e" for taking something that was not "rightfully mine".

An American woman who visited the beautiful city, Rome, decided to return an ancient Roman marble that she stole in 2017 with a personal apology note. The woman, identified as Jess, returned an ancient marble to the National Roman Museum and apologised "for being such an American a*****e" for taking something that was not "rightfully mine". Also read| Skeletons of rich man and his 'male slave' found from ashes at Pompeii excavation When the marble was returned, a message reading 'To Sam, love Jess, Rome 2017' was also inscribed on it with a black marker pen. She also claimed that she tried removing the message, but was unsuccessful in every possible way. "I feel terrible for not only stealing this item from its rightful place but placing writing on it," her apology note read. "It was a big mistake on my part and only now, as an adult, do I realise just how thoughtless and despicable it was." The package was sent to the museum from Atlanta, the US and the museum has decided not to press charges against the woman. "From its tone, we imagine it was a young woman…In 2017 she must have come to Rome, and took this fragment of marble in order to gift it to her boyfriend," said National Roman Museum director Stéphane Verger. Also read| Two million-year-old skull of human cousin unearthed He also added that the officials found the apology letter was heartfelt and left an impact on him "precisely because she is young – she understood that she had made a mistake." "It is a spontaneous gesture, but the fruit of conscious reflection," he added. This letter has come a few months after a Canadian woman, Nicole, sent back two mosaic tiles, a piece of ceramic, and parts of an amphora in the package claiming the artefacts were "cursed" — after stealing them in 2015 from Pompeii. Referring to the same incident, Verger said, "Maybe she did hear about the Canadian woman. The year 2020, decimated by the COVID pandemic, has made people reflect, as well as moved the conscience. The fact is that three years after the theft, she returned it – it’s a very important symbolic gesture."

'Sorry for being such an American a*****e': Woman returns ancient Roman marble

Sirio Persichetti can't speak, can't feed himself, and he is only seven-years-old. He was born premature and almost died within months. His parents found him lifeless, not breathing in his cot just eight days into being back home. After spending most of the first year of his life in intensive care in a vegetative state, the hospital thought he would be brain dead his whole life. But against all odds Sirio proved them wrong, and has now become one of Italy's youngest influencers showing thousands of his social media viewers how he has conquered his setbacks.

7-year-old Italian influencer challenges perceptions of disability

The post on the Rome mayor’s Facebook page was triumphant: The police had tracked down a man “once considered uncatchable,” she said in announcing that after a yearlong investigation, the authorities had discovered the real identity of the elusive tagger known only as Geco.

For years, his moniker in blocky letters has marked countless Roman subway stations and bridges, abandoned buildings and schools, parks and galleries. Stickers with his name have been affixed to innumerable street signs, lamp posts and newsstands.

“He has soiled hundreds of walls and buildings in Rome and other European cities, which had to be cleaned using public funds,” the mayor, Virginia Raggi, wrote on social media this past week. She posted a photo of “hundreds of spray-paint cans, thousands of stickers” and other tricks of the trade that she said investigators had confiscated from the apartment of Rome’s most-wanted graffiti painter.

The city authorities did not disclose Geco’s real name. But Italian news outlets identified him, without saying how they had obtained the name. And they gave few personal details about the man, who is thought to be in his late 20s and originally from Rome. His lawyer would not confirm his real name.

Geco is not nearly as well known as Banksy, the world’s most famous artist-provocateur, whose real identity remains a secret. But he has made a name for himself in Rome, where his tags seemed to be everywhere, while his true identity — in the spirit of his more famous counterpart — was kept a secret.

Paulo von Vacano, a publisher and expert in contemporary urban art, said tagging “is something brutal, archaic,” adding, “You tag your name to show that you are king of the street. In the context of what he did, he did it very well.”

Geco fueled his fame by tagging a perilously tall railway tower and by climbing to the roof of a municipal food market to leave an unusually verbose message: “Geco ti mette le ali,” or "Geco gives you wings.”

While most Romans would concur that the Italian capital could use a good cleanup, including its graffiti, many grumbled that the city — and the mayor — had much bigger problems to contend with, from the ever-present scourge of potholes to infrequent garbage collection, not to mention the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic.

“A writer treated like a mafioso,” a lawmaker for the center-left Democratic Party, Matteo Orfini, wrote on Twitter. “Reading and interpreting a city only through the lens of decorum and security can’t be the solution. In fact, it’s a (not small) part of the problem.”

At least one “Free Geco” tag appeared on a city wall. But actually, he has not been arrested.

Geco’s lawyer, Domenico Melillo, himself a graffiti writer turned street artist known as Frode, said the investigation was still in a preliminary phase and his client had not been formally charged.

“Everything has to be verified,” he said.

If Geco is charged with defacing public or private property and found to be a repeat offender, he could face up to two years in prison and fines.

But Melillo dismissed the mayor’s Facebook post as little more than political propaganda that violated his client’s right to secrecy during the preliminary investigation. Mayors have understood that cracking down on graffiti has become a way to forge a political consensus, he said, adding, “They want to show that they’re doing something.”

Through his lawyer, Geco declined to be interviewed.

The Geco sting was carried out by an 18-month-old environmental police task force that works directly for the mayor’s office. It acted on numerous complaints by Raggi as well as the city’s infrastructure commissioner and an association for one of Rome’s biggest parks. They claimed damage to city property as well as various other buildings and green spaces.

It was rumored that Geco had landed in the crosshairs of the mayor because he had mistakenly tagged what he thought was an abandoned building that turned out to be a Secret Service hideout.

The mayor’s office said Geco had also operated in other European countries, above all Portugal, where he had caused thousands of euros in damages in Lisbon.

Some might argue that Rome had expanded its urban art scene thanks to his tags. When it comes to graffiti, there has always been a fine line between vandalism and creative genius, said von Vacano, the urban art expert.

Many celebrated contemporary artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, began their careers as taggers. And countless street painters have achieved fame and market value, from Banksy to Blu — another celebrated and anonymous Italian artist.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Geco has never strayed from his roots as a tagger. In an interview on a Portuguese website, he defined himself as a high-volume bomber who wanted to “spread my name more than having a superdeveloped aesthetic.” He said his top priority was quantity, adding, “Quality comes later.”

“He is pure,” von Vacano said. “He is everywhere, a free spirit, and like all street artists of his kind, he works in lawlessness. He does not interact with the art system.”

While Raggi was celebrating the supposed downfall of one street painter, another was being celebrated at Rome’s municipal Gallery of Modern Art, with a retrospective of the American Shepard Fairey. The show, “3 decades of dissent,” is now closed because of the coronavirus.

And for a campaign launched last November to teach Roman schoolchildren to keep their city clean, Raggi hired a well-known graphic artist to draw her as a manga comic figure. (In one, the mayor is shown frowning upon a graffiti writer.)

Shortly thereafter, the artist, Mario Improta, known as Marione, was fired from the campaign after he posted a vignette on social media depicting the European Union as the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz.

“It’s clear that not everyone likes graffiti, and it’s legitimate that someone can be annoyed that someone has tagged his house. But it’s a leap to think of a writer as a criminal,” said Andrea Cegna, author of a book on graffiti.

To praise the Banksys or the Harings, he said, you have to accept the contradictory part, the illegal part.

“Because, as is true of everything that is aesthetic, everything that has to do with taste,” Cegna said, “there is no right or wrong.”

The post on the Rome mayor’s Facebook page was triumphant: The police had tracked down a man “once considered uncatchable,” she said in announcing that after a yearlong investigation, the authorities had discovered the real identity of the elusive tagger known only as Geco.

The post on the Rome mayor’s Facebook page was triumphant: The police had tracked down a man “once considered uncatchable,” she said in announcing that after a yearlong investigation, the authorities had discovered the real identity of the elusive tagger known only as Geco. For years, his moniker in blocky letters has marked countless Roman subway stations and bridges, abandoned buildings and schools, parks and galleries. Stickers with his name have been affixed to innumerable street signs, lamp posts and newsstands. “He has soiled hundreds of walls and buildings in Rome and other European cities, which had to be cleaned using public funds,” the mayor, Virginia Raggi, wrote on social media this past week. She posted a photo of “hundreds of spray-paint cans, thousands of stickers” and other tricks of the trade that she said investigators had confiscated from the apartment of Rome’s most-wanted graffiti painter. The city authorities did not disclose Geco’s real name. But Italian news outlets identified him, without saying how they had obtained the name. And they gave few personal details about the man, who is thought to be in his late 20s and originally from Rome. His lawyer would not confirm his real name. Geco is not nearly as well known as Banksy, the world’s most famous artist-provocateur, whose real identity remains a secret. But he has made a name for himself in Rome, where his tags seemed to be everywhere, while his true identity — in the spirit of his more famous counterpart — was kept a secret. Paulo von Vacano, a publisher and expert in contemporary urban art, said tagging “is something brutal, archaic,” adding, “You tag your name to show that you are king of the street. In the context of what he did, he did it very well.” Geco fueled his fame by tagging a perilously tall railway tower and by climbing to the roof of a municipal food market to leave an unusually verbose message: “Geco ti mette le ali,” or "Geco gives you wings.” While most Romans would concur that the Italian capital could use a good cleanup, including its graffiti, many grumbled that the city — and the mayor — had much bigger problems to contend with, from the ever-present scourge of potholes to infrequent garbage collection, not to mention the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic. “A writer treated like a mafioso,” a lawmaker for the center-left Democratic Party, Matteo Orfini, wrote on Twitter. “Reading and interpreting a city only through the lens of decorum and security can’t be the solution. In fact, it’s a (not small) part of the problem.” At least one “Free Geco” tag appeared on a city wall. But actually, he has not been arrested. Geco’s lawyer, Domenico Melillo, himself a graffiti writer turned street artist known as Frode, said the investigation was still in a preliminary phase and his client had not been formally charged. “Everything has to be verified,” he said. If Geco is charged with defacing public or private property and found to be a repeat offender, he could face up to two years in prison and fines. But Melillo dismissed the mayor’s Facebook post as little more than political propaganda that violated his client’s right to secrecy during the preliminary investigation. Mayors have understood that cracking down on graffiti has become a way to forge a political consensus, he said, adding, “They want to show that they’re doing something.” Through his lawyer, Geco declined to be interviewed. The Geco sting was carried out by an 18-month-old environmental police task force that works directly for the mayor’s office. It acted on numerous complaints by Raggi as well as the city’s infrastructure commissioner and an association for one of Rome’s biggest parks. They claimed damage to city property as well as various other buildings and green spaces. It was rumored that Geco had landed in the crosshairs of the mayor because he had mistakenly tagged what he thought was an abandoned building that turned out to be a Secret Service hideout. The mayor’s office said Geco had also operated in other European countries, above all Portugal, where he had caused thousands of euros in damages in Lisbon. Some might argue that Rome had expanded its urban art scene thanks to his tags. When it comes to graffiti, there has always been a fine line between vandalism and creative genius, said von Vacano, the urban art expert. Many celebrated contemporary artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, began their careers as taggers. And countless street painters have achieved fame and market value, from Banksy to Blu — another celebrated and anonymous Italian artist. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Geco has never strayed from his roots as a tagger. In an interview on a Portuguese website, he defined himself as a high-volume bomber who wanted to “spread my name more than having a superdeveloped aesthetic.” He said his top priority was quantity, adding, “Quality comes later.” “He is pure,” von Vacano said. “He is everywhere, a free spirit, and like all street artists of his kind, he works in lawlessness. He does not interact with the art system.” While Raggi was celebrating the supposed downfall of one street painter, another was being celebrated at Rome’s municipal Gallery of Modern Art, with a retrospective of the American Shepard Fairey. The show, “3 decades of dissent,” is now closed because of the coronavirus. And for a campaign launched last November to teach Roman schoolchildren to keep their city clean, Raggi hired a well-known graphic artist to draw her as a manga comic figure. (In one, the mayor is shown frowning upon a graffiti writer.) Shortly thereafter, the artist, Mario Improta, known as Marione, was fired from the campaign after he posted a vignette on social media depicting the European Union as the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. “It’s clear that not everyone likes graffiti, and it’s legitimate that someone can be annoyed that someone has tagged his house. But it’s a leap to think of a writer as a criminal,” said Andrea Cegna, author of a book on graffiti. To praise the Banksys or the Harings, he said, you have to accept the contradictory part, the illegal part. “Because, as is true of everything that is aesthetic, everything that has to do with taste,” Cegna said, “there is no right or wrong.”

Rome tracks down the man behind all that graffiti. No, it’s not Banksy

Luigi Ventura, Vatican's former ambassador to France is set to go on trial for alleged sexual misconduct.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vatican-china-renew-bishop-appointment-deal-for-two-years-337095">Also Read:&nbsp;Vatican, China renew bishop appointment deal for two years</a>

The former ambassador to France who goes on trial in Paris is accused of inappropriately touching five men.

Ventura had resigned last year after reaching 75 years of age and the Vatican moved swiftly to diplomatic immunity.

Ventura's lawyer had said that Bishop Ventura had asked for the lifting of diplomatic immunity in order to explain himself better.

According to reports, Ventura has been living in Rome since September last year.

Ventura was reported for the first time last year and four other men later came forward with the similar accusation.

In France, sexual assault carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros.

The Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of sexual assault allegation over the last decade.

Luigi Ventura, Vatican's former ambassador to France is set to go on trial for alleged sexual misconduct. Also Read: Vatican, China renew bishop appointment deal for two years The former ambassador to France who goes on trial in Paris is accused of inappropriately touching five men.

Luigi Ventura, Vatican's former ambassador to France is set to go on trial for alleged sexual misconduct. Also Read: Vatican, China renew bishop appointment deal for two years The former ambassador to France who goes on trial in Paris is accused of inappropriately touching five men. Ventura had resigned last year after reaching 75 years of age and the Vatican moved swiftly to diplomatic immunity. Ventura's lawyer had said that Bishop Ventura had asked for the lifting of diplomatic immunity in order to explain himself better. According to reports, Ventura has been living in Rome since September last year. Ventura was reported for the first time last year and four other men later came forward with the similar accusation. In France, sexual assault carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a fine of 75,000 euros. The Catholic Church has been rocked by a series of sexual assault allegation over the last decade.

Vatican's former France envoy Luigi Ventura on trial for sexual assault

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