Italy News

(ANSA) - Naples, November 19 - Italian children are more likely than ever to be born out of wedlock and have two working parents, while they continue to be shaped by their social background, according to a new report on Thursday.

The report, offering a snapshot of modern childhood in Italy, was released at a conference timed to coincide with the United Nations' Universal Day of the Child taking place Friday.

(ANSA) - Genoa, November 19 - George Clooney posters have become the latest victims of an Italian minister's drive to boost public sector efficiency.

Admin staff at a Genoa court were dismayed Thursday when the posters of the Hollywood heartthrob were declared "unseemly" under a 'decorum' clause in Civil Service Minister Renato Brunetta's anti-slacker law.

Clerks said removing posters was the last thing management should be worried about.

(ANSA) - Beijing, November 19 - Italian Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti on Thursday gave a lecture to the rising stars of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in which he called for a new 'Global Standard' to govern a now global economy.

Speaking at the PCC's Central School, a post-graduate campus for future party leaders, the Italian minister observed that "the market has become global but the rules which govern it have remained local".

(ANSA) - Rome, November 19 - Doctors without Borders (MSF) are closing their office on Lampedusa because the government's push-back policy has caused a drop in arrivals of illegal immigrants, the organisation said on Thursday.

Referring to the joint Italy-Libya agreement to prevent illegal immigration on Italian shores, MSF said it was "very concerned about plight of migrants being sent back to Libya".

(ANSA) - Naples, November 19 - A mafia hitman caught on camera during a broad-daylight execution in central Naples was arrested on Friday three weeks after police made the video public.

Costanzo Apice, 28, was identified in late October as the shooter in a video showing the murder of Mario Bacioterracino, a convicted bank robber, outside a neighborhood bar last May.

After the video was released last month, Apice fled his home in Naples to the town of Caserta 36 km to the north where he was tracked down by police.

(ANSA) - Rome, November 19 - Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin is refusing to return the silver medal he won in last year's Olympic road race in Beijing, stripped from him for doping earlier this week.

On Tuesday the International Olympic Committee said Rebellin had to give the medal back because he was eventually found to have used CERA, the latest generation of the blood booster EPO.

But on Wednesday the Italian veteran, who came second in Beijing to Samuel Sanchez of Spain, said he was hanging on to the medal, "at least for the moment".

(ANSA) - Milan, November 19 - A painting by Italian Baroque master Guercino is to go on sale in Milan next week and is expected to fetch at least 500,000 euros, Christie's said on Thursday.

The painting, one of a pair meant to be hung together, shows the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt Diana.

The other painting, now missing, depicted her lover, the shepherd Endymion.

Guercino mentioned the two oil paintings in his record book, saying they had been sold to the Roman Count Fabio Carandini in 1658.

(ANSA) - Rome, November 19 - Juventus are determined to beat a depleted Udinese Sunday to keep up the pressure on leaders Inter Milan.

"It's a decisive game for us and we have to try to win it," said keeper Gigi Buffon.

"I know they'll be missing key players, especially my Italy teammates (Antonio) Di Natale and (Simone) Pepe, but they'll be just as dangerous".

Buffon noted that Juve had dropped unexpected points at home, allowing Inter to move into a five-point lead.

"We can't afford to make any more slip-ups".

(ANSA) - Rome, November 19 - Some Italian politicians and sectors of society are guilty of "unacceptable" prejudices against immigrants, the influential Jesuit monthly Civilta' Cattolica said on Wednesday.

In a preview of an article which will be published on Saturday, the Catholic magazine said some Italians scorn immigrants and refugees, likening them to delinquents.

(ANSA) - Rome, November 19 - A biopic on legendary Italian designer Valentino has made the shortlist of documentary films eligible for next year's Oscar.

''Winning the Oscar would be an incredible crown for an emperor,'' said the designer, in a quip over the title of the feature, Valentino: The Last Emperor.

Valentino has called the documentary by Vanity Fair reporter Matt Tyrnauer his ''authorised biography,'' saying that it contained ''all of me, with great sincerity...the moments of rage, anger, annoyance, the funny times: it's me, absolutely natural''.

(ANSA) - Naples, November 19 - The number of children in Italy born to unmarried couples has tripled in the past ten years, according to a new report from national statistics bureau Istat.

In 1998, the report said, children of unwed parents represented 1.7% of the total born that year, whereas in 2008 this percentage leapt to 4.4%.

The percentage of children from separated parents rose during this decade from 6% to 9.4%, Istat added.

The report was commissioned by the labor ministry and presented Thursday at the second day of the National Conference on Infancy here.

(ANSA) - Kabul, November 19 - Newly re-elected Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's inaugural address on Thursday hit all the right chords, according to Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

In Kabul to see the president sworn in for his second term, Frattini said Karzai discussed ''a great many themes close to Italy's heart,'' a pledge to fight corruption foremost among them.

Widespread graft and cronyism in the country has greatly eroded NATO allies' faith in Karzai's ability to guide the country towards a stable democracy.

(ANSA) - Rome, November 19 - Italy will lose 384 billion euros over the next 15 years if it does not move forward with or delays completion of needed infrastructures, according to a new report.

The report from the Chamber of Deputies said that in the trash sector the infrastructures Italy needed included 100 incinerators and 165 compost plants, while in the transport sector the country needed 1,770km of new motorways and 848km of new rail lines.

Italy also needed 53,840km of additional water mains, the report added.

(ANSA) - Rome, November 19 - Italy coach Nick Mallett has made five changes for Saturday's test match with South Africa in Udine compared to the side that lost 20-6 to New Zealand in Milan.

Matteo Pratichetti comes in for Kaine Robertson on the wing while Alberto Sgarbi gets his first cap in the centre after four appearances as winger.

Simon Picone is picked as scrum-half.

Simone Favaro replaces flanker Mauro Bergamasco and hooker Fabio Ongaro gets his first start in a year.

(ANSA) - Milan, November 19 - Inter Milan defender Davide Santon had a successful meniscus operation Thursday, the club said on its website.

It did not say how long it will take Santon to recover but he is expected to be out for 5-6 weeks.

Santon, 18, sustained the injury during Italy Under-21's 4-0 friendly win in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

The defender is one of Italy's most promising young full backs and has played five times for the senior side but is getting little playing time at Inter.