BY:
PHILLIPA
COLE
Italian man held after racially-motivated attack
Saturday 3rd Feb 2018 Source: Reuters
Police captured an Italian man in the city of Macerata, in central Italy, after he opened fire on black African migrants, injuring six people. The suspect was draped in an Italian flag and reportedly made a fascist salute when captured. The attack came shortly after the body of an 18-year-old Italian woman was found near the city, leading to the arrest of a Nigerian migrant. The Italian suspect reportedly stood as a candidate for the extreme-right Northern League at local elections in 2017. The party forms part of the centre-right alliance spearheaded by Silvio Berlusconi, currently leading the election polls. Matteo Salvini, leader of the Northern League has dissociated himself from the attack, but attributed the tensions to mass immigration.
Rise in violence and harassment in election lead-up
Wednesday 21st Feb 2018 Source: The Guardian
Politically-motivated violence has characterised the election lead-up this year, with rising clashes between fascists and left-wing activists, and a number of racial attacks reported. Commentators have compared the brutality, including a recent violent attack on Massimo Ursino, a leader of Forza Nuova, in Palermo, and a drive-by shooting against six migrants in the town of Macerata, to the Anni di piombo – the violent Years of Lead in the late 1960s and 70s, characterised by domestic terrorism on both extreme ends of the political spectrum.
POLITICA
Beppe Grillo distances himself from Five Star Movement in election run-up
Wednesday 24th Jan 2018 Source: The Guardian
The verbose Italian comedian, Beppe Grillo, has been the powerhouse behind Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement since its foundation in 2009. Grillo announced he was leaving the party back in 2005, but he struggled to stay out of the spotlight. Luigi di Maio was elected party leader and prime ministerial candidate in September 2017, taking the reins of the party launched by Grillo and the late web strategist Gianroberto Casaleggio. Grillo’s position continues to confuse commentators, but it is thought that this increased distance could be a move to improve the party’s chances on in the general election on March 4th this year.
Milan train crash: At least three killed and almost 50 injured
Thursday 25th Jan 2018 Source: The Telegraph and Il Giorno
A commuter service bound for Milan’s Garibaldi station derailed on the outskirts of the city at around 6am local time. Passengers were trapped in carriages as rescue crews climbed through. The cause of the derailment has not been made clear, with a number of anomalous circumstances being considered.
Prosecutor’s verdict: Giulio Regeni murdered “over research”
Friday 26th Jan 2018
Source: BBC
In a comment on the case of Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Italian graduate student found dead in Cairo two years ago, a Rome prosecutor has drawn links between the student’s death and his research on Egypt’s independent trade unions, a politically sensitive topic. In a summary of the investigation, Giuseppe Pignatone stated that the motive for Regeni’s murder could be “attributed solely” to his research. Falling short of accusing any party in particular, Pignatone revealed that Egyptian police had held Regeni under surveillance up until his disappearance. Egyptian officials have admitted that Regeni was being monitored, but deny any involvement in his murder.