Today in Italy: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Meloni in Tokyo, detention centre riots in Rome, Italian mafia boss caught in Corsica, and more of Italy's news on Monday.
Meloni in Tokyo for G7 handover
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Tokyo on Sunday night ahead of talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday.
Their meeting at Palazzo Kantei, the seat of the Japanese government, marks the formal handover of leadership of the G7 from Japan to Italy.
During her official visit to Japan, which will last until Tuesday, Meloni is also set to meet with the presidents and CEOs of Mitsubishi, Hitachi, and other major Japanese companies with interests in Italy as part of a long term plan to increase investment.
"In recent months the Italian government has played a key role in Brussels, making Italy's voice heard with authority and contributing to the debate on major issues," Meloni reportedly told the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun on Sunday.
Riots after death at Rome migrant repatriation centre
Rioting broke out at a detention facility for migrants on the outskirts of Rome on Sunday after a 22-year-old inmate from Guinea was found dead, reportedly by suicide.
Other inmates attempted to break down doors, threw rocks at staff and attempted to set a car on fire as violence broke out following the discovery, reported news agency Ansa. Police responded by firing tear gas.
Politicians from left-wing and centrist parties denounced conditions at the facility later on Sunday and called for the government to close it down.
"The inmates told us about the infernal conditions experienced in this centre,” said MP and head of +Europa Riccardo Magi after visiting on Sunday, adding: “Here there are people who will never be repatriated and are kept in prison conditions.”
The Italian government has announced funding for the construction of more detention centres across Italy and plans to increase detention times as it aims to be seen to take a tough stance on irregular migration.
Paris knife attacker identified as Italian resident
The man arrested in Paris on Saturday over a knife attack at the Gare de Lyon has been identified as a resident of Turin, Italian news agency Ansa reported.
The suspect is a 32-year-old Malian national who has reportedly been a resident in Italy since 2016 and is said to have received psychiatric treatment.
Police said the attack does not appear to have been an act of terrorism and said the suspect "clearly suffers from a psychiatric disorder.”
The man went on a stabbing spree at 7:35 am at the station, which operates domestic trains as well as those heading to Switzerland and Italy.
One person suffered life-threatening injuries to the abdomen while two others were lightly wounded, police told reporters. A fourth person went into shock after witnessing the attack.
Mafia boss who escaped jail using bedsheets caught in Corsica
A boss from one of Italy's most violent mafias who famously escaped from a maximum security prison last year using bedsheets has been recaptured in France, according to authorities in both countries.
Marco Raduano, recognised as dangerous on Europol’s list of most-wanted criminals, was captured in Bastia on the French island of Corsica, authorities said on Friday.
The 40-year-old from the Adriatic seaside town of Vieste had escaped from a high-security prison in Nuoro, Sardinia, in February 2023, using bedsheets tied together to scale down the walls, much to the embarrassment of Italian authorities.
His "right-hand man" Gianluigi Troiano was also picked up near Granada in Spain in what Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described as "another major blow against organised crime," AFP reported.
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Meloni in Tokyo for G7 handover
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in Tokyo on Sunday night ahead of talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday.
Their meeting at Palazzo Kantei, the seat of the Japanese government, marks the formal handover of leadership of the G7 from Japan to Italy.
During her official visit to Japan, which will last until Tuesday, Meloni is also set to meet with the presidents and CEOs of Mitsubishi, Hitachi, and other major Japanese companies with interests in Italy as part of a long term plan to increase investment.
"In recent months the Italian government has played a key role in Brussels, making Italy's voice heard with authority and contributing to the debate on major issues," Meloni reportedly told the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun on Sunday.
Riots after death at Rome migrant repatriation centre
Rioting broke out at a detention facility for migrants on the outskirts of Rome on Sunday after a 22-year-old inmate from Guinea was found dead, reportedly by suicide.
Other inmates attempted to break down doors, threw rocks at staff and attempted to set a car on fire as violence broke out following the discovery, reported news agency Ansa. Police responded by firing tear gas.
Politicians from left-wing and centrist parties denounced conditions at the facility later on Sunday and called for the government to close it down.
"The inmates told us about the infernal conditions experienced in this centre,” said MP and head of +Europa Riccardo Magi after visiting on Sunday, adding: “Here there are people who will never be repatriated and are kept in prison conditions.”
The Italian government has announced funding for the construction of more detention centres across Italy and plans to increase detention times as it aims to be seen to take a tough stance on irregular migration.
Paris knife attacker identified as Italian resident
The man arrested in Paris on Saturday over a knife attack at the Gare de Lyon has been identified as a resident of Turin, Italian news agency Ansa reported.
The suspect is a 32-year-old Malian national who has reportedly been a resident in Italy since 2016 and is said to have received psychiatric treatment.
Police said the attack does not appear to have been an act of terrorism and said the suspect "clearly suffers from a psychiatric disorder.”
The man went on a stabbing spree at 7:35 am at the station, which operates domestic trains as well as those heading to Switzerland and Italy.
One person suffered life-threatening injuries to the abdomen while two others were lightly wounded, police told reporters. A fourth person went into shock after witnessing the attack.
Mafia boss who escaped jail using bedsheets caught in Corsica
A boss from one of Italy's most violent mafias who famously escaped from a maximum security prison last year using bedsheets has been recaptured in France, according to authorities in both countries.
Marco Raduano, recognised as dangerous on Europol’s list of most-wanted criminals, was captured in Bastia on the French island of Corsica, authorities said on Friday.
The 40-year-old from the Adriatic seaside town of Vieste had escaped from a high-security prison in Nuoro, Sardinia, in February 2023, using bedsheets tied together to scale down the walls, much to the embarrassment of Italian authorities.
His "right-hand man" Gianluigi Troiano was also picked up near Granada in Spain in what Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described as "another major blow against organised crime," AFP reported.
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