Today in Italy: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Tractors converge on Rome, wolves spotted in Siena, teacher stabbed in Varese, and more of Italy's news on Tuesday.
Italy's top story on Tuesday:
Dozens of farmers in tractors gathered at the outskirts of Rome on Monday planning demonstrations in the capital as agricultural protests continue around Europe.
Some 50 tractors from Tuscany had gathered in Via Nomentana, a major entry point to the city, as of Monday afternoon, with a further 1,500-2,000 expected to arrive by Friday, Andrea Papa, co-founder of the Agricultural Renewal movement, told AFP.
Farmers will drive their tractors around Rome in a major demonstration beginning on Thursday, one of the leaders of the protest told the Ansa news agency after meeting police chiefs Monday.
Agricultural workers across Europe have been staging demonstrations in recent weeks demanding lower fuel taxes, higher market prices, and a softening of EU environmental regulations they say make it hard for their products to compete with foreign imports.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni blamed the farmers' grievances on the EU's "environmental transition", but underscored that EU agricultural aid to Italy had increased five to eight billion euros following government negotiations.
Siena issues warning over wolves
The Tuscan town of Siena on Monday issued an alert over the increasingly frequent sighting of wolves on the outskirts, local media reported.
Mayor Nicoletta Fabio and Environment Councillor Barbara Magi warned provincial and regional authorities that the animals were being spotted more frequently and asked for "support to deal with the problem in the best possible way and provide concrete answers to citizens to safeguard public safety."
Farmers across the region have recently been calling for a plan to control wolves, reporting an "abnormal" number of the animals which they claim are becoming "fearless".
The regional authority has advised residents to take preventative measures, including by avoiding leaving food waste or pet food outside homes at night, and not leaving pets unattended outside.
Student stabs teacher in northern Italy
A teacher in the northern Italian city of Varese was rushed to hospital on Monday morning after being stabbed by a 17-year-old student on the way to class, Italian media reported. The woman's life was not in danger.
The 57-year-old was stabbed three times in the back with a switchblade in an attack witnessed by two colleagues, who later provided statements to the police.
"It was very quick, we almost didn't realise what had happened, there had been no argument, it was out of the blue," one of the educators told reporters.
The teenage attacker had been diagnosed with a condition and was receiving support to improve his "psycho-aptitude skills", Eniap, The vocational training institute where the incident took place, said in a statement.
Pope Francis to receive Argentina's new president in Rome
Pope Francis will grant an audience with Argentinian President Javier Milei on February 12th, one day after the new leader is scheduled to attend the canonisation of Argentina's first female saint at St Peter's Basilica.
Before his election in October Milei, a self-styled "anarcho-capitalist", had referred to Francis as "the evil one," "nefarious," and an "imbecile" who "promotes communism", AFP reported.
But the two have since appeared to publicly reconcile, with the pope calling to congratulate the flamboyant libertarian on his victory.
Milei responded at the time by extending an invitation for Francis to visit his home country. The pontiff hasn't returned to Argentina since being appointed head of the Catholic church in 2013.
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Italy's top story on Tuesday:
Dozens of farmers in tractors gathered at the outskirts of Rome on Monday planning demonstrations in the capital as agricultural protests continue around Europe.
Some 50 tractors from Tuscany had gathered in Via Nomentana, a major entry point to the city, as of Monday afternoon, with a further 1,500-2,000 expected to arrive by Friday, Andrea Papa, co-founder of the Agricultural Renewal movement, told AFP.
Farmers will drive their tractors around Rome in a major demonstration beginning on Thursday, one of the leaders of the protest told the Ansa news agency after meeting police chiefs Monday.
Agricultural workers across Europe have been staging demonstrations in recent weeks demanding lower fuel taxes, higher market prices, and a softening of EU environmental regulations they say make it hard for their products to compete with foreign imports.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni blamed the farmers' grievances on the EU's "environmental transition", but underscored that EU agricultural aid to Italy had increased five to eight billion euros following government negotiations.
Siena issues warning over wolves
The Tuscan town of Siena on Monday issued an alert over the increasingly frequent sighting of wolves on the outskirts, local media reported.
Mayor Nicoletta Fabio and Environment Councillor Barbara Magi warned provincial and regional authorities that the animals were being spotted more frequently and asked for "support to deal with the problem in the best possible way and provide concrete answers to citizens to safeguard public safety."
Farmers across the region have recently been calling for a plan to control wolves, reporting an "abnormal" number of the animals which they claim are becoming "fearless".
The regional authority has advised residents to take preventative measures, including by avoiding leaving food waste or pet food outside homes at night, and not leaving pets unattended outside.
Student stabs teacher in northern Italy
A teacher in the northern Italian city of Varese was rushed to hospital on Monday morning after being stabbed by a 17-year-old student on the way to class, Italian media reported. The woman's life was not in danger.
The 57-year-old was stabbed three times in the back with a switchblade in an attack witnessed by two colleagues, who later provided statements to the police.
"It was very quick, we almost didn't realise what had happened, there had been no argument, it was out of the blue," one of the educators told reporters.
The teenage attacker had been diagnosed with a condition and was receiving support to improve his "psycho-aptitude skills", Eniap, The vocational training institute where the incident took place, said in a statement.
Pope Francis to receive Argentina's new president in Rome
Pope Francis will grant an audience with Argentinian President Javier Milei on February 12th, one day after the new leader is scheduled to attend the canonisation of Argentina's first female saint at St Peter's Basilica.
Before his election in October Milei, a self-styled "anarcho-capitalist", had referred to Francis as "the evil one," "nefarious," and an "imbecile" who "promotes communism", AFP reported.
But the two have since appeared to publicly reconcile, with the pope calling to congratulate the flamboyant libertarian on his victory.
Milei responded at the time by extending an invitation for Francis to visit his home country. The pontiff hasn't returned to Argentina since being appointed head of the Catholic church in 2013.
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