Today in Italy: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Vatican calls for worldwide ban on surrogacy, petrol prices reach six-month high, Islamic State member arrested in Rome, and more news from around Italy on Tuesday.
Italy's top story on Tuesday:
Vatican calls for surrogacy to be banned 'universally'
The Vatican said in a document published on Monday that surrogate motherhood should be banned worldwide, news agency Ansa reported.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith's new declaration, titled Dignitas Infinita, said that the practice "represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child” and considers human life “an object of commodity".
As such, the document called for “a commitment by the international community to ban this practice universally”.
The declaration was published just two days after Rome's Lumsa Catholic University – an institution closely affiliated with the Vatican – hosted an international campaign to ban surrogacy.
Last June, Italy's lower house of parliament approved a bill seeking to make surrogacy – which is already illegal in Italy – a universal crime. If passed by senate, this would make Italian couples using a surrogate mother abroad liable for prosecution on their return to Italy.
Petrol prices reach six-month high
The price of petrol in Italy reached a six-month high on Monday, according to data from the Quotidiano Energia magazine cited by SkyTG24.
The report said that the average price of unleaded petrol at self-service pumps had risen to €1.91 a litre – the highest level since October 19th 2023 – while prices at ‘served’ pumps stood at €1.95 a litre, up from €1.94.
Diesel also registered a slight increase on Monday as it cost €1.81 a litre on average, up from €1.80.
Italy saw multiple hikes in fuel prices in 2023, with Rome prosecutors opening an investigation into petrol stations’ practices last June following allegations of price fixing from consumer groups.
Rome’s Metro A line to close early until early December
Rome's Metro A line will close early until Thursday, December 5th after maintenance work in preparation for the Vatican's 2025 Jubilee Year started on Monday evening.
The entire line will close at 9pm from Sunday to Thursday and passengers will be directed to use a replacement bus service, the city's transport authority has confirmed.
On Fridays and Saturdays the line is to remain open until the usual time of 1.30am.
Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri said that the planned work was "necessary to address the significant increase in demand for public transport" expected.
IS member arrested at Rome Airport
A member of the Islamic State terror group was arrested at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Monday morning, Italian authorities said.
32-year-old Tajikistan citizen Ilkhomi Sayrakhmonzoda was subject to an international arrest warrant for travelling to Syria to fight with IS in 2014, and has since remained an active member of the group.
He reportedly had a range of aliases with different dates of birth and nationalities, including Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.
Sayrakhmonzoda was apprehended by members of Italy's terrorism and organised crime police division, DIGOS, after landing on a flight from Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
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Italy's top story on Tuesday:
Vatican calls for surrogacy to be banned 'universally'
The Vatican said in a document published on Monday that surrogate motherhood should be banned worldwide, news agency Ansa reported.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith's new declaration, titled Dignitas Infinita, said that the practice "represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child” and considers human life “an object of commodity".
As such, the document called for “a commitment by the international community to ban this practice universally”.
The declaration was published just two days after Rome's Lumsa Catholic University – an institution closely affiliated with the Vatican – hosted an international campaign to ban surrogacy.
Last June, Italy's lower house of parliament approved a bill seeking to make surrogacy – which is already illegal in Italy – a universal crime. If passed by senate, this would make Italian couples using a surrogate mother abroad liable for prosecution on their return to Italy.
Petrol prices reach six-month high
The price of petrol in Italy reached a six-month high on Monday, according to data from the Quotidiano Energia magazine cited by SkyTG24.
The report said that the average price of unleaded petrol at self-service pumps had risen to €1.91 a litre – the highest level since October 19th 2023 – while prices at ‘served’ pumps stood at €1.95 a litre, up from €1.94.
Diesel also registered a slight increase on Monday as it cost €1.81 a litre on average, up from €1.80.
Italy saw multiple hikes in fuel prices in 2023, with Rome prosecutors opening an investigation into petrol stations’ practices last June following allegations of price fixing from consumer groups.
Rome’s Metro A line to close early until early December
Rome's Metro A line will close early until Thursday, December 5th after maintenance work in preparation for the Vatican's 2025 Jubilee Year started on Monday evening.
The entire line will close at 9pm from Sunday to Thursday and passengers will be directed to use a replacement bus service, the city's transport authority has confirmed.
On Fridays and Saturdays the line is to remain open until the usual time of 1.30am.
Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri said that the planned work was "necessary to address the significant increase in demand for public transport" expected.
IS member arrested at Rome Airport
A member of the Islamic State terror group was arrested at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Monday morning, Italian authorities said.
32-year-old Tajikistan citizen Ilkhomi Sayrakhmonzoda was subject to an international arrest warrant for travelling to Syria to fight with IS in 2014, and has since remained an active member of the group.
He reportedly had a range of aliases with different dates of birth and nationalities, including Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine.
Sayrakhmonzoda was apprehended by members of Italy's terrorism and organised crime police division, DIGOS, after landing on a flight from Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
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