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Today in Italy: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday

Clare Speak
Clare Speak - [email protected]
Today in Italy: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Police checks introduced at the Italy-Slovenia border are set to continue for another six months, ministers announced on Wednesday. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP)

Another earthquake rocks Campi Flegrei, checks at Slovenian border to continue, Fiat removes Italian flag from cars made in Poland, and more news from Italy on Thursday.

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Evacuations continue after another earthquake rocks Campi Flegrei

Many residents of the Campi Flegrei volcanic area near Naples spent a third night outdoors on Wednesday after another earthquake shook the area earlier in the day.

The 3.6-magnitude earthquake, which hit at 8.28am on Wednesday at a depth of around four kilometres, was felt in many districts of Naples and in several towns in the area, reported news agency Ansa.

Wednesday's was the latest in a flurry of around 150 small quakes in the area since Monday night, including a 4.4 magnitude one that was the strongest in over 40 years.

READ ALSO: Do scientists think the Campi Flegrei will actually erupt anytime soon?

Some 46 families have been officially evacuated from the area so far, with the latest bout of seismic activity in the area triggering panic but resulting in no major damage, authorities said.

Checks at Italy-Slovenia border extended for six months

Security checks at Italy's border with Slovenia will continue for another six months, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi announced on Wednesday following a call with his Slovenian counterpart Bostjan Poklukar.

The extension was partly due to heightened security measured related to Italy's current presidency of the G7, the ministry said in a statement.

In October, Italy suspended the Schengen agreement at the border and reintroduced controls in response to the "intensification of crisis hotbeds on Europe's borders, particularly after the attack on Israel" by Hamas.

"As always, the controls will be put into effect so as to cause the least possible impact on cross-border travel and the traffic of goods, " Piantedosi said.

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Italian police break up Turkish 'terror' gang 

Italian police on Wednesday said they had disrupted a Turkish criminal operation "with terrorist purposes", arresting 19 people including a major boss associated with recent attacks in Turkey.

Hundreds of police carried out the arrests in Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Turkey, police said in a statement, targeting an alleged criminal conspiracy "aimed at setting up an association with terrorist purposes and committing terrorist attacks", news agency AFP reported.

In Turkey, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said 17 of those arrested were Turkish, including Baris Boyun, 39, known as the ringleader of a gang notorious for carrying out murders in Turkey, including via a motorcycle hit squad.

Milan prosecutors said investigators found the criminal group in Italy was "linked to other foreign ones" around Europe, all of them "connected with each other and able to support each other logistically, above all by guaranteeing weapons, men and means of all kinds," AFP reported.

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Fiat removes Italian flag from cars made in Poland

Fiat owner Stellantis said on Wednesday it would remove the Italian tricolore flag from the bumper of Fiat 600 cars made in Poland following criticism from the Italian government, reported La Repubblica.

The move came after Italian police last week seized 134 Fiat Topolino mini-cars at the port of Livorno as they displayed the Italian flag despite being made in Morocco.

Stellantis last month also said it would rename Alfa Romeo's Milano SUV, also produced in Poland, "to prevent any misunderstandings" after government ministers accused it of misleading buyers through the use of the "Italian-sounding" name.

"A car called Milano cannot be produced in Poland. This is forbidden by Italian law," said Italian business minister Adolfo Urso.

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