Italy's top story on Wednesday:
Italy's lower house on Wednesday passed Justice Minister Carlo Nordio's controversial 'Nordio Bill', which - among other measures - decriminalises of the offence of abuse of office, news agency Ansa reported.
Italy’s plan to decriminalise abuse of office was slammed by the EU in early January, with European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand saying it “may have an impact on the effectiveness of the fight against corruption".
Nordio said over the weekend he expected Italian mayors to toast the incoming reform, describing abuse of office as a “feeble crime” that “clogs up public prosecutors’ offices with useless files".
The new law also prohibits journalists from publishing excerpts of wiretapped conversations that aren't made public in court judgements or trial proceedings, in a move Green Party MP Devis Dori condemned as a "gag" on court reporters.
Regional court rules on Florence Airbnb ban
Tuscany’s regional administrative tribunal (TAR) on Wednesday dismissed an appeal against Florence's 'Airbnb ban' on the grounds that the measure had already expired in the city council's urban planning regulations, according to Ansa.
Florence authorities banned new short-term tourist lets, including Airbnb rentals, in the city’s historic centre last October under efforts to free up homes for residents and tackle a long-standing shortage of affordable housing.
But consumer associations lodged an appeal against the resolution shortly after its approval, raising questions over the measure’s legitimacy.
Airbnb described Wednesday's ruling as "good news for Florentine families who would like to share their homes to make ends meet," local news outlet Firenze Today reported.
But the city's new centre-left mayor Sara Funaro said the court's judgement did not amount to a rejection, adding that she had every intention of enforcing the ban going forward.
Italy enters week-long heatwave
Italy is in the grip of a heatwave that is expected to last until at least July 20th and bring highs of 40-42°C, weather news site IlMeteo.it reported on Wednesday.
The heat is forecast to be most intense in the centre-south, where minimum nighttime temperatures are expected not to drop below 20°C.
Italy's health ministry placed seven Italian cities, including Rome, Perugia, and Trieste, on maximum heat warnings for Thursday.
The heat was expected to intensify on Friday, with Florence, Bologna, Viterbo and Pescara also on high alert - though scattered storms were forecast to bring temperatures down in the north on Friday and Saturday.
Watchdog slams Taylor Swift ticket scalpers
Italian consumer watchdog Codacons this week condemned companies profiting from the illicit resale of Taylor Swift tickets at "stratospheric prices".
Tickets for Swift's sold out performances at Milan's San Siro stadium on July 13th and 14th were being advertised online for as much as €13,300, the organisation said in a press release on Monday.
"Once again we are witnessing despicable speculation exploiting the high demand for tickets for the American artist’s concerts to make an illegitimate profit," said Codacons President Carlo Rienzi.
The organisation said it intended to file a complaint with Italy's Antitrust authorities and the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office, calling on the authorities to "seize and block webpages selling tickets at above-market prices."
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