4.5 million people skipped healthcare in 2023, report finds
Some 4.5 million people – 7.6 percent of Italy’s population – forwent public healthcare services in the year 2023 because they couldn't afford them, waiting times were too long, or clinics were too far away from their place of residence, a report from the National Council for Economy and Labour (CNEL) said on Sunday.
CNEL said this marked a 0.6-percent increase against 2022 (7 percent) and a 1.3-percent increase compared to 2019 (6.3 percent).
The highest renunciation rate was registered in the 55-59 age group, with 11.1 percent (over one in 10).
Sardinia was the worst-ranked Italian region, with 13.7 percent of people forgoing care. It was preceded by Lazio (10.5 percent) and Marche (9.7 percent).
The number of people forgoing healthcare services due to lengthy waiting times stood at 4.5 percent of the total resident population in 2023 – up from 2.8 percent in 2019.
Italy’s public healthcare system has been plagued by long waiting lists in recent years, with an increasing number of patients choosing to turn to private providers to avoid queues.
Italian foreign ministry's website back up and running after pro-Russian cyberattack
The Italian foreign ministry's website was fully operational on Sunday following a cyberattack by a pro-Russian hacker group on Saturday, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on social media platform X.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website is back up and running at full capacity after yesterday's hacker attack," Tajani said.
"Access has been restored for all IPs, including those outside the Italian geographical area,” he added.
Saturday’s security breach was part of a wider network of cyberattacks targeting a series of Italian websites including those of Milan’s Malpensa and Linate airports, and the public transport systems in Siena and Turin.
The pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for the attacks in a Telegram post on Saturday.
The group is known for targeting public institutions and strategic sectors in NATO countries that have supported Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Italian journalist detained in Iran in ‘good health’: foreign minister
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Saturday that Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist held in Tehran's Evin prison since December 19th on as-yet-unspecified charges, was in "good health" and negotiations to secure her release were underway, according to Ansa.
"The government is working to try to bring her back to Italy," Tajani told lawmakers in the upper house of parliament.
"We are working in collaboration with the Prime Minister's office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, our embassy in Tehran and the consulate,” he said.
Tajani added that Sala had spoken to her parents twice following her arrest and received a half-hour visit by Italy's ambassador to Iran Paola Amedei on Friday.
Italian podcast publisher Chora Media said Sala had travelled from Rome to Iran on December 12th on a journalist visa and was due to return on December 20th.
But the reporter did not board her return flight on December 19th. Shortly afterwards she called her mother to say she had been arrested.
Iran hasn’t yet formally acknowledged Sala's detention.
She is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, which mostly holds detainees facing security charges.
The prison has long been criticised by Western rights groups and was blacklisted by the US in 2018 for “serious human rights abuses”.
Italian tourist killed by shark in Egyptian Red Sea resort
A shark attack off Egypt's Red Sea coast killed a tourist and injured another, with an Italian foreign ministry source identifying both as Italian nationals, according to AFP.
"Two foreigners were attacked by a shark in the northern Marsa Alam area, which led to the injury of one and the death of the other," Egypt's environment ministry said in a statement.
A source at the Italian foreign ministry told AFP the man killed was a 48-year-old Rome resident. The injured man was 69 years old.
They were both taken to a hospital in Port Ghalib, around 50 kilometres north of Marsa Alam, the Egyptian ministry said.
Authorities have closed the area to swimmers for two days following the incident, which the ministry said occurred in "deep waters outside the designated swimming area".
The Red Sea is a major international tourist destination known for its abundant marine life.
It is also a key source of foreign currency for Egypt, a country of 107 million people trying to navigate its worst-ever economic crisis.
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