Italy’s government outlines plans for Taranto steelworks
Italy’s government proposed to revive steel production at the former Ilva steelworks in Taranto, Puglia, by switching from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces, as reported by AFP.
The proposal comes after a court upheld an order to shut down the plant’s blast furnaces by October 28th due to high pollution levels and environmental concerns, raising fears of thousands of redundancies.
A government representative told unions and management on Wednesday that the plan was “to enable steel production to continue in Taranto”, adding that it would continue to search for a buyer while moving towards electric furnaces fuelled by DRI (direct reduced iron).
The government, which is promising a “reindustrialisation process” for the Taranto area, is also expected to adopt a new “short-time working scheme” for employees drawing on an emergency wage subsidy scheme.
Italy’s oldest man dies aged 112
Vitantonio Lovallo, known locally as ‘Zitòn’, died in Avigliano, in the southern region of Basilicata, at the age of 112. Born in 1914, Lovallo was recognised as Italy’s oldest man and had celebrated his 112th birthday in March, national broadcaster Rai reported on Wednesday.
Lovallo lived in Sarnelli, a hamlet of Avigliano, and worked as a farmer for most of his life. He continued looking after his sheep every morning until 103 years old and tending his vineyard until 106 years old, according to Rai.
In May, Coldiretti awarded him a medal as longest-standing partner, marking 80 years of membership in the agricultural organisation.
“His long life, lived with simplicity, strength, and love for his family and his land, will remain in the hearts of all of us", said Avigliano mayor Giuseppe Mecca.
Police investigate series of shootings in Rome
Police are investigating a series of shootings targeting women and other passers-by on a street in Rome’s high-end Prati district, after two women were injured on separate occasions.
“I screamed from the pain and realized I was bleeding”, said journalist and writer Cristina Stillitano, who was hit in the arm while walking along Via della Giuliana on Monday and underwent surgery on Wednesday to have the projectile removed.
A second woman has since come forward saying she was hit in the calf while walking on the same street on Friday evening. Local shopkeepers said similar shots had been fired in recent days, especially against women or tourists passing by, including a group of four Spanish girls, as reported by Roma Today.
Carabinieri searched several homes and examined the scene with forensic ballistic experts. Investigators say they are considering all possibilities, including whether the attacks deliberately targeted women walking along the street.
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