Three in four Italians oppose nuclear power, new survey finds

Some 75 percent of Italians reject nuclear power as a viable energy alternative to fossil fuels, a survey from Italian research institute Ipsos said on Wednesday, according to Ansa.

Around 25 percent of respondents regarded the risks associated with nuclear power as outweighing its advantages, while 13 percent said fission was not viable due to high maintenance, safety and waste disposal expenses.

Some 37 percent of respondents regarded current nuclear technology as unsafe, but said they may be in favour of safer plants in future.

The survey came as the Italian government pressed ahead with nuclear revival plans first drafted last September. 

The Italian public has historically been largely opposed to nuclear power, rejecting it via public referendums in 1987 and 2011. 

EU approves ITA-Lufthansa deal

The European Commission on Wednesday announced it had conditionally approved German airline Lufthansa’s plan to buy a minority stake in Italian flag carrier ITA Airways, AFP reported.

Lufthansa agreed to pay 325 million euros for a 41-percent stake in ITA last year, with the Italian finance ministry also contributing 250 million euros as part of a capital increase.

But the deal faced a turbulent approval process after the European Commission opened an in-depth probe into the proposed merger last January citing competition concerns.

A package of commitments pledged by Lufthansa and the Italian government to assuage those concerns was ultimately decisive in the commission approving the deal on Wednesday, according to AFP.

“It has been a complicated, troubled, difficult path, but…it is a big Italian success, it is a big German success, it is a big European success,” Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti told reporters on Wednesday.

Italy looks to ease prison overcrowding after rise in suicides

PM Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet on Wednesday examined a series of draft measures aimed at easing overcrowding at Italian detention centres following a recent rise in the number of suicides among inmates and prison officers, media reports said.

Italian prison police union SPP said on Monday that some 51 prisoners and five officers took their own lives in the first six months of 2024.

Proposed measures included the establishment of a number of low-security centres accommodating prisoners with shorter sentences and those convicted of non-violent crimes, as well as simpler procedures for early release, reports said.

Italian detention centres currently house around 61,000 inmates – that’s 10,000 over the official overall capacity of 51,000.

Rome’s Colosseum tops list of most visited Italian sites in 2023

Rome’s Colosseum was the most visited Italian cultural site in 2023 with over 12 million visitors, a report from Italy’s culture ministry said on Wednesday according to Ansa.

The ancient Roman amphitheatre was followed by the Pantheon, also in Rome, with over five million visitors, and Florence’s Uffizi Gallery.

According to the report, a total of 58 million people entered Italy’s museums last year – up by 10.7 million compared to 2022.