PM Meloni expresses ‘full solidarity’ with Salvini over migration trial

Italian PM Meloni on Sunday expressed ‘full solidarity’ with Deputy PM Salvini as he faced a potential six-year prison sentence for preventing migrants from disembarking at one of Italy’s ports in 2019.

“Turning the duty to protect Italian borders from illegal immigration into a crime is a very serious precedent,” Meloni said in a post on social media platform X.

“It is incredible that a Minister of the Italian Republic risks six years in prison for doing his job,” she added.

Salvini was on trial in relation to alleged kidnapping and abuse of office charges after he kept 147 people on board a migrant rescue ship from landing in Italy for nearly three weeks.

A verdict in the trial, which began in October 2021, could come next month, Arturo Salerni, a lawyer for migrant rescue charity Open Arms, told AFP on Sunday.

12 people injured after car drives into crowd in Turin motor show

Some 12 people were injured on Sunday after a runaway car hit a group of spectators during Turin’s Salone dell’Auto motor show, Ansa reported.

A Lancia Delta rally car lost control and ploughed into a crowd in Piazza San Carlo, central Turin.

None of the injured spectators suffered life-threatening injuries. 

One woman was hospitalised after suffering a broken leg, whereas a man was expected to undergo surgery after sustaining a genital injury, local officials said.

Police authorities opened an investigation into the incident on Sunday.

Italian motorcycle racer dies in Germany accident

Italian motorcycle racer Luca Salvadori, 32, died after being involved in a crash during the first lap of a Superbike race held at the Frohburg circuit, eastern Germany, on Saturday, Italian media reported. 

The Broncos racing team, which Salvadori rode for, said in a social media message that “the multiple injuries he suffered did not allow him to hang on and he left us”.

“We express our deepest condolences and unite around the family members,” they added.

Salvadori, from Milan, finished the 2023 MotoE World Championship in 17th position. 

He was well-known for his social media presence. Over the years, he had built 415,000 followers on Instagram and 583,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Italians spend 22 hours a day indoors

Italians spent 22 hours a day indoors on average, a report from the Italian Biophilia Academy (AIB) said on Sunday, according to Ansa.

This had a significant impact on their health and wellbeing, the report said.

“The excessive time spent indoors has negative impacts on quality of life and people’s psycho-physical wellbeing,” AIB president Rita Trombin said.

Spending too much time indoors was also found to reduce productivity for both workers and students.