Il Bel Paese visto da fuori

“Moreover, the manufacture of concrete is a major driver of climate change, producing 8 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. By learning the secrets of Roman concrete, researchers like Dr. Masic are trying to devise greener, more durable modern options”. Fonte: The New York Times Autore: Amos Zeeberg Link: Reinventing Concrete, the Ancient Roman Way

“Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, had scored a coup. She pushed through a tough anti-migration plan that would force some asylum seekers headed for Italy instead into a detention center in Albania while their claims are heard. At a time when anti-immigration sentiments are rising in Europe, the program caught the eyes of other European […]

“According to this year’s Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), published in May, Italy ranks 46th out of 180 countries in 2023. This is a five-place drop from the year before. But it’s important to stress that the country still has a diverse media environment and is relatively safe for journalists. No reporters […]

“A piercing alarm burst from millions of cellphones, a signal to hundreds of thousands of people to pack their bags and flee one of Europe’s most dangerous volcanoes. But most of the Italians who heard it shrugged”. Fonte: The New York Times Autore: Elisabetta Povoledo Link: Living on a Volcano’s Edge, Italians Practice for Disaster

In a social media post, the defence ministry said that the troops who took part “sacrificed their lives for our freedom”, describing the Italian and Nazi loss to the allies in North Africa as “heroic and tragic”. Fonte: BBC Autore: Alex Loftus Link: Italian government’s praise for El Alamein troops sparks fascism row

“The current prime minister’s Brothers of Italy party, in opposition at the time, was frantically drumming up support for a bill to extend Italy’s outright ban on domestic surrogacy by making it a universal crime that transcends borders”. Fonte: The Guardian Autore: Angela Giuffrida Link: ‘Inhumane and wicked’: anguish over Italy’s expanded surrogacy ban

“The Council of Europe has come under fire from Italian leaders after the publication of a report accusing the country’s police force of racist and homophobic abuse”. Fonte: The Guardian Autore: Angela Giuffrida Link: Italian leaders hit back at accusations of police racism and homophobia    

“But for the moment the reality is that Ms Meloni enjoys an approval rating of more than 40%—twice as high as those of President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany. Not bad for a prime minister approaching the mid-term point at which leaders’ popularity often crashes”. Fonte: The Economist Link: Giorgia […]

“After decades of fruitless discussion and thwarted plans, for the first time an eu country has begun to process asylum claims in a third country”. Fonte: The Economist Link: Italy starts outsourcing its migrant crisis to Albania

Among the Instagram characters created by the Italian comedian Giorgia Fumo, the one that resonates the most with me is a millennial travel influencer called Emily, who “explains” Italy in her videos, letting her audience in on gems such as: “Did you know that Europe is not a country – it’s mind-blowing – but Italy, […]