Italy

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2 Languages Better Than 1 for Baby's Brain

Bilingual kids may talk later but excel at 'executive functions'

(Newser) - Some teachers complain that children raised in bilingual households tend to lag behind their peers in school, but a new study suggests multilingual kids' brains may be better organized, the Economist reports. Polyglot babies have stronger "executive function": processes in the brain that help humans plan, prioritize, and switch...

'L'Aquila Is Finished,' Residents Despair

Ad-hoc recovery is like post-Katrina's FEMA: experts

(Newser) - At the heart of Italy's quake-struck L'Aquila was its namesake university and the 27,500 students the local bars, shops, and hostels relied on for customers. With many fleeing the crippled university and town that will take years to renovate, local shop owners wonder how they'll survive. “L’Aquila...

Quake City in Italy Begins Construction Probe

Rescuers find pillars made of sand

(Newser) - Reeling from the loss of 293 people and counting from this week's earthquake, officials in Italy's regional capital L'Aquila are investigating whether shoddy construction exacerbated the disaster, reports BBC. The probe is expected to focus on modern structures that rose after stringent safety standards were enacted. Rescuers have reported that...

Why Italy Still Loves Crude Berlusconi

(Newser) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has appalled the world with his crass remarks, yet somehow remains popular at home. "Is there a logic to what might seem like a strange form of Tourette's syndrome?" asks Alexander Stille, analyzing the gaffe-prone pol in The New Republic. The answer to Berlusconi's...

Religious Tourists Still Flocking to Italy

Easter likely to see 100,000 in St. Peter's Square

(Newser) - While industries around the world feel the weight of recession, Italy’s religious tourism appears fairly immune, USA Today reports. “It's one of the only areas where things haven't slowed down much," said a religious tour marketer. "Religious pilgrims still want to have the same experiences”—...

Italy Holds Mass Funeral for Quake Victims

(Newser) - Italy today held a mass state funeral for 205 of the people killed in the Abruzzo earthquake and observed a national day of morning, the BBC reports. Dozens of coffins and thousands of people gathered at the open-air service at a police training base outside the damaged city of L’...

Aftershocks Hamper Rescue Efforts as Italy Toll Hits 281

(Newser) - Aftershocks in the Abruzzo region of Italy this morning, including one with a magnitude of 5.2, hampered ongoing rescue efforts and spooked refugees still in the area, Reuters reports. Officials closed off the center of L’Aquila, where the latest tremors continued to damage the hard-hit town. Though rescuers...

Funerals for Italy's Quake Victims Begin

No survivors were found today

(Newser) - The first wave of funerals for Italy's earthquake victims took place today. In small towns throughout the ravaged Abruzzo region, thousands mourned the loss of their neighbors, BBC reports. A mass funeral will take place in the regional capital Friday, marking a national day of mourning. With aftershocks hampering rescue...

Berlusconi's Latest Gaffe: Quake Homeless 'Camping'

Berlusconi slammed for gaffe as quake toll hits 260

(Newser) - Silvio Berlusconi is drawing fire for reportedly saying the thousands made homeless by Monday's earthquake should see the experience as a "camping weekend," the Guardian reports. The gaffe-prone Italian prime minister, touring an emergency encampment, said the displaced survivors "lacked nothing," although hundreds still didn't...

Experts Rush to Save Art in Quake Zone

Thousands of artworks trapped in buildings in danger of collapse

(Newser) - Italian art experts are scrambling to rescue artistic treasures in quake-hit central Italy, the Wall Street Journal reports. The head of the local branch of the Ministry of Culture is braving aftershocks and unsafe structures in an effort to assess the damage and see what can be saved. Thousands of...

Woman Pulled From Quake Rubble; Toll Hits 235

(Newser) - Rescuers today pulled a 20-year-old female student alive from the rubble of the earthquake in Italy, more than 42 hours after it struck, Sky News reports. "She's safe!" the woman's uncle told AP. She appears to be fine, except for a minor arm injury. As strong aftershocks rattled...

Aftershocks Rock Italy as Quake Toll Hits 207

Strong aftershocks, weather hamper rescue efforts

(Newser) - Strong aftershocks briefly halted the search for survivors and sent rescuers scrambling for safety in central Italy today, as the death toll from yesterday's earthquake hit 207. At least 1,500 people were injured and 17,000 were made homeless. One person was pulled alive from the rubble today after...

Italy Quake Caused Massive Damage to Medieval Heritage

Ancient churches, castles in Abruzzo suffer serious quake damage

(Newser) - The 6.3 earthquake in Italy yesterday caused massive damage to what had been one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities, ANSA reports. Large sections of a famous 13th-century basilica and three other historic churches in the mountain city of L'Aquila have crumbled. An ornate 1584 gate to the community has...

Death Toll in Italy Quake Rises to 150
 Death Toll in Italy 
 Quake Rises to 150 
UPDATED
Apr 6, 2009 2:33 PM CDT

Death Toll in Italy Quake Rises to 150

(Newser) - The death toll in today’s Italian earthquake rose to more than 150 as rescue workers and volunteers continued the search for survivors, the Times reports. About 15,000 buildings were damaged, and residents are being warned to stay away until engineers can evaluate them. “We are working without...

Italy Squelched Scientist Who Predicted Quake

Researcher cited for 'spreading alarm,' forced to retract findings

(Newser) - An Italian scientist had predicted the quake that killed at least 92 early this morning near L’Aquila, but was silenced by the authorities, Reuters reports. Gioacchino Giuliani found evidence a month ago that a strong quake was brewing and organized a public-awareness campaign—which earned him a reprimand from...

At Least 92 Dead as 6.3 Quake Rocks Italy

Houses collapsed as people slept

(Newser) - At least 92 people are reported dead and some 1500 injured after a powerful 6.3 earthquake shook a large swath of central Italy at 3:32am local time, reports the Guardian. Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has declared a state of emergency as the quake toppled churches, houses, and office...

Queen in a Huff Over Berlusconi Boisterousness

Video shows annoyed monarch; palace denies hard feelings

(Newser) - God save Silvio Berlusconi if he has irked the queen—and that’s just what the Italian premier appears to do in a video that’s become a YouTube sensation, the Telegraph reports. After Queen Elizabeth joined G20 leaders for a class photo, Berlusconi roared, “Mr. Obama!” Bristled...

Knox Pulled Knife on Him, Witness Says

Homeless man puts suspect, boyfriend near murder scene

(Newser) - A witness in the Amanda Knox murder trial testified that she waved a knife at him outside the house where Meredith Kercher was killed, the AP reports. The Albanian witness, at times mumbling and interrupted by the judge, said he “bumped into a big black trash bag” that turned...

'Italian Fritzl' and Son Arrested

Father accused of raping daughter, encouraging son to do the same

(Newser) - Italian police have arrested a father and son in an incest case they are comparing to the horrors of the Fritzl household, the Daily Telegraph reports. The patriarch of the Turin family is accused of controlling and raping his daughter for 25 years and encouraging his son to rape both...

Kercher Neighbors Heard Screams, Court Told

(Newser) - Witnesses in the Amanda Knox trial testified today that they heard screams and the sound of multiple people fleeing the scene the night of Meredith Kercher’s murder, ABC News reports. An elderly woman who lives near the crime scene said she heard a scream that “made my skin...

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