Today in Italy: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Italian prosecutor opens manslaughter investigation into drownings, taxi unions call off strike, Italy ranked world number one for UNESCO heritage sites, and more news from around Italy on Wednesday.
Italy's top story on Wednesday:
A local prosecutor has opened a manslaughter investigation into the deaths of two young women who drowned in a river in northern Italy over the weekend, Skytg24 reported.
The bodies of the women were found on Sunday morning following heavy flooding along the Natisone River, near Udine. As of Wednesday morning, rescuers were still searching for a missing 25-year-old man who had been part of the group.
Udine Prosecutor Massimo Lia told reporters during a press conference that his office was looking into bringing manslaughter charges based on whether rescue operations had been conducted in a timely manner, but did not currently have any suspects.
20-year-old Patrizia Cormos made four calls to Italy's 112 emergency number over the course of an hour before she and 23-year-old Bianca Doros were overwhelmed by floodwaters, the last of which went unanswered, he said.
Unions call off taxi strike
Italy's cab drivers on Tuesday called off a strike that had been announced for Wednesday and Thursday after meeting with transport ministry representatives, La Repubblica newspaper reported.
Fresh talks have reportedly been scheduled for June 17th.
Drivers had announced a strike from 8am to 10pm on both days to protest a planned reform of the taxi sector aimed at reducing long-standing cab shortages ahead of the 2025 Jubilee Year.
The fifteen unions involved in calling the strike released a joint statement on Tuesday afternoon calling off the walkout and thanking drivers for their "great attention and participation that led us to the reopening of discussions.”
Italy world No. 1 for UNESCO heritage sites
Italy has more UNESCO heritage sites than any other country in the world, according to research cited by Skytg24 on Tuesday.
China comes in a close second, with 57 UNESCO sites, and Germany third, with 53. Rounding out the top five are France (52) and Spain (50).
In terms of Italian regions, Lombardy is in pole position, with as many as ten UNESCO recognitions, including the rock engravings of Val Camonica, the first site in Italy to receive the status in 1979.
Veneto has nine, Tuscany eight, and Sicily seven sites, while Valle d'Aosta and Molise are the only regions without any UNESCO recognition.
Italy's Sinner to become world No.1 after Djokovic's French Open withdrawal
Jannik Sinner will become Italy's first men's tennis world number one after Novak Djokovic's injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open on Tuesday, according to news agency AFP.
The Australian Open champion was on court playing his quarter-final against Grigor Dimitrov when Djokovic's withdrawal was announced, meaning Sinner will replace the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the top of the ATP rankings next week.
Sinner already knew that he could secure number one by reaching the final at Roland Garros, but his landmark achievement was secured earlier than expected.
The 22-year-old has performed well this season, also winning the Rotterdam and Miami Opens in addition to his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne, AFP reported.
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Italy's top story on Wednesday:
A local prosecutor has opened a manslaughter investigation into the deaths of two young women who drowned in a river in northern Italy over the weekend, Skytg24 reported.
The bodies of the women were found on Sunday morning following heavy flooding along the Natisone River, near Udine. As of Wednesday morning, rescuers were still searching for a missing 25-year-old man who had been part of the group.
Udine Prosecutor Massimo Lia told reporters during a press conference that his office was looking into bringing manslaughter charges based on whether rescue operations had been conducted in a timely manner, but did not currently have any suspects.
20-year-old Patrizia Cormos made four calls to Italy's 112 emergency number over the course of an hour before she and 23-year-old Bianca Doros were overwhelmed by floodwaters, the last of which went unanswered, he said.
Unions call off taxi strike
Italy's cab drivers on Tuesday called off a strike that had been announced for Wednesday and Thursday after meeting with transport ministry representatives, La Repubblica newspaper reported.
Fresh talks have reportedly been scheduled for June 17th.
Drivers had announced a strike from 8am to 10pm on both days to protest a planned reform of the taxi sector aimed at reducing long-standing cab shortages ahead of the 2025 Jubilee Year.
The fifteen unions involved in calling the strike released a joint statement on Tuesday afternoon calling off the walkout and thanking drivers for their "great attention and participation that led us to the reopening of discussions.”
Italy world No. 1 for UNESCO heritage sites
Italy has more UNESCO heritage sites than any other country in the world, according to research cited by Skytg24 on Tuesday.
China comes in a close second, with 57 UNESCO sites, and Germany third, with 53. Rounding out the top five are France (52) and Spain (50).
In terms of Italian regions, Lombardy is in pole position, with as many as ten UNESCO recognitions, including the rock engravings of Val Camonica, the first site in Italy to receive the status in 1979.
Veneto has nine, Tuscany eight, and Sicily seven sites, while Valle d'Aosta and Molise are the only regions without any UNESCO recognition.
Italy's Sinner to become world No.1 after Djokovic's French Open withdrawal
Jannik Sinner will become Italy's first men's tennis world number one after Novak Djokovic's injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open on Tuesday, according to news agency AFP.
The Australian Open champion was on court playing his quarter-final against Grigor Dimitrov when Djokovic's withdrawal was announced, meaning Sinner will replace the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the top of the ATP rankings next week.
Sinner already knew that he could secure number one by reaching the final at Roland Garros, but his landmark achievement was secured earlier than expected.
The 22-year-old has performed well this season, also winning the Rotterdam and Miami Opens in addition to his maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne, AFP reported.
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