Tommaso Grossi is an analyst in the European Policy Centre’s Social Europe and Well-Being Programme Niccolò Barca is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Rome more than 400 workers from the former GKN plant in Campi Bisenzio Italy were suddenly laid off with an email sent in the dead of night The workers were stunned: The factory had been running well new machinery had just been installed and management had even promised to hire more people when they reached the factory gates that morning all they found were private security guards blocking the entrance they decided to occupy the factory in protest resist the layoffs and call on the government to intervene encouraged by a wave of support from civil society — as well as the realization that promises to restart the factory were going nowhere — the cooperative born out of this struggle is taking matters into its own hands outlining a plan for sustainable bottom-up reindustrialization these former GKN workers have found little political support for their industrial plan The result of close collaboration between researchers this plan would see the former auto-part plant shift to the production as well as the manufacturing of cargo-bikes — an innovative cater to growing private and public sector demands all while perfectly aligning with the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan (GDIP) Aimed at reshoring manufacturing capacity in energy-intensive and strategic sectors the GDIP will inevitably require balancing economic competitiveness with sustainable practices a massive reallocation of both capital and workers as well as investment in green technologies and the skills required to produce them As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU’s industrial plan is designed to “turn skills into quality jobs and innovation into mass production.” as the cooperative’s negotiations with local and national government are protracted indefinitely — a strategy the former GKN workers believe is aimed at breaking their resolve — it’s hard to understand what could justify such inaction a researcher from the University of Florence and member of the solidarity group that prepared the plan everything is ready to go: They’ve found and reserved the machinery needed to begin production constructed the first prototypes for the cargo-bikes and 62 percent of the solar panels the factory aims to produce in its first year have already been ordered.  through private investors and a popular shareholder scheme that collected over €1.3 million from Italy and abroad the group has already found nearly €6.3 million out of the estimated €11.5 million needed to start production The remaining €5.2 million would need to be raised through debt capital the factory could open as early as February 2026.  According to Mazzone there are no excuses left The business plan projects a healthy net profit that’s been duly underestimated considering the demand for solar panel recycling is destined to increase he believes the plant could carve out a niche for itself by focusing on the production of “custom” panels aimed at particular requirements The missing piece is just political backing What the former GKN workers are asking of their regional government is to become a partner in their plan and guarantee them the use of the Campi Bisenzio factory This means public funding to save quality jobs and support innovative production in a strategic sector dominated by foreign competition — as promised by the GDIP for all the ongoing talk of revitalizing and greening Europe company owners in Italy are allowed to relocate their businesses abroad rather than modernize and adjust at home the center-left Democratic Party (PD) failed to anticipate or prevent the GKN plant’s closure — a particularly notable failure given the company’s decision to shut down despite being profitable but it still governs several of the country’s regions And despite the rise of its new leader Elly Schlein who briefly met with the workers to express her solidarity the PD hasn’t followed through on its promises Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had repeatedly criticized former governments for not defending national interests and jobs during her 2022 election campaign it has sold public enterprises to private funds like Blackrock allowed relocations to take jobs out of the country and closed an eye to exploitative practices that increase competitiveness by cutting labor costs while doing very little to scale-up manufacturing capacity in green sectors This particular story of struggle has become symbolic of of the state of industrial policy in Italy as much as abroad it shows the way forward for a possible convergence between labor and environmental justice to ensure that a just ecological transition doesn’t mean imposing long-term unemployment on workers it has highlighted the lack of a sustainable industrial strategy willing to harness knowledge and encourage production in key sectors As one of the cooperative’s leaders Dario Salvetti said the GKN struggle has exposed the paradox of “a factory with no industrial plan and an industrial plan with no factory.” We’re about to see if the political will to resolve it exists It remains to be seen whether the Democratic Party can reverse its course to defend the interests of those it has long left behind wiser political culture that seeks to stabilize its politics Record-breaking rain produced floods in a vast swath of Italy’s Tuscany region as Storm Ciarán pushed into the country overnight trapping residents in their homes bringing the storm’s death toll in western Europe to 12 on Friday Italian Civil Protection authorities said 200 millimeters (nearly 8 inches) of rain fell in a three-hour period from the coastal city of Livorno to the inland valley of Mugello Video shows at least a dozen cars getting pushed down a flooded road Eugenio Giani said five people died in the storm which dumped an amount of rain fall not recorded in the last 100 years “There was a wave of water bombs without precedence,” Giani told Italian news channel Sky TG24 Climate scientists say human-induced climate change has led to heavier rainfall during storms like Ciarán WATCH: Climate scientist discusses this summer’s extreme weather and long-term trends “If the conditions are different than 20 years ago it is obvious to everyone,” Nello Musumeci the government’s minister for civil protection told Sky TG24 noting that weather systems in Italy have become more tropical in nature The dead in Tuscany included an 85-year-old man found in the flooded ground floor of his home near the city of Prato and an 84-woman who died while trying to push water out of her home in the same area The other victims were a couple who had been missing near the town of Vinci and a person in Livorno province At least one person was missing Friday in Tuscany along with an off-duty firefighter reported missing in the mountains of Veneto Other regions were on high-alert and authorities warned that the storm was heading toward southern Italy Ciarán left at least seven people dead as it swept across Spain caused travel mayhem and cut power to a vast number of people train lines and highways were disrupted and schools were closed Hundreds of people were unable to get home including about 150 stranded in Prato after a train line was suspended Thursday night Some 40,000 people were without electricity on Friday The mayor of Prato expressed shock at the force of the flood that devastated the city overnight residents were working to clean the damage But even after an evening and night of devastation we are pulling up our sleeves to clean and bring our city back to normality,’’ Mayor Matteo Biffoni posted on social media Florence Mayor Dario Nardella told Sky TG24 that the Arno River with the highest levels forecast for midday Neither he nor the governor expected the river to overrun its banks considering that tomorrow is the anniversary of the 1966 flood,” Nardella said recalling a flood that killed 101 people and damaged or destroyed millions of artistic masterpieces and rare books wind and heavy rain on Thursday night led to landslides About 1,600 households were without electricity early Friday The storm receded in northern France and the Atlantic coast on Friday but heavy rains continued in some regions as emergency workers cleared away debris from the day before Meanwhile Corsica in the Mediterranean faced unusually fierce winds Friday – up to 140 kph (87 mph) – and regions in the Pyrenees in the southwest were under flood warnings More than a half-million French households remained without electricity for a second day Trains were halted in several areas and many roads remained closed French President Emmanuel Macron traveled Friday to storm-ravaged areas of Brittany and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was traveling to hard-hit areas of Normandy Geir Moulson in Berliln and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Italy -- Six people died and two were missing after rivers burst their banks following torrential overnight rain in the central Italian region of Tuscany There had been fears that the River Arno could flood the historic city of Florence after nearby towns were swamped by the southern edge of Storm Ciaran but the high water point passed in mid-morning without major incident "The situation is still very critical," Monia Monni a town about 15 kilometres (9 miles) north-west of Florence the water has drained away but there is mud and the devastation that an event like this leaves behind" Around 190 people have been forced to evacuate their homes where ground floor properties were damaged parked cars were half-submerged and rescue officials navigated flooded streets with rubber dinghies Resident Enza Carfagna told Reuters how her family rescued an elderly wheelchair-bound ground floor neighbour we saw all this brown water coming and we went to get the lady," she said The Italian government declared a state of emergency and allocated an initial five million euros ($5.4 million) to help the worst-hit areas Around 48,000 people in the region had no electricity Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini told a news conference Tuscany President Eugenio Giani said the region had never seen so much rain in such a short space of time he said experts told him it was the worst downpour in 100 years "What happened overnight in Tuscany has a clear name: CLIMATE CHANGE," Giani wrote on X was missing in the north-eastern Veneto region the local governor was quoted as saying by Sky TG24 Weather alerts remained in force in a number of Italian regions after a week in which the country has been lashed by strong winds and heavy rain Storm Ciaran was driven by a powerful jet stream that swept in from the Atlantic unleashing heavy rain and furious winds that have already caused heavy flooding in Northern Ireland Italy is seen as particularly exposed to the effects of climate change Floods in the region of Emilia-Romagna in May killed at least 14 people Your comment will be reviewed before being posted Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Dear Reader,Unfortunately our comment platform isn\'t available at the moment due to issues with our paywall and authentication vendor Record-breaking rain provoked floods in a vast swath of Tuscany as storm Ciarán pushed into Italy overnight MILAN (AP) — Record-breaking rain produced floods in a vast swath of Italy's Tuscany region as Storm Ciarán pushed into the country overnight At least six people in Italy and one person in Albania were killed on Friday bringing the storm’s death toll to 14 across Europe this week the storm brought more death and destruction as it moved eastward across the continent police said a motorist died when he lost control while driving a car Huge waves pummeled the Adriatic shores of the Balkans and strong winds uprooted trees and ripped off roofs Ferries connecting Croatia's islands with the coastline were halted Italian Civil Protection authorities said that 200 millimeters (nearly eight inches) of rain fell in a three-hour period Video showed at least a dozen cars getting swept away down a flooded road Eugenio Giani said that six people died in the storm which dumped an amount of rainfall not recorded in the last 100 years Climate scientists say human-induced climate change has led to heavier rainfall during storms like Ciarán it is obvious to everyone,'' Nello Musumeci the government's minister for civil protection and an 84-woman who died while trying to remove water from her home in the same area Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera said Friday evening that the wife of the man whose body was found earlier in the town near Prato also perished At least two people were missing Friday in Tuscany At least 48,000 utility customers were without electricity Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said High-speed train service between Florence and Milan as well as along smaller rail lines in Tuscany were affected Around 40,000 people were without electricity on Friday Corsica in the Mediterranean faced unusually fierce winds Friday — up to 140 kph (87 mph) — and regions in the Pyrenees in the southwest were under flood warnings French President Emmanuel Macron traveled Friday to storm-ravaged areas of Brittany and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was traveling to hard-hit areas of Normandy Satellite Evolution GlobalGlobal Military CommunicationsSatTV and a wholly privately owned part of Angel Holding which also develops high technology for the railway has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to supply four PLATiNO satellites with hyperspectral optical instrumentation made by Leonardo for the IRIDE Earth Observation Constellation which will aim to capture images of Italy and the Mediterranean area with high accuracy and a high refresh rate will enable a wide range of applications useful to citizens and Public Administrations for environmental monitoring and air pollution as well as the prevention of fires and in general the risks associated with hydrogeological disruption The constellation will be an observation network to help counter the effects of climate change an increasingly important activity in the overall vision of environmental sustainability and a strategic driver of the Space Economy The four PLATiNO satellites will be made at SITAEL’s Mola di Bari plant and will embark on Leonardo’s latest generation hyperspectral optical instruments in Campi Bisenzio PLATiNO is a modular satellite platform made for the Italian Space Agency and adaptable to different missions: With its compact size it has unique targeting performance and maneuvering agility as well as enables a variety of missions both in high-resolution Earth Observation and telecommunications made by SITAEL with 100% Italian and proprietary technology makes the PLATiNO product compatible with low orbits and extends each mission duration with minimal propellant consumption whose construction will take 100 highly specialized engineers and physicists and 3 years of work The PLATiNO program-developed by SITAEL together with Thales Alenia Space (a joint venture between Thales 67% and Leonardo 33%) and Airbus Italia through a technology development contract with the Italian Space Agency (ASI)-activates an important space business ecosystem in Italy with large companies and more than 20 SMEs involved in its implementation Managing Director of Sales and Products at SITAEL “We are proud that ESA has recognized the value of PLATiNO - made for the Italian Space Agency - which in the IRIDE constellation is an opportunity to showcase SITAEL’s products and capabilities in Europe and around the world When the PLATiNO hyperspectral satellites are in orbit an additional strategic advantage will be realized by collecting and processing valuable data for environmental protection as well as emergency prevention and management I would like to express our appreciation for being chosen by ESA and our great pride in this achievement that was reached with commitment and determination.” Director of Earth Observation programs at the European Space Agency and head of the ESRIN center in Frascati “I express my satisfaction with the signing of this contract with SITAEL The Italian government has entrusted ESA with implementing the national earth observation constellation IRIDE The first phase of this program is complete all the contracts that are suitable for the program’s implementation have been signed and we are particularly proud to have achieved this goal in line with the road map and coherence with the directives regarding PNRR funds.” SVP Divisional of Space Business at Leonardo “We are proud to make available to the European Space Agency and IRIDE program partners Leonardo’s hyperspectral technology an international excellence that is the result of skills and experience gained over the years thanks to the investment and foresight of the institutions and the Italian Space Agency.” have declared a state of emergency after torrential rain of around 200 mm in 4 hours triggered severe flooding which has left at least 3 people dead and several missing In a statement the governor of Tuscany Eugenio Giani said the situation is extremely serious and urged residents to stay indoors “We had never recorded so much rain in so few minutes What happened tonight in Tuscany has a clear name: climate change,” Tuscany governor Eugenio Giani said The governor confirmed at least 3 people have lost their lives as a result of flooding and landslides in the region one in the municipality of Montemurlo (Province of Prato) and the other in the municipality of Rosignano (Province of Livorno),” the governor said Search and rescue teams in the area were looking for 2 victims reported missing in Lamporecchio in the Province of Pistoia Civil Protection in the city of Florence reported 3 people were missing Local police reported one person was missing in Campi Bisenzio in Prato Province Emergency workers carried out over one thousand interventions due to bad weather overnight 02 to 03 November Carmignano and Prato in Prato Province; Quarrata in the Province of Pistoia; Cerreto Guidi in the Metropolitan City of Florence; and numerous locations in the provinces of Pisa and Livorno Teams from the National Civil Protection have been deployed to the area and were using helicopters boats and amphibious vehicles to rescue flood victims and locate those reported missing Italy’s fire service Vigili del Fuoco said 400 firefighters were working in affected areas including specialist high water rescue teams and divers Around 30 families were evacuated from flooded areas of Calcinaia and 6 families were evacuated in San Miniato A regional train line was suspended and around 150 passengers were evacuated and given temporary accommodation at a municipal building of Vaiano The torrential rain triggered multiple landslides and caused several water bodies to break their banks the Bagnolo stream in Montemurlo and the Bisenzio River in Santa Maria a Campi Swollen tributaries of Ombrone River flooded areas of Pistoia Quarrata and Serravalle Pistoiese in the Pistoia Province According to figures from the government of Tuscany several areas of the region recorded over 200 mm of rain in a 24 hour period to 03 November including: much of the rain fell in a short period of time the weather station at Pontedera in the province of Pisa recorded 198.6 mm in a 4-hour period from 16:00 to 20:00 on 02 November 2023 — Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) November 2, 2023 Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList Every contribution counts — we must act now Rather than lie down and accept their redundancy the automotive workers started a campaign of resistance that has culminated in the longest running factory occupation in Italian history The historic plant was owned by Fiat until 1994 and was a huge employer in the town of Campi Bisenzio, which sits 20km away from Florence. Now, it was to close. The UK private equity fund Melrose, which owns GKN and has returned £5.5bn to shareholders in its 10-year existence blamed the redundancies on the transition to greener transport and a “loss of productivity” in the plant After they found out that they were going to lose their jobs the GKN workers had 75 days before redundancies came into effect to formulate a plan Gathering in front of the factory on the same day workers “kicked away” the 20 private armed guards who weren’t wearing uniform who were “similar to the fascist squads” under Mussolini according to Dario Salvetti of Collettivo di Fabbrica (GKN Factory Collective) With their official trade union, the Italian Federation of Metalworkers (FIOM-CGL), the workers declared the factory would be occupied 24/7 by the workers. Workers would guard the machinery from removal by GKN and keep the factory open. This is known as a “permanent assembly”, a tactic developed by Italian factory workers in the 1970s “We found a way to go into the factory and we started what we call in Italy a ‘permanent assembly’ It’s the most legal way to say you’ve taken control of the factory,” said Salvetti who spoke to Novara Media on a speaking visit to London workers also organised with the GKN Factory Collective which was founded when Melrose bought the company in 2018 The Collective acts in a more fluid way than bureaucratic unions – workers don’t have to affiliate with a membership card The workers stick to a collectively agreed set of ground rules The Collective held multiple demonstrations and garnered thousands of supporters through community and transnational organising under their slogan “Let’s Rise Up!” (Insorgiamo) nearly two years after their redundancies were first announced the workers still occupy the Campi Bisenzio site It’s the longest factory occupation in Italy’s history The legal case brought against Melrose by FIOM-CGIL found the mass redundancies illegal The company was found guilty of “anti trade union behaviour” for violating an article in the Workers’ Statute But the closure of the plant was still a possibility and the workers resolved to continue their occupation The Collective has used the factory instead as a hub for organising their movement: preventing layoffs The Insorgiamo is now crowdfunding to buy back the factory to form a workers’ cooperative and transform their previous production from emission-enabling car parts to sustainable cargo bikes and solar panels The Collective has been planning its transition for some time they set up a technical scientific committee that is composed of university researchers and developed industrial plans to set out what the factory could produce that would benefit the planet they made two cargo bike prototypes that will be used to link up rural farmers with food delivery cooperatives in cities They have also met with a start-up to investigate making solar panels without using lithium, silicon and cobalt: minerals that chuck out billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide when mined for, often in precarious working conditions said: “There is a chance that 300,000 jobs will be lost because of the transition from petrol cars to electric cars “[Our bosses] said that our product was destroyed by the green transition so that’s why we developed a position around this factor And their reason[ing] was wrong for a lot of reasons including a technical one: the [axle] shaft that we were producing is also used in electrical vehicles So we don’t accept being blamed for what we produce when someone fires us saying it could “create thousands of good jobs” The GKN Collective is attempting to tackle this challenge – defending jobs and transitioning to greener industry – from the bottom up “It’s false that the workers’ movement is separate from the environment movement it’s been false since the beginning,” said Salvetti “A lot of environmental struggles in the 70s in Italy were inside the factories and were started by the workers.” Those movements fought for better environmental conditions inside the factories including protesting against asbestos and poor air quality the workers have not received wages from the factory’s owners after their plans to self-manage the factory were finalised but around 120 colleagues have left to find other work we are managing a struggle that’s been going on for 22 months “It’s not easy. We keep morale up with demonstrations and events such as a working class literature festival at the beginning of April Workers see that people still support the factory and that gives morale.” “[Our bosses] have to show that they are free to close down the factory whenever they want for any reason they want and there’s no discussion about it It’s a struggle of who controls the society but they have to show that they are the boss “We’ve seen a lot of the hierarchies used in the workplace were useless We’ve been organising our whole lives without bosses We can manage the factory better than them Two former shift leaders who were our enemies when we were producing [axle shafts] are now our close allies in the struggle.” What we can say is that we have reached a point that few workers’ struggles have reached in Europe in the last few years.” This article was originally published by the Progressive International Frankie Lister-Fell is a journalist and reporter at Camden New Journal Do you want to be informed of DiEM25's actions? Sign up here Hopefully we will all pause for two minutes to reflect on the atrocities committed in the past As Romanians prepare to head to the polls on May 4 and 18 they do so under the shadow of a deep betrayal of democracy those who challenge the dominant narratives are silenced Despite international rulings and mounting evidence of genocide the Central Bank of Ireland continues to approve Israeli war bond sales across the EU by Stefano Alfano The Florentine tram network will reach Campi Bisenzio and Bagno a Ripoli The Florence city council has  approved the resolutions for line 3.2.1 (Piazza della Libertà Bagno a Ripoli) and line 4 (Stazione Leopolda Campi Bisenzio); the first step is expected to be the call for tenders for line 4 The Florentine tram network will reach Campi Bisenzio and Bagno a Ripoli The new lines represent the indispensable completion of Florence’s tram network a network that is increasingly becoming a strong element of mobility in the Florentine area.Line 3.2.1 to Bagno a Ripoli will be 7.2 km long and will include 17 stops and will complete the network of north-west Florence; from the stop of the T1 tram line at Porta al Prato the line will run partly on the current site of the Florence-Empoli railway (which will cease rail service) to the current station at Cascine and partly on its own newly built site.For line 4 The line is to be put into operation by 2026 from which the resources for the Piagge-Campi Bisenzio section will come The resolution approved the ‘strengthened’ technical and economic feasibility project for the Piagge-Campi Bisenzio section which will allow access to the tender for the integrated contract (final design construction of the work) for the entire Line 4 Line 4  will be followed by the 3.2.1 line to Bagno a Ripoli whose project has already been approved by the council on 19 October and by the city council on 7 November; the planned interchange car park at the request of the municipality of Bagno a Ripoli itself can be managed as a specific contract by the municipality The projects are not only a solution for improving public transport but also an unmissable opportunity for urban regeneration and increasing sustainable mobility; in addition to the new bus stops with new bus shelters and pavements for level crossing new green areas and the planting of hundreds of trees are planned as well as the construction of cycle paths interchange car parks (in particular at the junction of the Indiano viaduct) new bus stops and major road works between Via Pistoiese and Via Fratelli Rosselli in order to reduce traffic volumes on routes such as Via Pistoiese and Via Baracca the provisional depot at Piagge will not be built but will focus directly on the new Campi Bisenzio facility a reduction of at least 10,000 cars per day is expected and a saving of at least 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide The own seat will allow high commercial speeds and certainly reliable journey times as is already the case for the T1 and T2 lines whose positive operating results have exceeded all forecasts Florence’s tram network has managed to combine the best resources of the tram which if placed on axes in its own seat and without crossings can really give its best The success with the public has been significant right from the start and the Sirios supplied by AnsaldoBreda work at full capacity for 19 hours a day; for both lines now in operation crossings take place every 4-5 minutes from 6.30 am to 8.30 pm then every 10 minutes until 11.30 pm and every 10 pm until 0.30 am The data alone explain the importance of the service which intercepts poles such as the Santa Maria Novella railway station In addition to a sustainable and reliable service the tramway is also an opportunity for urban redevelopment with the recovery of disused areas and the usability of other areas that are currently little used by citizens © Copyright 2012 - 2025 | Vado e Torno Edizioni | All rights reserved | P.I Ultima Generazione hit the Uffizi again with another raid yesterday morning around 12 noon.25: Five activists attached leaflets with images of the Campi Bisenzio flooding to the protective glass of Botticelli ’s Primavera and on the wall, as had already happened on Feb. 13 when two Ultima Generazione activists attached images of last fall’s Campi Bisenzio flooding to the protective glass of Botticelli’s Venus an act that was followed by a 20,000-euro fine to each of the activists.Museum staff turned off the hall lights Law enforcement officers responded to the scene “Again we stuck pictures of the floods on the windows of the artworks to demand a #FundReparation to the damages of climate disasters,” the movement wrote in a social post What is the point of this spring without more winter What sense does it make to deify works of art while the sanctity of life is raped by bombs on unarmed civilians a Spring of justice where people are safe from climate collapse.” "These eco-vandals will pay out of their own pockets: in addition to being referred to the judicial authorities the perpetrators of this umpteenth disfigurement to the sanctity of our cultural heritage have been fined to pay for the restoration of the decorum of the work and the rooms of the Uffizi Gallery where it is Botticelli’s Primavera is housed as provided for in the legislation sought by this government to counter pseudo-activists who improperly make our museums their stage to the disregard of those who visit them and those who work there," Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano commented that this happened on a day of celebration for Italian culture when many citizens visit Italian museums and archaeological sites for free to enjoy the beauty that our nation has inherited from its illustrious past.” Tuscany is in a state of emergency and three people died when their sailing boat capsized off Portugal At least six people have died in severe flooding in Tuscany, central Italy and three in Portugal bringing to 15 the provisional death toll across western Europe from the torrential rain and record winds brought by Storm Ciarán describing the situation as “really very serious” It had been “a long and complex night for the entire regional civil protection system” There had been fears the Arno River could flood the historic city of Florence after several nearby towns were swamped but Giani said the high water point had passed at mid-morning without major incident A bridge collapsed near the city of Pistoia Another person died in the town of Rosignano while the other two victims were elderly people living in the small town of Montemurlo Giani said the dead included an 85-year-old man who was found drowned on the ground floor of his care home “What happened tonight in Tuscany has a name: climate change,” Giani wrote on X said the damage caused by the storm was “a blow to the stomach and makes you want to cry” The city’s Santo Stefano hospital was also engulfed with water “After a night of devastation we will roll up our sleeves to clean and try to bring our city back to normal,” the mayor told local journalists Damaged cars after flooding in Prato Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesTwo women and a man were killed off the coast of Portugal when their sailing boat capsized 35 miles north of Lisbon in heavy seas The country’s northern coastal regions had been placed on red alert Several people were still missing in Tuscany and at least one in the north-eastern Veneto region announced an initial state aid package of €5m (£4.3m) to help the worst-hit areas People were being evacuated from their homes in rubber dinghies in the Seano Quarrata and Campi Bisenzio areas of Tuscany Storm Ciarán followed severe storms that battered Milan and surrounding areas in the Lombardy region earlier this week causing widespread damage and Lake Como to overflow scientists have explained: unusual storms where explosive intensification leads to exceptionally strong winds It was also unusual in producing both heavy rain and high winds over large areas Colin Manning and Hayley Fowler of Newcastle University in the UK said such storms were likely to become more frequent due to the climate crisis countries must build more resilient infrastructure,” they said At least seven people were killed elsewhere in Europe on Thursday Italy is seen as particularly exposed to the effects of climate breakdown. In May, 14 people died and thousands were left homeless after flooding in Emilia-Romagna at least 800 people around the coastal town of Gandia in Valencia were evacuated after a wildfire broke out and spread rapidly overnight amid record-breaking winds This article was amended on 3 November 2023 to correct the first name of Matteo Biffoni July 14 (RHC)-- The municipal council of the Tuscan city of Campi Bisenzio has approved a resolution in favor of ending the economic commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba for almost six decades The initiative presented by Left and progressive forces grouped in the Campi a Sinistra Group was supported by the majority of the members of the local body of political-administrative direction and control with the abstentions of the representatives of the right-wing parties Fuerza Italia and the League head of the group and a member of the Communist Refoundation Party stressed the importance of the agreement that calls on the municipal administration to heed the call of the Cuban community living in Europe to end the blockade against Cuba and its people The motion also demands that the Metropolitan City of Florence the Tuscany Region and the Italian government be urged to embrace this call against the blockade government "even now when the whole world is hit by the Covid-19 epidemic." the Cuban response to Italy's request for help stands out with the sending of health collaborators who are members of the Henry Reeve Contingent in line with the solidarity commitment shown by the Caribbean nation in the field of health with the whole world for decades After specifying that the blockade is the result of unilaterally motivated political reasons the agreement underlines that its measures imply serious damages to the Cuban people and endanger their lives even preventing imports necessary for health enter your e-mail address in the box below After seeing a piece of the stadium literally fall off the Viola owner sounds like he’s reaching the end of his tether Fiorentina’s season-opening win over Torino was about as perfect as it could have been and walked away with all three points in front of owner Rocco Commisso who made it to Italy for the first time in more than half a year it was a good result made even more exciting by the fact that if Christian Kouamé can routinely nod home simple crosses You know what could have really sapped all the joy from that If Rocco had gotten squished by a chunk of the legendary but badly-in-need-of-help Stadio Artemio Franchi the Mediacom billionaire held up a small piece concrete that he saw fall off the upper deck during the game and showed it to news cameras as an example of why the stadium needs to be addressed fast Ai microfoni di @90minutoRai, Rocco #Commisso mostra un calcinaccio del Franchi che gli è caduto vicino ieri, mentre ieri era allo stadio. Alla faccia dei vincoli! @acffiorentina pic.twitter.com/bjw2cZEY5C We’ve been doing this dance for a decade now and it shows no signs of slowing down The Della Valles hemmed and hawed about building a new arena at the old Mercafir site but never got past some concept drawings and an endlessly recursive back-and-forth with the city about permitting Rocco has done a lot more in his brief time in charge firmly rejecting the Mercafir proposal and submitting several plans of his own but the syrup-slow bureaucracy of Italian politics have frustrated him at every turn Commisso has clearly made the new stadium his personal project leaving the day-to-day running of the club to Daniele Pradé and Joe Barone (exactly what you want from an owner) and he fired another round of warning shots towards Florence mayor Dario Nardella yesterday after repeating earlier this week that although finding space on the Campo di Marte has always been the top priority he’s got a meeting with Campi Bisenzio mayor Emiliano Fossi this week to discuss creating the facility there “I want to destroy the Franchi. You thought I was joking,” is quite a sound bite for the fans and for Florence.” After again relating the incident with the chunk of concrete he revisited the points he’s made previously about why the club needs to own its own matchday facilities; at this point we surely don’t need to explain the reasoning His final words on the subject were a pretty stark rejection of those who believe the Franchi’s historical significance renders it untouchable: “A monument and yet people have left to make their fortunes but there’s a need to look at the economic side I’m not to destroy the Colosseum or the Palazzo Vecchio.” Rocco’s made it very clear that he wants to keep the club in the heart of the city Figuring out a solution (a free 99-year lease for the land and club ownership of the new stadium?) with Nardella and company sounds like Fiorentina’s preferred option and the new laws mean that some sort of new project could get done If the authorities allow the Viola to basically tear down the whole Franchi barring the iconic Maratona tower and maybe the facade Foto Agf)NascondiMEPs of The Left in The European Parliament18 settembre 2021 • 07:00 What is happening in Florence with the announced dismissal of over 400 workers upon the closure of the GKN site in Campi Bisenzio The Left group presented a written question to the EU Commission An equity fund shouldn’t have the power to decide over people’s fate This is not merely the unfortunate and painful end of some difficult years but just the latest example of the clear and greedy logic of multinationals: maximise profit for shareholders GKN is an automotive and aerospace components multinational it was bought by British equity fund Melrose which defines itself as "a company specializing in the purchase and improvement of underperforming assets" which immediately made UK trade unions suspicious the company won the backing of 52% of GKN shareholders in a hostile takeover bid of £8.1 billion They promised to treat workers with dignity and respect but didn’t waste any time doing exactly the opposite GKN announced the closure of a factory in Birmingham where the company laid off 540 workers from its Offenbach branch where Melrose’s infamous methods will cause almost 500 people to lose their jobs the GKN site in Campi Bisanzio saw its revenue increase by 7% compared to the previous quarter causing turnover to jump 14% more than forecast The only reason behind the closure in Florence is to lower costs and boost profits We have observed similar speculative behavior in other sectors and countries Companies paying dividends to shareholders should not be allowed to proceed to collective redundancies the company has also received European funding in recent years The Left group in the European Parliament has been fighting for years for aid to companies to be tied to guarantees in terms of employment and respect of the most basic rights we succeeded in pushing the majority of the European Parliament to call for those who receive public funds to at least respect the applicable collective agreements and refrain from paying bonuses to executives there has been no concrete action in this direction since then The European Commission is very quick to apply absurd conditionalities when it comes to respecting market logic but plays deaf when it needs to protect the dignity of workers Last week we met with a delegation of GKN workers who told us about their struggle they will take to the streets once again to defend their jobs The Commission and the member states must find concrete solutions The Left group presented a written question to the European Commission asking about the case of GKN workers We want to know the extent of the European funding received by Melrose and whether the von der Leyen-led Commission intends to put forward any legislative proposal to prevent layoffs in multinational companies that pay dividends to shareholders or receive EU funds The Commission now has the duty to respond Özlem Demirel (Die Linke) José Gusmão (Bloco de Esquerda) Maria Eugenia Rodriguez Palop (Unidas Podemos) - MEPs of The Left in The European Parliament di Nazareno Orlandi - interviste di Anna Chiara Spigarolo Nadia Battocletti e Iliass Aouani sono i nuovi campioni italiani di corsa campestre La trentina delle Fiamme Azzurre e il lombardo dell’Atletica Casone Noceto si assicurano il successo tricolore nella Festa del Cross di Campi Bisenzio (Firenze) in una mattinata che ha visto scendere anche la grandine sui prati toscani del parco di Villa Montalvo Per entrambi è il primo titolo assoluto nel cross: la ventenne Battocletti negli 8 km lo conquista davanti a Francesca Tommasi (Esercito) e Rebecca Lonedo (Atl il 25enne Aouani superando nei 10 km Yohanes Chiappinelli (Carabinieri) e Osama Zoghlami (Aeronautica) A batterlo soltanto il campione del mondo di mezza maratona che gareggiava esclusivamente per la classifica dei Societari Nel cross corto (3 km) titoli italiani assoluti per Ala Zoghlami (Fiamme Oro) e Nicole Reina (Cus Pro Patria Milano). Gli scudetti del cross vanno a due società lombarde: Cus Pro Patria Milano per gli uomini e Freezone per le donne RISULTATI - LE FOTO (di Francesca Grana/FIDAL) DONNE - È la legge di Nadia Battocletti (Fiamme Azzurre) “Ho ricominciato a correre soltanto da una settimana dopo alcuni problemi muscolari ma non manco in un cross tricolore da quando ho 14 anni quindi non potevo non esserci” Trionfa l’azzurra due volte campionessa europea under 20: è per la ventenne trentina il titolo italiano a Campi Bisenzio Nel saliscendi toscano si sgancia un quartetto di atlete africane formato da Addisalem Belay Tegegn (Etiopia) Francine Niyomukunzi (Burundi) e Elvanie Nimbona (Burundi) Faranno gara a sé per la classifica dei Societari fino al successo della Niyomukunzi (Atl viaggiano insieme a lungo tutte le migliori azzurre ed è nell’ultimo giro che Nadia Battocletti (29:01) rompe gli indugi e imprime l’accelerata giusta per conquistare il suo primo titolo assoluto (e under 23) nel cross distanziando la tricolore in carica Francesca Tommasi (Esercito 29:04) che rientrava dopo otto mesi di problemi fisici e la terza classificata Rebecca Lonedo (Atl un’ottima Giovanna Selva (Sport Project Vco quindi la maratoneta Giovanna Epis (Carabinieri 29:22) e l’altra promessa Gaia Colli (Atl Valle Brembana) sesta assoluta e terza di categoria (29:30) BATTOCLETTI: “IL SUCCESSO DOPO L’INFORTUNIO” - “Il 28 gennaio ho avuto un infortunio - racconta l’atleta allenata dal papà ex azzurro Giuliano - è stata una lesione al gemello della gamba destra che ha prodotto un sovraccarico al tendine Quindi ho passato un mese piuttosto pesante e devo ringraziare il mio staff medico mi sono divertita un sacco soprattutto nella parte ondulata Contenta anche di essere tornata a duellare con Francesca Tommasi: siamo spesso in contatto ci siamo supportate molto negli ultimi tempi non solo per l’atletica ma anche negli studi Mi vedrete in gara di nuovo tra una settimana al Campaccio UOMINI - Sotto la grandine spunta Iliass Aouani È il primo titolo italiano assoluto per l’atleta milanese di origine marocchina da non molto rientrato in Italia dopo il suo periodo di studi negli Stati Uniti ora di stanza a Ferrara per seguire i consigli di Massimo Magnani Il 25enne dell’Atletica Casone Noceto conquista il tricolore al termine di un vivace duello con Yohanes Chiappinelli (Carabinieri) Il primo a muoversi con più decisione poi vincitore in solitaria nella classifica riservata ai Campionati di Società (30:09 per coprire i 10 km) L’ugandese parte proprio in coppia con il compagno di squadra Aouani e il solo Chiappinelli è in grado di proseguire sulla loro scia Quando nel quarto giro il campione del mondo di mezza maratona e argento mondiale del cross decide di andarsene si forma il duo Aouani-Chiappinelli per la lotta al titolo italiano Nell’ultimo dei cinque giri comincia addirittura a grandinare sui prati del parco di Villa Montalvo a Campi Bisenzio dopo che la mattinata era stata graziata dal maltempo Chiappinelli 30:57 e il terzo posto tra gli italiani va ad Osama Zoghlami (Aeronautica) complessivamente quarto al traguardo (31:09) poi nella classifica tricolore Nfamara Njie (Atl quinto 31:35) e Sebastiano Parolini (Gruppo Alpinistico Vertovese AOUANI: “TORNATO IN ITALIA DAGLI USA HO CAMBIATO VITA” - “Sono contentissimo non me l’aspettavo - le prime parole di Aouani più volte maglia azzurra giovanile negli anni passati  - negli ultimi mesi sono cambiate tantissime cose e pensavo che questo processo di transizione sarebbe stato più lungo Il cross tra l’altro non è nemmeno la mia specialità” è un ritorno a casa: “Ho finito la mia esperienza negli Stati Uniti dove ho studiato per una triennale in ingegneria civile e una magistrale in ingegneria strutturale Oggi è stata una gara molto divertente ho corso con sicurezza: era quello che volevo dimostrare a me stesso Mentalmente negli ultimi giri sono andato un po’ in panico allora ho corso in maniera conservativa per preservare qualcosa in vista del finale Per fortuna negli ultimi 600 metri le gambe erano ancora reattive Per la stagione in pista punto tutto sui 10.000 metri” Distanza nella quale è stato quarto alle Universiadi di Napoli nel luglio del 2019 evento che l’ha visto terminare anche al quinto posto in mezza maratona.  CROSS CORTO - Il segno del “tre” con la mano mostrato all’arrivo soddisfatto: è il terzo titolo in pochi mesi dopo la doppietta tricolore di Modena nelle siepi e nei 5000 metri Ala Zoghlami (Fiamme Oro) si libera della concorrenza ai mille e cinquecento metri e nessuno riesce a resistere al suo ritmo Il siciliano si destreggia bene nel percorso da 3 km caratterizzato anche da una doppia salita che può farsi sentire nelle gambe Per metà gara gli rimane al fianco Samuele Dini (Fiamme Gialle) insieme al resto del gruppo poi però nella seconda porzione Zoghlami fugge via facendo valere la propria classe: 8:42 al traguardo per l’azzurro Due atleti equiparati ai primi due posti della categoria promesse: il dominicano-siciliano Wilson Marquez (Siracusatletica 8:56) stacca il marocchino-calabrese Ayoub Idam (Scuola Atl 9:15) e anche il terzo classificato Filippo Gandini (Cus Insubria Varese Como due vittorie in due giorni per Nicole Reina (Cus Pro Patria Milano) la milanese si prende anche il tricolore nel cross corto Il terreno è appesantito dall’acquazzone della prima mattina ma tiene dignitosamente quando si corre la prova “sprint” dei 3 km La 23enne si rende imprendibile già nel primo giro da un chilometro e poi mantiene il vantaggio nel giro più lungo per chiudere con il tempo di 10:16 davanti a Micol Majori (Pro Sesto Atl. si propone Linda Palumbo (Suedtirol Team Club) in un podio promesse completato da Lucrezia Mancino (Atl VIDEO | INTERVISTA AD ALA ZOGHLAMI VIDEO | LE PAROLE DI NICOLE REINA JUNIORES - Si alza il vento durante la prova juniores femminile e almeno fino al giro conclusivo la tattica è restare coperte La bagarre si accende però nell’ultima tornata quando al comando resta un gruppetto di cinque che poi si assottiglia metro dopo metro L’azione vincente è quella della friulana Ilaria Bruno (Brugnera Friulintagli 22:10) capace con un finale in progressione di sfilacciare il drappello delle avversarie composto da Emma Casati (Atl seconda in 22:18) e Agnese Carcano (Verona Pindemonte per indossare un’altra maglia tricolore dopo quella dei 3000 metri juniores nella Festa dell’endurance di Modena. La gara juniores maschile è invece la più sventurata della mattinata il terreno è più pesante e bisogna fronteggiare anche il fango Ne esce una sfida agonisticamente interessante e aperta fin sul rettilineo conclusivo dove lo spunto migliore è quello di Moad Razgani (Atl È il suo riscatto dopo la squalifica nei 1500 indoor ad Ancona quell’urlo che oggi può liberare al termine del volatone (26:53) con cui regola Cesare Caiani (Brugnera Friulintagli pioggia e grandine hanno già lasciato segni evidenti sul percorso almeno quanto è straripante l’entusiasmo e la determinazione dei più giovani Al femminile agguanta il titolo italiano l’altoatesina Anna Hofer (Sportclub Merano Al maschile non sbaglia il trentino Francesco Ropelato (Us Quercia Trentingrana) dopo i titoli cadetti del cross di due anni fa e dei 2000 metri a Forlì 2020 oltre ai tre titoli italiani della montagna Prevale con 16:27 su Ismaele Deidda (Olympia Villacidro SEGUICI SU: Instagram @atleticaitaliana | Twitter @atleticaitalia | Facebook www.facebook.com/fidal.it Questo sito o gli strumenti terzi da questo utilizzati si avvalgono di cookie necessari al funzionamento ed utili alle finalità illustrate nella cookie policy Se vuoi saperne di più o negare il consenso a tutti o ad alcuni cookie scorrendo questa pagina o cliccando qualunque suo elemento acconsenti all’uso dei cookie.