Culture
On this day: Birth of St Clare of Assisi
St Clare was born on 16 July 1194 in Assisi, into a noble family whose sheltered future she abandoned at eighteen for a life of poverty. She founded one of the great religious orders of medieval Europe.
Life in Italy
Italy passes parental consent law for sex and relationship education
The Italian Senate has given final approval to legislation requiring schools to obtain written parental consent before delivering any sex or relationship education. The vote has divided the country along sharply ideological lines.
Environment
Heatwave kills off Po Delta’s clams and mussels
Lagoon water temperatures of 32 degrees are starving clams and mussels of oxygen and fuelling algae blooms not seen in a decade. It is resulting in losses of up to 100% in some areas.
WWF Italy marks 60 years of conservation
From a Rome notary’s office in 1966 to over 100 nature reserves today, WWF Italy says its diamond anniversary is a stepping stone rather than a finish line.
Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement, dies
The Piedmontese visionary, Carlo Petrini, who turned a protest against McDonald’s into a global food philosophy leaves behind a movement active in 160 countries and an enduring legacy of culinary conscience.
