La Repubblica is one of the biggest and most popular news sources in Italy. Every day, they break stories that make headlines across the country. Here are five of their biggest stories from recent weeks.
The Murder of Aldo Moro
Aldo Moro, an Italian politician and former Prime Minister, was kidnapped by the Red Brigades, a Marxist-Leninist terrorist group, on 16 March 1978. He was held captive for 54 days and then murdered. His body was found in the trunk of a car in Rome on 9 May 1978.
The kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro shocked Italy and the world. It was a brutal act of terrorism that showed that no one was safe from the violence of the Red Brigades. The Italian government was criticized for its handling of the crisis, and there were calls for it to resign.
The Red Brigades claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro in a statement released on 9 May 1978. In the statement, they said that they had killed him because he was a “enemy of the people”.
The death of Aldo Moro marked a turning point in Italy’s history. It was a tragedy that shook the country to its core and changed the course of its politics.
The Bank of Italy Scandal
In the early 1990s, La Repubblica was at the forefront of uncovering a major banking scandal in Italy. The Bank of Italy, the country’s central bank, was accused of being involved in a massive fraud and corruption scheme. La Repubblica’s journalists were able to obtain documents and recordings that proved the involvement of top bank officials.
The scandal led to the resignations of several high-ranking officials, including the governor of the Bank of Italy. It also resulted in changes to the way the bank was governed and supervised.
The Kidnapping of John Paul Getty III
On July 10, 1973, John Paul Getty III, the grandson of billionaire oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, was kidnapped in Rome and held for ransom. His captors demanded $17 million, but Getty’s father was only able to raise $2.2 million. After months of negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to release Getty III for $3 million. He was found alive but severely malnourished on December 15, 1973.
The Achille Lauro Hijacking
On October 7, 1985, the Achille Lauro, an Italian cruise ship, was hijacked by four Palestinian terrorists from the Palestine Liberation Front. The terrorists took control of the ship and demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. When their demands were not met, they killed an elderly American passenger, Leon Klinghoffer.
The hijacking caused a major international incident and led to a standoff between the United States and Italy. The hijackers eventually surrendered to Italian authorities and were tried and sentenced to life in prison.
The Ustica Massacre
In 1980, a DC-9 aircraft carrying 81 passengers and six crew members disappeared from radar over the Mediterranean Sea. The plane had been en route from Bologna, Italy to Palermo, Sicily when it suddenly veered off course and began descending rapidly. It then vanished entirely from radar screens.
In the days that followed, search teams found bits of debris floating in the water near the island of Ustica, but no sign of the plane or any survivors. The cause of the crash was never determined, but there were eyewitness reports of a bright light preceding the plane’s disappearance. Some believe that the plane was shot down by a missile, while others believe it was brought down by an explosion on board.
The Ustica massacre is one of Italy’s most enduring mysteries, and its effects are still felt today. In the years since the disaster, families of the victims have fought for justice and answers, but no one has ever been held accountable for what happened to Flight 771.
Conclusion
La Repubblica is one of the biggest and most respected news sources in Italy. They have a huge variety of sections and topics, but these are the five stories that had the biggest impact in 2018. From politics to crime to sports, La Repubblica has it all. If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest news from Italy, be sure to check out their website.
