Everyday Italian: Newspaper Headlines 5

upper left: The hospital has waste 8 million [euros] and meanwhile cuts more beds - "I saw again in Lecco the gypsy women who wanted to kidnap my daughter."

lower left: Tragedy: Drowns in the sea the wife of Luigi Belmonte - All the school results, one first-year in three is flunked

lower center: [Driver's] license points: the city government [is] forgetful - Lungolago [lakeside road]: motorcycles [being] stolen - city govrnment changes delegates [? political term I'm not sure of]

lower center 2: Hospital: Millions in damage for services - Usury: the chancellor speaks - Lecco [football team] has a new coach [In Italy, soccer coaches are called "Mister". Tim Parks theorizes that this is because the first ones in Italy came from English.]

lower right: The defense of the Colombo [family]: "We are not loan sharks." - Stadium, white smoke the Lecco [team] signs up for the C1 [league - the local football team has won a place in a higher league, necessitating a hasty upgrade of the stadium to bring it up to safety standards for the expected larger and more illustrious crowds. The white smoke refers to the tradition of sending up a puff of white smoke from the Vatican when a new pope has been chosen.]

left: The Financial Office inspects [under warrant] the offices of the Twinning Committee. (Throughout Europe you see signs upon entering towns and city saying "This town is twinned with..." followed by one or more names of towns elsewhere in the world. This twinning is used to promote cultural exchange and tourism, I'm not sure with what degree of success.) - Lecco [the team] warms its engines. Sunday to host AC Milan

center left: University student drowns in the lake - Real landslide during practice [This probably refers to practice runs by an Alpine rescue team. Some Italian hikers and climbers volunteer as part of these teams, and for the "Civil Protection" units, it's part of their job.]

center right: Denounces: If you want to give birth without suffering, you must pay under the table. [Probably refers to the fact that an epidural during labor is far from standard practice in most Italian hospitals. This may be because there aren't enough anesthesiologists able to administer one, and they are busy with emergencies and surgeries. Some say that it's (also) because Italian culture and the medical establishment believe women should suffer in labor. Whatever the reason, it can be difficult or impossible to have an epidural for childbirth. If it's possible to get one only by paying a bribe, well, that's not good.] - Euthanasia or inexpertise? Manzoni's doctor investigated.

right: Dead on a motorcycle: incredulity and pain [I don't get the incredulity - people die on motorcycles frequently around here.] - Crowd on the lakeshore road for the air show.

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