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Perugia shortlisted for European Youth Capital

The medieval Umbrian capital of Perugia has been shortlisted for the title of European Youth Capital 2017.

Published: 24 April 2014 10:32 CEST
Perugia shortlisted for European Youth Capital
Perugia has been shortlisted for European Youth Capital 2017. Photo: Christopher John SSF/Flickr

Perugia, a popular university city and well-known hub for culture, art and chocolate, will compete with Cascais in Portugal, Galway in Ireland, Varna in Bulgaria and the UK’s Newcastle for the accolade.

The cities fended off competition from another Italian city, Vicenza, as well as Alcobendas in Spain, Kaunas in Lithuania and the UK's York to make it into the second round.

Peter Matjašič, the president of the European Youth Forum, the Brussels-based organizer of the competition, said in a statement that the “prestigious title is a fantastic way to showcase good practice examples of youth policy making and youth participation at local level and think of new, innovative ideas and projects designed by and for young people to truly engage them in the life of their city.”

He added that the contest is also “a unique way to strengthen the bonds between the candidate cities and Europe”.

The winning city will be announced in November.

Perugia is also in the final stage of a contest to become European Culture Capital 2019, along with five other Italian cities: Cagliari, Lecce, Matera, Ravenna and Siena.

Though the city is still popular among students, with its University for Foreigners drawing an estimated 8,000 international students a year, the city’s reputation has suffered from the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in 2007.

The city’s mayor told The Local last September, ahead of the retrial of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the murder, that Kercher’s death remains “an open wound” in the heart of Perugians and “should not be forgotten”. 

READ MORE HERE: 'Meredith Kercher should not be forgotten'

Earlier this month, a survey found that the trials of Knox, who was reconvicted of the crime in late January, still deters American students from studying in Italy.

READ MORE HERE: Knox trial puts fear into American students

Knox was sentenced to 28 years and six months while Sollecito was handed a 25-year jail term. The pair is waiting for the explanation behind the January verdict before being able to appeal to Italy’s Supreme Court.

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CITY

Climate activists stage protests in Oslo as part of week-long demonstrations

Climate action group Extinction Rebellion blocked off several roads, streets and buildings in Oslo on Tuesday as part of a number of week-long protests in the Norwegian capital. 

Published: 24 August 2021 15:40 CEST
Climate activists stage protests in Oslo as part of week-long demonstrations
Extinction Rebellion protestors in Germany in 2019. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

On Tuesday, climate activism group Extinction Rebellion blocked off the intersection at Frederiks Gate Street and Karl Johans Gate Street by the palace in Oslo and protested outside the Ministry of Climate and Environment as part of a set of week-long demonstrations in the city. 

Around 100 demonstrators, some of who chained themselves together using plastic tubes, were at the intersection near the palace, and police set up roadblocks around the group before moving them on.

The demonstrations are part of what the group has called “non-violent disobedience” to protest the Norwegian government’s decision to continue drilling for oil. 

“We are protesting against the Norwegian government’s decision to drill for more and more oil. It exacerbates an already escalating climate crisis,” the group’s spokesperson told local news site Avisa Oslo. 

Despite its green ambitions of being climate neutral by 2030 and a “low carbon” society by 2050, the country is still one of the worlds largest exporters of oil and natural gas. 

In addition to this, the country will continue oil drilling, exploration, and production in the coming decades. This, the International Energy Agency, has previously said, is entirely at odds with the global goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

READ MORE: How will climate change impact Norway?

On Monday, 48 people were arrested following protests outside the Ministry of Petroleum and demonstrations in Majorstuen and Grünnerløkka. 

Oslo Police District has so far issued 33 fines of 13,000 kroner. In total, 429,000 korner of fines have been dished out so far. 

The group have said the fines activists pick up will be partially subsidised through fundraising, but members were ultimately responsible for their own fines. 

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