Investments and privatization in Italy – As part of the plan “Destination Italy”, new investments are coming from the Middle East. Last week, the foreign press focused on the mission of Prime Minister Enrico Letta in the emirates and reported on the government’s commitment to finding foreign investors for privatization. So, while negotiations continued between private partners for the entry of Ethias in Alitalia (Bloomberg Businessweek, February 2 – UAE airline nears decision on Alitalia stake), there was also news on possible ENI stock operations (Bloomberg Businessweek, 3 – Italian PM Discusses Possibility of Qatari Investment in Eni), as well as those of ENEL (Handelsblatt, February 4 – Verkauf rettet Enel die Jahresbilan).
In addition, on February 4, the Financial Times, explained that the electric company was reducing its debt more than expected, (Financial Times – Enel cuts net debt by €3bn in 2013; The Wall Street Journal – Enel Cuts Net Debt More than Expected *), and improving its targets despite the drop in production (Bloomberg Businessweek– Enel Beats Debt Target Even as Sales and Power Production Fall). And in addition, the company’s renewable energy holding Enel Green Power has increased sales by 12%, as explained by the Spanish paper Expansion (February 3 – Enel Green Power eleva un 12% sus ingresos anuales, con 2.800 millones)
Unpublished novel by Chaplin discovered in Bologna – The Cineteca of Bologna has discovered Charlie Chaplin’s first and only novel in its archives. News of the discovery – “Footlights” – and its publication in English by the Emilia Romagna movie library made news world wide on the 100th anniversary of the birth of The Little Tramp. Between February 3 and 5, the news jumped from the US (New York Times – Unpublished Chaplin Novella to Be Released) to Great Britain (The Times – Charlie Chaplin finally breaks his silence as a budding novelist*), passing through Brazil (O Globo – Livro inédito de Charlie Chaplin será lançado na Itália ) and Spain (El Mundo – Publican en Italia una novela inédita de Charlie Chaplin).
Tourism and lifestyle – The foreign press also ran articles on Italian tourism and lifestyle. El Pais gloried over some of Rome’s most beautiful spots, photographed with a smartphone (February 3 – Roma a vista de smartphone), while the New York Times announced to its readers that the Positano restaurant Le Sirenuse, with its cuisine and style, would be a guest star in Stanta Monica (February 5 – An Italian Hotel Will Be a Guest Star in California). There was also news about another top icon of Italian taste: the French weekly L’Express explained the secrets of Nutella in ten points on the world day dedicated to the famous chocolate spread (February 5 – La pâte à tartiner Nutella en dix points).
* marked articles viewable online upon payment or registration