Italy issues storm alerts for 14 regions, police arrest Chinese man wanted by US for industrial espionage, and more news on Tuesday.
Weather warnings were issued for 14 Italian regions on Tuesday as intense storms continued to lash swathes of the country.
Italy’s Civil Protection Department issued a medium-level ‘orange’ alert for parts of Lombardy and Veneto, as both northern regions were expected to see heavy rainfall and strong winds during the day.
Under Italy’s storm alert system, orange warnings indicate weather conditions that pose a moderate threat to public safety.
According to Italy’s Civil Protection, areas placed under such an alert are at risk of small landslides, sinkholes, damage to buildings and settlements, and the flooding of floodplains.
A lower-level ‘yellow’ alert was in place in the following regions on Tuesday: Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria and parts of Tuscany and Lazio.
A yellow warning is the least severe alert under Italy’s alert system – but still indicates some level of risk.
River levels in the affected areas are likely to rise rapidly and waterways could become flooded, as could nearby underpasses, tunnels, and basement-level structures, according to Italian authorities.
The wave of unstable weather currently gripping the country follows a prolonged spell of extreme heat which prompted multiple regional authorities to limit outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day.
A 63-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Robecchetto con Induno, west of Milan, on Sunday, as a violent storm battered the northern Italian city after days of high temperatures.
Italian police arrest Chinese national wanted by US for industrial espionage
Italian police have arrested a 33-year-old Chinese man who is wanted by US authorities over alleged industrial espionage, Ansa reported on Monday.
The man, identified as Xu Zewei from Shanghai, was arrested on a US arrest warrant last week shortly after landing at Milan’s Malpensa airport.
He is suspected of being part of a team of hackers who targeted classified US projects, including a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Texas in 2020.
According to Italian interior ministry files cited by Ansa, Zewei was involved in a “large-scale cyber intrusion campaign” which “targeted thousands of computers” to extract confidential information regarding “various US government policies.”
Zewei is set to face an extradition hearing in Milan on Tuesday, Ansa reported.
The charges listed on his US arrest warrant include wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorised access to protected computers.
Apple appeals against ‘unprecedented’ €500 million EU fine
US tech giant Apple has filed an appeal against a €500 million fine imposed by the EU earlier this year, accusing Brussels of forcing the company to make changes that are “bad” for users, according to AFP.
The European Commission fined Apple in April for preventing app developers from steering users to cheaper deals outside its App Store.
“Today we filed our appeal because we believe the European Commission’s decision – and their unprecedented fine – go far beyond what the law requires,” Apple said.
“As our appeal will show, the commission is mandating how we run our store and forcing business terms which are confusing for developers and bad for users,” it added.
Last month, Apple announced changes to its App Store in Europe to avoid steep daily fines.
These included a move to allow developers to offer payment options outside its App Store.
The US multinational has long criticised the EU’s Digital Markets Act, saying it imposes stringent regulations on its business model.
