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Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[Herald Interview] Italian envoy hopes to boost soft power, space technology cooperation with S. Korea
Gatto showcases Italy's modern identity in tech, space to Korean youth, highlighting strength in basic science Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto said she has been focusing on people-to-people diplomacy and space tech cooperation with South Korea, in an interview with The Korea Herald. The interview took place ahead of Italian Republic Day, which is celebrated on June 2 to mark the 1946 referendum in which Italians voted to become a republic. 'Two institutional frameworks — parliamentary and territorial — are where we should focus our (Italian and Korean) projects in culture, science and business as part of this ecosystem,' she said. 'I'm focusing on two areas: first, parliamentary diplomacy, which is representative. We now have a friendship group — both in Italy and Korea — and we are strategizing. 'For me, people-to-people diplomacy is fundamental,' Gatto told The Korea Herald. According to Gatto, Italy and Korea are cultural powerhouses with strong global soft power, with Italy's influence stemming from history, art and heritage. But she acknowledges that more effort is needed to showcase lesser-known aspects of Italy's cultural strength. "Similarly, Korea is the same,' she told The Korea Herald. Praising Korea as a rising soft power with a rich cultural heritage, she admired its efforts to preserve traditions like Hangeul. "Hangeul is fantastic. I think King Sejong was a genius,' she said. 'In this sector — soft power — I feel I would love to serve not only as the Italian ambassador to Korea but also as Korea's ambassador to Italy, because I care deeply about it.' Gatto showcased Italy's modern identity in tech and space to Korean youth, noting Italy's early space achievements and role in the International Space Station. She said that Italy-Korea cooperation in aerospace and STEM is growing, citing three agreements in the science, technology, engineering and math fields signed during President Sergio Mattarella's three-day state visit to Seoul in 2023 and agreements between space agencies and universities. But Gatto also referred to Korea's shift toward basic science. 'Korea has long focused on applied science. … But now the time has come for Korea to also focus on basic science,' Gatto told The Korea Herald. 'Italy, on the other hand, has always invested deeply in theoretical science." "We're complementary,' Gatto said, encouraging young Koreans to study in Italy, highlighting rewarding opportunities in satellite engineering, top Italian universities offering programs in English with high academic value and a good quality of life. Gotti described Italy as a diverse mosaic of cities and regions, with no single city — like Rome — being more important than others such as Milan, Florence, Bologna or Turin. 'It's completely different from Korea — again, we are complementary. But now Korea is looking at us because it also wants to become more decentralized,' Gatto said. Kimchi and Chianti Meanwhile, the ambassador also suggested a culinary pairing of kimchi with Chianti, pointing to Korean food's health benefits and global potential. She said that the goal of events such as "Week of Italian Cuisine" is not to replace Korean cuisine, but to encourage pairings, such as Italian wines with Korean dishes, to raise awareness of Italy's lesser-known yet high-quality wines. 'One main reason is that our economy is composed of very small companies — this is particularly true in the wine sector. These are mostly family-run businesses. … The small scale is actually a strength — it means no mass production,' she told The Korea Herald when asked why Italian wines are less well-known than French or Chilean wines in Seoul. 'It's better to drink something authentic and free of additives,' she recommended. 'In Italy, many wines carry DOCG labels, which come with strict rules — no chemicals to mimic flavors.' DOCG — Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin — represents the top tier of Italian wine classifications. Italy declared 2024-2025 as the "Year of Cultural Exchange between Italy and Korea" during the state visit of Mattarella to Korea in 2023. sanjaykumar@
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Old Forge School District receives $400,000 solar grant
Old Forge School District officials will look into solar power for the district thanks to funding from a state grant. The district received $400,000 through the Solar for Schools program, state Sen. Marty Flynn, D-22, Dunmore, announced this week. The money will be used to support the installation of solar energy infrastructure at the district, his office said in a news release. Flynn added it will help reduce long-term energy costs and promote sustainability in school operations. Superintendent Christopher Gatto said the idea of putting solar panels in the district came about prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when he, then-Superintendent Erin Keating, Ed.D., and Business Manager Brian Rinaldi met with a solar company representative that reached out to them. He said they were interested at the time, but when the pandemic occurred, the project got put on the back burner. Gatto decided to apply for the grant after speaking with state Rep. Jim Haddock, D-118, Pittston Twp., in the fall. He said securing the funding for a project like installing solar panels makes it easier to pursue and he's grateful to receive the funds. 'For a district our size, any dollar that we can get goes a long way,' Gatto said. The board approved his request to apply for the grant in January. He plans to issue a request for proposals for companies to install the panels, assess the district property and figure out what array works for the district from a financial and land-use perspective. The district had an assessment done of its buildings and property to determine the feasibility for solar energy and as part of the application process. Officials have not determined how many panels will be installed or where they would be installed. They are figuring out their cost, what the district can afford, what the grant will cover and what money will be set aside for them. Gatto said the decision where the panels will be installed would need to be made in consultation with the company that is awarded the bid. 'We need to assess what works best for us from the standpoint of offsetting our electricity costs and also the property and how we utilize the property and what spots we could use,' he said. Gatto said there is potential for the district to save $2.7 million over 30 years and the project would pay for itself in approximately three years. He hopes power generated by the panels will offset as much of what the district spends on electricity as possible, allowing officials to use money normally spent for electricity on other things. The panels can also be used from an educational standpoint. Gatto said he envisions science classes using them. Established in July of last year, the Solar for Schools program provides grants to school districts, intermediate units, charter schools, career and technical schools, chartered schools for the education of the deaf or blind, community colleges and technology colleges to cover solar project costs, including aiding in the purchase and installation of equipment, permit fees, energy storage and utility interconnection. The program is administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development and funded through the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The Hanover Area School District in Luzerne County was also awarded $400,000 to install solar panels on the roof of the high school. Local Share Account grants In addition to the Solar for Schools program, the Commonwealth Financing Authority also funded Local Share Account grants for multiple projects in Lackawanna County. Those projects and the amounts awarded to them are: • Archbald American Legion Post 328, HVAC system and window replacement, $38,000. • Ballet Theater of Scranton, new theater equipment, $42,393. • Blakely, new vehicle for the Police Department, $65,000. • Carbondale, new trailer-mounted sewer jet machine, $75,000 • Carbondale Little League, purchase and installation of new field lights at Russell Park, $59,375. • Clarks Green, Municipal Building emergency generator project, $49,140. • Clarks Summit, new patrol vehicle, $66,211. • Connell Park, Scranton, equipment, backstop and driveway reconstruction, $30,791. • Dickson City, commercial enforcement vehicle, $80,000. • Dunmore School District, paving and security upgrades, $100,000. • Eynon Sturges Volunteer Hose Company No. 3, paving and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility improvements, $30,000. • Glenburn Twp., compact wheel loader purchase, $106,000. • Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, South Abington Twp., purchase and installation of a new HVAC system, $105,000. • Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Dunmore, equipment, flooring replacement and building repairs, $50,000. • Indo American Community of Scranton, equipment project, $51,143. • Jessup VFW Post 5544, building renovations, $50,000. • Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour, site improvements, $125,000. • Lackawanna County, trail maintenance equipment project, $81,000. • La Festa Italiana of Lackawanna County, equipment and storage project, $80,895. • Lakeland School District, playground renovation at Mayfield Elementary School, $50,000. • Mayfield Police Department, new vehicle, $50,000. • Minooka Athletic Association, field updates, $19,789. • Moosic, new Police Department vehicle, $85,781. • Moosic Little League, lighting and field project, $121,052. • North Scranton Little League, batting cage project, $100,000. • Old Forge, two new police vehicles, $102,130. • Olyphant, updates and renovations to the downtown area, $67,684. • Scranton Cultural Center, restoration project, $74,535. • Scranton Preparatory School, lighting project, $113,260. • Scranton Tennis Club, Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility project, $110,000. • South Abington Twp., police vehicle purchase, $67,000. • Taylor Memorial Cemetery, improvements, $104,450. • Waverly Twp. Police Department, equipment upgrades, $39,849.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia news LIVE: Coalition, division, PM heads to Rome, Roberts-Smith back in court
Latest posts 7.00am Underworld links in big building projects secretly mapped By Nick McKenzie Victoria's Allan government is secretly mapping the infiltration of Victoria's biggest infrastructure projects by firms with suspected links to the underworld while warning its key contractors to purge gangland figures from their supply chains. The moves are detailed in confidential documents from the state's peak infrastructure agency that reveal the government's concern about the reach of figures such as Mick Gatto and bikie enforcers into its sprawling multibillion-dollar Big Build program. One file includes a list of firms that officials suspect may be both gangland-linked and profiting – directly or indirectly – from taxpayer projects. They include Gatto and his construction industry consulting businesses along with the Gatto-linked traffic management firm Jarrah Resource Management – whose shareholders previously included Gatto's daughter and which has won work on Big Build road and rail upgrades. Read the exclusive story here. 7.00am Pope-bound PM affirms stance on religion By David Crowe and Paul Sakkal Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has cited his Catholic childhood as a key influence on his approach to government as he heads to Rome for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV amid heightened attention on his faith. Albanese, whose mother was a devout Catholic, said that church teachings on helping the vulnerable had shaped his politics – and he revealed that they triggered a key moment in the election campaign. Speaking to this masthead on the Inside Politics podcast, the prime minister said the separation of church and state was one reason he was sworn into office with an affirmation rather than with a Bible. But he added that his 'no one left behind' mantra was underpinned by a moral imperative to use the tools of government to lift people up. Here's the full story. 7.00am Momentum builds for Liberal inquiry By Paul Sakkal Momentum is building within the Liberal Party to launch a special inquiry into its future as Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud jostle over the role of nuclear energy, risking a formal split of the parties. Littleproud travelled from Canberra to Albury to meet with Ley – who is in her hometown to be with her dying mother – about the future of the Coalition pact that allows them to create a joint shadow cabinet. Debate continues about whether the Coalition should retain its polarising plan to build nuclear reactors, a key line of attack for Labor during the campaign. Littleproud, whose party lobbied for the energy overhaul last term, is under pressure from his MPs to secure a guarantee to enshrine the nuclear policy in any agreement signed with Ley. 7.00am What you need to know Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of today's national news stories. I'm Ben Cubby, and I'll be with you for the morning. It's Friday, May 16. Here's what's making news. Momentum is building in the Liberal Party to launch a special inquiry into its future, as Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud jostle over nuclear energy, risking a formal split. Ben Roberts-Smith will find out this morning if he has won his court bid to overturn a devastating defamation loss. Prime minister Anthony Albanese has spoken about his views on religious faith as he prepares to travel to Rome for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV and hold meetings with world leaders. The vote count continues today, as Liberal Tim Wilson's lead over independent Zoe Daniel in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein narrows further. In Victoria, the state government is secretly mapping the infiltration of big infrastructure projects by firms with suspected underworld links and warning key contractors to cut ties with gangland figures. In NSW, the state's healthcare system risks being overwhelmed by an avalanche of ageing and chronically ill patients, a special commission report has found.
The Age
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Australia news LIVE: Coalition, division, PM heads to Rome, Roberts-Smith back in court
Latest posts 7.00am Underworld links in big building projects secretly mapped By Nick McKenzie Victoria's Allan government is secretly mapping the infiltration of Victoria's biggest infrastructure projects by firms with suspected links to the underworld while warning its key contractors to purge gangland figures from their supply chains. The moves are detailed in confidential documents from the state's peak infrastructure agency that reveal the government's concern about the reach of figures such as Mick Gatto and bikie enforcers into its sprawling multibillion-dollar Big Build program. One file includes a list of firms that officials suspect may be both gangland-linked and profiting – directly or indirectly – from taxpayer projects. They include Gatto and his construction industry consulting businesses along with the Gatto-linked traffic management firm Jarrah Resource Management – whose shareholders previously included Gatto's daughter and which has won work on Big Build road and rail upgrades. Read the exclusive story here. 7.00am Pope-bound PM affirms stance on religion By David Crowe and Paul Sakkal Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has cited his Catholic childhood as a key influence on his approach to government as he heads to Rome for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV amid heightened attention on his faith. Albanese, whose mother was a devout Catholic, said that church teachings on helping the vulnerable had shaped his politics – and he revealed that they triggered a key moment in the election campaign. Speaking to this masthead on the Inside Politics podcast, the prime minister said the separation of church and state was one reason he was sworn into office with an affirmation rather than with a Bible. But he added that his 'no one left behind' mantra was underpinned by a moral imperative to use the tools of government to lift people up. Here's the full story. 7.00am Momentum builds for Liberal inquiry By Paul Sakkal Momentum is building within the Liberal Party to launch a special inquiry into its future as Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud jostle over the role of nuclear energy, risking a formal split of the parties. Littleproud travelled from Canberra to Albury to meet with Ley – who is in her hometown to be with her dying mother – about the future of the Coalition pact that allows them to create a joint shadow cabinet. Debate continues about whether the Coalition should retain its polarising plan to build nuclear reactors, a key line of attack for Labor during the campaign. Littleproud, whose party lobbied for the energy overhaul last term, is under pressure from his MPs to secure a guarantee to enshrine the nuclear policy in any agreement signed with Ley. 7.00am What you need to know Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of today's national news stories. I'm Ben Cubby, and I'll be with you for the morning. It's Friday, May 16. Here's what's making news. Momentum is building in the Liberal Party to launch a special inquiry into its future, as Coalition leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud jostle over nuclear energy, risking a formal split. Ben Roberts-Smith will find out this morning if he has won his court bid to overturn a devastating defamation loss. Prime minister Anthony Albanese has spoken about his views on religious faith as he prepares to travel to Rome for the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV and hold meetings with world leaders. The vote count continues today, as Liberal Tim Wilson's lead over independent Zoe Daniel in the Melbourne seat of Goldstein narrows further. In Victoria, the state government is secretly mapping the infiltration of big infrastructure projects by firms with suspected underworld links and warning key contractors to cut ties with gangland figures. In NSW, the state's healthcare system risks being overwhelmed by an avalanche of ageing and chronically ill patients, a special commission report has found.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Underworld grip on Big Build sized up by government as contractors warned to purge suspect players
Armed federal agents searched the Thornbury home of Anthony Malcolm, who was last year appointed as director of a waste company the AFP suspects was used to collect payments from companies seeking support from figures within the CFMEU's construction arm, over which Gatto has long wielded influence. The CFMEU has in turn played a decisive role in which firms can secure contracts on major construction sites, including CBD developments and Big Build infrastructure projects. Federal police are investigating if payments to companies linked to Gatto and his gangland associates have been made to unlawfully secure union backing on large projects or involve potential money laundering or accounting offences. In March, the AFP raided Melbourne accountant Charles Pellegrino, who fronts several companies suspected to have received payments police suspect were intended for Gatto, Khoury or other construction industry or union players. No charges have been laid in connection to the investigation. There is no suggestion Malcolm, Pellegrino, Khoury or Gatto are guilty of any offence, only that police are investigating why construction firms are paying companies controlled by Pellegrino and Malcolm. Gatto and Khoury did not respond to inquiries but have previously denied wrongdoing. Malcolm was unable to be contacted by this masthead. An AFP spokesperson said Tuesday's raid formed 'part of the AFP's response to allegations of corruption in the Victorian building industry'. The leaked Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA) files obtained by this masthead reveal the peak Big Build agency is, alongside the federal police and a host of other government bodies, seeking to combat the construction industry nepotism and corruption exposed in this masthead's Building Bad series. Six sources working with Big Build contractors, speaking anonymously to discuss confidential information, told this masthead that after the scandal erupted, Big Build and Labor officials were no longer encouraging contractors to acquiesce to CFMEU pressure. Some said they had previously warned the Allan government about the problems that have now sparked police investigations and industry reform, and seen the CFMEU plunged into administration. While sources said gangland figures were seeking to adapt to the Building Bad crackdown, the surge of recent scrutiny was 'bad for business'. This masthead can also reveal that Gatto has taken the extraordinary step of threatening to sue the CFMEU administrator's chief investigator, Geoffrey Watson, SC, claiming that Watson's public denouncement of Gatto had 'caused persons in the construction industry community to refuse to do business with Mr Gatto'. In a letter sent recently to Big Build contractors by VIDA's director-general, Kevin Devlin, the firms are urged to stamp out 'violence, bullying, harassment and intimidation' and refuse 'requests or demands for preferential treatment of contractors, subcontractors, suppliers or individuals'. Devlin, without identifying any individuals in his letter, has also demanded the Big Build contractors take 'all appropriate steps to prevent the presence of persons with known criminal associations on site' and implement 'robust controls' to combat risks of 'fraud and corruption by suppliers and subcontractors … [including] so-called 'ghost shifts', double dipping, inappropriate substitution of labour or materials and theft of materials'. Senior industry sources said Devlin was one of several senior public servants who had privately expressed frustration at how his previous warnings to the government about the problems on the Big Build had gone unheeded. VIDA has also created a secret list of suspected gangland-linked entities, which it is attempting to map across the Big Build as it seeks to have underworld-linked firms removed from government projects. Big Build companies have been asked by VIDA to check their supply chains and in some cases remove firms from Big Build projects. The VIDA list features multiple firms and individuals that are also separately being targeted in the federal police probe into payments linked to Gatto. One of those also named on the VIDA list is Big Build contractor Nick Maric, whose company LTE boasts on its website that it is helping construct the West Gate Tunnel. LTE has made multiple 'consulting' payments to the suspected front companies now under AFP investigation. 'LTE Construction Group have constructed nearly 1000 bored piles for bridge foundations, noise walls and other structures all socketing into hard basalt,' the company's website reads. 'This includes occupation works for bridge piles at the M80 interchange, night shift and weekend works as required by the project to meet program requirements.' In addition to Gatto and Khoury, Maric's business has connections to Comanchero outlaw bikie gang members involved in the construction sector and who are also named in the VIDA file: Bemir Saracevic and Krstomir Bjelogrlic. Maric denied any wrongdoing. The VIDA list also names a bikie associate and MC Labour manager, Matt Lunedei. MC Labour has won a half-billion-dollar contract to supply workers to the Metro Tunnel and was recently embroiled in a ghost-shift scandal involving two union delegates. CFMEU sources said MC Labour, which was known to have employed gangland and bikie figures on the Big Build, is poised to be thrown off the Metro Tunnel project and replaced with another labour hire provider. The VIDA documents also name Rangedale, a company that had made multiple payments to front companies linked to the underworld as it conducted major works on several Big Build sites. Big Build officials have begun requesting contractors examine their relationship with Rangedale, a move which sources said had led to Rangedale being ousted from government sites. Loading Asked about the list, a VIDA spokesperson said: 'Following recent reports of alleged illegal misconduct, checks were made on the identified individuals or entities to see if they were currently engaged on Big Build projects.' When pressed about how many of the identified firms were still on the Big Build, the spokesperson said: 'Recent reports of alleged illegal misconduct have been referred to Victoria Police and enquiries are ongoing. It would be inappropriate to sanction individuals without an appropriate process.' Also named on the VIDA files are several bikies – such as Joel Leavitt – who last year were sacked as Big Build CFMEU delegates but who continue to exercise influence over Big Build subcontractors. The VIDA list names two firms started recently by Leavitt, along with a construction health and safety firm founded recently by ex-Mongols bikie boss and union delegate Tyrone Bell in partnership with a former CFMEU organiser, who is also named individually on the VIDA list. While this masthead has uncovered no evidence that Bell and his business partner have managed to gain work via the Big Build, another figure on the VIDA list, Billy Mitris, (who does not have criminal convictions) was earlier this year still running two companies working on major government projects, including North East Link. Mitris, who has ties to underworld figures and sacked union boss Elias Spernovasilis, controls a labour hire firm called X-Forces, which has employed veterans on the North East Link project. Mitris gained access to the North East Link via his close connections within the CFMEU, sources said. In his letter, Devlin, the VIDA director-general, told Big Build contractors they must immediately report 'any known or suspected instances of … individuals or companies that you suspect may be of ill-repute being involved in or having connections to your projects'. 'VIDA can potentially exercise contractual powers to direct the removal of particular individuals from projects,' the letter says. 'Depending on the issue, it may also be appropriate for your organisation to report the matter to another body such as the Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission, WorkSafe, Comcare, Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC), Labour Hire Authority, the CFMEU administrator or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), all of whom have reporting channels available.'
