Bank of Italy lowers economic growth prediction over next three years

Italy’s central bank on Friday released its latest macroeconomic forecast report, lowering its economic growth prediction for the country over the next three years.

The report forecasts that Italy’s GDP growth will be 0.5 percent in 2026, down from the previously forecasted 0.6 percent. The growth forecast for 2027 has been revised downward from 0.8 percent to 0.5 percent, and that for 2028 has been lowered from 0.9 percent to 0.8 percent. The bank said that the main reason for lowering the economic growth prediction is the rise in energy prices caused by the escalating tension in the Middle East, which has increased economic uncertainty. At the same time, the slowdown of global trade growth will also adversely affect Italy’s exports.

The report points out that the current economic outlook for Italy is highly uncertain, and the future economic trend will largely depend on the situation in the Middle East and changes in energy prices.

Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaei-Sarraf on Saturday condemned the United States and Israel for attacking Iranian academic institutions and research facilities, saying that more than 30 universities across the country have been directly targeted since the war started in late February.

The official made the condemnation when speaking to reporters at the site of the damaged Shahid Beheshti University in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Simaei-Sarraf said five university professors and more than 60 students had been killed in the strikes so far, describing attacks on Iranian infrastructure as “crimes against humanity.”

Those killed include Saeed Shamghadri, an associate professor at the Iran University of Science and Technology. “Since the war started, five university professors, including Professor Shamghadri, and more than 60 university students have been killed. As I mentioned before, more than 30 universities in Iran have been attacked. It is unbelievable that in an era when democratic values, rights, international law, and human rights are being promoted, the most obvious of these rights are being trampled, violated, and attacked,” said Simaei-Sarraf.

An U.S.-Israeli air raid hit the laser and plasma research center of the Shahid Beheshti University on Friday, destroying the interior of the entire building and shattering all the windows. The force of the strike also shattered almost all the windows on another building about 100 meters away from the explosion site.

A researcher at the university said it is incomprehensible that such a facility could become a target of attacks.

“You can see that there’s neither any military personnel or military activity here. This is a place where only research was being conducted. Why did it become a target of attacks? What was the motive for this crime?” Azimi, the researcher, said in an interview with China Media Group.

Since the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran started, the Iranian government has repeatedly denounced the two countries for targeting the country’s academic institutions and research facilities, calling such attacks serious war crimes.