Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Hotels in Rome have seen a spate of booking cancellations for late pope John Paul II's beatification on May 1 and local officials now say only half the number expected by the Vatican will come.
"On that day there will be one million two or three hundred thousand people around Rome including Romans and concert spectators," Rome's deputy mayor Mauro Cutrufo was quoted by Corriere della Sera as saying.
But the Vatican had said earlier it expected between two million and two and a half million people to arrive in Rome for the ceremony that will put John Paul on the path to sainthood and during which his coffin will lie in state.
Cutrufo, who is in charge of tourism in the city, said Saint Peter's Square can only contain around 300,000 people and giant screens will be set up at an ancient Roman arena, the Circo Massimo, and in the Piazza San Giovanni area.
Giuseppe Roscioli, head of Rome's hotel association, said the cancellations had come in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the escalation of military operations in Libya, Corriere della Sera reported.
He said there had been "a lot of cancellations as expected" from Japanese visitors and added that a prolonged crisis in Libya "risks keeping tourists from the United States and Southeast Asia away from the Mediterranean."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments