Italy targets violent clan in massive mafia trial

What has been billed as Italy's biggest organized crime trial in three decades began on Wednesday with more than 350 people, including public officials and politicians, facing charges of being part of the 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate.

The trial, which will see 900 witnesses give evidence, is taking place in the city of Lamezia Terme in the region of Calabria, in the far Southwest of the country.

A special 1,000-capacity courtroom with cages for the defendants has been constructed, but novel coronavirus restrictions mean many of the preliminary hearings will be conducted via videolink, and those who do attend in person will have to obey social distancing rules.