Italian deputies drowned out in mobile phone clampdown

Thwarted so far in his attempts to clamp down on mobile telephone use among deputies, the speaker of the Italian parliament has hit upon a sophisticated way of getting tough, reports the AFP.

"Pier Ferdinando Casini, speaker of the lower house of the Italian parliament, has ordered loudspeakers be installed, set at a very high volume, under all deputies' benches, the L'Espresso said.

He hopes the loudspeakers will drown out mobile phone conversations among deputies and finally prove a successful way of preventing them chatting while colleagues are addressing the chamber.

Other attempts over recent months have failed, but Casini believes that telephone conversations are disturbing the business of the assembly. "

emily | 2:03 PM | News, Buzz |
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