Arson attack probed as racial crime

(ANSA) - Ascoli Piceno, January 2 - Prosecutors in the central Italian town of Ascoli Piceno said Tuesday they are investigating a fire on New Year's Eve at a migrants' center as an arson attack aggravated by racial hatred.
    The three-storey building in the nearby town of Spinetoli, which currently houses adult migrants and will soon host unaccompanied minors, was severely damaged in the fire, said prosecutor Umberto Monti after an inspection with Carabinieri police on Tuesday.
    Investigators said the building was set ablaze with an accelerant commonly used for fireplaces and barbecues.
    Banners against the immigrants' arrival are on display across a number of buildings around the migrant center.