The Dispatch

Off-duty police officer detains man who attacked three women with knives in Paris

A man armed with two kitchen knives injured three women in Paris on Monday before being overpowered by bystanders and detained by an off-duty police officer, French Interior Minister Laurent…

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More Than 320,000 Evacuated as Wildfires Spread Across France and Spain

More than 320,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain as severe wildfires continue to spread through southern Europe, with thousands of emergency personnel deployed to tackle the blazes.…

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Spain Declares National Emergency as Wildfires Force 10,000 Evacuations

Spain has declared its first-ever national emergency over wildfires after multiple blazes near Madrid and in the neighbouring province of Ávila forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate and stretched…

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Spain seeks to extend smoking ban to terraces, include vapes

Spain will ban smoking on outdoor bar and restaurant terraces while extending smoke-free areas and regulating vaping products in ‌the same way as conventional cigarettes, Health Minister Monica Garcia said…

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Greek islands face drought as tourist season hits

Seven Greek islands in the Aegean Sea have declared drought emergencies this year to preserve water as climate change makes summers hotter and rainfall more erratic. Now, authorities are wondering…

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Italy battles two weather extremes: scorching heat in Sicily, deadly storms in the north

Italy expanded its highest-level heat alerts on Thursday as a prolonged heatwave tightened its grip across much of the country, with Sicily expected to endure some of the most extreme…

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Portugal launches reform to liberalise rental market, speed evictions

Portugal's minority centre-right government has launched plans to speed evictions and bring forward the end of rent controls, prompting criticism from tenant groups who say the moves will deepen the…

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Satellite shows Etna eruption plume reaching North Africa

A massive plume of sulfur dioxide released during Mount Etna's July 7 eruption traveled across the Mediterranean and reached parts of North Africa, according to satellite observations published by the…

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Opinion polls see France’s Le Pen winning 2027 election despite guilty verdict

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen could well win France's presidential election next year despite an appeal court this week upholding a guilty verdict for embezzlement of EU funds, ‌two opinion…

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Le Pen vows to run despite upheld graft conviction

The face of France's far-right, Marine Le Pen, has said in a television interview that she intends to run for the presidency for her National Rally (RN) party next year. This follows…

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Flights resume at Catania as Mount Etna activity eases

Operations have resumed at Catania-Fontanarossa Airport after Italian authorities lowered the volcanic aviation alert for Mount Etna, allowing flights to restart following disruption caused by the volcano's latest eruption. Airport…

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Italian Foreign Minister Says Rome Will No Longer React to Trump’s Remarks

Italy will stop responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's provocative remarks, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in an interview on Tuesday, as NATO leaders prepared to meet ‌in Turkey. Prime…

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Migrant arrivals to Italy fall 30% in first half of 2026, UNHCR says

Nearly 2,800 migrants arrived in Italy by sea in June, marking a 10% decrease compared with the previous month, according to data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Since the…

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At least 3,700 excess deaths reported during heatwave in France, Belgium and Netherlands

France, the Netherlands and Belgium have recorded 3,700 excess deaths during the June heatwave that sent temperatures soaring ‌across Europe, with authorities warning that the numbers are preliminary and could…

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Members of rebel Catholic group in schism, excommunicated

The Vatican said on Thursday that priests and lay Catholics who are part of a breakaway right-wing Catholic group that ordained bishops without Pope Leo's approval were in schism ‌with…

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Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta deepen maritime cooperation at Rome summit

Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Malta have reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation on shipping following a meeting of their maritime ministers on the sidelines of the International Chamber of Shipping…

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Heatwave grips Western Europe, putting Italian cities on alert and killing poultry in France

Italy placed 16 of its 27 largest cities on red alert on Wednesday as an intense heatwave continued to grip the country and much of Western Europe, while French authorities…

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France reports Ebola case in doctor returning from Congo

A doctor who recently returned to France from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of ‌Congo has tested positive for Ebola, marking the country's first confirmed case linked to…

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Italy seized €2 billion in Russian oligarch assets

Italy has seized assets worth around €2 billion from Russian oligarchs under sanctions imposed following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the country's financial police (Guardia di Finanza) said on Tuesday.…

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Pressure mounts on Spanish PM Sánchez after former minister is convicted of corruption

Corruption cases keep pummeling Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose former transport minister and key ally, José Luis Ábalos, was sentenced on Monday to 24 years in prison for rigging…

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Heatwave tightens its grip on Europe

A prolonged heatwave is expected to grip much of Italy until at least the end of June, with temperatures forecast to reach 39°C across large parts of the country, according…

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Italian government not planning social media ban for kids, says Meloni

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday said her government would not take the initiative to introduce a social media ban on teens like those in the works in France,…

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Crosetto says US not planning to withdraw from military bases in Italy

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said there will be no withdrawal of United States forces from American bases in Italy following talks with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the…

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Italian general launches far-right party, threatening Meloni’s election hopes

General Roberto Vannacci launched his new far-right party on Sunday, posing a direct challenge to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's grip on power as he seeks to pull Italy ‌in a…

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More than 1,300 migrants have died trying to reach the Spanish coast in 2026

More than 1,300 migrants died while attempting to reach Spain during the first five months of 2026, according to a report published on Wednesday by advocacy group Caminando Fronteras (Walking…

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Greece approves quicker migrant returns, aims to set up return hubs

Greece's parliament approved legislation late on Tuesday to fast-track deportation of rejected asylum seekers and allow their transfer to "return hubs" outside the bloc once bilateral agreements ‌are reached with…

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Pope Leo warns Spain’s parliament the world is in ‘profound’ crisis

Pope Leo told Spain's parliament that escalating conflict, deepening polarization and widespread disregard for human rights had pushed the world into a profound crisis, in one of his most ‌expansive…

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France and Cyprus to sign defense pact for French deployment to island

France and Cyprus will sign on Monday a status of forces agreement allowing Paris to station troops on the Mediterranean island, two senior Cypriot government officials told POLITICO. The agreement…

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Meloni Government Wins Key Vote on Italy’s Return to Nuclear Energy

Italy’s lower house of parliament on Thursday approved legislation that would pave the way for the country’s return to nuclear power, marking a significant step in the government’s energy strategy.…

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Spain registers record high sea temperatures for May

Spain registered record sea temperatures for the month of May along much of its coastline, the country's port ‌authority said on Tuesday, as the UN forecast a moderate or possibly…

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Pope Leo names EWTN executive as first woman to lead Vatican communications

Pope Leo named an executive with U.S. Catholic media conglomerate EWTN as the new head of the ‌Vatican's communications department on Tuesday, in the first appointment of a woman to…

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Nine arrested as Spain targets Mediterranean migrant smuggling operation

Spanish authorities arrested nine people and dismantled a migrant smuggling network that allegedly transported irregular migrants from Algeria to Spain and onward to other European countries, Europol said. The operation…

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Italy in favour of Ukraine joining EU

Italy’s government supports Ukraine joining the European Union, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday, while stressing that accession talks for Balkan countries seeking membership should not be pushed aside.…

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Europe-wide probe dismantles mafia financial network linked to Sicilian boss Messina Denaro

Italian anti-mafia prosecutors and financial police have seized assets worth more than €200 million in an international operation targeting a financial network linked to late Sicilian mafia boss Matteo Messina…

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Florence plans major expansion of Airbnb curbs beyond historic centre

Florence is planning a major expansion of restrictions on new short-term tourist rentals, extending a ban beyond its UNESCO-listed historic centre, in a ‌new attempt to ease housing pressure in…

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Former Greek PM Tsipras makes comeback with new political party

Former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, the leftist firebrand who ran Greece at the height of its debt crisis in 2015, has launched a new political party, promising ‌to fight corruption…

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France Reports Heatwave Fatalities as Britain Breaks May Temperature Record

A spell of unusually high temperatures affected parts of Europe, with France facing heat-related fatalities and Britain recording its hottest day ever for the month of May. In France, government…

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Meloni coalition wins Venice mayoral vote, defying polls

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition won the Venice mayoral election, projections showed on Monday, ‌retaining control of the most prominent city at stake in a round of local votes…

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Pope Leo XIV warns of ‘new forms of slavery’ linked to Artificial Intelligence

In his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV cautioned against what he described as a global competition for increasingly powerful algorithms and vast datasets, driven by geopolitical ambitions and commercial…

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Italian Local Elections Put Meloni Coalition to New Electoral Test

Italy has begun voting in a nationwide round of local elections that is widely seen as a key political test for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her right-wing governing coalition,…

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Spain to introduce job-matching plan for migrants granted legal status

Spain will introduce a plan to match migrants to jobs under a programme ‌to grant legal status to about 500,000 undocumented workers to help drive economic growth, the country's top…

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Money Laundering in Italy Estimated at Up to €35 Billion Annually

Money laundering in Italy amounts to between €25 billion and €35 billion per year, according to the country's Guardia di Finanza (GdF) tax police. Andrea De Gennaro, Commander General of…

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Italy busts €300 million streaming piracy ring

Italy's financial police said on Friday they had busted a sophisticated streaming piracy network that caused roughly €300 million ($348 million) in ‌damages to rights holders such as Sky, DAZN,…

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Naples Hit by Strong Tremor

A strong earthquake struck the Naples area shortly after dawn on Thursday, triggering concern among residents across the city and surrounding areas. The tremor was felt in several parts of…

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Italian health ministry takes precautionary measures over Ebola outbreak

The Italian health ministry issued a circular detailing preventive measures linked to the outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola, in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.…

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Italy, Libya, Turkey and Qatar strengthen migration security framework

Italy hosted a new round of talks with Libya, Turkey and Qatar focused on migration and security coordination in the central Mediterranean, highlighting the growing role of a four-country mechanism…

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Maldives investigates if Italian divers went too deep in fatal cave dive

Maldivian authorities are investigating whether Italian divers who died in a deepwater cave accident may have descended further than intended, following the discovery of five fatalities in a submerged cave…

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Nationwide Strike Disrupts Trains and Public Transport Across Italy

A 24-hour general strike called by the USB trade union is disrupting transport and public services across Italy on Monday, affecting rail services, local transit systems, schools and health services.…

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Two tragedies, one grieving nation: Italy confronts deaths in Maldives and Modena horror

Italy is confronting a period of national grief after two separate tragedies — a deadly cave-diving disaster in the Maldives and a car-ramming incident in Modena — left the country…

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Nuclear energy set for comeback in Italy under new government framework

The Italian government is set to approve a framework for the resumption of nuclear power this summer, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told parliament. Italy abandoned nuclear energy following a referendum…

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Probe says sunken Russian cargo ship off Spain was transporting nuclear reactors to North Korea

Spanish investigators have discovered that the Russian cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean in 2024 — originally believed to be part of a weapons retrieval mission to Syria —…

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UPDATED: Italy says four people quarantined for hantavirus have all tested negative

Four people who have been under observation in Italy for possible hantavirus infection have all tested negative, the Italian health ministry said on Wednesday. Tests were conducted on an Argentine…

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Italy to face nationwide general strike on May 18

Italy is set to face a nationwide general strike on May 18 involving multiple sectors, with disruptions and possible closures expected across parts of the country. According to Italian state…

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Stable weather drives higher number of migrants reaching Crete

More than 600 migrants have arrived on Crete and Gavdos in recent days, as boats carrying them were either found adrift by the Greek Coast Guard or managed to reach…

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Italy prepares hantavirus guidance as global health authorities monitor cruise ship outbreak

Italy’s Health Ministry is preparing a circular letter on hantavirus for regional authorities and healthcare professionals following renewed international concern over the rare but potentially deadly disease, Italian news agency…

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Record number of candidates fuels fears of political fragmentation in Cyprus

A record number of candidates submitted bids for Cyprus's May 24 parliamentary election this week in a race which could shape one of the most fragmented ‌legislatures in the island's…

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Italy leans on Libya to plug energy gap caused by Iran war

A delegation of Italian lawmakers has traveled to Libya to explore potentially ramping up energy trade with the war-torn country to fill the gap caused by the war in the…

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