The Dispatch

Pope announces opening of secret archives of pontiff Pius XII

Pope Francis announced that he has decided to open the Vatican’s secret archives concerning wartime pontificate of Pope Pius XII (photo above), who reigned from 1939 to 1958. A step…

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Another mass attempt by migrants to board cross-Channel ferry to Dover

Police in the French port of Calais arrested more than 40 migrants on Sunday after an attempt to board a cross-Channel ferry bound for Dover. French police sprung into action…

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Italy’s PD elects Zingaretti as new leader

Nicola Zingaretti (photo above) is the new leader of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) after winning over 70% of the vote in an election on Sunday. More than 1.6 million…

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Tripoli seeks to end European airspace ban on Libyan airlines

The Libyan Observer reported that Alan Bugeja, the EU Ambassador to Libya , held talks in Tripoli with Milad Matouq, Libyan Minister of Transport. The talks were centered on the…

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200,000 attend Milan anti-racism protest

Italian media headlines, amongst them Corriere della Sera, are dominated by the huge crowds that on Saturday gathered in Milan to protest against racism and spurned by what the organisers…

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Greece tries to confront banking crisis

Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) takes an in-depth at the banking crisis afflicting Greece after eight exhausting years of financial crisis and the scandals that accompany it. Greek banks…

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Sixteenth consecutive week of demonstrations by France’s Yellow Vests

France 24 reported that once more on Saturday, Yellow Vests took to the streets of France for the sixteenth consecutive week of protests amid signs of waning support. For more…

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Spanish Government adopts decree to extend paternity leave to 12 weeks

Italian national news agency ANSA reports that the Spanish government adopted a decree to extend paternity leave progressively over the next two years. The measure could prove popular with voters…

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Spanish contingency plan to grant residency to 400,000 Britons if there is a hard Brexit

The English version of the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that in the eventuality of hard Brexit Spain is planning to grant residency to 400,000 Britons. The Spanish contingency plan…

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Indifference kills, and we desire to lift up our voices in opposition to this murderous indifference – Pope Francis

The Local: "The Middle East has become a land of people who leave their own lands behind,” Pope Francis said. Pope Francis on Saturday voiced concern that Christians will disappear from…

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Insight : The new Italian government’s pledge to fight corruption

LSE: The coalition that has just taken office in Rome did not begin well. But as Andrea Capussela writes, among its proposals is a plan to strengthen the rule of law, which…

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Rescue ship refused entry by Italy and Malta arrives in Spain (Video)

A ship belonging to Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms docked in the port of Barcelona Wednesday with 60 migrants rescued off the Libyan coast on board, after Italy and Malta…

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Italian authorities should seize League funds “wherever they may be” until it has recouped some €49 million of public money received by the party’s former leader and convicted fraudster, Italy’s supreme court has ruled

The Local: In a ruling on Tuesday, the Court of Cassation recommended a "blanket" seizure of funds from the hard-right party's bank accounts, deposits and other assets in connection with the…

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Italian Police dismantle international gang of artefact robbers

DW: Italian police on Wednesday said an international criminal gang who stole artefacts from Sicilian archaeological sites had been dismantled with scores of arrests made. A total of 23 people have…

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Matteo Salvini backed by politician ‘with links to mafia’ – The Guardian

The Guardian: Matteo Salvini’s electoral victory in the southern region of Calabria during the Italian general election this year was supported by a former politician who law enforcement authorities have claimed…

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Spain and Greece get additional €45.6 million in emergency funds support to respond the migratory challenges

The European Commission has awarded an additional €45.6 million in emergency assistance to support Spain and Greece respond to the migratory challenges they face. The European Commission has awarded an…

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‘Le Spider-Man’ who saved young boy in Paris has his first day in city’s Fire Brigade

The Mali immigrant dubbed “Le Spider-Man,” who saved a young boy dangling from a Paris balcony in May, just had his first day on the job with the city’s Fire…

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Breaking News – 17 arrested in Palermo for arms and migrant trafficking

Sky News Italia - Italian police are currently carrying a major operation in Palermo which led to the arrest of 17 people allegedly involved in arms and migrant trafficking. According…

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Notorious French criminal escapes from prison in Paris by helicopter

France 24: A notorious career thief who was once France's most-wanted man pulled off a daring jailbreak on Sunday, fleeing a prison in the Paris area by helicopter, officials said. Redoine…

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OECD: Italy once again amongst world leaders in terms of the country of origin of economic migrants

Sole 24 Ore : In the last report on migrants, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) pointed out that Italy has once again became part of list of…

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“I dream of a League of European Leagues” – Matteo Salvini

"I am here for a pact of honor and a pact of love". Matteo Salvini said this when he was addressing the traditional Pontida rally for the Lega Nord members for…

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Simona Ventura’s son suffers multiple stab wounds

Niccolo Bettarini, the son of Italian TV presenter Simona Ventura and former footballer Stefano Bettarini for a moment was in a critical condition, after suffering multiple stabbings following a fight…

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Trump suggests ‘France should leave the EU’ to Macron

The Independent (UK) Donald Trump suggested to Emmanuel Macron he should pull France out of the European Union to get a better trade deal with the US, according to reports. The outlandish proposal came in a private meeting during…

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Tensions in Movimento 5 Stelle after “I would not close ports” declaration by Roberto Fico

Tension in the Movimento 5 Stelle (M5s) was registered after the speaker of the Italian Chamber Roberto Fico (who hails from the same party), during a visit in Pozzallo said…

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Open Arms to go to Spain

Washington Times: Spain says Barcelona will be the docking port for an aid boat that rescued 60 migrants in waters near Libya but was not allowed to land by both…

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Pope Francis invites 250 poor for lunch

Pope Francis celebrated Sts Peter and Paul feast doing what he loves doing best. His freshly-minted Cardinal-Almoner Krajewski asked by Pope Francis to invite 250 of Rome’s poor to have…

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New migrants situation leads to new dispute between Malta and Italy as tweets fly in Italian between the countries’ two Interior Ministers

Times of Malta: An NGO boat with around 50 rescued migrants on board should head to Malta because it provided the closest port, Italy's right-wing deputy prime minister said on Saturday,…

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Italy: Di Maio intends banning betting sponsorships and advertising from TV and Sports

The Minister of Economic Development and Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Luigi Di Maio, has announced that he intends to start to necessary legal procedures which will lead to…

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EU Summit – Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte Comments

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is reported to be satisfied by the deal. "It was a long negotiation but from today Italy is no longer alone." He listed the elements…

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EU Summit : French President Macron’s comments

French President Emmanuel Macron told EuroNews that the deal showed "European cooperation" had prevailed over national interests: "Europe will have to live with migratory pressures for a long time. We must…

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Defend the dignity of the poor – Pope Francis to new cardinals

AP: Pope Francis gave the Catholic Church 14 new cardinals Thursday, exhorting them to resist any temptation toward haughtiness and instead embrace “the greatest promotion” they could hope to obtain: tending…

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Proactiva Open Arms tweets that Italy and Malta are refusing to allow a migrant rescue ship in their territorial waters

Italy and Malta are refusing to allow a migrant rescue ship operated by the award-winning Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms to enter their territorial waters, the NGO tweeted on Thursday.…

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Italian Prime Minister to Meet Trump on July 30

Politico: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on July 30, the White House said in a statement. “Italy is an important NATO ally and…

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French government plan to bring back national service

BBC: The French government has introduced a plan to bring back national service for all 16-year-olds. It was an idea put forward by Emmanuel Macron in his presidential campaign, to…

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MV LifeLine : Media angles

This is how some media outlets reported the arrival of the MV LifeLine Maltese Media Times of Malta: The charity boat Lifeline docked at Malta on Wednesday evening, bringing to…

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MV Lifeline to enter Maltese harbours on Wednesday; 234 persons on board to be taken by 8 countries; MV Lifeline to be impounded and NGO investigated

The charity boat Lifeline docked at Malta on Wednesday evening, bringing to an end a saga which had more than 200 migrants stranded at sea for six days. Permission for…

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INSIGHT: Italy vs France – How oil interests and territorial control are fuelling the migration disputes and stand offs

Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that it is not all as it seems in the very tough clash between Italy and France, between Matteo Salvini and Emmanuel Macron on immigration; a real diplomatic…

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Israel asks Cyprus to consider port for Gaza

DW: Israel's defense minister has said the proposal aims to "change the reality in the Gaza Strip." For years, the coastal enclave has been under a naval blockade, preventing it from…

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Macron and Conte meet to defuse tension between the two over immigration

A report on Financial Times says that Giuseppe Conte and Emmanuel Macron held an unscheduled dinner this week to defuse tension over immigration — the issue convulsing European politics and which threatens…

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French butchers issue plea for police protection against vegans

The Telegraph / EuroNews French butchers have issued a plea for police protection against vegans, whom they blame for a series of attacks designed to “spread terror” among meat-lovers. The butchers…

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Salvini’s Lega continues to to increase its support amongst Italian voters

Financial Times: Matteo Salvini’s position at the heart of Italy’s new coalition government was bolstered after his candidates made big gains in municipal elections, including the capture of a trio of…

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After 4 days, the Italian Government authorises ‘Alexander Maersk’ to dock at Ragusa harbour

ANSA: The Italian Ministry of the Interior authorised the cargo ship Alexander Maersk to dock at the port of Ragusa. This was announced by the mayor Roberto Ammatuna, underlining that "this…

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Italy is ready to provide Libya with support to guarantee security in the Mediterranean – Salvini

Italy is ready to provide Libya with "technical and economic support to guarantee security in the Mediterranean together and to strengthen investigative cooperation and security cooperation". This was stated by Matteo Salvini,…

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Salvini visiting Libya

The Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini is on his way to Libya. Salvini announced this on his twitter account by posting a series of photos. The visit takes place against…

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Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake Hits Greece’s Peloponnese

Greek Reporter: An earthquake meassuring 5.4 on the Richter scale hit south-western Peloponnese at 08:15 local time. According to the Geodynamic Institute of Athens, it had a focal depth of…

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EU Migration Mini-Summit underway

Politico reports that Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he would put forward a “completely new proposal” for managing Europe’s most divisive political issue. Conte said the proposal, the “European Multilevel Strategy…

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Insight: Salvini’s domination of Italian politics

Matteo Salvini’s responsibilities are technically limited to oversight of immigration, elections and domestic security. But the head of the League – or Lega Nord as it was known in Italy – has…

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Cargo ship Alexander Maersk with 110 rescued migrants on board waiting for instructions in front of Pozzallo

The cargo ship Alexander Maersk, which the Danish flag, and which is carrying more than 110 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, has been waiting for instructions infront of the port…

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Mass rally held in Spain after a gang of men accused of gang rape were granted bail

A mass rally was held in Madrid on Friday after a gang of men labeled the "Wolf Pack" by media were granted bail after being accused of gang rape. Women's…

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Tsipras, Greek bailout and a promise! The Tie!

Now that Greece’s creditors have reached a landmark Eurozone Deal, the only remaining question was answered late Friday, Alexis Tsipras put on a tie. That’s what the famously tie-less…

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MV Lifeline Media reports update

History repeats itself as a second vessel is rejected from docking - just days after the Aquarius was stranded for a week. We try to present you a status update…

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Fresh controversy for Matteo Salvini as he claims that 10 mandatory vaccines are useless, in many cases dangerous, if not harmful

Corriere Della Sera Italian Minister of the Interior, Matteo Salvini, opens a new front. This time, interviewed by Radio Studio 54, he said that " 10 mandatory vaccines are useless, in many cases dangerous…

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Paris launches electric scooter hiring services to combat congestion in the city

Breaking News – Draft for Sunday’s Migration Summit conclusion shelved after Conte informs Merkel that it was unacceptable for him to attend for Migration summit with a ‘pre-packaged’ text

The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, through a Facebook post announced that he had a call from Chancellor Angela Merkel, where she expressed her concern about the possibility that he…

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