30

Dec

Italy’s Treccani Encyclopaedia chooses ‘Femicide’ as word of the year

Italy's prestigious Treccani Encyclopaedia has chosen ‘Femminicidio’ (Femicide )as its word of the year amid a wave of deadly gender violence recently highlighted by the murder by her ex-boyfriend of…

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30

Dec

Italian parliament gives final approval to government’s 2024 budget

The Italian Chamber of Deputies on Friday passed the government's tax-cutting 2024 budget, giving parliament's final approval to the package which becomes law just ahead of an end-year deadline. Prime…

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29

Dec

France to step up security measures for New Year’s celebrations

PARIS, Dec 29 (Reuters) - France will have large numbers of police and soldiers deployed for this weekend's New Year's celebrations due to the 'very high' terrorist threat facing the…

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29

Dec

Italy regulated electricity bills to fall 10.8%

Italy's regulated household electricity prices will fall by 10.8% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the previous three months, Italy's energy authority ARERA said in a statement. ARERA…

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29

Dec

Matteo Renzi is Italy’s richest party leader

Ex Italian Prime Minister  and populist 5-StarMovement (M5S) secretary Giuseppe Conte is Italy's poorest political party leader while ex premier and centrist Italia Viva (IV) chief Matteo Renzi is the…

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27

Dec

War is an evil, let us pray for those who suffer – Pope

Pope Francis on Wednesday renewed his invitation to pray for the victims of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. "Please, let us not forget to pray for those…

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27

Dec

Italy drafts law to ‘safeguard’ school nativity scenes

Italy’s ruling far-right party has identified a new battleground in its war to protect the country’s “cultural roots”: the school nativity scene. A draft law proposed by the Brothers of…

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27

Dec

Italy braces for NYE terror risk

Italy is bracing for the risk of a terrorist attack and "eye-catching" climate crisis protests in its piazze on New Year's Eve, according to a circular from the department of…

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26

Dec

Four children and their mother murdered in France

Police in France on Tuesday arrested a man suspected of murdering his wife and four children in a knife attack early on Christmas Day, a public prosecutor said.Their bodies were…

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26

Dec

Pope decries Gaza’s ‘appalling harvest’ of civilian deaths

Pope Francis said in his Christmas message on Monday that children dying in wars, including in Gaza, are the "little Jesuses of today" and that Israeli strikes there were reaping…

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24

Dec

“Work with Us”: Website launched to apply for a job at the Vatican

"Work with Us" is a title that says it all. Up to now, lay staff to be hired at various levels of the Holy See were selected based on available…

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24

Dec

Same-sex nativity scene causes anger in Italy

By Ciro De Luca CAPOCASTELLO DI MERCOGLIANO, Italy, (Reuters) - A church nativity scene which features two mothers of the Baby Jesus, instead of the conventional Mary and Joseph figurines,…

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23

Dec

French city of Montpellier makes public transport free for all residents

The French city of Montpellier this week became the latest European metropolis to allow all its residents to ride public transport for free. The entire European country of Luxembourg including…

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23

Dec

Italian population falls to under 59 million

Italy's population continues to decline, national statistics agency ISTAT said this week.As of December 31, 2022 the number of people living in the country fell to 58,997,201, according to the…

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22

Dec

Israel, Cyprus discuss ‘fast track’ maritime lane for aid to Gaza

LARNACA, Cyprus/JERUSALEM, (Reuters) - Israel and Cyprus agreed to pursue ways to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, a move Israel said was an "important step" towards disengaging…

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22

Dec

Italy’s government wins Senate confidence vote on 2024 budget

ROME, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Italian government on Friday comfortably won a vote of confidence in the Senate, which it called to speed up approval of its expansionary 2024…

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22

Dec

Italy parliament rejects ESM reform, irking Brussels

By Giuseppe Fonte and Angelo Amante Italy's lower house of parliament voted on Thursday against a long-awaited reform of the euro zone bailout fund, throwing into doubt ratification of a…

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22

Dec

Eurotunnel ends strike, cross-Channel traffic to resume gradually after major disruptions

Traffic on the cross-Channel Eurotunnel will gradually resume following an agreement with unions, Eurotunnel said, after a strike by French workers interrupted traffic on the undersea link between Britain and…

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21

Dec

High-debt Italy to carry on fighting for laxer EU budget rules

ROME, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Hours after signing up to a European Union deal on more lenient budget rules for the 20-nation eurozone, highly-indebted Italy said the rules were still…

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21

Dec

Meloni sick with flu, cancels engagements

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is sick with the flu and has had to cancel all her engagements for the coming days, premier's office sources said. These include the traditional…

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20

Dec

Greece advises vessels to avoid Yemeni waters after Red Sea attacks

ATHENS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Greece has advised commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to avoid Yemeni waters, keep only the necessary crew on…

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20

Dec

Pope backs Italian migrant rescue group targeted by prosecutors

VATICAN CITY, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke out in favour of an Italian migrant sea rescue charity whose members are facing charges of abetting illegal immigration.…

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20

Dec

Tougher French immigration bill passes, Macron’s parliament majority wobbles

By Elizabeth Pineau and Michel Rose French lawmakers gave their final approval to a contested bill that toughens rules for immigrants on Tuesday, giving President Emmanuel Macron a policy victory…

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17

Dec

Italy toughens rules on video-sharing platforms to protect minors

Italy's communication watchdog AGCOM has approved new rules enabling it to order online video-sharing platforms to remove "harmful content" to protect minors and consumers in the country, it said. The…

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17

Dec

Italian food historian cooks up carbonara controversy

By Francesca Piscioneri Food is a serious business in Italy, part of the national identity, as illustrated by a row that has broken out over how to make carbonara pasta…

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16

Dec

Spain sees record December temperatures

Temperatures across Spain smashed records for December as a mass of hot air swept over the Iberian Peninsula this week, pushing the mercury close to 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit)…

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16

Dec

Don’t prevent Communion for single mothers says Vatican

Priests should not prevent single mothers from taking Communion, the Vatican said this week. "The fact of being a girl mother does not prevent access to the Eucharist" and "one…

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16

Dec

Cardinal, nine other defendants, await verdicts at Vatican trial

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Dec 16 (Reuters) - A two-and-a-half year corruption trial that exposed infighting and intrigue in the highest echelons of the Vatican closes on Saturday with…

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14

Dec

Cyprus calls for EU rethink on Syria migration as refugee numbers rise

By Michele Kambas NICOSIA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - As record numbers of Syrian refugees reach the shores of Cyprus, the Nicosia government wants the European Union to consider declaring parts…

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14

Dec

Spain airport ground service workers plan New Year strike, Iberia says

MADRID, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Labour unions representing ground service workers at Spanish airports plan to strike from late December into early January, Spain's Iberia, part of the International Airlines…

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13

Dec

Italy could veto deal on EU stability pact rules – Meloni

ROME, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Italy could use its veto to prevent the adoption of the European Union's new fiscal rules if the outcome of negotiations among partners does not meet its…

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13

Dec

Pope wants to simplify papal funeral rites, be buried outside Vatican

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has shunned much of the Vatican's pomp and privilege, has decided to vastly simplify the elaborate funeral rites…

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13

Dec

Vatican eases rules on the ashes of the dead

A small part of a dead person's cremated ashes may be stored in a place that was dear to them rather than in a church or cemetery, the Vatican said…

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12

Dec

French lower house rejects Macron’s immigration bill

French lawmakers sent the government's immigration bill back to the drawing board on Monday in a surprise move that cut short debates at the lower house and dealt a blow…

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12

Dec

Paris’ Louvre museum to hike ticket prices by 29%

The Louvre art museum in Paris will hike its basic entrance fee next year by 29%, adding to concerns that visitors coming to Paris for next year's Olympic Games will…

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11

Dec

Spain’s foreign minister says Gibraltar deal hinges on use of airport

A deal over the post-Brexit status of the British territory of Gibraltar depends on agreement over use of the airport, Spain's foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said in an interview.…

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11

Dec

EU must accept there won’t be a united Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot leader says

The EU is missing the point with cycles of diplomacy focused on a federal unification of Cyprus and has to accept a two-state solution on the divided island, Turkish Cypriot…

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08

Dec

Cyprus sees growth next year despite headwinds-minister

NICOSIA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Cyprus's economy is expected to expand by around 2.9% in 2024 from a forecast 2.4% this year, its finance minister said on Friday, despite facing…

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08

Dec

Some 40% of cars in Italy are over 15 years old

Around four out of 10 of the cars on Italy's roads are over 15 years old, according to a study released by motoring association ACI and the Caracciolo Foundation. The…

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08

Dec

Italians to spend on average 223 euro on Christmas presents

Italians plan to spend 223 euro on Christmas presents in 2023, 13% more than in 2022, according to the results of research by Confesercenti and Ipsos published this week.Net of…

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07

Dec

Meredith Kercher killer put under restraining order

A preliminary investigations judge in Viterbo issued a restraining order against Rudy Guede, the 36-year-old Ivorian national convicted of murdering British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Perugia in 2007, for…

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07

Dec

Meloni: Italy can improve trade with China after Belt and Road departure

Italy signed pact in 2019 expecting big boost to exports Hoped-for economic gains did not materialise Rome says still expects good relations with Beijing By Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante…

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07

Dec

France’s DGSI  warns that ISIS propaganda seducing “a new generation of teens”

  A new generation of French teenagers is being wooed by the Islamic State terrorist group — infamous for its on-camera immolations of captives in Iraq — and seems ominously…

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07

Dec

UPDATED: Greece, Turkey seek to restart relations with meetings in Athens

By Renee Maltezou ATHENS, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan sounded an upbeat note on the future of Greco-Turkish relations as he arrived in Athens on Thursday in…

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06

Dec

France passes law to protect farmers against neighbours’ complaints over noise and smells

By Geert De Clercq French parliament has passed a law to protect farmers from complaints from neighbours about noise or stench from agricultural activities, to stop "abusive" lawsuits from former…

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06

Dec

Pope Francis says feeling “much better”, voice still weak

VATICAN CITY, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has been suffering from a lung inflammation, said on Wednesday that he is feeling a lot better, although he still has…

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06

Dec

UPDATED: Italy tells China it is leaving Belt and Road Initiative

ROME, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Italy has officially informed China that it is quitting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), dismissing fears the move might sour relations and damage the…

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06

Dec

Crime group distributing counterfeit euro coins dismantled in Italy

Europol supported the Italian Carabinieri in dismantling an organised crime group involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit euro coins. The European Commission’s European Technical and Scientific Centre also…

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05

Dec

Hungary’s Orban to meet Macron ahead of EU summit

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday, his press chief said, ahead of an EU summit at which talks on Ukraine's joining the bloc and financial…

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05

Dec

France on ‘high’ alert for bird flu after new cases detected

France raised the risk level of bird flu to 'high' from 'moderate' on Tuesday after new cases of the disease were detected, forcing poultry farms to keep birds indoors to…

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04

Dec

Protect Mediterranean ports from EU environmental taxes – Salvini

New green taxes affecting Mediterranean ports damage maritime transport and European Union (EU) competitiveness, Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said on Monday."The maritime transport sector is…

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04

Dec

Europol’s Operation OPSON breaks up a counterfeit olive oil ring

In the framework of Operation OPSON, Europol’s coordinated effort to combat food fraud and counterfeiting, Europol has supported a spin-off investigation into counterfeit olive oil. The operation was initiated by…

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04

Dec

‘No plan B’ for Paris opening ceremony after knife attack – sports minister

Dec 4 (Reuters) - There is no "plan B" for the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games, the French sports minister said on Monday, after a man…

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04

Dec

Two arrested in Italy for spreading Islamist propaganda

ROME, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Two people have been arrested in Italy for spreading online terrorist propaganda linked to militant groups Palestine Islamic Jihad, Islamic State and al-Qaeda, police in…

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04

Dec

Paris on high alert after knifeman kills tourist, wounds others near France’s Eiffel Tower

By Dominique Vidalon and Gilles Guillaume PARIS, (Reuters) – Security forces in the French capital and major cities in France are on high alert after a  man armed with a…

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03

Dec

Italy sees a decrease in work-related deaths and accidents in 2023

In Italy, in the first 10 months of the year 868 reports of work-related deaths were submitted to workplace accident insurance agency INAIL, down 4.5% over the same period in…

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02

Dec

Pope’s condition improving but will stay indoors to be on safe side, Vatican says

The health of Pope Francis, who is suffering from a lung inflammation, is improving but he will read his Sunday message indoors from his residence to be on the safe…

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