The Dispatch

Greece to suspend processing asylum applications from north Africa for three months

Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has just told the parliament that Greece will suspend processing asylum applications for migrants arriving on boat from north Africa. In comments reported by Kathimerini,…

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Pope Leo interrupts vacation to appeal for action on climate change

Pope Leo interrupted a two-week vacation on Wednesday to celebrate a special Mass exhorting Catholics to exercise care for creation, in the Vatican's second major appeal in a week for…

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‘Ndrangheta associates arrested for drug trafficking and violence

Europol has supported Italian law enforcement in dealing a heavy blow to the ‘Ndrangheta criminal organisation. In an action day conducted on 8 July 2025 across Italy, Spain and Albania,…

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Italy braces for more heat and storms after deadly weekend

Italy was bracing for more extreme weather on Tuesday after a woman was killed by a falling tree near Milan as violent storms swept across the north over the weekend,…

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Greece Hosts Growing US Military Presence as Regional Focus Intensifies

The United States has increased its use of key military facilities in Greece, including the strategically located Souda Bay and the northern port of Alexandroupoli, amid heightened tensions in the…

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One dies in violent storm pounding Milan

One person was killed by a falling tree near Milan, local firefighters said on Sunday, as a powerful storm battered the northern Italian city after days of high temperatures. The…

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Over 20 injured in gas explosion at Rome petrol station

A powerful gas explosion at a petrol station in northeastern Rome on Friday injured at least 21 people, including police officers and rescue workers who had responded to a reported…

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Sicily to Host First F-35 Pilot Training Centre Outside US: Italy’s Defence Minister

Sicily will become the first location outside the United States to train F-35 fighter jet pilots, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced on Wednesday. Speaking during a visit to the…

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Air traffic control nightmare looms this summer

French air traffic controllers are planning to walk off the job on Thursday and Friday, signaling a summer travel season that threatens to be plagued with delays. The core reason…

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Italy to issue half million non-EU work visas over next three years

Italy will issue nearly 500,000 new work visas for non-EU nationals from 2026 to 2028, a cabinet statement said, as part of a strategy to expand legal immigration channels in…

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Italian authorities halt outdoor work as Europe swelters under record-breaking heat

As Europe swelters under record-breaking heat, with temperatures exceeding 40°C from France to Greece, Italian authorities are taking steps to protect outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses. In Lombardy, regional president…

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Portugal’s Porto Cracks Down on Public Drinking in Tourist Hotspots

Porto is implementing new restrictions on daytime alcohol sales in its downtown core, part of an effort to reduce public disturbances and promote a safer, more family-friendly atmosphere in the…

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45 Years On, Italy’s Mattarella Urges Ongoing Search for Truth on Ustica Disaster

Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Friday called for renewed efforts to uncover the full truth behind the 1980 Ustica air disaster, urging the cooperation of friendly nations as Italy marks…

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Pope Leo laments ‘diabolical intensity’ of Middle East conflicts

Pope Leo said on Thursday that conflicts in the Middle East were raging with an unprecedented "diabolical intensity" and appealed for greater respect for international law, in comments to Catholic…

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Europe scorched by early heatwave as Italy swelters

Europe is sweltering under an intense early summer heatwave that has sent temperatures soaring to record levels, disrupted daily life, and raised fresh warnings about the continent’s vulnerability to climate…

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Pope calls for path of dialogue, diplomacy Middle East

Pope Leo XIV made another call for an end to violence in the Middle East during his weekly general audience at St Peter's Square on Wednesday."May the wounds caused by…

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Spain eases visa rules to draw foreign students barred from US by Trump

Spain on Tuesday said it had approved expedited access to its universities for foreign students barred from entering the U.S. to study by President Donald Trump's administration. Students who can't…

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Portugal tightens naturalisation rules, doubles residency requirement

Portugal's centre-right minority government, under pressure from the far right to reduce immigration, said it would double to 10 years the amount of time most foreigners need to be legally…

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Gift shops and fast food banned in Bergamo Alta in Italy

Fast-food outlets and sex shops are among the commercial activities banned from Bergamo Alta in an ordinance from the local government in the Lombardy town concerning its historic and picturesque…

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Greece sending Navy ships to monitor migrant vessels off Libya

Greece is planning to sent Navy ships outside Libya’s territorial waters “as a precaution” to monitor migrant flows, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday, during a regular meeting with the President…

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UPDATED:Man arrested on suspicion of spying in Crete and another in Cyprus

A man has been arrested on suspicion of spying in Crete, which is home to a NATO military base. Greek police said the 26-year-old Azerbaijani man was detained on Sunday,…

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Italy’s immigration and emigration both soaring, stats agency says

The numbers of Italians leaving their country and of foreigners moving in have soared to the highest in a decade, official data showed on Friday, fuelling national concerns about brain…

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Pope Urges Leaders to Reject War, Citing Predecessors in Peace Appeal

Pope Leo XIV issued a back-to-back plea for peace this week, urging the international community to reject armed conflict and embrace diplomacy amid mounting global tensions. Speaking Wednesday during his…

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Patriot missile systems being moved to Souda base in Crete

An undisclosed number of Greek Patriot missile systems are being relocated to the Hellenic Navy and NATO base at Souda Bay in Crete to provide anti-ballistic protection to American assets…

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Spanish operation against migrant smuggling and drug trafficking across the Mediterranean

Europol has supported Spanish authorities (Policía Nacional) in a transnational operation against a highly-organised network involved in both migrant smuggling and drug trafficking between Spain and Morocco. Authorities believe the…

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EU slaps Greece with record fine over agricultural subsidy fraud

The European Commission has fined Greece €392.2 million for mismanaging EU agricultural subsidies between 2016 and 2023. The penalty relates to serious oversight failures by OPEKEPE, the now-dissolved agency overseeing…

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Pope to Rest at Castel Gandolfo from July 6 to July 20

The Prefecture of the Papal Household has announced that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will spend a period of rest at the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo. The pontiff is…

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Greece arrests US man with Malta link over mother and child deaths in Rome park

Italian police arrested a U.S. citizen on Friday in connection with the death of a woman and her baby daughter whose naked bodies were found in a park in central…

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Cruise passenger fees in Greece set to rise

Reports in the Greek media indicate that cruise ship passenger fees will increase from July 1. The fee will be imposed per passenger and per port and its amount will…

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Israel’s state plane, Wing of Zion, departs for Athens amid fears of Iranian retaliation

The Wing of Zion, Israel’s own version of Air Force One, took off from Ben-Gurion Airport on Friday morning as Israel initiated an assault on Iranian nuclear facilities as part…

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Pope Leo to make Carlo Acutis first millennial saint on September 7

The canonisation of the first Catholic saint of the millennial generation, Carlo Acutis, will take place on September 7, Pope Leo announced on Friday. Acutis, a British-born Italian who died…

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Drug route from Costa Rica to Europe dismantled

n international operation coordinated on the European side by Europol has dismantled a transnational criminal organisation trafficking large quantities of cocaine from Costa Rica to Europe via Spain and Portugal.…

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UK and Spain strike ‘historic’ deal over Gibraltar’s future and borders

Britain and the EU have agreed a fresh Brexit deal that will see Gibraltar open its borders with Spain, abolish passport controls with the EU, and join the EU customs…

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Decline in the number of applications for Greek “Golden Visa”

The number of new applications for residence permits through the “Golden Visa” program declined significantly in April, showing the first signs of de-escalation. Based on data from the Ministry of…

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Low turnout sinks Italian citizenship, labor referendums, strengthens Meloni’s government

Low voter turnout on Monday sank Italian opposition referendum proposals to ease citizenship laws and tighten job protection rules, with senior figures in the coalition of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni…

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Italians vote on easing citizenship requirements, reversing labour reform

Italians will start voting on Sunday in a two-day referendum on whether to ease citizenship laws and reverse a decade-old liberalisation of the labour market, but the vote may fail…

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Pope Leo, in first month, makes a break in style from Francis

In his first month, Pope Leo has taken a very different approach to his predecessor Francis. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has led some two dozen public events since…

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Police conclude searches in Portugal in Madeleine McCann investigation

Searches for Madeleine McCann in Portugal on land a mile from where the British toddler was last seen in 2007 have concluded. German and Portuguese investigators embraced each other on…

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Earthquake damages part of Pompeii site in southern Italy

A minor earthquake in southern Italy has caused the partial collapse of a wall and a portion of a vault at the Pompeii archaeological site, authorities said. The quake with…

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Mafia boss Giovanni Brusca completely free

Mafia boss Giovanni Brusca, one of Italy's most notorious mobsters, is completely free after serving the four years of probation imposed on him following his release from jail in 2021.Among…

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Abandoned buildings examined as search for Madeleine McCann resumes

Searches for Madeleine McCann are due to resume on Thursday morning near to where she disappeared from Praia da Luz, Portugal. German and Portuguese investigators have until Friday to look…

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Italy cracks down on protests, squatters and cannabis

Italy's upper house of parliament on Wednesday gave final approval to a wide-ranging security decree that targets public protests, pickpockets and squatters, and outlaws so-called "legal" cannabis. The measures, spearheaded…

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Etna eruption over, monitoring continues says INGV

Monday's spectacular Mount Etna eruption that featured prominently on news bulletins around the world is over, but monitoring of Europe's biggest active volcano is continuing the National Institute of Geophysics…

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Police launch new search for Madeleine McCann in the Algarve

German police are to carry out new searches in Lagos, in the Algarve, as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007, according to information provided…

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UPDATED: Mount Etna Erupts; No Immediate Threat to Population

Italian authorities have issued a statement after Mount Etna erupted. Etna is located in Sicily and is the highest active volcano in Europe. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology…

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Europe and Canada Gripped by Unseasonal Heatwave

Southern and central Europe are facing record-breaking heat this week, with temperatures in parts of Portugal and Spain nearing 40 degrees Celsius, raising concerns about crop damage and water shortages…

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Macron says Europe must ‘harden’ stance on Israel unless Gaza crisis eases

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that Europe’s “collective position” on Israel must “harden” unless the humanitarian crisis in Gaza improves. “It’s very clear today that we can not let…

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Italy Passes Landmark Animal Welfare Law: Harsh Penalties for Abuse, Puppy Trafficking, and Animal Violence

In a sweeping reform of animal protection legislation, Italy has enacted a new law introducing stringent penalties for violence against animals, including significant prison terms and fines for crimes such…

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France to ban smoking in all outdoor places frequented by children

France will ban smoking in all outdoor places that can be frequented by children, health and family minister Catherine Vautrin has said. The ban will come into force on 1…

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Italian activists face trial for migrant sea rescue in legal first

A Sicilian judge has ordered six members of an Italian charity ship to stand trial on accusations of aiding illegal immigration, the first time crew members of a rescue vessel…

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Greece drafts tougher law for rejected asylum seekers

Greece has prepared legislation that will introduce tougher penalties for rejected asylum seekers and speed up returns to their home countries, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. The Mediterranean nation was…

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U.S. Elevates Travel Advisory for Italy Amid Terrorism Concerns

The U.S. Department of State has elevated its travel advisory for Italy to Level 2, urging American travelers to "exercise increased caution" due to potential terrorist threats. This adjustment, issued…

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Pope Leo appeals for Gaza ceasefire, laments deaths of children

Pope Leo appealed on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza and called on Israel and Hamas militants to completely respect international humanitarian law. "In the Gaza Strip, the intense cries…

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’Ndrangheta eyes major public contracts, anti-Mafia body warns

The ’Ndrangheta mafia has shown growing interest in controlling major public works and managing local government funds, particularly in sectors such as hospital administrations and waste collection services, according to…

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Russia does not see Vatican as a serious arena for peace talks, sources say

Russia does not view the Vatican as a credible venue for peace negotiations with Ukraine, according to three senior Russian sources who spoke to Reuters. They cited the Holy See’s…

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Italy Sees Sharp Rise in Graduate Emigration Amid Demographic Decline

Italy has experienced a significant exodus of young, educated professionals over the past decade, with approximately 97,000 graduates leaving the country, according to the national statistics agency ISTAT. In 2024…

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The prospect of a US pope was once viewed with suspicion – but Leo XIV could prove an important counter to Trump

By Massimo D'Angelo, Research Associate in the Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Loughborough University Pope Leo XIV has been elected as the 267th pontiff, leader of the Catholic church…

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