Europe

Pope Francis accepts resignation of Chilean cardinal caught up in sex abuse scandal

A Vatican statement on Saturday said Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, the archbishop of Santiago, Chile, who has been caught up in the country's sex…

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Pressure so Turkish firms resume construction in Libya

Mithat Yenigün, the Chairman of Turkey's Association of Construction Material Producers, said that Turkish firms wish to resume work in Libya despite the current crisis. In comments to the Turkish…

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Yellow Vests banned from Champs-Élysées

French police have banned the "gilets jaunes" (yellow vest) protesters from the Champs-Élysées in Paris on Saturday after rioters destroyed businesses last week. The government has warned that it intends…

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German police prevent possible terrorist attack

Police in Germany have arrested ten people on suspicion of planning an Islamist terror attack. The arrests were made after some 200 police officers carried out raids in the states…

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Expectations mount that May will have to resign if MPs reject her deal

The Financial Times reported that Theresa May’s premiership is under increasing pressure after a week of shifting Brexit policies, in which she raised the prospect of a no-deal Brexit on…

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Spanish police break up Europe’s largest illegal TV streaming service

Spanish Police launched a major operation against an international criminal organization accused of illegally selling access to pay-TV over the internet. Spanish officials calculate that this was Europe’s largest illegal…

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Syrian Islamic State member detained in Hungary

Hungarian police detained a Syrian man accused of taking part in beheadings in Syria as a member of Islamic State, Budapest prosecutors said in a statement. The man, who was…

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Swedbank lambasted by Swedish Minister

Per Bolund, Sweden’s financial market minister, criticised Swedbank after the bank released a short and highly redacted report into a money laundering scandal. See full report here Bolund’s comments to…

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French soldiers with orders to fire if threatened in Yellow Vests protests

General Bruno Leray, military governor of Paris, in a rare public address, said soldiers mobilized for Saturday's planned Yellow Vests protests, the gilets jaunes, will operate under strict instructions, but…

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Italy beefs up checks on driving licences after bus hijack

The Italian Interior Ministry issued a circular letter telling police forces to beef up checks on driving licences after this week's school bus hijacking in northern Italy. The driver of…

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Italian President Mattarella praises Silk Road memorandum

Italian President Sergio Mattarella said Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping's State visit was strengthening cooperation between the nations after meeting Xi at the presidential palace in Rome. Mattarella…

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Thomas Cook to close 21 stores across UK

Travel operator Thomas Cook has announced plans to close 21 stores, resulting in 320 job losses, in an effort to address changing customer behaviour as more people book holidays…

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Thatcher had warned Reagan two years before Lockerbie bombing that US raids on Libya risked acts of revenge

Newly released secret documents placed in the National Archives in Kew, in the United Kingdom show that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was deeply troubled by US plans to attack…

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Explosive thrown at Russian consulate in Athens

Security has been stepped up in the Greek capital Athens after attackers on a motorcycle threw an explosive device, possibly a hand grenade, at the Russian consulate in the capital.…

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Amsterdam continues in it’s efforts to stem mass tourism

Amsterdam is going to ban guided tours of its red-light district as part of an effort to limit impact of mass tourism on the historic city centre, and because “they…

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Dutch telecoms giant KPN to link up with Huawei for 5G

Dutch telecoms group KPN is on the verge of signing a contract with China’s Huawei to roll out its 5G service. Dutch business broadcaster RTL Z reported that the agreement…

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No evidence of radioactivity in key ‘Ruby’ witness Fadil

Sources in Italy are being quoted as saying that no evidence of radioactivity has been found in the organs of key Ruby witness Imane Fadil, after the results of testing…

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The dramatic phone call from hero school boy who saved hijacked bus

The dramatic phone call has been released that Ramy Shehata, a 13-year-old Egyptian boy, made to the police whilst on board a school bus hijacked and later torched by…

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PHOTO STORY: Pope Francis receives in audience Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca

In her final days before she leaves office, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca was received in audience by Pope Francis at the Vatican. The President of Malta, who subsequently met with…

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Suspension of EU’s Operation Sophia not of great concern to Libya

The spokesman for the Libyan Navy, Ayoub Qassim said that the European statements regarding the suspension of Operation Sophia are not of the Libyan state's concern in any means.…

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Italian politician opposed to mandatory vaccines for children gets chicken pox

Massimiliano Fedriga, president of the north-eastern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and a member of the Lega party, was hospitalised earlier this month with the highly contagious chicken pox infection. In…

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27 arrest warrants in probe into secret Masonic lodge in Sicily

Italian security forces on Thursday staged an operation to execute 27 arrest warrants related to a probe into a secret Masonic lodge in the Sicilian town of Castelvetrano. Among the…

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Mosques in Birmingham the target of vandal attacks

Four mosques in Birmingham were attacked overnight and had their windows smashed with a sledgehammer. A mosque in Birchfield Road, another in Slade Road, Erdington, and in Witton Road, Aston,…

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Italy rolls out the red carpet for President Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, later today arrives in Italy for a three-day visit where the highlight is expected to be Italy’s signing up to China’s multi-billion pound Belt…

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Malta’s Minister of Foreign Affairs interviewed on migration by Rome Reports

Carmelo Abela, Malta's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion, was interviewed by Rome Reports whilst on a visit to the “Museum of the Popes” in the Vatican. Abela is…

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Troops to be deployed in streets of France during Yellow Vest protests

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that soldiers will be deployed across the country to help maintain security during more yellow vest protests planned this weekend. Macron said the military…

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‘Frozen’ musical heads to London’s West End

The stage adaptation of the Disney movie 'Frozen', is heading to London's West End. It will reopen the Drury Lane Theatre in Autumn 2020 after the theatre's refurbishment. The musical…

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Former Stasi agents interviewed by Scottish prosecutors as part of Lockerbie investigations

A number of former officers from communist East Germany’s secret police, the Stasi, were interviewed by the Scottish prosecution service in connection with ongoing investigations into the Lockerbie bombing. The…

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Senate blocks Salvini trial

The Senate on Wednesday voted against granting authorisation to prosecutors in Sicily to proceed with a case of alleged kidnapping against Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. Prosecutors in Sicily wanted…

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Karadzic has sentence increased to life in prison

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic Wednesday had his sentence increased to life in prison by the International Criminal Tribunal. The International Criminal Tribunal cast the final judgement on whether…

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Bus full of students hijacked and torched in Italy

Italian security forces arrested a 47-year-old man after allegedly hijacking a bus he was driving full of schoolchildren and subsequently starting a fire inside the vehicle. The suspect has been…

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Brexit delay ushers more uncertainty for Sterling

Sterling fell by a third of a percent on Wednesday as investors remained wary about the prospects of the British currency as Prime Minister Theresa May requests a short…

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China says it’s normal Belt and Road Initiative has sparked debate

China said that it is normal that Italy's potential involvement in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), nicknamed the Silk Road, has sparked debate. The initiative is a massive infrastructure…

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Pigeon sells for record €1.25 million

Armando, Belgium's champion long-distance racing pigeon, was sold to a Chinese aficionado for the record price of €1.25 million smashing a previous record of €376,000 ($425,000) for a pigeon.…

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ECJ clears the way for Germany to deport asylum-seekers to other EU countries

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has cleared the way for Germany to deport asylum-seekers to other EU member states. Judges in Germany had asked the ECJ to interpret…

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Migrants on board the ‘Mare Ionio’ to disembark at Lampedusa

The 49 migrants on board the Italian NGO rescue ship 'Mare Ionio' will be disembarking at Lampedusa on the orders of Guardia di Finanza. The 'Mare Ionio' was embroiled…

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President of Rome Municipality Council arrested on corruption charges

Marcello De Vito, President of Rome Municipality Council, as well as spokesman for the M5S movement, was arrested as part of an investigation into corruption in the issuing of tenders in…

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Barcelona to ban polluting vehicles

Following in the footsteps of Madrid, Barcelona is planning to restrict the access of vehicles that are considered major polluters. The restrictions would come into force from 2020 and prohibit…

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Italy prepares for no-deal Brexit

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has reassured the Lower House of Parliament in Rome that Italy is fully prepared for the eventuality of a no deal Brexit and the rights…

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High presence of cadmium and antimony found in blood of Imane Fadil

Milan prosecutor Francesco Greco told a press conference Monday that preliminary test on the Moroccan model and key prosecution witness in a Berlusconi trial had, a high concentration of…

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Al Bano to sue the Ukraine for damages

Popular Italian singer Al Bano said he might sue Ukraine at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after the Kiev government put him on its black list of threats…

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ISIS announces the killing of an Italian citizen

ISIS announced that it killed an Italian citizen identified as 33 year Lorenzo Orsetti from Florence. Initial information indicates that Orsetti had left Italy to join Kurdish forces fighting against…

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Five cars damaged in an explosion in Antwerp

Five cars were damaged in Antwerp, Belgium in the early hours of Monday morning after a device exploded under car.The blast took place on De Pretstraat near Spoor Noord Park…

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Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank in merger talks

Germany's two biggest banks, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, are in formal talks about a merger the two rival companies confirmed. The announcement caps months of speculation that the two struggling…

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Thousands of EU children ‘could become undocumented’ after Brexit

A British children’s legal charity has warned that thousands of children of EU nationals risk becoming undocumented after Brexit. Coram Children’s Legal Centre expressed concern that vulnerable children could become…

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Istanbul’s new airport to be fully operational in April

Turkish authorities have set the full opening of Istanbul’s new airport, Istanbul Airport (ISL), for next month and the relocation of operations and equipment from Atatürk International Airport (IST) to happen…

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German Justice Minister calls for tax breaks for separated parents

German Justice Minister Katarina Barley has called for changes in Germany's laws to reflect their needs of separated or divorced parents and alleviate their financial burden. In a interview with…

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Corpse of Moroccan model Imane Fadil kept in isolation

Milan prosecutors have ordered that the corpse of Moroccan model Imane Fadil be kept in total isolation and that no one, not even family members, are to be allowed to…

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A quick look at St. Patrick’s Day

Today Ireland celebrates St. Patrick's Day, without doubt the most popular Irish holiday around the world with festivities organised even in countries with a miniscule Irish community. Here are some…

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UPDATED: Violence in the streets of Paris during Yellow Vest protest

After weeks of declining participation, France's "yellow vest" protest movement attempted to rebound on Saturday with a major rally in Paris. It quickly turned violent with Police firing tear gas…

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Slideshow: Tonka’s final farewell

The Tornado, nicknamed the Tonka, this week was retired by the RAF after four decades of service. The last British Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 touched down for the very…

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Turkey and Bulgaria investigating alleged visits by New Zealand mosque killer

Turkish authorities have opened an inquiry after it emerged that the man behind the Christchurch shootings made several visits to Turkey. A similar investigation has also been opened in Bulgaria.…

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Italian authorities on alert after Christchurch attacks

Italian authorities have warned that there is a risk that the terror attack in New Zealand that killed at least 49 people may spur copycat attacks or reprisals in…

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Italy to sign Silk Road memorandum with China

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte confirmed that his government intends to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government for its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The huge…

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LGBT rights set to be Poland’s electoral battlefront

Poland's ruling The Law and Justice Party (PiS) has condemned a new school sex education programme planned in Poland's opposition-ruled capital Warsaw, calling it an infringement of traditional Catholic values…

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Request to have Toto Cutugno blacklisted in the Ukraine

A group of Ukrainian Members of Parliament requested that Italian singer Toto Cutugno be banned from the country. According to the Ukrainian website Economistua.com, the Ukrainian MPs wrote to Vasily…

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Italy registers record drop in asylum requests

Italy registered the largest drop in 2018 in asylum requests of all European Union countries - down 61% on 2017 figures, while requests across the EU dropped by 11%…

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