The Dispatch

Cyprus records second driest January since 1901

Cyprus is experiencing its second driest January in over 120 years, with rainfall at just 17 percent of normal levels, according to the Cypriot Department of Meteorology. Despite beneficial rains…

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Missing Documents Deepen the Mystery of Emanuela Orlandi’s Case

A new mystery has surfaced in the decades-old case of Emanuela Orlandi. At the Central State Archive in Italy, a file titled "Ministry of the Interior – Central Directorate of…

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Storm Herminia brings heavy rain and powerful winds to Europe

Weather warnings were in parts of Spain, Portugal, France, the UK, and Ireland as Storm Herminia brought strong winds, heavy rain, and powerful waves. Weather warnings have been issued in…

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Israel suspends commercial flights to Paphos in Cyprus for unspecified reasons

Israel has temporarily halted commercial flights to Paphos, a city on the western coast of Cyprus, due to unspecified security reasons, Cypriot officials announced. The decision, made by Israel’s domestic…

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Saudi Arabia, Italy ink $10 billion cooperation and industrial deals

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met on Sunday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in AlUla, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. “The Crown Prince and the Prime Minister…

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Migrant Arrivals in Italy Surge as Tragedy Strikes in Mediterranean Shipwreck

Italy has recorded a significant surge in migrant arrivals this year, with the interior ministry reporting a 136% increase compared to the same period in 2024. As of Monday, 3,074…

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Trump whisperer? Italy’s Meloni navigates a high-stakes relationship

He hails a fantastic woman sweeping all before her in Europe. She praises a strong and shrewd defender of the West. Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni are fast forging a…

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6 tonnes of cocaine and EUR 6 million seized in large drug sting involving Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama

The Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), supported by Europol, has dismantled a large-scale drug trafficking network in an investigation involving Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. The suspects were allegedly…

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Italy under fire for releasing Libyan warlord

The International Criminal Court has reminded Italy of its obligation to cooperate fully after it let warlord Ossama al-Masri return to Libya. Al-Masri is accused of murder, rape and torture.…

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League files bill for Italy to leave WHO

Lawmakers for Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's right-wing League party said Thursday that they have presented a bill in the Senate for Italy to leave the World Health…

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Mother Reborn After Baby’s Abduction and Dramatic Rescue in Cosenza

The mother of a one-day-old baby, who was abducted late Tuesday afternoon by a couple from the Sacro Cuore clinic in the Calabrian city of Cosenza, said she felt as…

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France issues new arrest warrant for Syria’s Assad

French investigating magistrates have issued an arrest warrant against ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes, notably the launch of a deliberate attack on civilians, a…

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Italy releases and deports senior Libyan police officer it arrested on ICC warrant

Italian police arrested a Libyan warlord on a warrant from the International Criminal Court, but an Italian tribunal refused to approve the arrest and he was instead sent back to…

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Spain’s PM Sanchez floats ban on non-EU citizens buying properties

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would propose to ban purchasers from outside the European Union from buying properties, as the government seeks to curb rising housing prices, which…

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Sharp rise in flu cases in Italy

There was a sharp rise in flu cases in Italy in the week of January 6-12, the Higher Health Institute (ISS) reported, saying that children were the most affected age…

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Italian journalist Cecilia Sala reveals horror of captivity in Iranian jail

Cecilia Sala detailed the horror of being locked up in one of Iran’s most notorious prisons. “I was being interrogated for 10 hours straight, hooded and with my face to…

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71 billionaires, 5.7 mn in absolute poverty in Italy

The wealth of Italy's billionaires in 2024 increased by 61.1 billion euros - or 166 million a day - reaching a total value of 272.5 billion owned by 71 individuals,…

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As Trump is sworn in, Macron warns Europe it can’t depend only on US weapons

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the billions of euros of taxpayer money spent on Europe's military budgets should not be used to buy only American weapons, pushing for more…

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Italy arrests Libyan police head

Police in Italy have arrested the head of Libya's judicial police who directs Tripoli's Mitiga detention centre, Italian news reports said. Osama Najim, also known as Almasri, was arrested Sunday…

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Southern Italy is grappling with the aftermath of severe weather

Southern Italy is grappling with the aftermath of severe weather, as heavy rains and floods have triggered hundreds of emergency interventions by firefighters. The regions of Sicily and Calabria were…

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Severe Weather Forces School Closures in Sicily

A powerful Mediterranean cyclone, named Storm Gabri, has prompted a red weather alert in Eastern Sicily and other southern regions of Italy. Today, Friday, January 17, heavy rains, thunderstorms, and…

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Pope Francis using sling after injuring forearm in fall

Pope Francis injured his right forearm after a fall in his residence on Thursday but did not suffer any broken bones and continued on with his agenda for the day,…

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Cyprus says US decree on security affirms island’s stabilising role in region

Cyprus on Thursday hailed a U.S. memorandum allowing military sales, including arms, to the island as a milestone affirming recognition of the island as a pillar of stability in the…

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New Italian scholastic syllabus introduces Latin for middle school students

In Italy, a new school syllabus for the 2026-27 academic year will introduce Latin as an option for middle school students and give a more central role to Italian literature…

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What Measures Are Being Taken for Non-EU Citizens in Spain’s Housing Crisis?

Spain is planning a raft of measures to address its brewing housing crisis, including an up to 100% tax on properties that non-European Union residents buy. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro…

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US interest in Greek Golden Visa has surged by 50% after Trump’s election

The Trump effect and the imminent ending of Spain’s Golden Visa scheme continue to boost American interest in Greece’s five-year residence card program based mainly on realty investments, with a…

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Greek PM nominates parliament speaker for presidential post

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis nominated parliament speaker Constantine Tassoulas from his centre-right New Democracy party for the Greek presidency on Wednesday. President Katerina Sakellaropoulou's five-year term expires in March…

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Pontiff writes of “evil committed by certain priests” in book

Pope Francis was handed a “large white box” full of documents on “abuse” and “dark dealings” in the Catholic Church over a decade ago when he took over from his…

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Vote for CDU-CSU, Italy’s foreign minister tells Italians living in Germany

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and his centre-right party Forza Italia urged Italians living in Germany to support the conservative alliance in the country's snap election scheduled on Feb 23.…

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Spain plans 100% tax for homes bought by non-EU residents

Spain is preparing to introduce a tax of up to 100% on properties purchased by non-residents from outside the EU, including buyers from the UK. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described…

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Northern Greece braces for severe weather; school closures, snow chains ordered

The Hellenic National Meteorological Service has updated its severe weather bulletin. Heavy rain, strong storms, and snow are expected in northern Greece over the next few hours. The weather is…

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Iranian businessman arrested in Italy returns home

Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini, who had been detained in Italy on a U.S. warrant, is back in Iran after on Sunday left jail after Rome's justice minister filed to revoke…

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Renowned Italian Photographer Oliviero Toscani Passes Away at 82

Oliviero Toscani, the legendary Italian photographer whose groundbreaking and provocative work reshaped the world of communication and advertising, passed away today at the age of 82. The news was announced…

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Italy’s Meloni dismisses concerns of Trump breaking with European allies

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of the European leaders closest to Donald Trump, said on Thursday she believed the U.S. president-elect would defend Western interests once he took office…

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Italy defence minister dampens talk of Starlink deal for secure communications

Italy's defence minister sought to defuse a political row sparked by a report that Italy planned to ask Elon Musk's Starlink to supply new secure communications services for use by…

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France’s Foreign Minister urges tougher EU action on Musk, says laws must be enforced

The European Commission must use its existing legislation in a much tougher manner, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, referring to Elon Musk. "Either the European Commission applies with the…

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Italian journalist Cecilia Sala freed from Iran prison

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala has been freed from detention in Iran and is flying home, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said in a statement on Wednesday. Sala, 29, who…

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Former French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen dies aged 96

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the far-right National Front party who tapped into working class concerns over immigration and globalisation, shaking up the French political establishment, has died at the…

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Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev’s Cousin Held In Greece Drugs Bust

A cousin of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, a British-Azeri DJ, has been arrested in a drug raid at a party near Athens, Greek police said Tuesday. Police said they arrested…

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France identifies first case of new mpox variant

France has identified its first case of the new mpox variant, news agency AFP reported, citing a statement from the country's health ministry. The patient had not traveled to Central…

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Pope names Italian sister as first woman to lead major Vatican office

Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to lead a major Vatican department, appointing an Italian sister to take charge of the office that oversees the world's Catholic religious…

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France’s Sarkozy goes on trial over alleged Libyan campaign financing

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will go on trial on Monday charged with receiving millions of euros in illegal financing from Libya's late strongman Muammar Gaddafi for his successful 2007…

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Italy in talks over $1.5 billion SpaceX security services deal

Italy is in advanced talks with Elon Musk's SpaceX over a 1.5 billion euro ($1.55 billion) deal for the company to provide secure telecommunications to the government, Bloomberg News reported.…

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2,200 dead and missing in Mediterranean in 2024 – UNICEF

Over 2,200 people have been reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean in 2024, with nearly 1,700 lives lost along the central Mediterranean route, UNICEF's Regional Director for Europe and…

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France says it carried out missile strikes against ISIS in Syria last weekend

France carried out missile strikes last weekend in Syria, targeting Islamic State sites in the country, French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday. "On Sunday, French air forces…

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Greece presents strategy to combat youth internet addiction

The Greek government announced on Monday a national strategy to protect minors from internet addiction and excessive social media use. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said protecting children's well-being was…

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Italy sets crowd limits, bans fireworks on NYE

Italian cities including Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice have set crowd limits and imposed firework bans for New Year's Eve celebrations.Fireworks will however be permitted in Naples, the southern city…

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Pope opens special ‘Holy Door’ for Catholic Jubilee at Rome prison

Pope Francis made a visit on Thursday to one of the largest prison complexes in Italy, opening a special "Holy Door" for the 2025 Catholic Holy Year, in what the…

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Russian cargo ship’s owner says sinking in Mediterranean was ‘act of terrorism’

A Russian cargo ship that sank on Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea was the target of an “act of terrorism”, according to the vessel’s owner. The Ursa Major sank while…

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Venice imposes alcohol limitations over New Year

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro signed a order restricting alcohol sales on New Year's Eve in a measure designed to protect people's safety and ensure the events planned in the city…

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Mysterious sinking of Russian cargo ship in Mediterranean Sea

A Russian cargo ship called 'Ursa Major' sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria and two of its crew are missing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.…

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Pope Francis to open Holy Door for Jubilee of Hope in 2025

Pope Francis will break open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24. The city of Rome has invested more than 4.8 billion euros ($5 billion) in more…

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France unveils fresh government

France unveiled a new government on Monday composed of former ministers and senior civil servants that Prime Minister Francois Bayrou will hope can oversee the passage of a 2025 budget…

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50 years after the monarchy was abolished, former royal family regains Greek citizenship

Members of Greece’s former royal family have regained Greek citizenship and formally acknowledged the country’s republican system of government, in a landmark move 50 years after the monarchy was abolished.…

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Russia security threat is far reaching, Italy’s prime minister warns

Russia poses a bigger threat to European Union security than just defence as Moscow can use illegal immigration and other issues to undermine the bloc, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni…

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Suffering from heavy cold, Pope Francis to lead Sunday prayers from residence

Pope Francis, who has just turned 88 and has been suffering from a heavy cold, will lead the regular Sunday Angelus prayer from inside his residence as a precaution, the…

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UPDATED: Italian deputy PM Salvini acquitted of migrant kidnapping charges

A court on Friday acquitted Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini of charges of kidnapping over 100 migrants aboard a boat he had blocked at sea for nearly three weeks…

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