The Dispatch

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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Macron thanks Gisèle Pelicot for courage and dignity in mass rape trial

French President Emmanuel Macron has honoured Gisèle Pelicot for her remarkable strength during the mass rape trial involving her ex-husband and 50 other men. He praised her as a pioneer…

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Frenchman gets 20 years in prison after organising wife mass rape

A French court on Thursday convicted Dominique Pelicot of aggravated rape for orchestrating the mass rape of his now ex-wife, Gisele Pelicot, over nearly a decade. The trial, which lasted…

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French far-right leader Marine Le Pen eyes early presidential election

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said that she was preparing for an early presidential election, saying President Emmanuel Macron's time in office was all but over. Le Pen, who…

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Bergamo tops Italian life-quality index for 1st time

The province of Bergamo has come top of il Sole 24 Ore's annual quality of life ranking for the first time, coming in ahead of Trento and Bolzano in the…

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Greece calls for overhaul of importation of third-country workers

The Greek migration and asylum minister announced a new institutional framework for legal immigration to drastically reduce times, shorten visa issuance procedures and extend the duration of the residence permit…

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France’s highest court upholds Sarkozy’s corruption conviction

The Cour de Cassation, France's highest court, upheld on Wednesday former President Nicolas Sarkozy's conviction for corruption and influence peddling. Sarkozy had appealed against the 2021 conviction for corruption and…

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Spain probes holiday home platform in crackdown on tourism rentals

Spain has opened an investigation into an unidentified holiday apartment renting platform for failing to delete thousands of rental offers in another attempt to curb a business blamed by many…

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Greece moves to shield children from online dangers

In a move to curb the growing risks associated with social media access for children, the Greek government is rolling out a multi-pronged strategy to protect minors under the age…

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Pope reveals he was target of suicide bomb attempt during 2021 Iraq visit

Pope Francis has revealed he was the target of an attempted suicide bombing during his visit to Iraq three years ago, the first by a Catholic pontiff to the country…

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Stricter new Italian Highway Code comes into force

Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's new Highway Code, which stiffens penalties for using mobile phones at the wheel and driving under the influence in a bid to prevent…

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618 dead and 918 missing in central Mediterranean in 2024 – IOM

Some 618 people have died and 918 gone missing in the central Mediterranean so far this year, one of the most widely used channels for illegal migration to Italy and…

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Italy has highest number of cars per capita in EU

According to statistics released by Istat, the Italian statistics agency, Italy had the highest number of cars per capita in the EU in 2023, with 694 passenger vehicles for every…

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‘Mass exodus’ of Syrians could hit Cyprus’ construction industry

A number of Syrian nationals have already left Cyprus to return to a post-Assad state, raising local concerns over the impact a flood of returns may have on the country’s…

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Pope to meet Palestinian president on Thursday

Pope Francis will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, the Vatican said, as the Catholic pontiff has become more vocal in his criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza.…

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Politico picks Meloni as most influential person in Europe

Premier Giorgia Meloni has been ranked as the most powerful person in Europe this year by Politico. The international publication crowned the Italian prime minister in its Class of 2025…

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Britain and Cyprus team up to stop illicit Russian cash flow

Britain and Cyprus pledged on Tuesday to fight illicit Russian cash flows during a visit by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in an endorsement of the pro-west tilt the Mediterranean…

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Pope says No to long homilies, max 10 mins

Pope Francis said at his weekly general audience in St Peter's Wednesday that priests should avoid over-long homilies, which should be 10 minutes maximum."Many times there are long sermons, 20,…

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57% fear some migrants threaten Italian way of life

Most Italians fear that the arrival of some migrants poses a threat to the nation's way of life, according to the annual report of the research institute Censis, which was…

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Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens on Saturday. Here’s what to know

Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral reopens on Saturday, Dec. 7, five and a half years after fire destroyed its roof and spire and caused major damage throughout. Here is what you need…

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Emmanuel Macron struggles on in search for stable French government

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday began his latest search for a new prime minister to lead France's unruly parliament, after rejecting demands he quit to end a crisis he said…

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France’s Macron vows to stay in office till end of term

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Thursday to stay in office until the end of his term, due in 2027, and announced that he will name a new prime minister within…

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French government collapses in no-confidence vote

The French government has collapsed following a no-confidence vote that removed Prime Minister Michel Barnier from office. Members of Parliament overwhelmingly backed the motion against Barnier, just three months after…

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French government to face no-confidence vote

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is set to face a no-confidence vote on Wednesday, triggered after he bypassed parliamentary approval to push through a controversial social security budget. Opposition parties…

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French government no-confidence vote set for Wednesday

French members of parliament will vote Wednesday afternoon on at least one motion of no confidence that is likely to topple the French government, according to French media reports confirmed…

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Italian Authorities Crack Down on Keyboxes for Short-Term Rentals Amid Safety Concerns

The Italian government has taken decisive action to regulate the use of keyboxes and automated check-in systems in short-term rental properties, citing safety and compliance concerns. These measures, outlined in…

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What’s next in France’s political and budget crises?

France's minority government is in a precarious position, with the far-right National Rally party promising to force the collapse of Prime Minister Michel Barnier's cabinet unless it yields to its…

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France’s Barnier makes last-minute concession to far right in bid to avoid being toppled

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier made another significant concession to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) on Monday, shelving planned cuts to medication reimbursements in a last-ditch effort to…

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French far right says government spurned budget talks

France's far-right National Rally (RN) accused the government on Sunday of rejecting its budget demands, increasing the likelihood of a no-confidence vote that could oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier. RN…

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Athens named world’s leading cultural city destination for 2024

Athens has been awarded the title of “World’s Leading Cultural City Destination” for 2024 by the World Travel Awards (WTA), surpassing 14 major global cities, including London, Paris, New York,…

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