The Dispatch

Italian centre right win Ferrara in post-war first

The Italian centre right won the northern city of Ferrara, traditionally a stronghold for the left, for the first time in the post-War period after Sunday's runoffs for local elections…

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Photo Story: The San Isidro Bullfighting Fair

The torero or diestro Roman Collado is gored by a bull during the San Isidro Bullfighting Fair, Madrid, Spain. This is considered the most popular and important bullfighting fair in the world.…

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Photo Story: Spain’s El Rocio pilgrimage

Faithful carry the Virgin of El Rocio after the traditional 'jumping the fence' for its procession at El Rocio Virgin Shrine, in the village of El Rocio Andalusia, Spain, early…

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Public transport in Rome to strike on 20 June

The USB trade union announced tht workers at Rome's public transport company ATAC are scheduled to engage in a 24-hour strike, effective from 08.30 to 17.00 and from 20.00 until…

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Woman falls off a cruise ship in the Mediterranean

A search has been called off in Mediterranean Sea for woman who fell off Norwegian Epic cruise ship in the weekend. The passenger fell into the sea while on…

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Pope Francis decries modern ‘culture of insults’ on social media

The Pope warned that the more people use online platforms the less social they become, and criticized the trend "to hurl adjectives" at each other. Pope Francis noted that "the…

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Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia finally receives building permit

After 137 years Barcelona's Sagrada Familia has finally received a building permit. Spanish authorities realised in 2016 that planning permission was never secured for the still under-construction basilica, meaning it…

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WWF publishes report on the extent of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean

As the world today commemorates World Oceans Day, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) issued a report on the worrying state of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Roughly 600,000…

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Barcelona is the most polluted cruise ship port in Europe

Barcelona is the most polluted cruise ship port in Europe. That’s according to a new report from think tank Transport & Environment, which found Spain had four ports ranking in…

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Western France braces for 130km/h winds

Storm Miguel started moving in on western France Friday morning with winds expected to reach 130km/h. A total of 8 departments - Charente-Maritime, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Deux-Sèvres, Vendée and…

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Paris cracks down on electric scooters

Authorities in the French capital Paris are cracking down on electric scooters after an anarchic year in which startups flooded the city’s streets with their vehicles. The French capital has…

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Big police operation in Portugal against human trafficking for sexual exploitation

The Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras), supported by Europol, arrested eight suspected members of an international organised criminal group trafficking human beings for sexual…

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Puigdemont refused EU accredidation

The former Catalan president, Charles Puigdemont, has been denied his temporary accreditation as an elected member of the European Parliament at the request of three Spanish political parties. Puigdemont is…

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Pope appeals for more vocations

Pope Francis told participants at a Congress for the Pastoral Care of Vocations in Europe not to be afraid to take up the challenge of the vocation to consecrated…

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UPDATED: 50 persons saved and heading to Pozallo

50 persons were saved as they were trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach reach the European coast. According to Alarm Phone, the group was saved by the commercial…

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Pope and Putin to meet again in July

Pope Francis will receive Russian President Vladimir Putin in an audience in the Vatican on July 4, Vatican spokesperson Alessandro Gisotti told reporters on Thursday. It will be the third…

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UPDATED: Macron and May say ‘thank you’ to D-Day veterans… “we owe you our freedom”

British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron have joined D-Day veterans in northern France for a second day of events to mark the 75th anniversary of the…

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Pope Francis approves big changes to ‘Our Father’ and ‘Gloria’

Pope Francis officially approved a big changes to the most famous prayer in Christianity and the ‘Gloria’. The changes or adjustments to the ‘Our Father’ has been years in…

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Fiat Chrysler withdraws bid for Renault

Fiat Chrysler has withdrawn its merger proposal for French carmaker Renault, the Italian-American firm has said in a statement. The announcement followed a failed attempt by Renault board members…

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Vatican mourns Dutch teenager’s ‘euthanasia’ death

The Vatican on Wednesday mourned the death of Noa Pothoven, a 17-year-old girl from the Netherlands who reportedly ended her life via legal euthanasia on Sunday - although it was…

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EU Commission says Italy is in breach of EU fiscal rules

The European Commission concluded on Wednesday that Italy is in breach of EU fiscal rules because of its growing debt, a situation that justifies the launch of a disciplinary…

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Third body found in Cyprus in serial killer case

Divers in Cyprus found another suitcase containing decomposing human remains from a toxic lake in Cyprus — the third such discovery on the island in a serial killer case…

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Italy set for infringement procedure by EU if figures confirmed

European Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said Wednesday that Brussels may open an infringement procedure against Italy for excessive deficit. "If the (forecasted) figures are confirmed, we will not be…

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Russian and US warplanes confront each other over the Mediterranean

Aircraft of Russia and United States came face to face on Tuesday as the former intercepted a US aircraft flying in international airspace over the Mediterranean Sea three times in…

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63 persons saved by AFM in the Mediterranean

63 persons are expected to disembark in Malta early this morning after being saved during the night by the Armed Forces of Malta The rescued 63 migrants were adrift and…

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Parents arrested in Italy for planning to kill disabled three-year daughter

The Egyptian parents of a disabled three year old girl were arrested in Milan on the suspicion of beating their three-year-old disabled daughter and planning to kill her. Italian police…

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Pregnant women and children who reside around Notre Dame advised to take blood tests

Pregnant women and children living near the fire-ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral have been advised to take blood tests over fears of lead contamination. The warning has been issued after tests…

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Record-breaking Fiat 500X: the 500 thousandth unit is produced

Fiat 500X number 500,000 was built at the Melfi plant in southern Italy. The record-breaking car belongs to the "120th" special series and in this case it is equipped with…

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PhotoStory: 2.500 kilograms of cocaine seized on board a Spanish boat

Spanish Tributary Agency (Spanish Tax Agency) members arrive at Pontevedra's port after seizing 2,500 kilograms of cocaine from South America in Vigo, Galicia, northwestern Spain, 03 June 2019. Spanish Tributary…

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Italian military doctors to fill in for lack of civilian hospital staff

Italian military doctors have been drafted into hospitals in the southern Molise region to cope with a shortfall of civilian hospital staff. Italian news agency ANSA reported that Health Commissioner…

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Muslim world prepares for the end of Ramadan

The Saudi Supreme Court has called on all Muslims throughout Saudi Arabia to sight the crescent of the month of Shawwal on Monday evening. This will signal the end…

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Call to ban cruise ships from Venice canal

Italy’s transport minister Danilo Toninelli has called for cruise ships to be banned from using the Giudecca Canal in Venice, after an out-of-control liner rammed a river tourist boat in…

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PhotoStory: Italy’s Republic Day celebrations

Italy on Sunday celebrated the anniversary marks the founding of the Italian Republic in 1946. June 2nd, 1946, was the day Italians voted to abolish the monarchy, and the Republic…

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Pope pays tribute to Christians in Romania killed or persecuted under Communism

Pope Francis paid tribute to Christians in Romania killed or persecuted under Communism as he warned against any new ideological attempt to sow fear or division in society. On…

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Watch the moment a Cruise liner looses control and hits tourist boat in Venice

A cruise liner early Sunday morning lost control and smashed into tourist boat, the Michelangelo, as it was docking in Venice, Italy. In the incident at least five people were…

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UK prepares to host veterans and world leaders for unprecedented D-Day commemorations

The UK is preparing to host unprecedented commemorations in Portsmouth this week to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Over 4000 personnel will be involved in D-Day events in the…

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Maltese Spanish Chamber Launches New Series of Business Meetings

As part of a number of celebrations to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malta and Spain, the Maltese-Spanish Chamber of Commerce is launching a new series…

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PhotoStory: Spain celebrates Armed Forces Day

King Felipe VI of Spain was joined by Queen Letizia as he presided over the Annual Armed Forces Day ‘Día de las Fuerzas Armadas’ at the Paseo de Cristóbal Colón…

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No problems from Etna activity for Catania airport

The volcanic activity on Mount Etna has not abated, spitting molten lava high into the sky, though cloud cover through the weekend. The latest lava show was not expected…

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300 cases of measles in Italy in April

The Italian Higher Health Institute (ISS), said there were 864 measles cases in Italy in the first four months of the year. It said that there were 299 cases in…

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Italy’s courts cracks down on cannabis shops

Italy’s Supreme court on Thursday banned the sale of many widely sold cannabis derivatives. The decision is considered a win for Deputy Prime Minister and League leader Matteo Salvini…

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Church in Ireland urges parents not to buy smartphones as Holy Communion gifts

Archbishop Eamon Martin, the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, has advised parents against buying smartphones for their children as a Holy Communion present, saying there are "an…

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Junior minister from Salvini’s Lega sentenced to jail

A Genoa court found a junior minister from the right-wing League party guilty in an embezzlement case, a verdict set to further ignite tensions within the country’s fractious ruling coalition.…

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Reports of child left to die on abandoned dingy off Libyan coast, AFM saves 75 persons stranded on tuna pen

A five-year-old child died on board a rubber dingy in difficulty adrift off the coast of Libya during an attempt to reach European shores. According to Alarm Phone,…

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New Etna eruption early this morning

A new eruption started overnight on the Etna in Sicily, at around 3 am local time. A small effusive fissure opened on the south-south-eastern base of the New SE crater…

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Arrests in France for looting the archives of libraries throughout Europe

With the support of Europol, the French National Police (OCBC - National Unit in charge of Cultural goods trafficking) and the Spanish Guardia Civil (UCO) have dismantled an organised…

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Italy’s Lega close to deal with UK’s Farage in the European Parliament

Italian Lega MEP Marco Zanni said that the Italian party is close to reaching an agreement with Nigel Farage's Brexit party for an alliance at the European level. Zanni said…

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ECB warns Italy: Obey the budget rules or face the consequences

European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos warned that Italy needs to obey European Union budget rules or face higher borrowing costs that could hurt its economy even more.…

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Mediaset buys stake in German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1

Italian television group Mediaset announced it acquired 9.6 percent of German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1. Mediaset, which is owned by the family of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, will become the…

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Former Spanish King Juan Carlos I to retire from public life

The former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, announced he is to withdraw from official events and retire from public life from June 2, which will be the five-year…

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Video cameras to be mandatory in Italy for nurseries, care homes

The Italian Senate's public works and environment committees this week approved a measure for the mandatory installation of video surveillance cameras at nursery schools and care homes for the elderly…

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Possible East Med alliance in the offing to counter Russia

Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, says the U.S. is looking for friendly nations in the Eastern Mediterranean region that share core democratic values in light…

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French police arrest suspect wanted for Lyon bombing

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has announced that police have arrested a man suspected of being behind last week’s bomb blast in Lyon that injured 13 people. Castaner…

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Europe Votes: Huge win for Salvini in Italy, M5S falls to 3rd place

Matteo Salvini, Lega Party, got a big boost in the European Parliamentary election to become the No. 1 party in Italy, after winning more than 30 percent of the vote,…

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Europe Votes: Italy, the projections – Exit Polls (Updated)

Exit Polls Salvini's Lega Nord is expected to get between 31% and 27%. The PD anything between 21% and 25% while the M5s anything between 18.5% and 22.5%. This…

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Europe Votes: Cyprus, the Exit Polls, the projections (Updated)

Exit Polls : National parties Percentage (%) DISY – Democratic Rally (EPP) 31.80% ΑΚΕL –Progressive Party of Working People (GUE) 26.00% DIKO –Democratic Party (S&D) 11.90% EDEK –Movement for Social Democrats EDEK (S&D) 9.80% ELAM –National…

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Europe Votes: Spain, the projections

This is a summary of Politico’s projections for the voting today in Spain: Spain – The Projections If the turnout of 43.81% is maintained in this vote, Politico predicts PSOE…

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