The Dispatch

Two French soldiers killed in rescue of four hostages in West Africa

Two French soldiers were killed in an operation to rescue four hostages in the Sahel region of Africa, France said on Friday, adding that the hostages, including a U.S. woman,…

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NGO-run ship Mare Jonio seized

Italian Finance police seized the NGO run ship 'Mare Jonio' on Friday after the search-and-rescue ship picked up 30 migrants in the Mediterranean. The finance police boarded the ship to…

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France warns UK it has to leave EU by 31 October

France has warned the UK it must leave the European Union by 31 October as it will not tolerate repeated extensions of the Brexit deadline. "We must not get sucked…

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EU warns Turkey about drilling off the coast of Cyprus

As several leaders voiced support for sanctions against Turkish companies, the European Union has warned Turkey about drilling off the coast of EU-member Cyprus. As tension escalates in the Mediterranean, the EU-27 at the…

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Slideshow: ‘The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains’

Photos from the presentation of 'The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains' in Madrid, Spain. The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains” grants visitors rare and unprecedented insights into the…

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Ferry stranded in rough sea off the coast of Croatia

A ferry carrying almost 350 people is drifting in the Adriatic Sea after experiencing technical problems. The ferry 'Aurelia' left the Italian city of Ancona late on Wednesday heading for…

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Italy commemorates the discovery of the corpse of Aldo Moro

Italy on Thursday marked the 41st anniversary of the discovery of Christian Democrat statesman Aldo Moro and Sicilian anti-mafia DJ Peppino Impastato's bodies in Rome and Sicily. President Sergio Mattarella…

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MIA signs cooperation agreement with Cyprus counterpart

The Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA) signed a Protocol of Cooperation with the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC), forging a new alliance that promotes the interests of…

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New controversy as Salvini refuses to let Italian Navy ship with migrants dock

Italian Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Thursday that he will refuse to assign a port for a Navy ship to dock in after it rescued dozens of…

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Photostory: Fra Angelico’s ‘Annunciation’ restored

Spanish art restorer Almudena Sanchez (2R), Prado Museum's Director, Miguel Falomir (L), Executive Director of the American Friends of Prado Museum, Christina Simmons (L), and Chairwoman of Friends of Florence,…

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Mild tremor along border between Italy and Slovenia

An earthquake that had the intensity of 3.3 on the Richter Scale was registered at 5.14 am along the border between Italy and Slovenia. According to the Istituto Nazionale…

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Italy heading towards tougher action against distracted drivers

The transport commission at the Italian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday discussed how to punish cell phone use while driving as part of highway code reform. League rapporteur promoter Giuseppe…

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A new version of Fanta launched in Italy with Sicilian blood oranges

A new version of Fanta was launched in Italy, Fanta Aranciata Rossa Zero Zuccheri with “ Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP”, an soft drink with juice of Sicilian blood oranges,…

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Conte removes Transport Undersecretary Armando Siri from his post

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has removed Transport Undersecretary Armando Siri from his post at Wednesday's cabinet meeting. The case has caused considerable tension within Conte's coalition government. Deputy Premier…

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French air traffic controllers to go strike this evening

Air travellers in Europe are facing the prospect of delays and cancellations because of a strike by French air traffic controllers. The industrial action is due to begin Wednesday evening…

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Amanda Knox returning to Italy

Amanda Knox has said she will return to Italy next month for the first since being definitively cleared in 2015 of killing her former flat mate Meredith Kercher. The American…

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Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti interrupts concerts to be operated on vocal cords

Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti announced that he will be interrupting his current tour to be operated on the vocal cords. His concerts, "Vita Ce n’è World Tour 2019", are scheduled…

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Libya’s Sarraj to meet Macron today

U.N.-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday. Sarraj's administration is unhappy about Paris's perceived support for eastern commander Khalifa Haftar…

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‘Anonymous’ hacks the emails of 30,000 Italian lawyers

The Italian section of hacktivist group 'Anonymous' said Tuesday that it has hacked the certified email accounts of 30,000 members of the Rome guild of lawyers. Anonymous Italia posted screenshots…

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Slideshow: The Pope in Bulgaria

On his second day in Bulgaria, Pope Francis made an early morning visit to a refugee center, thanking children and families for their joy despite the pain of leaving their…

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Berlusconi released from hospital

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been released from hospital. He had to be hospitalized to undergo surgery for an intestinal obstruction, raising questions about his campaign for the…

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French telecom giant Orange on trial over staff suicides

A decade after 35 employees took their own lives at France Telecom (now know as Orange) the telecoms giant and its former CEO go on trial Monday for “moral harassment”.…

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Marine Le Pen surpasses Macron’s party in EP election poll

In France, the party of far-right leader Marine Le Pen will top the upcoming European Parliament elections with 22 percent of the vote, just ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's REM…

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Month of Ramadan fasting for many Muslims begins Monday

Muslims in Southeast Asia and much of the Middle East will start their Ramadan fasts on Monday while those in places like India, Pakistan and Iran will likely start…

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Police in Cyprus find fifth victim of serial killer

Police in Cyprus found a body in a lake on Sunday that they believe to be the fifth victim of a suspected serial killer who preyed on foreign women for…

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Capsized Fishing Boat Update – ‘Rogue wave’ capsized Sicilian boat

The Malta Independent reports that a a relative of one of the dead men told Italian media that it was a rogue wave that flipped the Sicilian fishing vessel and…

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New suspect in Madeleine McCann case identified as a German man

Sky News revealed that the new suspect in the Madeleine McCann case is a German man already being investigated over alleged child sex offences He is one of two suspects…

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Drugs sold in Turin in the shape of communion hosts

Police in Turin Italy arrested three people for drug trafficking and made a surprising find. The three men – from the Ivory Coast, Gabon and Mauritania – were producing drugs…

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Christian persecution in the world near “genocide” levels

The persecution of Christians in parts of the world is at near "genocide" levels, according to a report ordered by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The review, led by the Bishop…

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Anger in Italy after another tourist caught vandalizing the Colosseum

There is anger in Italy after another tourist was caught vandalizing the Colosseum in Rome. A 29-year-old Hungarian tourist carved his initials into the Colosseum on Thursday, the third such…

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Original initiative in Athens to battle graffiti

The Greek capital Athens has put forth an original initiative called “This is Athens – Polis”. It aims to clean up the city’s historic center by eliminating graffiti and other…

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Photostory: 500 years of Leonardo Da Vinci

Museums and galleries are marking 500 years from the death of Leonardo da Vinci anniversary. On Thursday, The presidents of France and Italy laid a wreath on the tomb of…

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Berlusconi ready to leave hospital

The ex-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is back on his feet after an operation on an intestinal blockage at the San Raffaele clinic in Milan and is eager to…

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Business Between Malta and France On The Increase

The most recent statistics show that Malta has seen €134 million in imports and over €120 million in exports to and from France. In fact, exports in goods and services…

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Cypriot Justice Minister resigns over serial killer case

Ionas Nicolaou, the Justice Minister of Cyprus, has resigned over the country’s serial killer case. There has been strong criticism directed to the police for their handling of investigations into…

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Salvini to launch petition for introduction of chemical-castration law

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Interior Matteo Salvini announced that his League party, of which he is leader, is going to start a petition this weekend for…

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Legal problems after 30 hammerhead sharks die at French aquarium

France's largest aquarium is facing legal action over the deaths of 30 hammerhead sharks. The NGO Sea Shepherd filed a lawsuit against Nausicaa National Sea Center, situated in Boulogne-sur-Mer near…

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Italy, Russia, and Tunisia agree on no military solution for Libya

The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he had agreed with the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi to reject military solutions for the crisis…

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UK experts scan lake in Cyprus serial killer case

British forensics experts helping to tackle the Cyprus serial killer case visited a toxic lake where a suitcase was found with a decomposed body inside. Earlier, the Cypriot police…

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Violence in Paris during May Day rallies

As was expected, there was violence in the streets of Paris during the May Day celebrations. French authorities were expecting a heady mix of labour unionists, "yellow vest" demonstrators and…

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Photostory: Greek port workers on 24-hour strike

Commuters sit in front of a docked ship as port workers and seamen participate in a 24-hour general strike, marking Labor Day, in the port city of Piraeus, Greece, 01…

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Berlusconi recovering well in hospital

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 82, was reported to be recovering well in hospital after undergoing an operation for a bowel obstruction late Tuesday. Berlusconi was admitted to San…

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Photostory: Turin welcomes the ‘Tennis ATP Finals 2021-2025’

The logo of the Tennis ATP Finals Torino 2021-2025 is projected on the Mole Antonelliana in Turin, Italy. The city of Turin has been selected to host the ATP Finals…

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Parents arrested in Italy for beating and starving their children

Police in Bellona, in the southern province of Caserta, arrested the parents of two young girls for neglectg and mistreating their children. They allegedly beat the children and left them…

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Spain’s Socialist mull next move after victory but no majority

The PSOE, Spain’s socialist party, has begun considering its options for government after gaining the most votes in Sunday’s snap general election but failing to win a majority. The prime…

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Experts call for patience in rebuilding Notre Dame

Over 1,100 French and international architects and heritage experts have called on French President Emmanuel Macron to take the necessary time to ensure good reconstruction work on the fire-damaged Notre…

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Police in Cyprus search for more suitcases with human remains… Scotland Yard to help in investigations

Police in Cyprus suspect that there are more suitcases containing human remains in the case of a serial killer that has shocked the nation. Police have so far found one…

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France foils terrorist attack

The French Interior Minister announced that it had foiled a terrorist act in France and is holding four suspects in custody. Police sources said the four suspects had been arrested…

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Fire breaks out on Britain-Spain ferry

A fire broke out Monday on a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers from Britain to Spain. The blaze was quickly brought under control and no-one was hurt. The fire on…

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Gang of youths in Italy torture and kill 66 year old man

A gang of 14 youths, including 12 minors, are under investigation for allegedly torturing a 66-year-old man to death in his home in Manduria, in the southern province of Taranto.…

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New website gives a close look at the Shroud of Turin

A new website aims to make available to all a collection of photographs of the Shroud of Turin by a scientific photographer who was part of a research project that…

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Socialists win in Spain

With nearly all the votes counted in Spain's general election, results showed the Socialists under the leadership of Pedro Sanchez gained the most votes with 123 seats but fell well…

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A Quick Look: The Vote in Spain

Spain will go to the polls for the third time in under four years on 28 April after the country's Socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap election. This…

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Photostory: Orthodox Christians prepare for Easter

Hand decorated Easter eggs at a farmers market in Belgrade, Serbia as Orthodox Christians prepare to celebrate Easter, also called Pascha, on 28 April 2019, according to the Julian calendar. For…

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Italian PM assures Huawei it won’t face discrimination

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte revealed he had assured China's Huawei Technologies that it would not face discrimination in the roll-out of Italy's 5G telecoms network. Conte was speaking on…

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Italian personalities threatened by food delivery riders

An association of food delivery firms said they were "stunned" by threats aimed by delivery riders on social media against high-profile customers 'outed' for not tipping them. Deliverance Milano,…

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Rome’s mayor declares capital ‘under attack’ from criminals

Rome's mayor vowed to defend the Italian capital from criminals following a fire at an illegal landfill. The battle cry was spurned after firefighters managed to bring the blaze…

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