The Dispatch

Italy’s Meloni faces reality check as migrant flows rise relentlessly

Migrant numbers double since Meloni becomes prime minister Restrictive measures to halt flows largely fail Deals with Tunisia, Libya cannot prevent boat departures Italian businesses clamour for migrant workers By…

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Spain’s People’s Party ahead of Socialists before election

MADRID, July 15 (Reuters) - Spain's opposition conservative People's Party (PP) is ahead of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's ruling Socialists (PSOE) but still short of winning a decisive majority in…

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Forest fire in Spain’s La Palma island forces evacuations

BARCELONA, July 15 (Reuters) - A forest fire in the Spanish island of La Palma has forced the evacuation of at least 500 people, authorities said on Saturday, in the…

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Portugal bans tourist boats from approaching orcas after incidents

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal banned tourist boats from approaching pods of orcas and issued instructions on what to do when approached by the so-called killer whales after a series of…

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Pope approves Shanghai bishop but Vatican chides China for not consulting

VATICAN CITY, July 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has approved the new bishop of Shanghai on mainland China but the Vatican chided Beijing for transferring him there without first consulting,…

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Italy foreign minister Tajani succeeds Berlusconi as Forza Italia chief

ROME, July 15 (Reuters) - Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was elected on Saturday as leader of Forza Italia, the conservative party founded 29 years ago by billionaire media tycoon…

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Another twist in the 40-year-old case of Emanuela Orlandi

The case of Emanuela Orlandi, the 15-year-old daughter of a Vatican employee who went missing in Rome 40 years ago, has taken another twist as her brother dismissed what he…

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Italian air-transport workers, among them pilots for Malta Air, go on strike

Around 250,000 people are set to be grounded after around 1,000 flights scheduled for Saturday were cancelled due to a strike by air-transport workers, consumer association Codacons said. On Saturday…

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France fetes India’s Modi at Bastille Day celebration

PARIS, July 14 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was treated to one of France's most spectacular accolades on Friday as guest of honour at the Bastille Day military…

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Feline coronavirus kills 300,000 cats in Cyprus

A feline coronavirus risks turning Cyprus into an “island of dead cats”, experts have warned after as many as 300,000 were killed in an outbreak. Both stray and domestic cats…

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Outrage in Italy after cleaner escapes prosecution for groping schoolgirl ‘because it only lasted 10 seconds’

Italians have reacted with outrage after a 66-year-old school cleaner escaped punishment for groping a female pupil because it “only lasted about ten seconds”. The 17-year-old schoolgirl was walking up…

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France steps up security for July 14 Bastille Day festivities after recent riots

PARIS (Reuters) - France will step up security measures for the country's annual July 14 Bastille Day national festival, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said, after the country was hit by…

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Photo Story: Runner gored during San Fermin festival

A runner is gored by a bull of Victoriano del Rio ranch during the seventh bull running of San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain. Pamplona's Running of the Bulls, known…

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Biden to host Italian PM Meloni at White House on July 27

By Angelo Amante and Kanishka Singh VILNIUS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Washington on July 27, and the two leaders will…

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Italy impounds migrant charity’s rescue vessel Ocean Viking

ROME (Reuters) - Italian authorities on Wednesday impounded a ship involved in migrant rescue operations in the central Mediterranean Sea, citing safety procedure irregularities. Under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing…

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More submarines, jets for Indian navy on cards as Modi visits France

By Krishn Kaushik and Elizabeth Pineau NEW DELHI/PARIS, July 12 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to France on Thursday to deepen ties with New Delhi's oldest strategic…

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Italian artist Pistoletto’s ‘Venus of the Rags’ destroyed in arson attack

By Federica Urso and Alvise Armellini ROME, July 12 (Reuters) - An open-air installation of "Venus of the Rags", one of the most famous works by Italian contemporary artist…

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Photo Story: Sixth bull running of Sanfermines 2023

Runners are chased by the bulls of Jandilla ranch during the sixth bull running of Sanfermines in Pamplona, northern Spain. Via EPA-EFE/Villar Lopez

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Transport strikes in Italy on July 13 and 15, Malta Air pilots in Italy to stage a four-hour walk-out

Unions representing transport workers have announced two days of transport strikes on July 13 and 15, union sources said on Saturday. On Thursday, the protest will involve rail workers employed…

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Two Nigerian migrants found on ship’s rudder

The Spanish coastguard rescued two Nigerian migrants who stowed away on the rudder of a ship that arrived in the Canary Islands from Togo, a coastguard spokesperson and the police…

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Eight Italian cities on red alert as heatwave intensifies

Eight major Italian cities are on red alert as the heatwave the nation is enduing intensifies. Bolzano, Florence, Frosinone, Latina, Perugia and Turin have joined Rome and Rieti, which were…

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Stalled EU post-COVID funds ‘clearly a problem’ for Italy, minister says

Italy's delay in securing loans and grants from the European Union's post-COVID fund is "clearly a problem," Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Tuesday, amid rising challenges for the country's…

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France to send long-range missiles to Ukraine – Macron

France will join Britain in supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, a move that allows Ukrainian forces to hit Russian troops and supply dumps deep behind the front lines.Speaking on arrival…

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EasyJet cancels 350 Portugal flights ahead of strike – union

British airline easyJet has cancelled 350 flights arriving to or departing from Portugal due to a five-day cabin staff strike scheduled for later this month, the SNPVAC union of civil…

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Spain rescues boat with 86 migrants, hundreds likely still missing

Spanish maritime rescue that dispatched a plane and a ship to search for a fishing vessel from Senegal with about 200 migrants on board and missing for nearly two weeks,…

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Hundreds defy Paris protest ban a week after riots

PARIS (Reuters) -Hundreds of protesters defied a ban on Saturday to march in central Paris against police violence, a week after riots sparked by the killing of a teenager in…

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Greek parliament gives backing to new government’s four-year plan

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's new government won a key vote in parliament on Saturday after promising to rebuild the country's credit rating, create jobs, raise wages…

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Spain’s PM promises law letting residents choose location of solar, wind farms

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised on Friday to allow local residents to decide where solar parks and wind farms are located, while handing them a share in the profits,…

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Fire in Milan retirement home kills 6 people, injures 81 – reports

ROME (Reuters) - Six people have died and more than 80 have been injured following a fire in a retirement home in Milan, Italian news agencies reported on Friday. The…

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Berlusconi leaves control of family business to two eldest children

Silvio Berlusconi's eldest children Marina and Pier Silvio will jointly share majority control of the business empire he founded, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday, after the…

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Poland, Italy call for strong security guarantees for Ukraine

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland and Italy believe Ukraine must receive real security guarantees, the countries' prime ministers said on Wednesday, ahead of a NATO summit where Kyiv hopes to receive…

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Pope sets up commission to honour modern-day Christian martyrs

VATICAN CITY, July 5 (Reuters) - The Vatican will study the modern-day killing of Christians and try to list "all those who have shed their blood" in the name of…

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Man dies in Marseille after being shot at time of riots -prosecutor

MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a 27-year old man who was hit by a projectile at the time of the riots on Saturday,…

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Fundraiser for policeman who shot French teenager reflects divisions

A crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the family of the policeman who shot dead teenager Nahel M. in France topped 1.4 million euros ($1.5 million) on Tuesday, outstripping donations…

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Italy minister wants airlines to explain “unjustified” fare hikes

Italy's Industry Minister Adolfo Urso has lamented that airlines benefiting from the country's tourist boom have hiked their prices too much, and demanded an explanation. Urso instructed the government-appointed inflation…

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France riots: mayors hold defiant rallies amid uneasy calm

Defiant gatherings were held outside town halls across France on Monday following a wave of rioting triggered by the fatal police shooting of a teenager of north African descent. Police made fewer…

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Spain’s conservative PP party, ally Vox lose ground, still ahead as election looms – polls

MADRID, July 3 (Reuters) - Spain's right-wing parties have lost some ground to the ruling left-wing coalition led by the Socialists (PSOE) but remain in the lead ahead of a…

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Italy sees 2023 GDP growth up to 1.2%, above target, PM Meloni says

MILAN, July 3 (Reuters) - Italy's economy could grow by 1.2% this year, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday, a figure above the official target set at 1% in…

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Ancient Roman Pantheon to start charging entry from Monday

ROME, (Reuters) - Visitors to Rome's Pantheon, one of the ancient world's best preserved monuments, will have to pay a 5 euro ($5.45) entrance fee from Monday, Italy's tourism ministry…

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Pope Francis says permitting burning of Koran is rejected and condemned

Pope Francis said the burning of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, has made him angry and disgusted and that he condemned and rejected permitting the act as a form…

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UPDATED: Tensions on France’s streets ease, fewer arrests overnight

Sixth night of riots sees fewer arrests, 300 cars torched Macron due to meet leaders of parliament, town mayors Grandmother of teenage victim calls for calm By Tassilo Hummel PARIS,…

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Shot teenager’s grandmother urges end to French overnight riots

Arrests decline on Saturday's fifth night of unrest Macron due to hold meeting with ministers Mayor's home in southern Paris ram-raided, set alight Unrest began after police shot teenager of…

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Spain angers ride-hailing platforms and drivers with new regulation

By Inti Landauro MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish government this week angered the ride-hailing transport industry by allowing regions to restrict their activity despite a ruling by the European Union's…

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Italy aims to turn up renewable power to two thirds of total by 2030

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy aims to generate nearly two thirds of its electricity from renewable energy sources by the end of the decade, the energy ministry said, slightly improving targets…

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Macron cancels trip over French riots as family buries teenager

By Tassilo Hummel PARIS, July 1 (Reuters) - More than 1,300 people were arrested in France during a fourth night of rioting and President Emmanuel Macron cancelled a trip to Germany on…

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French police, long unreformed, under scrutiny after teenager shooting

By Juliette Jabkhiro, Layli Foroudi and Elizabeth Pineau Experts say police reform has been missing Police unions hold deep influence over governments Rights group say tackling rampant racism is urgent…

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Madrid joins race for high-spending tourists with bet on five-star hotels

MADRID (Reuters) - As pandemic travel restrictions began to ease in the spring of 2021 foreign tourists returning to Madrid discovered the city's downtown had undergone a makeover. An area…

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Spain’s conservative PP party makes gains a month ahead of national vote, poll shows

MADRID, July 1 (Reuters) - Spain's conservative People's Party is set to win the most seats in the lower house of parliament in a national election next month, ahead of…

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UK’s Sunak plans deal with Italy on Mediterranean migrants

Adds details from Telegraph and background, paragraphs 2-8 June 30 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is planning a deal with Italy to stem the flow of migrants across…

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UPDATED: Unrest rocks France ahead of funeral of teenager shot by police

Recasts with French teenager's funeral, adds French comment on discrimination in law enforcement in paragraph 29 Fourth night of unrest hits major French cities Government says all options on table…

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Greek unemployment drops to 10.8% in May

June 30 (Reuters) - Greece's jobless rate stood at 10.8% in May, down from an upwardly revised 11.3% in April, data from statistics service ELSTAT showed on Friday. Seasonally adjusted…

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Italy and UK warn nationals going to France of travel disruption amid unrest

Britain and Italy on Friday warned their nationals traveling to France of disruptions to road transport, including possible curfews, after nationwide unrest in protest at the fatal shooting of a…

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Italy’s coalition postpones debate over European bailout fund for 4 months

ROME, June 30 (Reuters) - Italy's governing coalition parties will suspend for four months the parliamentary debate over the ratification of a reform to a euro zone bailout fund, a…

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Pope Francis meets family of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

VATICAN CITY, June 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday granted an audience to the wife of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks who is behind bars in Britain and…

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French politicians push for EU clampdown on influencers

French lawmakers are pushing for the European Commission to mimic French rules that crack down on social media influencers flogging risky products and services such as crypto or cosmetic surgery.…

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Italian police blame couple from England for Colosseum graffiti

ROME, (Reuters) - Italian police have identified a couple from England as the likely culprits after graffiti was scribbled on a wall at the Colosseum in Rome last week, prompting…

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UPDATED: Crisis grips France after worst night of rioting

PM Borne says all options for restoring order on table Third night of unrest rocks major French cities Hundreds arrested, hundreds of police injured Macron convenes another cabinet crisis meeting…

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