The Dispatch

France’s Macron unveils voluntary military service

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced the creation of a new voluntary youth military service to begin by mid-2026, which would help France respond to "accelerating threats" on the global…

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Interpol elects France’s Lucas Philippe as new president

Global police agency Interpol elected French police official Lucas Philippe as its president on Thursday. Philippe was elected for a four-year term during Interpol's general assembly in Marrakech. The assembly…

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Vatican reports first budget surplus after years of deficits

The Vatican closed 2024 with a budget surplus of 1.6 million euros ($1.85 million), it said, signalling a turnaround after years of deficits that had frustrated Church leaders, including the…

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Pope Leo to take peace message to Turkey, Lebanon on first overseas trip

Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy as the leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon, where he is expected to make…

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Italy’s Senate delays rape bill, exposing government rifts

Italy's Senate has postponed debate on a landmark bill that would stipulate for the first time that sex without consent constitutes rape, exposing tensions within Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition.…

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Italian parliament unanimously votes to make femicide a crime

Deputies in the Italian parliament have voted unanimously to introduce the crime of femicide – the murder of a woman, motivated by gender – as a distinct law to be…

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Italian Local Elections Reinforce Status Quo, Offer Limited Traction for Opposition

Italy's leftist opposition and ruling parties held their ground in regional votes, provisional results showed on Monday, wrapping up a round of races in 2025 that saw no signs of…

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French poll shows far-right leader Bardella winning presidential election

French pollster Odoxa predicted for the first time that 30-year-old far-right leader Jordan Bardella would win the next presidential election, scheduled in 2027, no matter who his opponents would be.…

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Macron set to present voluntary military service plan

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to present a new voluntary military service on Thursday — and most political parties are likely to go along with the plan. The project, which stops…

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‘We are under attack’: Italian defense minister accuses Russia of waging hybrid war

Italy’s defense minister is calling for the West to fight back against increasing numbers of potentially “catastrophic” Russian hybrid attacks. In a 125-page paper published on Tuesday afternoon, Guido Crosetto…

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New Lead Emerges in Orlandi Case as Parliamentary Inquiry Uncovers Handwritten Note

A newly identified lead in the long-running disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi has come to light through the ongoing work of the bicameral commission examining the cases of both Orlandi and…

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Italian lawmakers revive Italy’s claim on central bank’s $300 billion gold pile

Italian lawmakers have revived attempts to establish that the central bank's $300 billion in gold reserves belong to the state by presenting a proposal to parliament. The lawmakers who signed…

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France seals ‘historic’ warplane deal with Kyiv

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he firmly believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can successfully bring corruption in his country under control. Speaking at a joint press conference with…

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Migrant arrivals in Spain’s Balearics surge as smugglers switch routes

Nineteen boats carrying around 360 people reached Spain's Balearic Islands in the past two days, the latest surge in arrivals defying attempts by authorities to curb the fastest-growing migratory route…

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Sarkozy appeal against conspiracy conviction to begin in March

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy's appeal against a conviction for criminal conspiracy related to illegal Libyan financing for his successful 2007 presidential bid will be heard from March 16 to…

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Holy See Refutes Alleged Vision of Jesus in France

Jesus may answer prayers but he has not made special appearances in a small town in the north of France, the Vatican declared.. In a new instruction approved by Pope…

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Italy seeks faster introduction of EU levy on low-value parcels

The European Union needs to adopt "strong and fast" rules against the invasion of cheap and unregulated products, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said. He also said the EU should bring…

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Strong earthquake rocks Cyprus

A moderate earthquake, registering 4.7 on the Richter scale as per the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, was experienced on the island at approximately 11.30 am on Wednesday. According to Paphos district…

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Cyprus Tables Bill to Cut Traffic Congestion and Promote Sustainable Mobility

Cyprus has unveiled a new bill introducing five key measures to tackle chronic traffic congestion and promote sustainable mobility. The proposed Road Network Decongestion and Sustainable Mobility Law seeks to…

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“War Safari” Scandal: Italy Reopens Dark Chapter from the Siege of Sarajevo

Prosecutors in Milan have launched an investigation into allegations that Italian citizens paid large sums of money to join Serbian militias as “weekend snipers” during the 1993–1995 Siege of Sarajevo,…

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Major Solar Storm Causes Radio Blackouts Across Europe and Africa

A powerful geomagnetic storm has been underway since the night of November 11–12, reaching G4 intensity—one step below the highest G5 level, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric…

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Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to be released from prison

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to leave La Santé Prison in Paris on Monday after serving three weeks, following an appeals court’s approval of his request for release.…

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Three dead and 15 injured in Tenerife tidal surge

Three people have died and 15 others were injured after huge waves struck the popular Spanish holiday island of Tenerife. Emergency services said a woman died after being swept into…

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Pope Leo’s critique of Trump emboldens top US Catholics to help immigrants

Pope Leo’s recent criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies has energised Catholic organisations working to assist migrants affected by the administration’s strict enforcement measures, according to senior Church…

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Abbas Meets Pope as Holy See Marks 10 Years Since Recognition of Palestine

Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the Vatican’s long-standing support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Apostolic Palace on Thursday,…

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Europe-Wide Operation Targets Labour Exploitation, 54 Arrests

Authorities across Europe have carried out a coordinated operation to tackle labour exploitation, resulting in 54 arrests and the identification of 404 potential victims of human trafficking. The action, led…

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Jesus, not Virgin Mary, saved the world, Vatican says

Jesus may have heard words of wisdom from his mother Mary, but she did not help him save the world from damnation, the Vatican said on Tuesday. In a new…

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Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca Visitors Could Face Steep Tourist Tax Increase Under New Union Proposal

One of Spain’s largest trade unions is calling for a sharp increase in the taxes paid by visitors to the Balearic Islands, arguing that current measures have failed to ease…

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Medieval tower in Rome being restored using EU cash collapses

A medieval tower in the center of Rome undergoing EU-funded restoration work partially collapsed on Monday, injuring a worker and leaving another dead. A Romanian worker trapped for hours under…

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Louvre heist: Amateurs, not professionals, carried out theft

Four suspects who have been charged and remanded in custody following a heist at the Louvre are considered more petty thieves than criminal masterminds, the Paris prosecutor said on Sunday.…

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Barcelona’s Sagrada Família becomes world’s tallest church

The Sagrada Família has become the tallest church in the world, after workers placed the first part of a cross at the top of its central tower. Now measuring 162.91…

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Meloni’s bid to overhaul Italy’s justice system wins backing from lawmakers

Italy’s Senate on Thursday approved Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s flagship justice reform, marking significant progress for the right-wing plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary. With 112 votes in favor, 59 against…

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Italian court rejects Sicily bridge project

Italy’s Court of Auditors on Wednesday rejected the government’s plan to build a long-debated bridge from mainland Italy to Sicily, dealing a body blow to one of Rome’s most ambitious…

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Spain’s Sánchez Faces Setback as Catalan Allies Abandon Coalition

Catalan separatists voted to sever ties with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists, further weakening his minority government. Citing a “lack of will” from the Socialists, separatist Junts’ party leader…

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Pope Leo to visit eight cities in Turkey, Lebanon on first trip abroad as pontiff

Pope Leo will visit eight towns and cities in Turkey and Lebanon later this year, the Vatican said on Monday, his first trip outside Italy as pontiff, and he is…

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Italy’s Webuild Begins Recruitment for Messina Strait Bridge Project

Italian construction giant Webuild on Friday launched recruitment for the long-delayed Messina Strait Bridge, a 13.5-billion-euro project to connect Sicily with the mainland via what will be the world’s longest…

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Almost 4,400 people abused by priests in Italy, victims’ group alleges

Nearly 4,400 people have been abused by Catholic priests in Italy in cases reported since 2020, a victims' group alleged on Friday, renewing pressure on bishops to confront a crisis…

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Why does the joint prayer of Pope Leo and King Charles symbolise reconciliation?

The sight of King Charles praying with Pope Leo at the Vatican's Sistine Chapel signalled the latest step in a historic reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion…

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Greece bans protests near memorial outside parliament

Greece's parliament banned demonstrations near a prominent war memorial outside its building in Athens despite criticism by opposition parties that the new restrictions violated people's right to rally in public.…

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Antonio Tejero, Leader of Spain’s 1981 Coup Attempt, Dies at 93

Retired Civil Guard Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero, rose to notoriety for his role in Spain’s failed 1981 coup and immortalized in a historic photograph taken during the attempted uprising, has…

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UPDATED: King Charles and Pope Leo pray together in a 500-year first

Britain’s King Charles and Pope Leo prayed together in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Thursday, in the first joint worship including an English monarch and a Catholic pontiff since King…

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France’s jailed ex-president Sarkozy targeted by death threats

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was targeted by death threats from an inmate at Paris's La Sante prison, where he began serving his sentence this week, prompting a probe, the…

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Italy’s Retirement Age to Rise to Nearly 69 by 2050, Istat Forecasts

Italy’s retirement age is set to increase to 68 years and 11 months by 2050, up from the current 67, according to projections released Tuesday by the national statistics agency…

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Italy’s Meloni marks three years in power

Three years after winning power, Giorgia Meloni has consolidated her position at the helm of Italian politics, defying the economic headwinds and international uncertainty that have unsettled many of her…

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Italy’s Birth Rate Falls to Record Low, Istat Reports

The number of babies born in Italy fell to a new historic low in 2024, with 369,944 births registered, a 2.6% decline from the previous year, national statistics agency Istat…

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La Sante: The prison where France’s ex-President Sarkozy will serve his sentence

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy heads to jail on Tuesday to serve a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of criminal conspiracy in a case related to efforts to obtain…

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UPDATED: French ex-president Sarkozy begins jail sentence

Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first French ex-president to go to jail, as he starts a five-year sentence for conspiring to fund his election campaign with money from late Libyan…

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Portuguese parliament approves ban on wearing face veils in public spaces

Portugal's parliament has approved a bill banning face veils worn for “gender or religious” reasons in public, in a move seen as targeting the face coverings worn by some Muslim…

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The Louvre Robbery: Piecing Together the Daring Jewellery Theft

The Louvre Museum in Paris has been forced to close while police investigate a brazen heist which targeted France's priceless crown jewels. Thieves wielding power tools broke into the world's…

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Bomb attack destroy’s journalist Sigfrido Ranucci cars

In the early hours of the morning, two cars belonging to Italian journalist Sigfrido Ranucci, the host of the investigative television programme Report, were completely destroyed in a bomb attack…

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French PM expected to survive two no-confidence votes on day of reckoning

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu faces two no-confidence votes in parliament on Thursday but is expected to narrowly survive after suspending President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform to win over…

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USS Gerald R. Ford Returns to Mediterranean

The U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), has returned to the Mediterranean Sea — the first American carrier to operate in the…

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Trump threatens tariffs on Spain over refusal to boost NATO defense spending

President Donald Trump threatened trade penalties, including tariffs, against Spain, saying he is unhappy with its refusal to raise defense spending to 5% and calling the move disrespectful to NATO.…

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In EU first, Greece set to introduce 13-hour workday

Factory workers, cashiers and hotel staff in Greece could soon be working longer shifts, with the country set to become the first EU member to officially introduce a 13-hour workday for…

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Explosion in Italy kills three Carabinieri during police raid

An explosion at a farmhouse in northern Italy during a police raid killed three Carabinieri officers and injured 12 others, Italy's fire service said on X on Tuesday. https://twitter.com/Carabinieri/status/1977985507633074469 The…

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Over 5.7 Million Italians Living in Absolute Poverty, Istat Reports

More than 5.7 million people were living in conditions of absolute poverty in Italy in 2024, according to data released Tuesday by the national statistics agency Istat. The figures show…

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Ex-French President Sarkozy’s 5-year jail term to start next week

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy will head to a Paris prison next week, where he will begin an unprecedented five-year prison sentence for criminal conspiracy over attempts to raise 2007…

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