The Dispatch

Mild earthquake rattles Catania, Sicily

An earthquake of magnitude 3.2 was registered at 3:22 am in north-eastern Sicily, in the province of Catania. According to data from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv),…

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ANALYSIS: Southern Europe braces for climate change-fuelled summer of drought

22% of Europe under drought warning Spain worst-hit, already in severe drought Some farmers expect worst harvest for decades Climate change fuelling drought conditions By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, May 17…

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Pope pauses St Peter’s Square audience to take phone call

VATICAN CITY, May 17 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday interrupted his weekly audience with the faithful to take a phone call, keeping people in St Peter's Square waiting for…

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UPDATED: Emilia Romagna hit by severe rains and floods; F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix cancelled

ROME, May 17 (Reuters) - At least three people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes as devastating floods hit Italy's northern Emilia-Romagna region, authorities said on Wednesday, warning…

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France’s Sarkozy loses corruption appeal, must wear electronic tag

By Tassilo Hummel PARIS, May 17 (Reuters) - French former president Nicolas Sarkozy lost his appeal against a 2021 conviction for corruption and influence peddling at the Paris Court of…

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Italy and EU allies “have the numbers” to car vehicle emission rules, Salvini says

Italy's transport minister said on Tuesday that Italy and its allies in the European Union can block the Euro 7 regulation which tightens vehicle emission limits for pollutants including nitrogen oxides and…

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Italy allocates funds to shield workers from AI replacement threat

ROME, May 15 (Reuters) - Italy on Monday earmarked 30 million euros ($33 million) to improve the skills of unemployed people as well as those workers whose jobs could be most at…

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Rome prosecutors launch fresh probe into Orlandi case

Fresh investigations have been launched by Rome prosecutors on the basis of documents supplied by the Vatican into the June 22, 1983 disappearance of 15-year-old Vatican citizen Emanuela Orlandi, the…

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Macron eyes record 13 bln euros in investments at Versailles summit

PARIS, May 14 (Reuters) - France is set to win record foreign investment pledges when President Emmanuel Macron rolls out the red carpet for global CEOs on Monday at the annual 'Choose…

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France to send dozens of armoured vehicles, light tanks to Ukraine

PARIS, May 15 (Reuters) - France will send to Ukraine in the coming weeks dozens of armoured vehicles and light tanks, including the AMX-10RCs fighting vehicles, according to a joint statement issued…

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Severe drought spreads in Portugal, officials seek EU help

LISBON (Reuters) - Drought spread across almost all of mainland Portugal during an unusually hot and dry April, the meteorology agency IPMA said , and officials have requested aid from…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy visits Italy

. May 13 (Reuters) - Italy's leaders promised full military and financial backing for Ukraine and reiterated support for its EU membership bid as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Rome on Saturday for…

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France votes to fly EU flags on public buildings across the country

The French National Assembly this week voted to make it mandatory to fly the EU flag on town halls in France, in a move that has riled Euroskeptics at home.…

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Photo Story: Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister attend Birth rate discussion

Pope Francis (R) and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni share a light moment as they attend a Conciliation auditorium event discussing the 'General state of the birth rate', in Rome,…

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Italy’s birth crisis is shrinking school classes

By Angelo Amante ROME (Reuters) - Italy's school population will shrink by one million in the coming decade because of the plunging birth rate and continuing brain drain, the education…

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France’s Sarkozy should stand trial for alleged Libyan campaign financing -prosecutor

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy should stand trial on charges of corruption and illegal financing of an election campaign related to alleged Libyan funding of his successful…

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Portugal to ban smoking in most places, restrict tobacco sales

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's government on Thursday presented legislation to extend a ban on smoking to outdoor areas including covered terraces and to restrict tobacco sales, as it hopes to…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy expected to meet Pope on Saturday

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to meet Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, diplomatic sources said, days after the Pope said the Holy See…

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Spain to spend 2.2 bln euros to alleviate drought impact

MADRID, May 11 (Reuters) - The Spanish government has earmarked a total of 2.19 billion euros ($2.41 billion) to help alleviate the impact of a prolonged and worsening drought in…

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Pope urges countries to manage migrant waves, expand legal channels

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, May 11 (Reuters) - Pope Francis appealed to countries on Thursday to manage waves of migrants as best they can and to expand channels for…

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UPDATED: Explosion in Milan street injures one, foul play ruled out

By Giancarlo Navach MILAN, May 11 (Reuters) - A van transporting oxygen gas canisters exploded in a Milan street on Thursday, injuring one person and setting nearby cars and motorbikes…

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Italian PM Meloni: No decision yet on quitting China deal

ROME, (Reuters) - The Italian government has not yet taken a decision on whether to leave the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deal with China and is reviewing its options,…

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Italy arrests 29 for smuggling migrants from Greece, Turkey

ROME, (Reuters) - Italian police on Wednesday arrested 29 people on charges of belonging to a criminal group smuggling migrants by boat from Turkey and Greece, a statement said. Italy…

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Italian banks see 14 bln euro drop in deposits in March

MILAN, May 10 (Reuters) - Italian savers shifted 14.3 billion euros ($15.7 billion) out of deposits with domestic banks in March, while lenders continued to shrink credit to businesses and…

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U.S. to add 2 destroyer ships in southern Spain

MADRID (Reuters) - The United States will increase its destroyers based in southern Spain to six from four under an agreement to strengthen their bilateral strategic relationship, the countries said…

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Rare day at Vatican as two popes share stage

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, May 10 (Reuters) - It was a rare day at the Vatican on Wednesday as two popes shared the limelight in St Peter's Square -…

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Pope says Argentina government wanted ‘my head’ when he was in Buenos Aires

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, May 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said that when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires more than a decade ago, the Argentine government wanted "to…

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Spain considers ending or curbing controversial ‘golden visa’ scheme

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain could pull the plug on its so-called "golden visa" scheme that grants residency rights to foreigners who invest in real estate in the country, according to…

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Italian court refuses to extradite former EU lawmaker’s accountant to Belgium

MILAN, (Reuters) - An Italian court on Tuesday refused to hand over to Belgian authorities the tax consultant of a former EU lawmaker at the centre of a cash-for-influence corruption…

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Sources say Italy open to selling down MPS stake on market if terms, buyers are right

Italy considers market placements to cut MPS stake - sources Any buyers would need to be aligned with national interest ECB sees merger with stronger peer as best option for…

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Photo Story: The redesigned Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle

Various aircraft are on display at the Italian Air Force Museum at Vigna di Valle, on Lake Bracciano, near Rome. The museum, operated by the Italian Air Force's 'Aeronautica Militare,'…

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Italy must learn to live with drought-inducing weather -minister

Drought is not a one-off crisis, Italy minister says Italy needs to do much more to adapt to new weather Country must not be "ideological" about climate change By Crispian…

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Italy’s government calls crisis meeting over surging pasta prices

MILAN, May 4 (Reuters) - Italy's Industry Minister Adolfo Urso called on for a crisis meeting over prices for pasta, the country's favourite staple, after they jumped by more than…

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Spain’s conservatives seen winning parliamentary election, poll shows

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's main opposition People's Party (PP) is poised to win a parliamentary election expected by the end of the year but will need an alliance with the…

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Photo Story: More than 30 migrants rescued in Italy

Migrants pictured after they were rescued in Lampedusa, Italy, 06 May 2023. More than 30 migrants, were rescued by the NGO ship Nadir and three fishing boats, and then transferred…

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France to spend 2 billion euros to boost bicycle usage

France to double bike network to 100,000 km State to subsidise second-hand bike purchases All primary school children to get bike training By Geert De Clercq PARIS, May 5 (Reuters)…

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Woman dies after migrant boat capsizes off Lampedusa

A woman from Guinea drowned in waters off Lampedusa on Friday after the boat she was travelling on capsized. Another 46 people also on board were rescued by finance police…

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68 people arrested in Sicily, Calabria and Lombardy over car theft and cocaine trafficking

Carabinieri police based in the Sicilian port city of Catania on Friday executed arrest warrants against 68 people thought to belong to two criminal organisations involved in car theft and…

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Italy pushes to limit executive pay in listed state-run firms

By Giuseppe Fonte Italy committed to limit executives' pay, golden handshakes Plan is part of May Day package to boost jobs, workers' pay Italian inflation of almost 9% is well…

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UPDATED: France plays down latest spat with Italy

French government spokesman Olivier Véran on Friday played down the latest spat between France and Italy over migration management, saying Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin had "no desire to ostracize Italy".…

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Italy unlikely to renew China deal, but needs time, official says

By Crispian Balmer ROME, May 4 (Reuters) - Italy is highly unlikely to renew its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) deal with China, which expires early next year, but needs…

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Pope wants peace but we do not know of plan – Kremlin

Russia on Thursday reaffirmed that it knows nothing about a Vatican peace plan for Ukraine. "We know that the Pope is constantly thinking about peace and how to end this…

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Portugal risks political crisis amid rift between prime minister and president

By Sergio Goncalves and Andrei Khalip LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese opposition parties called on the president on Wednesday to use his power to dissolve parliament over a growing scandal around…

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UPDATED: Italian Prime Minister Meloni in talks with Libyan warlord Haftar

Premier Giorgia Meloni and eastern Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar discussed the recent unprecedented upsurge in migrant flows to Italy in their two-hour talks in Rome Thursday, sources said as…

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Knights of Malta elect Canadian as first Grand Master from Americas

By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) - John Dunlap, a Canadian lawyer, was elected on Wednesday as the new Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, the global lay Catholic religious…

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Torrential rain lashes northern Italy, killing at least two people

Emilia Romagna Governor Stefano Bonaccini said that he will ask central government to declare a state of emergency in the north eastern region after it was hit by a wave…

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Italy approves May Day labour package amid union criticism

Italy's right-wing government on Monday approved measures to boost job creation and workers' pay, amid hostile reactions from unions and opposition parties over accompanying welfare cuts and looser rules on…

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Foreign tourism to Portugal has best first quarter ever

LISBON (Reuters) - The number of foreign tourists visiting Portugal surpassed 2.8 million from January through March, making it the best first quarter on record despite high global inflation and…

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Macron faces Labour Day protests as pension reform anger festers

By Richard Lough and Matthieu Protard PARIS, May 1 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron faced nationwide protests on Labour Day on Monday as he struggles to turn the page…

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4.8 magnitude earthquake off the north-west coast of Calabria

An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 was registered at 4:41 am off the northwestern coast of Calabria in Italy. According to data from the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology…

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Pope says Vatican involved in secret Ukraine peace mission

By Philip Pullella ABOARD PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - The Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said, adding…

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French government minister: expects food price inflation to ease off by September

PARIS, April 30 (Reuters) - Food price inflation in France - which has been a major concern for consumers - should ease off by September, said government minister Olivia Gregoire…

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Skilled, educated and washing dishes: how Italy squanders migrant talent

By Alessandro Parodi and Alberto Chiumento (Reuters) - Marilyn Nabor, an experienced high school mathematics teacher in the Philippines, moved to Italy 14 years ago with high hopes of honing…

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Spain and Portugal break temperature records for April

By Mariano Valladolid CORDOBA, Spain (Reuters) - Mainland Spain and Portugal have broken temperature records for April, as the Iberian neighbours swelter in an early-season heatwave that has exacerbated a…

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Four people shot dead in Portugal

LISBON, April 30 (Reuters) - A man shot three people dead and then committed suicide on Sunday in the Portuguese city of Setubal, about 45 km (28 miles) south of…

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Only 28.9% of women living in southern Italy work

Only 28.9% of women living in southern Italy, fewer than one in three, are in employment, compared to 52% in the north of the country, retailers association Confcommercio said in…

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Ukraine PM invites Pope to visit, discussed peace formula at Vatican talks

ROME, April 27 (Reuters) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday he had invited Pope Francis to visit Ukraine and that he had discussed Kyiv's formula for peace…

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