The Dispatch

Italy producer price inflation eases further in February

March 30 (Reuters) - Italian industrial producer prices (PPI) posted a second month-on-month drop in February and the annual rate slowed, data showed on Thursday, as price pressure eased for…

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Spain inflation falls more than expected to 3.3% in March

March 30 (Reuters) - Spain's consumer price inflation slowed to 3.3% in March, its weakest annual rate since August 2021 and down from 6.0% in February, preliminary data from the…

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Italy jobless rate stable at 8.0% in February, in line with forecasts

ROME, March 30 (Reuters) - Italy's unemployment rate was stable in February at 8.0%, in line with expectations, after an upward revision to the previous month's data, national statistics bureau…

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Italy PM’s party presents bill to split retail and investment banks

The move comes in the wake of fresh global financial turmoil Chief proponent confident bill could be successful Meloni had sponsored similar reform when in opposition By Giuseppe Fonte and…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis getting better, hospital treatment continues – statement

VATICAN CITY, March 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis's health is improving after he was hospitalised with a respiratory infection and he has resumed working while treatment continues, Vatican spokesman Matteo…

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Ryanair boss calls French strike a ‘scandal’, demands overflight measures

The boss of Ryanair on Wednesday said French air traffic control were a "scandal" and called for European Union measures to protect overflights. Chief Executive Michael O'Leary told a news conference strikes…

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Magnitude 4.6 quake strikes Southern Italy region

A powerful earthquake struck Italy's southern region of Molise late on Tuesday night. An initial report from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said it was a magnitude 5.4 quake but the Italian Geophysics and…

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Spain’s conservatives seen winning general election, poll shows

Spain's main opposition People's Party (PP) is poised to win a parliamentary election in December but could only achieve a working majority via a potentially problematic alliance with the far-right…

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Siemens to provide technology for Italian energy project

Siemens Energy and Italy's FATA have been awarded a contract worth nearly 1 billion euros to supply transmission technology for a 970-kilometre power link connecting Sardinia and Sicily to the Italian mainland,…

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Greece to hold national election on May 21 – PM

Greece will hold a parliamentary election on May 21, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday. The conservative government's four-year term expires in July. "The country and its citizens need…

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Angry youths challenge Macron and his pension law

Teenager Charles Chauliac is angry that French President Emmanuel Macron plans to delay the retirement of hard-working folk like his parents, and that he bypassed parliament to do so. Most…

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French pension protest blocks entry to Louvre museum

PARIS, March 27 (Reuters) - Trade union protesters angered by President Emmanuel Macron's move to raise the French retirement age without a final vote in parliament blocked the Louvre museum…

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Spain’s PM Sanchez replaces health and industry ministers

MADRID, March 27 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appointed Hector Gomez Hernandez and Jose Manuel Minones as Industry Minister and Health Minister respectively to replace Reyes Maroto and…

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Banksy’s migrant rescue ship seized by Italy’s coast guard in Lampedusa

MILAN (Reuters) - A rescue ship funded by British street artist Banksy was seized in Lampedusa on Sunday after Italy's coast guard said the boat had disobeyed its instructions to…

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60% of Italians do not go to the dentist

Some 60% of Italians do not go to the dentist because they cannot afford it, Higher Health Council representative and advisor on dentistry to the Minister of Health Enrico Gherlone…

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Why is Macron in so much trouble over pension reform?

By Richard Lough PARIS, (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron faces the toughest challenge to his authority after his government bypassed the lower house to push through a deeply unpopular pension…

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Pope extends sexual abuse law to include lay leaders

VATICAN CITY, March 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday updated rules on dealing with sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, expanding their scope to include lay Catholic leaders…

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Spain’s drought devastates olive oil output, drives world prices up

MADRID (Reuters) - Drought in Spain, the world's largest olive oil producer, is likely to halve the country's output this year compared with the previous year, official estimates from the…

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First major fire of year destroys 3,000 hectares in Spain

VILLANUEVA DE VIVER, Spain, (Reuters) - Spain's first major wildfire of the year raged in the eastern Valencia region on Friday, destroying more than 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of forest…

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Italy warns Europe risks migrant surge without aid to Tunisia

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe risks seeing a huge wave of migrants arriving on its shores from North Africa if financial stability in Tunisia is not safeguarded, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia…

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Spain’s GDP expands 5.5% in 2022 in line with preliminary estimate

March 24 (Reuters) - Spain's gross domestic product grew by 5.5% in 2022, official data showed on Friday, confirming a preliminary estimate released in January. Spanish GDP in the last…

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Italy to cut rice output as drought looms for second year

Italy grows 50% of rice produced in EU Area sown in 2023 seen lowest for 23 years Soil moisture still not recovered from 2022 drought Researchers seek more drought-resistant varieties…

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Italian Chamber of Deputies votes to set up Orlandi inquiry

The Italian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday voted to set up a joint parliamentary commission of inquiry into the disappearance of Vatican teenagers Emanuela Orlandi and Mirella Gregori in 1983.…

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Italy’s Meloni vetoes Russian-linked takeover of tech company

By Giuseppe Fonte and Alexander Marrow Meloni uses anti-takeover powers for first time Deal linked to Russian internet firm Yandex Italian PM's next key decision concerns Lukoil plant ROME/MOSCOW (Reuters)…

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Portugal announces $2.7 bln anti-inflation package, to nix VAT on basic food goods

LISBON, March 24 (Reuters) - Porugal's government plans to stop charging the value-added tax on essential food products, now at 6%, as part of new measures aimed at helping vulnerable…

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Macron under pressure to find way out of pension crisis after night of clashes

Hundreds of thousands joined ninth day of protests Anarchists riot in Paris, rallies mostly peaceful Unions call for new nationwide action on March 28 Visit to Paris by Britain's King…

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UPDATED: King Charles’s visit to France postponed over violent protests, trip to Germany will go ahead

By Benoit Van Overstraeten and Elizabeth Pineau PARIS, March 24 (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles on Friday cancelled a state visit to France after social unrest over President Emmanuel Macron's…

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Italy’s coast guard rescues more than 700 migrants

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian coast guard has rescued around 750 migrants in two separate operations off the country's southern coastline, hours after at least five people died and 33…

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Violence hits France in day of anger over Macron’s pension changes

Macron says he won't budge on pension age Hundreds of thousands join ninth day of protests Anarchists riot in Paris, rallies mostly peaceful Unions call for new nationwide action on…

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Italy preparing new $5.5 bln euro package to soften costly energy bills

ROME, March 23 (Reuters) - Italy is preparing a new package of measures worth at least 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) to help businesses and families cope with costly energy…

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Italy to debate bill that criminalises surrogacy done abroad

ROME, (Reuters) - Italy's ruling conservative majority wants to prosecute couples who go abroad to have a baby via surrogacy, according to a law that has drawn fire from critics…

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Nationwide protests in France after Macron doubles down on pension bill

By John Irish PARIS, March 23 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people were set to strike and demonstrate in France on Thursday after President Emmanuel Macron vowed to push…

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Spain’s PM defeats no-confidence motion brought by far right

Spain's lower house of parliament on Wednesday rejected by a wide margin a motion of no confidence in the leftist government led by Pedro Sanchez submitted by the far-right Vox party,…

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Italy agrees to transfer Russian suspect to United States

An Italian court on Tuesday agreed to hand over to U.S authorities a Russian national who has been accused of offences including shipping oil from Venezuela in breach of sanctions. The…

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Greece to have elections in May, prime minister says

Greece will hold general elections in May, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a television interview on Tuesday.The conservative government's four-year term expires in July, and Mitsotakis was widely expected to…

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‘Weakened’ Macron sticks with pension bill, eyes new reforms

French President Emmanuel Macron is looking to regain the initiative with new reforms in the coming weeks after his government barely survived a no-confidence motion over an unpopular pension bill and nationwide…

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Italy’s language watchdog says ‘no’ to gender-neutral symbols

Italy's courts should stick to tradition and avoid the novelty of gender-neutral symbols in official documents, according to the institution that acts as the guardian of the Italian language. The Accademia della Crusca…

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French govt narrowly survives no-confidence vote

President Emmanuel Macron's government narrowly survived a no confidence motion in the National Assembly on Monday, after bypassing the lower house to push through a deeply unpopular change to the…

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Economy minister gives reassurance on Italian banking system

MILAN, March 20 (Reuters) - Italy's economy minister said on Monday he was surprised by the decision to give priority to Credit Suisse shareholders over bondholders in its rescue merger…

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More strike disruption expected at French airports this week, Macron faces a critical moment on Monday

PARIS, March 20 (Reuters) - France's DGAC civil aviation authority warned on Monday that passengers should expect more disruptions at French airports this week, citing strikes and protests against the…

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Photo Story: The Fallas Festival in Valencia

The city council falla, papier-mache sculpture, burns during the 'Nit de la Crema' (Fire Night) in Valencia, eastern Spain, on Sunday evening. The Fallas festival is a fortnight-long fiesta in…

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Scientists alarmed at plans for world’s first octopus farm

A plan to build the world's first octopus farm has raised deep concerns among scientists over the welfare of the famously intelligent creatures. The farm in Spain's Canary Islands would…

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France’s Macron faces another test with parliamentary votes on Monday

PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - President Emanuel Macron faces a critical moment on Monday when the National Assembly is due to vote on no-confidence motions filed after his government bypassed…

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Rome hopes to reverse decline and relive La Dolce Vita

The city has an investment plan of 13 billion euros Another 5.8 billion euros could come with EXPO Mayor Gualtieri says the Eternal City has 'huge potential' By Giselda Vagnoni…

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Italy pushing IMF to help Tunisia and avoid instability, minister says

Italy fears migrant influx from Tunisia set to grow Rome says IMF loan needed to help stabilise Tunisia Mainly sub-Saharan Africans fleeing Tunisia for now By Crispian Balmer ROME, March…

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5 euro ticket introduced for entrance to Rome’s Pantheon

Visitors will have to pay 5 euro to visit Rome's landmark Pantheon monument under an agreement signed by the ministry of culture and the church's governing body on Thursday. The…

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Another night of violence in Paris protesters clash for third night over Macron’s pension reform

By Dominique Vidalon and Manuel Ausloos PARIS (Reuters) - Paris police clashed with demonstrators for a third night on Saturday as thousands of people marched throughout the country amid anger…

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Seats on summer flights to Spain to exceed pre-pandemic levels, says Aena

(Reuters) - The number of seats airlines offer to passengers travelling to Spain over the summer season is set to be 4.4% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic brought global…

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Police clash with protesters at Paris demonstration against pension overhaul

By Layli Foroudi and Manuel Ausloos PARIS, March 17 (Reuters) - Riot police clashed with protesters on Friday evening in Paris as a new demonstration took place against the government's plans to…

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London property was ‘double Via Crucis’ for Vatican

ANSA reports that the London property at the centre of a Vatican trial into alleged mismanagement of the Holy See's financial affairs has been a "double Via Crucis," a key…

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Pressure mounts on Macron after violent unrest over pensions

PARIS, March 17 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday faced the gravest challenge to his authority since the so-called Yellow Vest protests after his government's decision to push…

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Greece to increase minimum wage again, before election

ATHENS, March 17 (Reuters) - The Greek government will raise the minimum wage next month, the third rise in more than a year, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday,…

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Air travel in Italy hit by nationwide strike

Multiple unions representing airport staff went on a nationwide strike Friday over pay disputes and other working conditions. The industrial action will impact airport handling, security, aviation, and other support…

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Anger as French government pushes through pension change without vote

Macron to raise retirement age by two years to 64 Bill's approval by National Assembly was in doubt Police fire tear gas at spontaneous protest in Paris Opposition to table…

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UPDATED: Italy approves bill cutting income tax, easing sanctions for evaders

Italy's government approved a bill on Thursday to cut income and corporate taxes, while also reducing penalties for tax dodgers who come clean and agree to pay the overdue sums.…

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Greeks walk off the job to protest over deadly train crash

By Renee Maltezou and Alkis Konstantinidis ATHENS, March 16 (Reuters) - Flights to and from Greece were grounded and ships remained docked at ports on Thursday, as Greek workers walked…

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Meloni says Italy not ready to pass reform of euro zone bailout fund

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Wednesday "further reflection" was needed before her government could ratify a reform of the euro zone's 500 billion euro ($526.15…

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