The Dispatch

Italian banks to cut 27% of branches over next 7 years

MILAN, (Reuters) - The number of bank branches in Italy is set to shrink to around 16,000 in 2029 from 22,000 last year, consultancy Deloitte said, as customers increasingly embrace…

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Venice faces mystery fish die-off

Venice is facing a mysterious die-off of fish in its canals. For days now Venetians have been seeing countless fish on their canal beds and are unable to explain the…

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Spain’s 12-month inflation up to 5.9% in January

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Spanish consumer prices rose 5.9% in the 12 months through January, up from 5.7% in the period through December, pushed up by, among other things, higher…

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French agency orders halt in some uses of Syngenta weedkiller

PARIS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - French health and safety agency ANSES on Wednesday ordered a halt to some uses of one of the most widely used weedkillers in France, S-metolachlor,…

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Italian ministers blast EU ban on petrol cars from 2035

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Business Minister Adolfo Urso on Wednesday blasted the European Union's decision to ban the sale of new carbon-emitting petrol and diesel cars by 2035,…

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Photo Story: 150th Nice Carnival

A float entitled 'King of the World's Treasures' passes by a crowd during the 150th annual Carnival of Nice, in Nice, France, on the evening of Tuesday 14 February 2023.…

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UPDATED: Italy’s Berlusconi acquitted in Bunga Bunga bribe case

MILAN, Feb 15 (Reuters) - An Italian court on Wednesday acquitted former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi over allegations of bribing witnesses in a underage prostitution case that has dogged the…

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More than 100 priests suspected of abuse remain active in Portugal’s Catholic Church

More than 100 priests suspected of child sexual abuse remain active in church roles in Portugal, according to the head of a commission investigating the issue. The commission, which started…

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Spain defends use of EU aid as transparent after MEP’s doubts

Spain defended its management of billions of euros of European pandemic recovery funds as transparent, rejecting allegations of opacity by the chair of the European Parliament's budget control committee who…

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Ukraine says Italy’s Berlusconi ‘spreading Russian propaganda’

Ukraine accused former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Monday of spreading Russian propaganda after he said he would not seek a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy if he…

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Meloni triumphs in regional votes, strengthens grip on power

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her coalition allies secured emphatic election wins in the two wealthiest regions of the country on Monday, strengthening the right's grip on power amid growing voter…

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Widespread child abuse by Catholic Church members in Portugal is tip of iceberg – report

At least 4,815 children were sexually abused by members of the Portuguese Catholic Church - mostly priests - over the past 70 years, a report by the commission investigating the…

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Italy’s Poste launches power, gas supply for small customers

Italy's post office Poste Italiane started on Monday to offer power and gas contracts to retail customers, entering a sector where well-established players such as Enel and Eni's Plenitude vie with new…

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ECB must avoid unnecessary rise in real interest rates – Bank of Italy Governor

The European Central Bank (ECB) must avoid pushing real interest rates too high, given the level of private and public debt in the euro area, a top Italian policymaker said on Saturday. ECB Governing…

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Opposition groups rally in France, in solidarity with protesters in Iran

Thousands of opponents of Iran's ruling authorities rallied for a second day in Paris on Sunday (February 12) to pressure European Union states to list Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a…

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Former Cyprus foreign minister wins presidential election

Nikos Christodoulides won the Cyprus presidential election on Sunday after a second and final round of voting, promising a unity government tasked with breaking a deadlock in peace talks with estranged Turkish…

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Cypriot diplomats face off in cliffhanger presidential vote

NICOSIA (Reuters) -Cyprus went to the polls in a runoff presidential election on Sunday, pitting two career diplomats against each other in what could be a cliffhanger vote that has…

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Italy to use EU funds to become energy hub for Europe, Meloni says

ROME (Reuters) - Italy intends to use funds coming from the European Union under the so-called REPowerEU plan to completely wean itself off Russian gas and turn the country into…

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Marco Mengoni wins San Remo

The iconic Festival di Sanremo crowned Marco Mengoni with his song Due Vite. Tonight, all 28 artists performed their songs for a third time. Once the first round of voting (determined…

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Number of Italians moving abroad has decreased

ISTAT said in a report this week that the number of people residing in Italy's less wealthy southern regions dropped by 525,000 between 2012 and 2021.In the report, the national…

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Italy’s right poised to win regional vote after national triumph

Right expected to win in Lazio and Lombardy First major vote since last September's national election Outcome could fuel rivalries in ruling national coalition By Crispian Balmer ROME, Feb 9…

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Protests across France to test government resolve over pension reform

By John Irish PARIS, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to take part in demonstrations across France on Saturday as protesters seek to keep up…

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Cyprus probes washed up dead whales, earthquake link possible

NICOSIA (Reuters) - A number of whales have washed up dead on the northern shores of Cyprus, authorities said, possibly affected by the massive earthquakes in neighbouring Turkey and Syria…

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Photo Story: Heavy rains trigger landslide at cemetery in Sicily

Collapsed cemetery mausoleums lie on the side of a cliff following a landslide triggered by heavy rains in Mineo, near Catania, Sicily, Italy. The Italian Farmers' association Coldiretti said that…

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Italy has asked for flexibility on use of existing EU funds – Meloni

BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Italy has asked for flexibility on using existing European Union (EU) funds, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Friday while speaking in Brussels. Relaxing state…

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Pope Francis had private audience with cardinal on trial for corruption

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, in a surprise move, on Thursday granted an official private audience to Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the once-powerful Vatican prelate who is on trial for…

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Thunderstorms, gales whip eastern Sicily

Thunderstorms and gales have been whipping eastern Sicily since Wednesday night causing widespread flooding, local sources said. Mayors have told citizens not to go out unless it is strictly necessary…

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Greece bans parties with convicted leaders from running in elections

ATHENS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Greek parliament paved the way for banning political parties whose leaders have been convicted of crimes from running in elections, ahead of national polls…

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Italian authorities issue weather red alert for Sicily

A weather red alert will be in force in eastern Sicily on Thursday, the Italian civil protection agency said. Eastern Sicilian areas, in particular, will be at risk of flooding…

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Panic in Siena as earth rumbles

Many people took to the street after a minor was recorded on Wednesday evening in Italy with its epicentre near Siena and at a depth 8 kilometers. The National Institute…

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British Foreign Secretary visits Italy and Malta with security, migration and trade dominating the agenda

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will visit Italy and Malta to discuss how to accelerate support for Ukraine and discourage illegal migration. working with our European friends to accelerate support…

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Cyprus ruling party sits on fence in presidential runoff

NICOSIA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Cyprus's ruling right-wing party on Wednesday said its supporters should vote at will in a runoff presidential election on Feb. 12 between a former member…

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Britain and Italy sign export and investment partnership

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Britain and Italy on Wednesday signed an export and investment partnership, Britain's first with a European Union member since it left the bloc, aimed at…

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Italy wants more money for Africa to curb arrivals in Europe

Italy pressing EU bloc for more action over migrants National leaders to meet on Thursday and Friday Irregular migration picking up since COVID pandemic BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister…

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Italian Foreign Minister Tajani protection upped after death threats

Protection measures around Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have been boosted after the foreign ministry on Tuesday received a letter containing death threats against him, the ministry said. A threatening…

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Third wave of strikes over pension reform keeps pressure on Macron

Trade unions launched a third wave of nationwide strikes on Tuesday against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to make the French work longer before retirement, as the legislation started its bumpy…

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Three drown, dozens feared missing in migrant shipwreck off Greece

Three people drowned and two dozen are believed to be missing in the second migrant shipwreck off Greece this week, authorities said on Tuesday. The coast guard said 16 people…

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No evidence global ransomware hack was by state entity, Italy says

Global ransomware activity that targeted thousands of computer servers in Italy and other countries was probably the handiwork of criminal hackers and not a state or state-like entity, the Italian…

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Spain, Portugal urge EU Commission to present proposal for new fiscal framework

Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino on Monday said Spain and Portugal were urging the European Commission to present its proposal on a new fiscal rule for the bloc. EU finance…

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Italy to use EU funds to become energy hub for Europe, Meloni says

ROME, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Italy intends to use funds coming from the European Union under the so-called REPowerEUplan to completely wean itself off Russian gas and turn the country into energy hub…

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Pope says Church conservatives exploited death of ex-pope Benedict

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has said some in the conservative wing of the Roman Catholic Church had exploited the death of the former pope,…

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Snowstorm shuts schools and shops, disrupts traffic in Athens

ATHENS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Heavy snowfall and plummeting temperatures shut schools and shops in the Greek capital on Monday, with many public services and businesses switching to remote working.…

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UPDATED: Italy’s govt: global cyber attack did not come from state entity

ROME, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The global ransomware hacking attack that targeted thousands of computer servers in Italy and other countries likely came from cybercriminals and not from a state…

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Cyprus presidential election goes to runoff

Cyprus votes in presidential elections Former foreign minister in lead, leftist candidate comes second Runoff to be held on Feb 12 NICOSIA (Reuters) - Former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides took…

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UPDATED: Italy withdraws tsunami warning after Turkey, Syria earthquake

ROME, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Italian authorities said on Monday they had withdrawn a tsunami warning for the country's southern coast that was raised after a major earthquake struck central…

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Italy sounds alarm on large-scale computer hacking attack

ROME, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Thousands of computer servers around the world have been targeted by a ransomware hacking attack, Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) said on Sunday, warning organisations to take…

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Pope Francis says laws criminalising LGBT people are a ‘sin’ and an injustice

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that laws criminalising LGBT people are a sin and an injustice because God loves and accompanies people with same-sex…

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UPDATE – Cyprus presidential vote set for runoff, with Christodoulides in lead

NICOSIA (Reuters) -Former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides edged into the lead inCyprus's presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, but was unlikely to clinch an outright majority, leading to a…

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Number of ships loading LNG in Spain doubled in 2022 – Enagas

BARCELONA (Reuters) - The number of ships loading liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Spain and taking it across Europe doubled in 2022 compared with the previous year, helping ease the…

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Wedding tourism booms in Italy

dding tourism is booming in Italy with over 11,000 overseas couples tying the knot in Italy last year, according to the Destination Weddings in Italy Observatory, complied by the Centro…

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Internet network disrupted in most of Italy

Large parts of Italy on Sunday experienced disruption or total blackout of the Internet. Most reports seem to come from large cities, including Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Perugia, Rome, Naples,…

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French PM offers to ease pension overhaul for conservatives’ backing

PARIS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne offered on Sunday to soften a planned pension overhaul to let some people who started work early also retire early…

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Photo story: Grand opening of 2023 Venice Carnival

An overview of the opening parade of the Venetian carnival, led by the large head of the Unicorn, along the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy, on Saturday night 04 February 2023.…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Ochagavia, Spain

A photo taken with a drone shows a snow covered street and side road in a forested area following snowfalls in the village of Ochagavia, Navarra, northern Spain. Phot: EPA-EFE/Jesus…

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Italy gets cold feet over EU greener buildings plan

EU initiative aims to make buildings more climate friendly New Italy coalition approved plan, then backed off Rome looks to water down proposals, slow down change Climate experts fear Italy…

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8 migrants found dead on boat including pregnant woman by Italian coastguard vessel in Maltese SAR

ANSA reports that the Italian coastguard vessel found eight bodies including that of a pregnant woman aboard a migrant boat in Maltese search and rescue (SAR) waters Friday. The coastguard…

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Cost of living crisis tests striking French workers

Workers are trying to block overhaul of pension system More strikes planned after Tuesday's stoppages Higher living costs increase pain for striking workers Unions seeking ways to limit strike impact…

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