19

Dec

Italy mourns the death of veteran actor Lando Buzzanca

Italy is mourning the death of veteran actor Lando Buzzanca who died in Rome on Sunday aged 87. The actor died at Villa Speranza where he had been hospitalized for…

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18

Dec

Pope in 2013 signed resignation letter in case of bad health

ROME (Reuters) -Pope Francis revealed in a new interview published on Sunday that after he was elected in 2013 he signed a letter of resignation to be used if someday…

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18

Dec

Canary Islands wants EU to waive Brexit rules for UK’s ‘digital nomads’

“Digital nomads” from Britain could stay in the Canary Islands without visa restrictions under new plans to get around EU Brexit rules. The Canary Islands has requested exemption from the…

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18

Dec

Photo Story: Christmas preparations in Naples

Little statues of celebrities are on display at the street of San Gregorio Armeno that is famous for its shops selling handcrafted nativity figurines in Naples, Italy. Via  EPA-EFE/CESARE ABBATE

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18

Dec

Leaning Tower of Pisa ‘in excellent health’

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is in excellent health, the local heritage protection agency said this week. "Considering it is an 850-year-old patient with a tilt of around five metres…

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17

Dec

Migrant rescue NGO at centre of Italy-France spat running out of cash

ROME (Reuters) - A migrant rescue charity caught up in a diplomatic row between Italy and France last month said on Thursday it urgently needs donations to keep its ship…

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17

Dec

European lawmaker Eva Kaili’s stellar rise hit by Qatar probe

ATHENS  (Reuters) - Eva Kaili's career charted a meteoric rise from student activism in Greece to the highest echelons of European lawmaking but now faces an equally precipitous fall after…

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17

Dec

Italian economy minister says ECB rates hikes worrying for Rome

ROME, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The prospect of subsequent hikes in interest rates by the European Central Bank is worrying for highly indebted countries like Italy, the economy minister said…

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17

Dec

Pope Francis celebrates 86th birthday by honouring 3 charitable persons

On Saturday, the day of his 86th birthday, Pope Francis will present an expression of his gratitude to three people who offer their lives for the poorest of the poor.…

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17

Dec

France to end visa restrictions with Morocco

PARIS (Reuters) - France will end visa restrictions for Moroccan nationals, the foreign minister said on Friday, in a sign of warmer relations between the two countries after more than…

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16

Dec

Fire at residential building near Lyon kills 10, including five kids

Ten people including five children aged three to 15 were killed in a fire on Friday that engulfed a residential building in an impoverished town near the southeastern French city…

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16

Dec

Italy minister takes swipe at ECB after policy moves hit markets

ROME, Dec 15 (Reuters) - An Italian minister and co-founder of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party sarcastically took aim at the European Central Bank, pointing to how its policy moves taken on…

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16

Dec

Fire near French city of Lyon kills 10, including five children

PARIS (Reuters) -Ten people, including five children aged three to 15, were killed in a fire in the early hours of Friday in a residential building in Vaulx-en-Velin, near the…

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15

Dec

Spain’s Jan-Oct trade deficit widens almost four-fold on energy prices

Dec 15 (Reuters) - The soaring cost of energy imports led to a near four-fold widening in Spain's trade deficit in the first 10 months of 2022 compared with same…

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15

Dec

Spanish airport workers call off Christmas strike after company agrees on bonus

MADRID, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Planned strike action by workers at Spanish airport operator Aena around Christmas and New Year has been called off after the company agreed to reinstate…

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15

Dec

Vatican in crowdfunding campaign to send thermal underwear to Ukraine

VATICAN CITY, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Thursday launched a crowdfunding campaign to send thermal underwear to Ukraine to help residents survive the winter as they face power…

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14

Dec

France steps up reassurances that it can avoid power cuts as cold weather bites

PARIS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - France's Finance Minister and a leading executive at the country's RTE grid system stepped up messages of reassurance on Wednesday that the country can avoid…

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14

Dec

Spain’s 12-month inflation in November falls to 6.8% from 7.3%

Dec 14 (Reuters) - Spanish consumer prices rose 6.8% year-on-year in November, down from 7.3% in the period through October, final data released by the National Statistics Institute showed on…

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14

Dec

France ‘resisting better’ than other European economies -Le Maire

PARIS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - France is "resisting better" than other European economies even though all European countries will face difficulties in the coming months, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire…

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14

Dec

Police in France prepare for high-stakes World Cup match with Morocco

Police in France geared up for the country's World Cup soccer semi-final against Morocco on Wednesday, after scuffles which followed last week's Moroccan quarter-final win over Portugal. Some 10,000 police…

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14

Dec

Photo Story: The Pope’s weekly general audience

Pope Francis grabs the pacifier of a baby during the weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall, Vatican City, on Wednesday 14 December 2022. Via EPA-EFE/RICCARDO ANTIMIAN

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14

Dec

‘Magnitsky’ dirty Russian money laundering suspect arrested in Spain – Europol

PARIS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Spanish authorities have taken action against a criminal gang suspected of laundering dirty money linked to the Magnitsky case, a 219 million euros ($233 million)…

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13

Dec

Apple should face 6 mln euro fine, adviser to French privacy watchdog says

By Mathieu Rosemain PARIS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Apple AAPL.O should face a 6 million euro ($6.3 million) fine for breach of privacy rules, the top adviser to French data protection authority's sanction body…

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13

Dec

UPDATE European Parliament acts against lawmaker Kaili over Qatar graft charges

By Andreas Buerger and Charlotte Van Campenhout STRASBOURG, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The European Parliament took steps on Tuesday to strip lawmaker Eva Kaili of her senior assembly post after she and…

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13

Dec

Heavy rain, floods batter Lisbon, residents urged to stay home

LISBON (Reuters) - Heavy rain battered the Portuguese capital on Tuesday, flooding tunnels, sweeping away cars and forcing authorities to suspend bus and tram services and close some main roads. …

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13

Dec

Pope asks heads of state for ‘mercy’ for prisoners at Christmas

Pope Francis has asked for a "gesture of clemency" for prison inmates in the run-up to Christmas. In a letter addressed to all Heads of State, he invites them to…

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13

Dec

Italy’s antitrust probes 7 energy firms over illegitimate price setting

ROME, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority said on Tuesday it had opened investigations into seven energy companies, including Eni ENI.MI and Enel ENEI.MI for suspected illegitimate conduct in price setting for electricity and natural gas. The…

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13

Dec

Italian government not changing course on migrants – Meloni

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 12 - Premier Giorgia Meloni said Monday that her government has no intention of softening its tough stance on migrants. "There has been talk of a…

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12

Dec

Spain plans to extend restrictions on foreign takeovers until end 2024

MADRID, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Spain plans to extend restrictions on foreign takeovers of companies it deems strategic for two years, the economy ministry said on Monday, confirming an earlier report from…

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12

Dec

Investors eye Portuguese golden visas as authorities ponder programme’s end

By Catarina Demony LISBON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Investments through Portugal's "golden visa", which gives wealthy foreigners residence rights, jumped nearly 50% last month, data showed on Sunday, as the government considers…

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12

Dec

Italian PM Meloni pays tribute to victims after gunman kills three women

ROME (Reuters) -Three women including a friend of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were killed on Sunday when a man pulled out a gun and opened fire at a meeting…

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12

Dec

EU’s Gentiloni says Italy on track to meet reform timetable

ROME, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Italy is sticking to the reform timetable required to access almost 200 billion euros ($210.6 billion) of European Union funding, European Economics Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on…

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11

Dec

Photo Story: MSF ship arrives at Salerno with 248 migrants on board

Migrants, among 248 migrants on board Ship Geo Barents, look on upon arrival at Salerno's harbor, southeast of Naples, Italy, 11 December 2022. Migrant rescue ship Geo Barents, operated by…

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11

Dec

Three killed in shooting at Rome residents’ meeting

ROME, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Three women were killed on Sunday when a man pulled out a gun and opened fire at a meeting of residents of an apartment block…

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10

Dec

Italian President Mattarella tests positive for COVID

ROME (Reuters) - Italian President Sergio Mattarella, 81, has tested positive for COVID-19 but has few symptoms beyond a slight fever, his office said in a statement on Saturday. Mattarella…

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10

Dec

Photo Story: Christmas in Milan

The main Christmas tree at Piazza Duomo in Milan, Italy. Currently there is a festive market that joyfully combines culture, tradition, taste with over 60 market huts spread around the…

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10

Dec

Condoms to be free for young people in France, Macron says

PARIS (Reuters) - Young people in France will be able to get condoms free of charge from next year in an effort to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases…

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09

Dec

France’s EDF turns up nuclear as cold snap tests energy resolve

Europe has filled gas storage, planned for reduced use Reduced energy use so far coincided with warmer weather Analysts say supplies likely to fall short early next week Glitch throws…

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09

Dec

French economy likely to grow next year – Villeroy

PARIS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - France's economy will "probably" slightly expand next year, central bank head Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Friday. "I can't rule out a recession, but…

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09

Dec

Italy takes in NGO ship with 33 migrants aboard

MILAN, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A charity-run rescue boat carrying 33 migrants was allowed to disembark on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa overnight into Friday, while two more NGO…

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09

Dec

Meloni to miss EU Med-9 summit due to the flu

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will not be able to take part in Friday's EU Med-9 summit in the Spanish city of Alicante because of a bout of flu, the…

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09

Dec

Power outage plunges parts of Paris into darkness; technical glitch blamed

PARIS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Several districts of southern Paris were plunged into darkness on Thursday night due to a power outage tied to a technical glitch on an electrical…

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09

Dec

WATCH: Pope Francis breaks down and cries while mentioning Ukraine at public prayer

By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis broke down and cried on Thursday as he mentioned the suffering of Ukrainians during a traditional prayer in central Rome. The pope's…

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09

Dec

Newborn baby airlifted from charity ship in Mediterranean

ROME  (Reuters) - A baby was born on a charity rescue boat in the central Mediterranean and flown to Sicily while more than 500 other migrants remain at sea waiting…

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08

Dec

French health authority advises against use of Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine

By Jean-Stéphane Brosse and Tassilo Hummel PARIS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - France's Haute Autorite de Sante public health body advised the government not to use Valneva's VLA2001 COVID-19 vaccine as…

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08

Dec

Greek anarchists claim arson attack against Italian diplomat in Athens

ATHENS, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A Greek anarchist group claimed responsibility on Thursday for an arson attack on cars at a senior Italian diplomat's home in Athens this month, saying…

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08

Dec

Jovial moment in the Vatican as Oscar-winning comic Roberto Benigni meets Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY  (Reuters) - Oscar-winning Italian comic and actor Roberto Benigni brought a bit of his trademark whacky levity to the Vatican on Wednesday, hamming it up for Pope Francis.…

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08

Dec

Protests held as Italy’s La Scala opens season with Russian opera

MILAN (Reuters) - Milan's La Scala theatre opened its 2022-2023 opera season on Wednesday with a gala performance of the Russian work "Boris Godunov" as protesters against the Ukrainian war…

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07

Dec

Two trains collide in Spain’s Catalonia region, several injured – emergency services

Two trains collided on Wednesday morning in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region and several people were lightly injured, local emergency services said. "Among the passengers, several people were lightly injured and are pending evaluation," the emergency services said on Twitter. Spanish media have reported that at least 150 persons suffered injuries,…

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07

Dec

Italy to miss 2022 Recovery Plan spending goals, says business lobby chief

ROME, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Italy will probably not manage to spend its European Union pandemic recovery funds as scheduled this year, the head of business lobby Confindustria said on Tuesday. Italy…

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06

Dec

Prominent Jesuit priest and artist disciplined after abuse allegations

The Roman Catholic Jesuit order said it disciplined a prominent priest and artist who reportedly sexually and psychologically abused nuns in his native Slovenia three decades ago. The Jesuits issued…

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06

Dec

France’s Le Maire hopes Hungary will soon lift its veto on minimal corporate tax

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Monday he hoped Hungary would soon scrap its veto on the EU's plan for a global minimal corporate tax, adding France would…

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06

Dec

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Florence, Italy

The Santa Maria del Fiore church in Florence, Italy. The construction of Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore began in 1296, and it is said that the monument is the…

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05

Dec

Italy ageing faster than EU peers, population drops below 59 million

Italy's population has dropped below 59 million and the country is ageing at a much faster rate than its European Union peers, national statistical agency Istat said on Monday. A shrinking and ageing population…

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05

Dec

Right-winger Ciotti wins 1st round of French conservative party leadership vote

Right-winger Eric Ciotti is in poll position to become the next leader of France's formerly heavyweight conservative Les Republicains (LR) party after winning a first round ballot of party members on Sunday.…

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05

Dec

Italy’s Meloni may water down cash payments plan after EU talks

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday that she may water down plans to make it easier to settle small payments with cash rather than cards, following talks with…

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05

Dec

Ukraine, Baltics rebuke Macron for suggesting ‘security guarantees’ for Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion the West should consider Russia's need for security guarantees if Moscow agrees to talks to end the war in Ukraine unleashed a storm of criticism…

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