The Dispatch

Twenty French nuclear reactors affected by strike, union says

PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Strikes have affected work at nearly a third of France's nuclear reactors, an FNME-CGT power union representative said on Wednesday, delaying maintenance at many of…

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Parents of ex Italy PM Renzi acquitted of false invoice charge

ROME, Oct 19 (Reuters) - An Italian appeals court has acquitted the parents of former prime minister Matteo Renzi on charges of issuing false invoices. The court ruled late on…

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Italy’s Berlusconi says has exchanged “sweet letters” with Putin

ROME, (Reuters) - Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he was back in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin and had recently exchanged "sweet letters" with him, according to…

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Berlusconi renews demands as Italy’s government takes shape

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's next cabinet is gradually taking shape as rightist leader Giorgia Meloni, set to be appointed prime minister, negotiates key government jobs with coalition allies. Meloni's Brothers…

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Ricchi e Poveri’s Franco Gatti dies aged 80

Franco Gatti, a founder member of much-loved Italian polyphonic group Ricchi e Poveri, died in Genoa on Tuesday at the age of 80. challenges of life with great dignity. Ciao,…

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Italy arrests Naples prison ombudsman for smuggling drugs, phones into jail

The public official responsible for safeguarding prisoners rights in the Italian city of Naples was arrested on Tuesday on charges of smuggling drugs and mobile phones to inmates, police said…

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Italy’s Meloni, Berlusconi make peace, vow to form cabinet quickly

Giorgia Meloni, expected to be named Italian prime minister, and her coalition partner Silvio Berlusconi had a cordial meeting on Monday and aim to quickly form a "cohesive" government, their parties said. Tensions…

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New theory emerges in mysterious disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi

A teenage girl whose disappearance from the streets of Rome ranks as one of Italy’s greatest unsolved mysteries was sexually assaulted by a senior Holy See figure, it has been…

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Workers continue strikes at some TotalEnergie sites Monday – union

PARIS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Strikes at several TotalEnergies refineries and storage sites that have been weighing on France's petrol supplies have been continued by workers on Monday morning, a…

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Thousands take to the streets of Paris to protest soaring prices

PARIS, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Thousands of people took to the streets of Paris on Sunday to protest against soaring prices as weeks of strikes for higher wages at oil refineries spurred…

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Photo story: The aftermath of floods in Heraklion, Crete

A street with damaged cars and debris that were dragged by floods, in the aftermath of a flood in Aghia Pelagia, Heraklion, Crete island, Greece, 16 October 2022. House and…

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Pope urges UN reform

Pope Francis said the need to reform the United Nations was "more than obvious" after the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war exposed its limits, in an extract of his…

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1 in 3 Italian 3-5-yr-olds obese says report

One in three Italian 3-5-year-olds are obese, according to a new report.Some 33.2% of this age group were overweight or obese in 2020, up 1.6 percentage points on 2018, said…

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Greek police find dozens of naked migrants at border with Turkey

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police have rescued a group of 92 illegal migrants who were discovered naked, and some with injuries, close to its northern border with Turkey, police said.…

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France to strengthen NATO military presence in Romania

France will increase its military presence in Romania as part of NATO’s effort to strengthen its eastern flank in the context of continued Russian aggression in Ukraine. France already had…

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Spanish police dismantle Europe’s largest drug ‘bank’

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police have dismantled a criminal gang they believe was the largest financier of drug trafficking in Europe. The gang, which operated out of a restaurant in…

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Friction mounts between Berlusconi and Meloni

Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi appeared to describe Italy’s likely next prime minister and his supposed ally Giorgia Meloni as “patronizing, bossy, arrogant and offensive” in a note photographed by…

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One dead in flash floods on the Greek island of Crete

ATHENS (Reuters) - A man died and a woman was missing after their car was carried away in flash floods which hit the north coast of the Greek island of…

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Ivory Coast migrant provides activist voice to Italian Parliament

ROME (Reuters) - When Aboubakar Soumahoro was a teenager in his native Ivory Coast, he used to clean shoes and dream of going to Italy, filling a scrapbook with pictures…

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Italian Alpine lakes at all-time low

Italy's Alpine lakes are at an all-time low in their water levels amid the worst drought in northern Italy in 70 years, the Po observatory said this week. Lake Como…

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UPDATED: Italy’s Chamber of Deputies picks pro-Russian Fontana as speaker

ROME, Oct 14 (Reuters) - A pro-Russia, anti-gay politician was elected speaker of Italy's lower house of parliament on Friday, the day after a veteran nationalist lawmaker who collects fascist…

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UPDATED: Workers at two French nuclear sites preparing for weekend strike, says union

PARIS, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Workers at EDF's Dampierre and Paluel nuclear sites are preparing for strikes over the weekend, a representative of France's FNME trade union on Friday. France's…

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UPDATED: La Russa elected Italian Senate Speaker

ROME, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A senior member of Giorgia Meloni's nationalist Brothers of Italy party was elected speaker of the upper house Senate on Thursday, despite a revolt within…

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Politico reports Spain to pull out of treaty protecting energy investments

MADRID, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Spain has started the process of withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty, a European treaty protecting energy investments, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing Spanish Energy…

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UPDATED: France tells TotalEnergies to hike wages as fuel strikes spread

DUNKIRK, France, Oct 13 (Reuters) - France told TotalEnergies to raise wages on Thursday as the oil firm's two-week standoff with striking workers, which has sapped the country's petrol supplies,…

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Photo Story: Candlelight Procession in Sanctuary of Fatima

Pilgrims participate in the Candlelight Procession in the Sanctuary of Fatima in the Shrine of Fatima, Portugal, on Wednesday evening, during the international pilgrimage on 12 and 13 October. Via…

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Cyprus to revoke 10 more passports issued under discredited citizenship scheme

NICOSIA, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Cyprus on Wednesday said it would strip citizenship from 10 individuals, among thousands who benefited from a cash-for-passports scheme which collapsed under accusations of corruption…

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Explainer: Why are French refinery workers striking?

PARIS, (Reuters) - The French government is intervening to end a blockade of refineries if workers do not end a weeks-long strike that has led to shortages at petrol stations…

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UPDATED: France starts forced return to work at fuel depot in showdown with union

PARIS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The French government on Wednesday ordered some staff at an Exxon Mobil depot back to work and warned a TotalEnergies' depot could be next, risking…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis condemns ‘relentless bombings’ of Ukrainian cities

VATICAN CITY, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned Russia's "relentless bombings" of Ukrainian cities, saying the attacks had unleashed a "hurricane of violence" on residents. Speaking to…

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Photo Story: Italy’s Stromboli erupts

A volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli erupted early on Sunday morning, releasing huge plumes of smoke and a lava flow pouring into the sea. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission…

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Italy’s telecoms lobby urges EU to help lower energy bills, avoid power cuts

MILAN, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Italy's telecoms lobby has called on the European Union to consider ways to help the industry cope with rising energy costs as well as to…

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Strikes at French oil refineries and storage sites to continue – union officials

PARIS, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The strikes that have hit French oil refineries and storage sites will continue on Monday, CGT trade union representativesat TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil's Esso France told…

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Photo Story: Van Gogh masterpieces exhibition opens in Rome

A self-portrait by Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh is on display as part of the exhibition ''Van Gogh, masterpieces from the Kroeller-Mueller Museum' at the Palazzo Bonaparte, in Rome, Italy.…

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France has no plans yet for petrol rationing as refinery strikes drag on -minister

PARIS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The French government will not ration petrol for drivers or restrict the use of service stations in response to supply problems linked to refinery strikes,…

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Migrants face tougher times in Meloni’s Italy

ROME, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Life is tough for asylum seekers in Italy - most are denied refugee status, barred from legal employment and, polls suggest, face discrimination. Now things…

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Photo Story: Cyprus Informal Ministerial Meeting MED 5 in Paphos

(L-R) Malta’s Minister for Home Affairs, National Security and Law enforcement Byron Camilleri, Cyprus’ Interior Minister Nikos Nouris, Greece’ Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi, and Spain’s Interior Minister…

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French Minister’s comments on rule of law in Italy anger Meloni

ROME — Italy’s prime minister-in-waiting Giorgia Meloni reacted with fury after French European Affairs Minister Laurence Boone said that after Italy’s new government takes power, France will monitor the rule of…

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France’s Macron: We must speak with prudence when commenting on risk of nuclear conflict

PRAGUE (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said "we must speak with prudence", as he responded to earlier comments by U.S. President Joe Biden in which Biden said there was…

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Italy adopts new LGBT strategy just before right-wing takeover

ROME, (Reuters) - Italy's outgoing government has adopted a new plan for LGBT rights just before handing over the reins to a right-wing administration that promises to be far more…

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Italian security forces takes down corrupt port workers facilitating ‘Ndrangheta drug trafficking activities

With the support of Europol and Eurojust, the Italian Financial Corps (Guardia di Finanza) has dismantled a criminal network which relied on corrupt workers in the port of Gioia Tauro…

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Italy can face winter with confidence, Eni CEO says

MILAN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Italy can face this winter with confidence as it will have its gas storage nearly full, the chief executive of energy group Eni ENI.MI said…

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French President Macron: France has enough energy for this winter, even in worst case scenario

PARIS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - France has enough energy to get through this winter, even factoring in worst-case scenarios, President Emmanuel Macron said at a briefing with the bpifrance state…

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Spain and Germany strengthen alliance and pressure France to build gas pipeline

LA CORUNA, (Reuters) - At a time of a shifting balance of power within Europe, Spain and Germany's leaders vowed on Wednesday to strengthen their alliance and doubled down on…

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Photo Story: Street art in solidarity with Mahsa Amini

A mural created by the street artist AleXsandro Palombo shows Marge Simpson, a character in the animated sitcom 'The Simpsons,' cutting her iconic hair in solidarity with Mahsa Amini and…

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Italy’s Meloni says technocrats may join new government

ROME, (Reuters) - Italy's next cabinet will include "high-profile" figures who might not be career politicians, Giorgia Meloni, widely expected to be named prime minister, told party members. Meloni's Brothers…

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UPDATED: At least 16 migrants dead in shipwreck off Greek island Lesbos

ATHENS, Oct 6 (Reuters) - At least 16 migrant women died when their vessel sank off the Greek island of Lesbos in the central Aegean Sea early on Thursday, in…

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Photo Story: Presentation of the exhibition ‘Hergé. The exhibition’

A woman arrives to visit the presentation of 'Herge. The Exhibition' at Circulo de Bellas Artes cultural center in Madrid, Spain, 05 October 2022. The exhibition focused on the work…

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France steps up efforts to protect companies against surging energy prices

PARIS, Oct 5 (Reuters) - France announced on Wednesday that it was stepping up efforts to protect its companies against surging energy prices, with the country's top energy supplierssigning a…

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