The Dispatch

Italy’s economy to shrink for 3 straight quarters, Treasury says

ROME, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Italy's economy probably shrank in the third quarter and will continue to contract for the following two quarters, according to the latest Treasury forecasts. The forecasts indicate…

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Italy’s Eni says it will not receive Russian gas requested for Monday

MILAN, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Italy's Eni ENI.MI said on Sunday that it would not receive any of the gas it had requested from Russian supplier Gazprom GAZP.MM for Monday. In a note published on a…

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Pope begs Putin to end ‘spiral of violence and death’, cites nuclear threat

VATICAN CITY, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis made an impassioned appeal on Sunday to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop "this spiral of violence and death" in Ukraine, saying…

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Italy’s Meloni vows government action to tackle soaring energy prices

MILAN, (Reuters) - Italy's next government will direct its efforts to trying to tame soaring energy prices, Giorgia Meloni, who is widely expected to be named prime minister, said on…

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UPDATE – Italy’s Eni working with Gazprom to resolve Russian gas flow halt

MILAN, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Italy's Eni ENI.MI said it would not receive any of the gas it had requested from Russia's Gazprom GAZP.MM for delivery on Saturday, but the…

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Greece requests second tranche of EU recovery funds

ATHENS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Greece on Friday requested a second disbursement of 3.56 billion euros from the European Union's Recovery Fund, deputy Finance Minister Theodore Skylakakis said, funds that…

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Portugal’s September inflation rise at fastest pace since Oct 1992

LISBON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Portuguese consumer prices rose 9.3% year-on-year in September, the fastest pace since October 1992, up from 8.9% a month earlier, flash data from National Statistics…

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Italy drops COVID-19 face mask rule for public transport

ROME, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Italians will no longer have to wear face masks on public transport, the health ministry said late on Thursday, in the latest easing of rules…

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Italy strengthens surveillance on gas pipelines after Nord Stream leaks

ROME, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi's government has strengthened naval surveillance and controls on the pipelines bringing gas to Italy from the south and east, two…

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French finance minister says he’s “worried” about Britain

PARIS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday he was concerned about the situation in Britain, where Prime Minister Liz Truss' plan for huge…

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Italy’s regulated household electricity prices to rise 59% – ARERA

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's regulated household electricity prices will increase by 59% in the fourth quarter, Italy's energy authority ARERA said in a statement on Thursday, as Russia's war on…

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Italy slashes 2023 growth forecast but sees public finances improving

ROME, (Reuters) - Mario Draghi's outgoing Italian government slashed next year's economic growth forecast to 0.6% due to sky-high energy costs but said strong revenues would still ensure an improvement…

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Berlusconi bounces back with return to Italy’s parliament

ROME, (Reuters) - The Italian right-wing coalition's resounding victory in Sunday's general election marks a return to parliament for former premier Silvio Berlusconi, nine years after he was kicked out…

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Some French unions call strike in test of Macron mettle on pension reform

PARIS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Several hard-left trade unions in France are calling for a nationwide strike on Thursday to demand pay increases to cope with soaring inflation, threatening disruption…

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Italy gives final approval to justice reform to ensure EU funds

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's Cabinet on Wednesday gave its final approval to a broad reform of the justice system needed to keep European Union funds flowing, the Italian justice ministry…

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Turkey to reinforce military presence in northern Cyprus -Erdogan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will rein force its military presence in northern Cyprus after the United States lifted defence trade restrictions on Cyprus, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said. Speaking in…

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El Pais says Spanish government to offer civil servants 3.5% pay rise

MADRID, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The Spanish government will offer civil servants a 3.5% pay rise in 2023 to partly offset the effects of soaring inflation, El Pais newspaper reported…

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Italy business and consumer morale drop sharply before new government takes charge

ROME, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Morale amongst Italian businesses and consumers fell sharply in September amid sky-high energy costs as parties campaigned for the election that returned a right-wing government…

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Vatican says Pope to visit Bahrain for conference in November

VATICAN CITY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis will visit predominantly Muslim Bahrain Nov. 3-6 to attend an international conference, the Vatican announced on Wednesday. The Vatican said the pope…

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Italy’s Meloni tells Ukraine it can count on her

ROME, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Nationalist leader Giorgia Meloni, set to become Italy's next prime minister, has pledged her full support for Kyiv after receiving congratulations from Ukrainian President Volodymyr…

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EU urges Italy to stick to programme as approves more funding

The European Commission urged the new Italian government to stick to reform plans as it cleared the way on Tuesday for the payment of an additional 21 billion euros ($20.2 billion) in…

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Self-employed, Catholics drive Meloni’s Italian electoral triumph

ROME (Reuters) - Self-employed people and Catholics helped power Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party to electoral victory on Sunday, surveys show, with a significant share of women voters putting her on…

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Greece proposes European fund to address soaring gas prices

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece has proposed a multibillion-euro European fund partly financed by a gas levy on power producers to support households and businesses struggling with soaring energy costs and…

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Spanish court formally sends Shakira to trial for tax fraud

A Spanish court on Tuesday formally ordered Colombian superstar Shakira to stand trial on accusations that she failed to pay 14.5 million euros ($14.31 million) in income taxes, a court document released…

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Asked about Italy, ECB’s Lagarde says she won’t fix ‘policy errors’

The European Central Bank won't use its latest emergency scheme to buy the bonds of countries that make "policy errors", its President Christine Lagarde said on Monday in response to…

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FACTBOX – Potential flashpoints in Italy’s new rightist coalition

ROME, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Italy's rightist alliance looks sure to win a parliamentary majority following Sunday's election, but its three main parties have different positions in important areas, which…

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Italy PD leader to step down after election defeat

ROME, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Enrico Letta, the leader of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), plans to step down after defeat in the national election, he said on Monday. Letta…

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UPDATED: Italy election victors aim for rare political stability

ROME, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The right-wing alliance that won Italy's national election will usher in a rare era of political stability to tackle an array of problems besieging the…

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Photo Story: Montpellier airport closed due to crashed aircraft

Rescue services and police near the Boeing 737-436 (SF) cargo plane of the West Atlantic operator, that overran the runway after landing and came to a halt with its nose…

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French Prime Minister says, regarding Italian election, that EU has certain values to uphold

PARIS, Sept 26 (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the European Union would closely follow the respect of certain human rights and values such as women's access to…

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UPDATED: Italy’s parliamentary seats – YouTrend projection

ROME, Sept 26 (Reuters) - A coalition of right-wing parties was projected to have won Italy's parliamentary election. There is not yet a definitive breakdown of parliamentary seats. The following…

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Italy’s right-wing, led by Meloni, wins election -exit polls

ROME, Sept 25 (Reuters) - A right-wing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party looks set to win a clear majority in the next parliament, exit polls said on Sunday…

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Old woes and new: business turmoil awaits Italy’s election winner

TERNI, Italy (Reuters) - Inflation, looming recession and impossibly high energy bills are among the daunting economic problems awaiting whoever wins Italy's election on Sunday, and they are casting a…

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Explainer: Rightist alliance set for Italian election victory

ROME, (Reuters) - Italy votes in a national election on Sunday Sept. 25 after Prime Minister Mario Draghi's national unity government was brought down by party infighting in July. WHO…

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A Meloni election win could shift Europe’s balance of power

PARIS/BERLIN/BUDAPEST, (Reuters) - The European Union's powerhouses will have to tread carefully around Giorgia Meloni if the nationalist candidate's coalition wins Italy's election on Sunday, or risk pushing Rome towards…

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Former NATO boss slams Macron for “disastrous” diplomacy on Ukraine

Diplomatic efforts by French President Emmanuel Macron in response to the war in Ukraine were a failure and "deeply harmful" for Kyiv, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO secretary-general, said…

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Italy’s population could shrink by 11.5 mln by 2070 – ISTAT

ROME, (Reuters) - Italy's population is set to decline by almost a fifth over the next five decades as a result of a steadily falling birthrate, the country's statistics agency…

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Paris’ La Defense business district to target lower use of electricity

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris' La Defense business district, whose skyscrapers house many of France's biggest companies, said it would target a 15% reduction in electricity consumption in the area, as…

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The Pope visits Assisi

Pope Francis is visting the Italian town of Assisi for an Economy of Francesco event on Saturday, and city of Matera for the conclusion of the 27th National Eucharistic Congress…

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Greek PM tells Turkish people ‘we are not enemies’

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused Turkey's leadership of undermining peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region at time of war but assured Turkish people that Greece is not…

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Italy’s election campaign ends, tensions between EU and right flares

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's leaders held their final rallies on Friday ahead of a parliamentary election at the weekend that is expected to be won by a rightist alliance, putting…

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Photo Story: Shoes by Moschino during the Milan Fashion Week

A model presents a creation by Italian label Moschino from the Spring/Summer 2023 collection during the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy. The Milano Fashion Week Women's runs from 20…

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France sets minimum delivery fee for online book orders

PARIS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - France plans to impose a minimum delivery fee of 3 euros ($2.93) for online book orders of less than 35 euros to level the playing…

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Italy marginally revises up 2021 GDP growth to 6.7%, trims debt

ROME, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Italy's economy grew by 6.7% last year, national statistics bureau ISTAT reported on Friday, marginally revising up its previous estimate of 6.6% made in April.…

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Italy’s right seen winning election but watch out for 5-Star, pollsters say

ROME, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Italy's rightist bloc led by Giorgia Meloni is strongly expected to win Sunday's election but voter sentiment has shifted in the last two weeks and…

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EU’s von der Leyen delivers veiled warning to Italy’s right wing

BRUSSELS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned Italy of consequences should it veer away from democratic principles, issuing a barely veiled threat ahead…

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UPDATED: Putin invaded to put ‘decent people’ in Kyiv, says Italy’s Berlusconi

ROME, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin was "pushed" into invading Ukraine and wanted to put "decent people" in charge of Kyiv, former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has…

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Meloni and Berlusconi take the stage as Italy’s right eyes victory

ROME(Reuters) - The leaders of Italy's right-wing alliance put on a show of unity on Thursday and promised a new era of stable government at a closing rally three days…

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Shakira vows to fight ‘false’ Spanish tax accusations in first public comments

MADRID (Reuters) - Colombian superstar Shakira vowed to fight what she claimed were "false" accusations by Spanish authorities that she dodged 14.5 million euros ($14.31 million) in taxes, in her…

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Italy’s watchdog asks Facebook for clarification on pre-election activities

MILAN, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Italy's Data Protection Agency has asked Facebook to clarify the activities the social media giant has engaged in ahead of Sunday's national elections, it said…

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Spain readies system of flexible energy use in peak hours

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain will create a system allowing energy-intensive companies to disconnect from the grid for up to three hours a day during peak usage in exchange for compensation…

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Youth vote more important than ever in Italy’s election

ROME (Reuters) - For the first time in Italian history, 18-24-year-olds will enjoy full voting rights at the Sept. 25 national election, meaning the voice of young people should count…

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Two tremors felt in Ascoli Piceno in Italy

Two strong earthquakes were felt in Ascoli Piceno , the first around 12:25, the second a minute later. The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv) said they had a…

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Cyprus cancels meeting with Lavrov after EU says will step up sanctions

NICOSIA, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades cancelled a meeting scheduled with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York after EU foreign ministers agreed to prepare new…

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Greece extends energy bill subsidies ahead of ‘winter battle’

ATHENS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Greece will pay out a further 1.1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) in power bill subsidies in October to shield households and businesses from the impact…

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Pope says Ukraine subjected to savageness, monstrosities, torture

VATICAN CITY, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Wednesday that Ukrainians were being subjected to savageness, monstrosities and torture, calling them a "noble" people being martyred. Speaking at…

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Meloni says Italy’s right-wing alliance ready to govern

ROME, (Reuters) - Italy's right-wing bloc will easily agree on major policy priorities despite recent disagreements if it wins this weekend's national election, the alliance's de facto leader, Giorgia Meloni,…

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