INSIDER
Battery technology in the crashed Venice bus made it less prone to catastrophic fires, experts say
Read full article: Battery technology in the crashed Venice bus made it less prone to catastrophic fires, experts sayItaly’s transport minister is questioning the spread of electric vehicle technology following the fiery crash of a fully electric shuttle bus that killed 21 people in mainland Venice.
A flotilla of migrant boats from Tunisia overwhelms an Italian island and tests Meloni's policy
Read full article: A flotilla of migrant boats from Tunisia overwhelms an Italian island and tests Meloni's policyA flotilla of flimsy boats, crowded with migrants and launched from Tunisia, is overwhelming a tiny Italian island south of Sicily.
Italy marks 5th anniversary of Morandi bridge collapse with demands for justice for the 43 killed
Read full article: Italy marks 5th anniversary of Morandi bridge collapse with demands for justice for the 43 killedItaly has marked the fifth anniversary of the collapse of Genoa’s Morandi Bridge with a minute of silence and demands for justice for the 43 people who died.
Italy proposed a bank tax to help people with interest rate hikes. The move sent stocks plunging
Read full article: Italy proposed a bank tax to help people with interest rate hikes. The move sent stocks plungingThe Italian finance ministry is defending a proposed 40% tax on some bank profits as being in line with “already existing rules in Europe on extra bank margins.”.
Italy rail strike strands commuters and tourists in sweltering weather at height of tourism season
Read full article: Italy rail strike strands commuters and tourists in sweltering weather at height of tourism seasonA train strike across Italy has stranded workers and tourists alike on a sweltering weekday at the peak of high tourism season.
Silvio Berlusconi, scandal-scarred former Italian leader, dies at 86
Read full article: Silvio Berlusconi, scandal-scarred former Italian leader, dies at 86Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption and bribery, has died at age 86.
Italy to raise penalties for smugglers after migrant tragedy
Read full article: Italy to raise penalties for smugglers after migrant tragedyItalian Premier Giorgia Meloni has announced a crackdown on people smugglers, from a southern town near where a boat crowded with migrants broke apart, killing scores of people.
French border checks in force over Italy's migrant policy
Read full article: French border checks in force over Italy's migrant policyLines have formed at one of Italy’s northern border crossings with France following Paris’ decision to reinforce border controls over a diplomatic standoff with Italy about migration policy and humanitarian rescue ships.
EXPLAINER: What's behind Italy's migrant sea rescue standoff
Read full article: EXPLAINER: What's behind Italy's migrant sea rescue standoffItaly’s new government has blocked humanitarian rescue ships from accessing its ports, resulting in a standoff with charities that patrol the deadly central Mediterranean Sea, used by people desperate to reach Europe for a new life.
New Italian government closes ports to NGO ships
Read full article: New Italian government closes ports to NGO shipsItaly’s new far-right led government has adopted a measure formalizing the closure of its ports to rescue ships run by humanitarian groups as four vessels with more than 1,000 migrants continue to press for a safe port.
Italy silent as ships with 1,000 rescued migrants seek help
Read full article: Italy silent as ships with 1,000 rescued migrants seek helpHumanitarian groups caring for 1,000 rescued migrants aboard three ships in the central Mediterranean are sounding an alarm about deteriorating conditions on board.
Thousands commemorate Italy's fascist dictator Mussolini
Read full article: Thousands commemorate Italy's fascist dictator MussoliniSeveral thousand black-clad fascist sympathizers chanted and sang in praise of Benito Mussolini as they marched to the slain Italian dictator’s crypt Sunday, 100 years after Mussolini entered Rome and completed a bloodless coup that gave rise to two decades of fascist rule.
EXPLAINER: Is Meloni a far-right firebrand or moderate?
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Is Meloni a far-right firebrand or moderate?As Giorgia Meloni becomes Italy’s first female premier, the world is watching closely to see if she will emerge as a firebrand leader of a far-right party with neo-fascist roots or the more moderate right-wing politician who succeded in capturing 26% of the vote.
He's back: Italy's Berlusconi wins Senate seat after tax ban
Read full article: He's back: Italy's Berlusconi wins Senate seat after tax banItaly’s former premier Silvio Berlusconi is making his return to Italy’s parliament nearly a decade after being banned from holding public office over a tax fraud conviction.
First female premier poised to take helm of Italy government
Read full article: First female premier poised to take helm of Italy governmentA party with neo-fascist roots has won the most votes in Italy’s national election, setting the stage for talks to form the country’s first far right-led government since World War II, with Giorgia Meloni at the helm as Italy’s first female premier.
The politicians vying to lead Italy's next government
Read full article: The politicians vying to lead Italy's next governmentThe main candidates in Italy's general election on Sunday to elect a new Parliament and determine who next governs the country include both familiar names and lesser-known ones.
Democrat Letta: Fear plays role in Italy's Brexit-like vote
Read full article: Democrat Letta: Fear plays role in Italy's Brexit-like voteWith Italy's election looming, the main leader of the Italian center-left alliance says the gains of a Swedish populist party with neo-Nazi roots is one more indication that fear is driving the far-right's growth in Europe.
Italy's Meloni shocks opponents with alleged rape video
Read full article: Italy's Meloni shocks opponents with alleged rape videoThe far-right candidate who aspires to be Italy’s first female premier has come under fire from opponents for posting a pixelized video that purports to show a woman being raped by an asylum-seeker.
Far-right Italian leader Meloni rides popular wave in polls
Read full article: Far-right Italian leader Meloni rides popular wave in pollsGiorgia Meloni is riding a wave of popularity that next month could see her become Italy’s first female prime minister and its first far-right leader since World War II.
Italy's far-right Meloni on vote: I'm no danger to democracy
Read full article: Italy's far-right Meloni on vote: I'm no danger to democracyItaly's far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who is leading in opinion polls ahead of next month's elections, is insisting she won't be a danger to democracy if she becomes the country's next premier.
EU court limits national checks for migrant rescue ships
Read full article: EU court limits national checks for migrant rescue shipsThe European Union’s top court says maritime authorities cannot impound ships involved in search-and-rescue work just because they think the vessels might be overloaded due to the number of migrants aboard.
Italians ask if immigrant's slaying could have been stopped
Read full article: Italians ask if immigrant's slaying could have been stoppedItalians are debating whether a Nigerian street vendor could have been saved from a fatal attack by an enraged Italian man that played out in public as bystanders watched.
Italy's president: Strong democracy crucial against fascism
Read full article: Italy's president: Strong democracy crucial against fascismItaly's president is urging Italians to reinvigorate their democracy as the country notes the 100th anniversary of an attack that paved Benito Mussolini's path to power.
EXPLAINER: Who gains or loses, what's next in Italy crisis
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Who gains or loses, what's next in Italy crisisItalian Premier Mario Draghi's decision to turn in his resignation after his “unity” coalition broke apart dramatically in Parliament was the latest step in a political crisis that could take months before a new government is solidly in place to lead the European Union's third-largest economy.
Italy heads to early election after Draghi's coalition fails
Read full article: Italy heads to early election after Draghi's coalition failsItaly is headed for an early election after its president accepted Premier Mario Draghi’s resignation and decided there was no possibility for cobbling together another government.
Ukraine fears a long war might cause West to lose interest
Read full article: Ukraine fears a long war might cause West to lose interestAs Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds into its fourth month, officials in Kyiv have expressed fears that the specter of “war fatigue” could erode the West’s resolve to help the country push back Moscow’s aggression.
US, Italy united on Ukraine, with slightly different tones
Read full article: US, Italy united on Ukraine, with slightly different tonesItalian Premier Mario Draghi meets with U.S. President Biden this week in Washington as Europe faces another “whatever it takes” moment, with war raging on its eastern flank in Ukraine.
Far-right Le Pen plots parliament win after loss to Macron
Read full article: Far-right Le Pen plots parliament win after loss to MacronFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen is gathering her party’s troops, not to mourn her loss in the presidential election but to plot out a victory in France's parliamentary election in June.
'Your friend Putin': Salvini confronted during border visit
Read full article: 'Your friend Putin': Salvini confronted during border visitThe mayor of a Polish town has called out the leader of Italy’s right-wing League party for his pro-Kremlin views, derisively calling Matteo Salvini a “friend" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Italy's president, 80, is recruited to stay on for 2nd term
Read full article: Italy's president, 80, is recruited to stay on for 2nd termItalian President Sergio Mattarella has been pulled away from his impending retirement and reelected to a second seven-year term as the country’s head of state, ending days of political impasse as party leaders struggled to pick his successor.
Italian Coast Guard rescues 550 migrants from stormy seas
Read full article: Italian Coast Guard rescues 550 migrants from stormy seasThe Italian Coast Guard has rescued more than 550 migrants, many of them young men and boys from Egypt, from traffickers boats in storm-tossed waters off the southern “toe” of Italy's mainland.
Trial opens against Italy's Salvini for blocked migrant ship
Read full article: Trial opens against Italy's Salvini for blocked migrant shipItaly’s right-wing former interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has gone on trial charged with kidnapping for refusing in 2019 to allow a Spanish migrant rescue ship to dock in Sicily, keeping the people onboard at sea for days.
Center-left wins in Rome, elsewhere in blow to Italy's right
Read full article: Center-left wins in Rome, elsewhere in blow to Italy's rightItaly's center-left forces have won big in Rome and most other significant mayoral races, dealing a heavy blow to right-wing parties that have been hoping to capture the premiership in the next national election.
Italy's center-left claim mayoral wins; populists slump
Read full article: Italy's center-left claim mayoral wins; populists slumpItaly's center-left forces, led by Democrats, are triumphing or clinching runoff slots in Milan and other big city mayoral elections, according to partial vote counts after two days of balloting.
Judge dismisses migrant case against Italy's Matteo Salvini
Read full article: Judge dismisses migrant case against Italy's Matteo SalviniA judge in Sicily has dismissed a case against right-wing leader Matteo Salvini for keeping rescued migrants on board a coast guard ship during the summer of 2019, saying no crime had been committed.
Italian rapper accuses state TV of attempted censorship
Read full article: Italian rapper accuses state TV of attempted censorshipItalian rapper Fedez has received a wave of public support after going public with attempts by RAI state television to censor his planned remarks calling attention to homophobia during a Workers' Day concert.
Italy's Salvini to stand trial for 2019 migrant standoff
Read full article: Italy's Salvini to stand trial for 2019 migrant standoffA judge in Sicily has ordered former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to stand trial on kidnapping charges for having refused to let a Spanish migrant rescue ship dock in an Italian port.
Prosecutor: Salvini should not be tried for migrant policy
Read full article: Prosecutor: Salvini should not be tried for migrant policyAn Italian prosecutor says there's no reason to put right-wing leader Matteo Salvini on trial for kidnapping migrants whom he wouldn't let disembark from a coast guard vessel.
Populist leaders meet, seek 'European renaissance'
Read full article: Populist leaders meet, seek 'European renaissance'The trilateral meeting brought Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Italy's former interior minister, Matteo Salvini, to Hungary's capital of Budapest. The event came two weeks after Orban’s ruling Fidesz party finalized a break with its center-right European political family, the European People’s Party (EPP). As Italy's interior minister, Salvini worked to ease EU sanctions on Russia. But Poland's ruling party shares Fidesz's disaffection with the EU, with both parties arguing Brussels has infringed on their sovereign decisions. AdOn Thursday, Morawiecki echoed Orban's calls for a European political force that “respects national sovereignty and freedom" and defends traditional values.
Italy court blocks Bannon-linked plans for populist academy
Read full article: Italy court blocks Bannon-linked plans for populist academyThe Council of State ruled that the Culture Ministry was correct in cancelling the concession it had given to the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, or Human Dignity Institute. The ruling overturned an earlier decision by a regional administrative tribunal that had sided with the institute. AdBannon had said he would bring in teachers and raise money for the academy, which had been dubbed a “gladiator school" for the alt-right. AdBannon said Tuesday the court decision was a politically motivated “joke" that was befitting of a developing country. Prosecutors in New York say the money instead went to pay a campaign official’s salary and personal expenses.
Conte's last hurrah? Italy's 'simple citizen' plots return
Read full article: Conte's last hurrah? Italy's 'simple citizen' plots returnFILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 file photo, Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels. But thats hardly likely to be Contes last hurrah in politics. But that’s hardly likely to be Conte’s last hurrah in Italian politics. But a return to the ballot box could come sooner, given Italy's fluctuating political dynamics. ”What's important is to have a political trajectory, cultivate a political path to offer to the voters and to the country."
Draghi takes helm in Italy, focused on pandemic recovery aid
Read full article: Draghi takes helm in Italy, focused on pandemic recovery aidItalian President Sergio Mattarella had tasked the former European Central Bank president with trying to form a government up to managing the the health, economic and social crises of the coronavirus pandemic. AdDraghi’s most-quoted words so far have been those uttered in 2012 when the euro-zone risked collapsing in a crisis of confidence and he vowed the European Central Bank would do “whatever it takes” to rescue the euro. The current head of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, tweeted her congratulations. Italy's health minister through the pandemic, Roberto Speranza, kept his post, the sole minister from a small left-wing party. ___This story has been corrected to show that employees applauded for Conte, not Draghi.
Italy's Draghi wins support of 2 rival parties for new govt
Read full article: Italy's Draghi wins support of 2 rival parties for new govtLeader of the Five-Stars Movement Vito Crimi, 2nd from right, addresses the media at the Quirinale presidential palace in Rome Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. Draghi, 73, the former president of the European Central Bank completed a first round of talks with political parties this week. Another round is expected early next week on potential Cabinet ministers and a synthesis from Draghi of his vision for the new government. AdItaly's president tapped Draghi this week to form a government after the resignation of ex-Premier Giuseppe Conte, who lost support of a small but key coalition party. Salvini’s move to support Draghi puts him at odds with the far-right Brothers of Italy party and its leader, Giorgia Meloni.
Italy's Conte: Draghi's new government should be political
Read full article: Italy's Conte: Draghi's new government should be politicalOutgoing Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte waves as he leaves after meeting journalists outside Chigi palace Premier's office in Rome, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. Draghi must rely on political support to pass measures aimed at helping Italy emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and revive its economy, already stagnant before being pummeled by lockdown measures. “I hope for a political government that is solid and has sufficient cohesion to be able to make political choices, because the urgencies of the country need political choices, they can’t be entrusted to technocrats,” Conte said. Conte also pitched to two other parties from his unraveled coalition, the center-left Democrats and the leftist Free and Equal Party. His call for a political alliance appeared to indicate Conte intended to stay in politics, even while out of office.
Italian premier resigns, setting off scramble for new allies
Read full article: Italian premier resigns, setting off scramble for new alliesItalian Premier Conte was meeting Tuesday, Jan. 26. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)ROME – Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte resigned Tuesday after a key coalition ally pulled his party’s support over Conte’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, setting the stage for consultations this week to determine if he can form a third government. Conte’s coalition government was thrown into turmoil earlier this month when a junior party headed by ex-Premier Matteo Renzi yanked its support. But Conte would need Renzi's support to form a new governing coalition or the backing of independents and the center-right Forza Italia party. Conte's first government starting in 2018 was a 5-Star alliance with the right-wing League party led by Matteo Salvini that lasted 15 months.
Italy: Conte clears hurdle to retain power, bigger one ahead
Read full article: Italy: Conte clears hurdle to retain power, bigger one aheadPremier Giuseppe Conte delivers his speech at the lower chamber of Parliament, in Rome, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Conte lost his coalition majority with the defection of Cabinet ministers belonging to former Premier Matteo Renzi’s tiny but key Italia Viva (Italy Alive) party, that threatened to collapse his government. But a much tougher hurdle looms Tuesday in the Senate where Renzi’s party has 18 members, meaning Conte would seek support from outside his wobbly coalition to stay in power — even if Renzi's party again abstains in that vote. Even should Conte's government survive in terms of numbers in Parliament, Renzi's party pullout last week highlighted the coalition's fragility. Renzi acted after Conte unveiled a plan to manage the EU recovery funds himself, which was widely seen as accumulating too much power.
EXPLAINER: Italy faces a political crisis amid a pandemic
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Italy faces a political crisis amid a pandemicThe Italian cabinet was in crisis on January 13, 2021 following the resignations of ministers Teresa Bellanova and Elena Bonetti, members of former premier Matteo Renzi's Italia Viva party. Renzi orchestrated the resignations of two ministers from his tiny but key Italia Viva party. “Italia Viva did not start the crisis. CONTE’S NEXT MOVEWith the resignation of the Italia Viva ministers, Conte is working to shore up support in parliament among independent lawmakers. And it is still possible that Italia Viva will restore its backing.
Tunisians fleeing economy, not COVID, cause tension in Italy
Read full article: Tunisians fleeing economy, not COVID, cause tension in ItalyThe number of Tunisians migrating clandestinely to Italy has risen to levels not seen since the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. Their arrivals have strained the ability of Italy’s southern regions to take them in amid the coronavirus pandemic, given Italy’s quarantine requirements for anyone arriving from outside the EU. She blamed the increase in Tunisian arrivals on the country’s socio-economic problems that have been exacerbated by COVID-19, and has offered Italian assistance to address them. Tunisian migrants fleeing their country’s worsening economic situation aren’t generally considered eligible for asylum. The year before that, Tunisians only accounted for 5% of arrivals, with Nigerians topping the list.