Italy

ROME (AP) — The leaders of Italy and the Netherlands along with the EU Commission president travel to Tunisia on Sunday with a packet of initiatives to help create security in Tunisia, easing the way for a possible international bailout, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni told reporters Thursday.

“Tunisia is a priority, because destabilization in Tunisia would have serious repercussions on the stability of all Northern Africa, and those repercussions inevitably arrive here,″ Meloni said during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the latest malady to befall the 86-year-old pontiff who had part of his colon removed two years ago.

The Vatican said there were no complications during the three-hour surgery, which required Francis to be under general anesthesia. The 86-year-old pontiff was expected to remain at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days. As a precaution, all papal audiences were canceled through June 18, the Vatican said.

06 June 2023; MEMO: At 4am on 26 February 2023 at least 94 people died when the boat Summer Love crashed onto the rocks near the Italian village of Steccato di Cutro.

The 25-metre wooden vessel had launched from Cesme in Turkiye and was carrying mainly Afghan refugees, many crammed below deck whilst the smugglers were up top.

ROME (AP) — Police on Tuesday searched the offices and homes of a former Italian premier and several leading business executives in an investigation of alleged corruption involving the sale of military planes, ships and submarines to Colombia, Italian state television reported.

Massimo D’Alema, a leftist politician who served as Italian premier from 1998-2000, is among those reported to be under investigation.

ROME, June 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Italian Coast Guard has apprehended two vessels from non-governmental organisations operating in the Mediterranean Sea, after they were found to be in breach of a new law preventing ships deployed to rescue migrants from carrying out multiple operations in a row.

A 20-day detention was imposed on the German rescue ships Sea-Eye 4 and Mare*Go on Friday evening, said the organisations Sea-Eye and Sea-Watch that operate the vessels.

01 June 2023; MEMO: Italy has lifted its embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia after years of restriction, amid the recent peace initiatives to resolve the conflict in Yemen.

ROME, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Italy on Wednesday said that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has had a sprawling impact on the economic health of Italy and Europe in general, pushing the overall median wealth and consumer confidence lower.

MILAN (AP) — Italian firefighters said Monday that they have recovered four bodies from a northern Italian lake after a tourist boat capsized in a sudden, violent storm.

Divers searched overnight after a whirlwind overturned the boat carrying more than 20 tourists and crew Sunday evening. The final body was recovered early Monday.

Firefighters said 19 people were saved. Many reportedly managed to swim to shore, or were picked up by other boats.

Firefighter video released Sunday showed pieces of wood floating in the lake as a helicopter flew overhead.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis will travel to Portugal for World Youth Day in the first week of August and include a stop at the popular Marian shrine in Fatima, the Vatican said Monday.

The Aug. 2-6 visit is longer than originally expected and covers almost the entire week of the big Catholic rally that St. John Paul II inaugurated to try to invigorate young people in their faith.

21 May 2023; AA: Flights to and from Catania in Italy’s Sicily region were halted after the nearby Mt. Etna erupted on Sunday.

Flight operations were suspended as volcanic ash covered the airport’s runways, public broadcaster RAI reported.

The city of Adrano was also affected, with many cars and roads covered with ash, it added.