Italy

Italian president begins political talks after PM resignation

ROME, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Italian President Sergio Mattarella began talks with political parties on Wednesday, a day after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's populist government collapsed.

The prime minister resigned late on Tuesday, and was asked by Mattarella to remain in office as caretaker of current affairs.

The fresh crisis in the eurozone's third-largest economy was ignited by tensions within the coalition supporting Conte's cabinet, made of far-right, anti-immigrant League party and anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S).

Rescued migrants disembark as Italy justice probes Salvini

ROME, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Eighty-three migrants rescued at sea by the Open Arms disembarked early on Wednesday (Aug 21) from the charity rescue vessel in Italy’s Lampedusa island, television images showed, after Italian justice ordered they be brought ashore.

The boat had spent six days anchored off Lampedusa before a local prosecutor ordered their disembarkment amid a probe of far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini for forbidding their entry to port.

Italy’s president accepts Conte’s resignation, calls for consultations

ROME, Aug 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italian President Sergio Mattarella has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and will kick off consultations with party leaders on Wednesday to seek a solution to the political crisis, his office said.

Mattarella will start his meetings at 4.00 p.m. on Wednesday and wrap them up on Thursday afternoon.

He is expected to see whether there is the political will to form a new government. If not, he will have to dissolve parliament, 3-1/2 years ahead of schedule, and call early elections.

Migrants jump off rescue boat to try to reach Italian island

ROME (AP) — Several migrants jumped into the sea from a Spanish rescue boat Sunday in a thwarted bid to reach shore in Italy, where the government’s hard-line interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has refused to let the 107 passengers disembark.

“We have been warning for days, desperation has its limits,” said Open Arms founder Oscar Camps, who released a video showing four migrants wearing orange life vests swimming toward Lampedusa island. Crew members from the humanitarian group’s ship swam quickly toward them so they could be brought back aboard.

Spain says yes to Open Arms but NGO says too far

ROME, Aug 19 (NNN-BERNAMA-ANSA) — Spain on Sunday offered a safe port to Spanish migrant rescue NGO ship Open Arms which has been stalled at sea with over 100 migrants aboard for over two weeks, but the NGO said even sailing to the nearest port of Minorca would be too far because of the “desperate” conditions of the migrants.

“These people must disembark immediately”, said the Open Arms, which is standing off the Italian island of Lampedusa but has been barred from landing by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.

Subscribe to Italy