Page 3 - Italy

2 killed in Spanish wildfire as extreme heat wave hits parts of Europe

Europe's continuing heat wave on Wednesday helped fuel a deadly wildfire in Spain while the European Union presented plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under scorching temperatures. The blaze that broke out late on Tuesday created an enormous thick plume of ash and smoke that rose 14,000 metres into the sky, making it the largest registered by firefighters in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain. Two farmers were killed while apparently trying to flee in a vehicle, local authorities said Wednesday. Firefighters said that the fire spread at 28 kph (17 mph) at one point as it consumed 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) mostly of grain fields. Wildfires today are not like they were before, Salvador Illa, the regional president of Catalonia, said. These are extremely dangerous. From the very first moment, it was considered to be beyond the capacity of extinction. I mean that not even with two or three times the number of firefighters, they have told me, it would have been possib

Heatwaves grip Europe: Red alerts, wildfires, Eiffel Tower closed

Spain sees hottest June in a century; more than 50,000 people evacuated amid wildfires in Turkiye and the Balkans

Italy opens 500,000 jobs for foreigners by 2028: How Indians can benefit

Italy to allow nearly 500,000 legal migrant entries by 2028 amid worker shortages, creating new opportunities for Indian professionals and labourers

Prada admits Kolhapuri chappals inspired footwear collection after backlash

Prada has acknowledged that its Spring/Summer 2026 men's footwear line was inspired by India's traditional Kolhapuri chappals, following backlash over lack of credit to the original artisans

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez tie the knot in star-studded Venice wedding

The bride announced the marriage on Friday night in an Instagram post under the name Lauren Sánchez Bezos

Italy's referendum on citizenship, job protections fails on low turnout

Italy's referendums aimed at relaxing citizenship laws and improving job protections failed on Monday due to low turnout, partial data showed. It was a clear defeat for the centre-left opposition and a victory for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the ruling right-wing coalition, who openly supported abstaining from voting. Official data from almost 90 per cent of polling stations showed that turnout hovered around 30 per cent of eligible voters after two days of voting, well below the 50 per cent plus one required to make the vote valid. Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy party celebrated the referendum's failure. The only real goal of this referendum was to bring down the Meloni government," the party said on social media, posting a picture of the main opposition's leaders. In the end, it was the Italians who brought you down. Maurizio Landini, leader of the CGIL trade union that was behind the initiative, acknowledged the defeat. We knew it wouldn't be a walk in the park, he

India, Italy to increase cooperation in aerospace, energy, mobility, auto

India and Italy have agreed to increase cooperation in areas such as manufacturing, auto, aerospace, energy transition, migration and mobility, an official statement said on Friday. These issues were discussed during the meetings between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, here. Brescia is Italy's manufacturing hub. "India and Italy agreed to prioritise cooperation in several emerging and strategic sectors. These include Industry 4.0, aerospace, energy transition, and sustainable mobility," the commerce ministry said. The two sides also stressed the importance of joint efforts in skill development, digital transformation, migration and mobility, as well as global connectivity initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The two leaders co-chaired the 22nd session of the India-Italy Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC). T

Italy's Mount Etna volcano erupts again, videos go viral on social media

Mount Etna erupted on June 2, sending ash plumes skyward. INGV reports intense Strombolian activity from the Southeast Crater, sparking concern among tourists

All-party delegation in Italy underscores India's firm stance on terrorism

An all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar has met senior Italian officials to reaffirm India's "zero-tolerance" stance on terrorism and New Delhi's resolve to combat all forms of terror. The eight-member team is one of the seven multi-party delegations India has tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan's designs and India's response to terror. The group, which arrived in Rome on Tuesday, had a "productive" meeting with former foreign minister Giulio Terzi on Wednesday. "Led by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Delegation, had a productive meeting with Senator @GiulioTerzi, President of the India-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Group and its Members," the Indian embassy in Rome said in a post on X. "The Indian delegation voiced India's resolute stance on combating terrorism and zero tolerance to all forms of terror," it said. Both sides also reaffirmed the significance of India-Italy strategic ...

India's right to self-defence backed globally: S Jaishankar in Italy

S Jaishankar thanked Italy for backing India's right to self-defence. He highlighted growing India-Italy ties in trade, defence, and global cooperation

Iran and US hold fifth round of nuclear talks in Rome over enrichment

Iran and the United States prepared for a fifth round of negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme Friday in Rome, with enrichment emerging as the key issue. US officials from President Donald Trump down insist Iran cannot continue to enrich uranium at all in any deal that could see sanctions lifted on Tehran's struggling economy. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi early Friday insisted online that no enrichment would mean we do NOT have a deal. Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science, Araghchi wrote on the social platform X. Time to decide. The US will be again represented in the talks by Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Michael Anton, the State Department's policy planning director. While authorities haven't offered a location for the talks, another round in Italy's capital took place at the Omani Embassy there. Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi is mediating the negotiations as the sultanate on the Arabian Peninsula has been a trusted .

Italy's Meloni scores diplomatic win by bringing US, EU to Rome summit

Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni hosted a key trilateral meeting in Rome on Sunday, bringing US Vice President JD Vance and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the same table, hoping to usher in what she said could be a new beginning. It was a diplomatic score for Meloni, who has been touted as a potential bridge-builder with the Trump administration, but so far had been unable to provide decisive breakthroughs amid increasingly strained relations with her main European partners. I am very proud to host two of the leaders of the EU and the US to start a dialogue, Meloni told the press ahead of the trilateral meeting, while sitting at a round table with her counterparts. The Italian premier recalled that she had proposed such an initiative a month earlier in the US capital when she met President Donald Trump at the White House. I hope that today can be a first meeting and a new beginning, Meloni said, noting that for trade matters the competence belonged to the EU Commissi

Tens of thousands flock to Vatican for Pope Leo XIV's installation ceremony

Tens of thousands of people streamed into St. Peter's Square early Sunday to inaugurate Pope Leo XIV's pontificate, joining presidents and princes in celebrating history's first American pope with a formal installation ceremony that blends ancient ritual, evocative symbols and a nod to modern-day celebrity. Starting at dawn, civil protection crews in neon uniforms funnelled pilgrims into quadrants in the piazza while priests and patriarchs hurried into St. Peter's Basilica to get ready for the Mass. US Vice President JD Vance, one of the last foreign officials to see Pope Francis before he died, paid his respects at the Argentine pope's tomb upon arriving in Rome late Saturday and was heading the US delegation honouring the Chicago-born Leo. Leo will start the day by taking his first tour through the piazza in the popemobile. The open-topped vehicle has become synonymous with the papacy's global reach and mediatic draw, used at home and abroad to bring popes close to their flock. I

Pope Francis leaves tough legacy behind, key challenges await successor

While Pope Francis accomplished a lot in his 12-year papacy, he left much unfinished business and many challenges for his successor from the Vatican's disastrous finances to the wars raging on multiple continents and discontent among traditionalists about his crackdown on the old Latin Mass. When the conclave's cardinals finish casting their ballots under Michelangelo's frescoed ceilings of the Sistine Chapel, the 267th pope will have to decide whether to continue Francis' policies, tweak them, or abandon them altogether. Will he prioritize migrants, the environment and the social justice policies that Francis championed, or give precedence to other issues? Among the challenges facing the new pope: The role of women Francis did more to promote women to leadership positions in the Vatican than any pope before him, and his successor will have to decide whether to continue that legacy, accelerate it or back down and change course. The issue isn't minor. Catholic women do much of the

Who will be the next Pope? Italians try to predict with 'Fantapapa' game

With betting frowned upon in Italy, thousands are playing 'Fantapapa'-a fantasy game where users guess the next pope

Thousands mourn Pope Francis as Vatican considers extending public viewing

Mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle of St Peter's Basilica to pay their last respects to Pope Francis, finding community as they spent hours waiting to reach the open casket of the Argentine pontiff remembered for creating a climate of inclusion. The public viewing was scheduled to resume Thursday, a day after it began with numbers that were so strong that the Vatican said it would consider longer hours to meet the demand. Nearly 20,000 people paid their respects in the first 8 1/2 hours. Among them was a church group of 14-year-olds from near Milan who arrived for the now-suspended canonisation of the first millennial saint, as well as a woman who prayed to the pope for a successful operation and an Italian family who brought their small children to see the pope's body. We came because we didn't bring them when he was alive, so we thought we would bring them for a final farewell, said Rosa Scorpati, who was exiting the basilica Wednes

Pope Francis' body to lie in state at St Peter's Basilica as faithful mourn

The body of Pope Francis will be moved to St Peter's Basilica early Wednesday to lie in state for the Catholic faithful to pay their respects to the Argentine pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor and insistent prayers for peace. Heads of state are expected for the funeral Saturday in St Peter's Square, but the three days of public viewing are largely for ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope, who died Monday after suffering a stroke. Francis first lay in state in the Santa Marta Domus in a private viewing for Vatican residents and the papal household. Images released by the Vatican on Tuesday showed Francis lying in an open casket, wearing the traditional pointed headdress of bishops and red robes, his hands folded over a rosary. The Vatican's No 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was pictured praying by Francis. His body will be transferred Wednesday morning to St Peter's Basilica, which will be kept open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to all

US, Italy call IMEC 'top economic, connectivity project of this century'

A US-Italy joint statement takes note of the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor, calling it one of the greatest economic integration and connectivity projects of this century that will connect partners and stimulate economic development and integration from India onward to the United States. The US and Italy will work together to develop the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Corridor (IMEC), one of the greatest economic integration and connectivity projects of this century, connecting partners by ports, railways, and undersea cables and stimulating economic development and integration from India, to the Gulf to Israel, to Italy, and onward to the United States, the joint statement issued Friday said. The United States Italy Joint Leaders' Statement' was issued after US President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's first official meeting in Washington, DC Thursday.

JD Vance visits Italy, Vatican after tangling with pope on migration

US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Rome on Friday for meetings with the Vatican No. 2 and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, fresh off the Italian leader's visit to the White House a day earlier. Meloni, who has positioned herself as a bridge between the US and Europe, received praise from President Donald Trump for her crackdown on migration during a meeting at the Oval Office on Thursday. Vance, who attended the meetings, was scheduled to meet with the Italian leader Friday in Rome and planned to attend Easter weekend events at the Vatican. He was scheduled to meet with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the White House said. No meeting with Pope Francis was announced. The 88-year-old pope has sharply cut back his work schedule as he recovers from a near-fatal case of double pneumonia. Francis and Vance, a Catholic convert, have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administration's plans to deport migrants en masse. Just days before he was .

Trump '100%' confident of trade deal with EU during Meloni's US visit

Trump has paused the imposition of 20 per cent reciprocal tariffs on more 75 countries, including the EU