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☆ Actor Adam Driver takes on Netflix, Amazon over strike inaction
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VENICE, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. actor Adam Driver, in Venice to promote his new film "Ferrari", criticised streaming services Netflix (NFLX.O) and Amazon (AMZN.O) on Thursday for not giving into demands by actors' and writers' unions in a strike that has hobbled the entertainment industry. Representatives for Netflix and Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Driver has been closely associated with Netflix in the past, representing two of their films in previous Venice festivals - "White Noise" in 2022 and "Marriage Story" in 2019. Writers have been on strike since May while actors walked off the job in July. "People who worked on 'Ferrari' made it by forgoing large percentages of their salaries, in the case of Adam and myself.

Persons: Adam Driver, Ferrari, Michael Mann, Adam, Mann, Małgorzata Wojtunik, Mary Milliken, Bill Berkrot Organizations: VENICE, Netflix, SAG, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Venice, Hollywood, Los Angeles

☆ Venice jury chief says art must triumph over content in Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VENICE, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Amid the glitz of the Venice Film Festival, jury president Damien Chazelle said on Wednesday he wanted to draw attention to strikes by Hollywood writers and actors that have brought much of the U.S. entertainment industry to a standstill. "It is a difficult time obviously in Hollywood for working actors and writers, and also for crews," Chazelle told reporters as the world's oldest film festival got underway. "There is a basic idea that each work of art has a value unto itself and is not just a piece of content, which is Hollywood's favourite word right now," said Chazelle, director of "La La Land" and "Whiplash". "It comes down to each person being remunerated for each piece of art that is made, and how to find a way to maintain and get back that idea of art over content." The major U.S. entertainment studios have said they are committed to reaching "an equitable agreement" to end the long-running stoppage.

Persons: Damien Chazelle, Chazelle, Alberto Barbera, Maestro, Emma Stone, Michael Fassbender, Bradley Cooper, Barbera, Crispian Balmer, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: VENICE, Venice Film, Hollywood, Netflix, U.S, Thomson Locations: Venice, U.S, Hollywood

☆ Basta! Let Italians play Italians in movies, actor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] The 80th Venice Film Festival - Photocall for the film "Comandante" in competition - Venice, Italy August 30, 2023. Director Edoardo De Angelis and cast members Johan Heldenbergh, Silvia D'Amico, Pierfrancesco Favino, Massimiliano Rossi pose. REUTERS/Yara Nardi Acquire Licensing RightsVENICE, Aug 30 (Reuters) - One of Italy's most famous actors, Pierfrancesco Favino, on Wednesday said Italian actors should be given a chance to play Italian roles in big international movies. Other Italian roles were taken by Lady Gaga, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek and Al Pacino. "I wish Italian actors ... were more present in international movies where Italian characters are written," said Favino, who was promoting his new Italian-language film "Comandante," which opens the Venice Festival on Wednesday.

Persons: Edoardo De Angelis, Johan Heldenbergh, Silvia D'Amico, Pierfrancesco Favino, Massimiliano Rossi, Yara, Pierfrancesco, Ferrari, Adam Driver, carmaker Enzo Ferrari, Spain's Penelope Cruz, Driver, Maurizio Gucci, Ridley Scott's, Gucci, Lady Gaga, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, Al Pacino, Favino, Crispian Balmer, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Venice Film, Venice Festival, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, Ridley, Italian

[1/3] A man walks past a poster for the film "The Killer" on the eve of the opening ceremony of 80th Venice Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, August 29, 2023. But some others will come because they are working in the independent films," Barbera told Reuters Television. Polanski, 90, fled the United States over a conviction for raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977, a crime he admitted. Besson's picture "Dogman" is in the main draw, while Allen's first French-language film "Coup de Chance" and Polanski's comedy "The Palace" are being shown out of competition. Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Hanna Rantala; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yara, Alberto Barbera, Barbera, Bradley Cooper, Yorgos Lanthimos, David Fincher, Michael Mann, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Ryusuke, Damien Chazelle, Fincher, Michael Fassbender, Cooper, Maestro, Leonard Bernstein, Coppola, Priscilla, Elvis Presley's, Cailee Spaeny, Ferrari, Mann, Adam Driver, Enzo Ferrari, Penelope Cruz, Cruz, Jessica Chastain, Michel Franco's, Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Arcel's, Woody Allen, Luc Besson, Roman Polanski, MeToo, Besson, Allen, Polanski, He's, Allen's, Chance, Crispian Balmer, Hanna Rantala, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Venice Film, REUTERS, Reuters Television, Lion, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, VENICE, U.S, Italian, United States

☆ Factbox: When is Venice Film Festival 2023 and what can we expect?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The 79th Venice Film Festival - Awards Ceremony - Venice, Italy, September 10, 2022 - Director Laura Poitras poses with the Golden Lion Award for Best Film. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 28 (Reuters) - The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world, with its 80th edition opening this week. WHEN IS THE VENICE FESTIVAL? The festival opens on Aug. 30 with the premiere of Italian World War Two film "Comandante", directed by Edoardo De Angelis. There are several categories making up the official selection of films shown, the top being those competing for the coveted Golden Lion award.

Persons: Laura Poitras, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Edoardo De Angelis, El Conde, Pablo Larrain, Luc Besson, Ferrari, Michael Mann, Nikolaj, Saverio Costanzo, Maestro, Bradley Cooper, Stefano, Allem, Timm Kroger, David Fincher, Bertrand Bonello, Priscilla, Sofia Coppola, Agnieszka Holland, Pietro Castellitto, Ava DuVernay, Matteo Garrone, Giorgio Diritti, Holly, Szumowska, Michal Englert, Michel Franco, Stephane Brize, William Friedkin, Woody Allen's, Roman Polanski, Henry Sugar, Wes Anderson, Harmony Korine, Travis Scott, Crispian Balmer, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Golden, Film, REUTERS, Society, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, VENICE, Spanish, Chile, Denmark, Austria, Switz, Canada, France

France, which widened its heatwave red alert in the south of the country, said it would scale back production at a nuclear power plant as high temperatures curbed cooling water supply. The strait, linking the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea, is a major shipping route for commodities such as oil and grains. It said some areas of southern France would experience temperatures of 42 degree Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit). The authorities widened a heatwave red alert for the south of the country, while officials urged some mountain climbers to postpone their activities and told grape pickers to work in the morning to avoid the extreme heat. Italy issued heatwave red alerts about "emergency conditions" that the health ministry says could endanger the healthy as well as the frail in 17 of its 27 main cities for Wednesday and Thursday, including Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice.

Persons: Firefighters, Vassilis Kikilias, herder, Saint Alban, Karolina Tagaris, Alexandros Avramidis, Ezgi, Zhifan Liu, Forrest Crellin, Nacho Doce, Violeta Santos Moura, Crispian Balmer, Charlie Devereux, Edmund Blair Organizations: Migration Ministry, Residents, Civil, European Union, EDF, Saint, Fundacion Madrina, Firefighters, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Athens, Turkey, Dardanelles, France, Italy, ATHENS, ISTANBUL, Europe, Greece, Menidi, Amygdaleza, Fyli, Alexandroupolis, Evros, East, Asia, Turkey's, Canakkale, Meteo, Spain, Tenerife, Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice

☆ Wildfires rage in Greece, Spain and Italy as heatwave spreads
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Alexandros Avramidis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Flames burn a tree as a wildfire rages in Alexandroupolis, on the region of Evros, Greece. Authorities urged residents to avoid the heat as France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change. WILDFIRES IN SPAIN, ITALYThe blaze has burned through 15,000 hectares in 12 municipalities forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. In France, four southern regions - the Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire - were placed under red alert, the most serious warning. Grape-pickers in wine-producing regions of southern France have been advised to start work on the harvest in the early hours of the morning to avoid sweltering in a late summer heatwave.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, I've, Nikos Gioktsidis, Vassilis Varthakogiannis, AEMET, Alessandro Vitaliano, ANSA, Karolina Tagaris, Dominique Vidalon, Gisela Vignoni, Crispian Balmer, Ingrid Melander, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Flames, REUTERS, Greece Firefighters, heatwave, University Hospital, ERT, Rio Marina, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Alexandroupolis, Evros, Greece, Spain, Italy, Europe, France, Turkey, Tenerife, SPAIN, ITALY, Elba, Rio, Rome, Milan, Florence, Drome, Ardeche, Haute, Loire, Rhone, Alexandropoulis, Athens, Paris

☆ New find throws light on life of slaves in Ancient Rome's Pompeii
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ROME, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Archaeologists have discovered a small bedroom in a Roman villa near Pompeii that was almost certainly used by slaves, throwing light on their lowly status in the ancient world, the culture ministry said on Sunday. The room was found at the Civita Giuliana villa, some 600 metres (2,000 ft) north of the walls of Pompeii, which was wiped out by a volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists said part of one of the beds had been destroyed by a tunnel used by robbers to access another part of the villa. Pompeii and the surrounding countryside was submerged by volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius exploded in AD 79, killing thousands of Romans who had no idea they were living beneath one of Europe's biggest volcanoes. The eruption buried the city in a thick layer of ash, preserving many of its residents and buildings.

Persons: Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Gennaro Sangiuliano, Crispian Balmer, Christina Fincher Organizations: EU, Culture, Thomson Locations: Vesuvius

☆ Italy to propose ex-minister Franco for ECB board, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Italy's Economy Minister Daniele Franco addresses a news conference after the G7 Summit in Koenigswinter, near Bonn, Germany May 20, 2022. REUTERS/Benjamin Westhoff/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Italy will put forward former economy minister Daniele Franco as its candidate for the executive board of the European Central Bank (ECB), a source close to the matter said on Sunday. He was appointed economy minister in 2021 in Mario Draghi's unity government, helping Italy navigate the COVID-19 crisis and the turbulence caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, in a surprise move, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti decided instead to propose his predecessor, a source close to the matter told Reuters, confirming a report in Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper. The government had initially put Franco forward as the Italian candidate to lead the European Union's lending arm, the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Persons: Daniele Franco, Benjamin Westhoff, Fabio Panetta, Franco, Mario Draghi's, Piero Cipollone, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Giorgia Meloni, Crispian Balmer, Giuseppe Fonte, Christina Fincher, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Central Bank, ECB, Bank of Italy, European Investment Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Koenigswinter, Bonn, Germany, Italy, Ukraine, France, Rome, Italian, Franco

☆ Famed Italian dealmaker and Piaggio CEO Colaninno dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Roberto Colaninno attends the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Vespa Primavera scooter at the Piaggio Museum in Pontedera, Italy, April 19, 2018. REUTERS/ Alessandro Bianchi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Entrepreneur Roberto Colaninno, chairman and CEO of scooter maker Piaggio and one of Italy's best-known dealmakers, has died, his investment company IMMSI said on Saturday. He is most famous for his surprise $58 billion leveraged buyout of Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) in 1999, at the time the world's largest hostile takeover. In 2003, after his efforts to take over carmaker Fiat were rebuffed, he turned his attention to Piaggio, maker of the Vespa scooter, which had fallen on hard times. Colaninno ditched the firm's loss-making computer unit and focused on the telephone business - which he subsequently used as a vehicle to launch the Telecom Italia bid.

Persons: Roberto Colaninno, Alessandro Bianchi, IMMSI, Colaninno, Carlo De Benedetti, De Benedetti, Olivetti, Matteo, Michele, Oretta, Crispian Balmer, David Holmes Organizations: Primavera, Piaggio Museum, REUTERS, Rights, Piaggio, Telecom Italia, Pirelli, Fiat, Alitalia, Thomson Locations: Pontedera, Italy, Asia, India, China, Vietnam, Fiamm, Europe

☆ Mount Etna eruption disrupts Sicily's troubled Catania airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, lights up the night sky with eruptions as seen from Rocca Della Valle, Italy, August 13, 2023. Etna Walk/Marco Restivo/ Handout via REUTERSCATANIA, Sicily, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Flights serving the eastern Sicilian city of Catania were halted on Monday after an eruption from nearby Mount Etna, local authorities said, bringing fresh travel woe to the crisis-plagued Italian airport. The 3,330 metre (10,925 ft) high volcano burst into action overnight, firing lava and ash high over the Mediterranean island. Flights to and from Catania, a popular tourist destination, would be suspended until 8:00 p.m. (1800 GMT), the airport said on Twitter. The latest cancellations at Catania airport, which attracts more arrivals than the island's capital, Palermo, came a month after a fire at a terminal building led to weeks of disruptions for passengers.

Persons: Rocca Della Valle, Marco Restivo, Enrico Trantino, Crispian Balmer, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, Catania, Thomson Locations: Etna, Italy, Handout, REUTERS CATANIA, Sicily, Sicilian, Catania, Mount Etna, Palermo

☆ Italy stands ready to host as Musk talks up Zuckerberg rumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Musk and Zuckerberg have been egging each other into a mixed martial arts (MMA) cage match since June. At one point, Musk said the fight would take place in Rome's Colosseum, but Italy ruled that out. "Everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all. I spoke to the PM of Italy and Minister of Culture. A day later, Zuckerberg, who has posted pictures of matches he has won on his company's Instagram platform, asked Musk to "send location" for the proposed throwdown.

Persons: Elon Musk, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Musk, Gennaro Sangiuliano, Angelo Amante, Federico Maccioni, Crispian Balmer Organizations: Twitter, of Culture, Italy's, Thomson Locations: Rome, U.S, Italy, jiujitsu

☆ EU starts preparing sanctions against Niger junta - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Gabriela Baczynska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An EU official involved in sanctions work and an EU diplomat said the bloc has started discussing the criteria for punitive measures. "The next step would be sanctions against individual members of the junta" deemed responsible, the EU diplomat said. National officials were discussing the matter on Wednesday, said the official and another EU diplomat. "The EU is ready to support ECOWAS's decisions, including the adoption of sanctions," said Peter Stano, the EU executive's spokesman on foreign policy. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the Niger situation, including sanctions, at a meeting in Toledo, Spain, on Aug. 31.

Persons: Niger's, Mohamed Bazoum, Peter Stano, Gabriela Baczynska, Andreas Rinke, Crispian Balmer, Angus MacSwan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Union, Reuters, United, EU, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Niger, United Nations, EU, Toledo, Spain, Berlin, Rome

ROME, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Italian authorities on Wednesday said forty-one migrants are thought to have died in a shipwreck last week in the central Mediterranean, according to accounts by survivors who have been taken to the island of Lampedusa. Local public prosecutor Salvatore Vella confirmed media reports that four people who survived the shipwreck told rescuers they were on a boat carrying 45 people, including three children. They were then transferred onto an Italian coast guard vessel and disembarked in Lampedusa, where they shared their story. The Italian coast guard did not respond to a request for comment. A source with knowledge of the matter said it was unlikely that the shipwreck experienced by the survivors was one of two the coast guard had reported on Sunday.

Persons: Salvatore Vella, Tunisia's, Vella, Federico Maccioni, Federica, Keith Weir, Crispian Balmer, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Watch, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa . Local, Italian, Lampedusa, Sfax, Italy, Europe

☆ Venice film fest attracts top names despite Hollywood strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although many stars will miss the traditional red carpet openings for big studio productions, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera still managed to attract a slew of top movies to the Lido. The world's oldest film festival, regarded as a launchpad for Oscar contenders as awards season approaches, features movies from 55 countries, including 23 titles running for the prestigious Golden Lion award. The SAG-AFTRA guild called the strike this month after failing to reach an agreement with studios on a new three-year contract. Barbera said he hoped stars of smaller independent movies would be able to publicise their work in person regardless of the stoppage. Both Allen, with his French language picture "Coup De Chance", and Polanski, with "The Palace" will show out of competition.

Persons: Bradley Cooper, Karl Lagerfeld, Andrew Kelly, Alberto Barbera, Yorgos Lanthimos, David Fincher, Michael Mann, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Wes Anderson, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Luc Besson, MeToo, Besson, Oscar, Barbera, Luca Guadagnino, Zendaya, Maestro, Leonard Bernstein, Cooper, Priscilla, Elvis Presley's, Cailee Spaeny, Ferrari, Mann, Adam Driver, Enzo Ferrari, Penelope Cruz, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Allen, Chance, Polanski, Anderson, Henry Sugar, Roald Dahl, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Crispian Balmer, Alison Williams Organizations: Metropolitan Museum, Art's, REUTERS, Hollywood, Golden Lion, SAG, Netflix, Lion, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Venice, ., Italian, American, United States

☆ Italian farmer battles frost, floods, heat and hail in epic year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Claudia Greco | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A farmer stands next to a greenhouse in a field covered with cracked solidified mud, in the aftermath of deadly floods in Emilia-Romagna, in Forli, Italy June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File PhotoFORLI, Italy, July 20 (Reuters) - Farmer Andrea Ferrini is on the frontline of climate change in Italy and it is hurting. The following month, rains and floods swept the region, killing 15 people, causing billions of euros' worth of damage and hitting agriculture particularly hard. According to the Coldiretti agricultural association, more than 5,000 farms were left under water in the region, which accounts for a third of Italy's fruit harvest, including Ferrini's smallholding. "A farmer prepares all year round for the harvest and then sees his crop destroyed in just a few minutes or a few hours.

Persons: Claudia Greco, Farmer Andrea Ferrini, Ferrini's, Ferrini, Crispian Balmer, Janet Lawrence Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Emilia, Romagna, Forli, Italy, FORLI, Po

☆ Italy's antitrust investigates inflated prices for Colosseum tickets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, July 18 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authorities are going into combat over Rome's Colosseum, opening an investigation into ticketing operations that have seen tourists paying inflated prices to visit the ancient Roman arena where gladiators once fought. The antitrust authority said tickets were being bought "en masse through the use of automated purchasing systems". A ticket normally costs 18 euros ($20) but the official website on Tuesday showed there were just three places left until Aug. 7. Carlo Rienzi, the head of consumers rights body Codacons, said "secondary ticketing" was costing Italy millions of euros. "We ask the government to introduce new provisions capable not only of blocking secondary ticketing, but also of imposing very heavy penalties on those sites," Rienzi said in a statement.

Persons: Carlo Rienzi, Codacons, Rienzi, Federica Urso, Elvira Pollina, Crispian Balmer, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Thomson

[1/3] People cool off near the Spanish Steps, during a heatwave across Italy, as temperatures are expected to rise further in the coming days, in Rome, Italy July 18, 2023. They have added fresh urgency to talks this week between the United States and China, the world's top greenhouse gas polluters. "Whilst most of the attention focuses on daytime maximum temperatures, it is the overnight temperatures which have the biggest health risks, especially for vulnerable populations," it said. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service says 2022 and 2021 were the continent's hottest summers on record. In a large part of the territory, night-time temperatures were in the top 5% of the highest recorded at this time of year.

Persons: Remo Casilli, John Kerry, Xi Jinping, Carlo Spanu, Anita Elshoy, Elshoy, AEMET, Talim, Angelo Amante, Emma Farge, Giselda, Crispian Balmer, Angeliki Koutantou, Emma Pinedo Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Matthias Williams, Janet Lawrence Organizations: REUTERS, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, Europe, U.S, Asia Italy, ROME, Asia, United States, Sardinia, Lazio, heatwaves, Death, China's, Greece, Swiss, India, South Korea, China, Beijing, North America, North Africa, Sicily, Sulcis, Norway, Spain, Catalonia, Aragon, Mallorca, Andujar, 44.9C, Toledo, Dervenochoria, Athens

☆ Tunisia and EU sign pact to stem migration
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The deal follow weeks of talks and Europe's pledge of major aid to Tunisia amounting to 1 billion euros ($1.12 billion) to help its battered economy, rescue state finances and deal with a migration crisis. All essential measures for bolstering efforts to stop irregular migration," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Twitter. The European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyens said the bloc will allocate 100 million euros to Tunisia to help it combat illegal migration. Thousands of undocumented African migrants have flocked to the city of Sfax in recent months seeking to head for Europe in traffickers' boats, amounting to an unprecedented migration crisis for Tunisia. "We are very pleased, it is a further important step towards creation of a true partnership between Tunisia and the EU, which can address in an integrated fashion the migration crisis," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Miloni said.

Persons: Kais Saied, Giorgia Meloni, Ursula von der Leyen, Mark Rutte, Read, Europe's, Ursula von der Leyens, Giorgia Miloni, Meloni, Saied, Tarek Amara, Crispian Balmer, Anthony Deutsch, Hatem Maher, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Dutch, European Union, Twitter, European Commission, EU, Thomson Locations: Italian, Tunisia, EU, Tunis, TUNIS, Europe, Sfax, Rome, Italy, Libya, Amesterdam

☆ 'Heat storm' stretches into southern Europe, health alerts issued
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, July 16 (Reuters) - Italy issued hot weather red alerts for 16 cities on Sunday, with meteorologists warning that temperatures will hit record highs across southern Europe in the coming days. Spain, Italy and Greece have been experiencing scorching temperatures for several days already, damaging agriculture and leaving tourists scurrying for shade. "We need to prepare for a severe heat storm that, day after day, will blanket the whole country," Italian weather news service Meteo.it warned on Sunday. Italy's Health Minister Orazio Schillaci said authorities were keeping a close eye on Rome and urged people to take care. Europe's highest recorded temperature of 48.8C (119.8F), registered in Sicily two years ago, could be exceeded in the coming days, notably on the Italian island of Sardinia, meteorologists have said.

Persons: Charon, Meteo.it, Orazio Schillaci, Il, Crispian Balmer, Graham Keeley, David Goodman Organizations: Italy's, Thomson Locations: Italy, Europe, Spanish, La Parma, Spain, Greece, Africa, Acropolis, Rome, Florence, Palermo, Sicily, Bari, Seville, Sardinia, Barcelona

[1/5] Migrants wait to be rescued by Italian Coast Guard off the coast of Italy, April 10, 2023. The fact that Meloni, a figurehead of the new right, has not carried through on her pledges underscores how intractable the problem is. NORTH AFRICAIn the run-up to the 2022 election, Meloni said she would impose a naval blockade to prevent boats leaving north Africa. Meloni visited Tunisia twice last month, seeking progress in unblocking loans that she says are needed to avoid a financial crisis that might trigger a tsunami of departures. However, a review of migrant flows through Europe over the past decade suggests Italy might not benefit in the way Meloni hopes.

Persons: Meloni, King Canute, Giorgia Meloni, Mattia Diletti, Matteo Piantedosi, Matteo Villa, Ursula von der Leyen, Mark Rutte, ISPI's Villa, COVID, Michelangelo Agrusti, Crispian Balmer, Angelo Amante, Alex Richardson Organizations: Italian Coast Guard, REUTERS, Rome's Sapienza University . Immigration, Ministry, European, Dutch, European Commission, EU, Business, Thomson Locations: Italy, Tunisia, Libya, ROME, Europe, Lampedusa, AFRICA, Africa, North Africa, Tripoli, Brussels, Poland, Hungary, Rome

ATHENS/ROME, July 13 (Reuters) - Southern Europe sweltered under a fierce heatwave on Thursday, with a warning that temperatures could hit record highs for the continent next week. Health authorities issued a top, red alert warning for 10 Italian cities for the next two days, including Rome, Florence, Bologna and Perugia. Weather forecasts and official records are based on the air temperature which is significantly lower than the land surface reading. The record European temperature of 48.8C was registered in Sicily in August 2021 and could be exceeded next week, according to the European Space Agency. "With this solitude and this heat emergency, we see an explosive mix," he told a press conference.

Persons: Europe's sweltering, Luca Lombroso, Marco Impagliazzo, It's, Michele Kambas, Pietro Lombardi, Emma Pinedo, Keith Weir, Crispian Balmer, Emelia Organizations: Italian Meteorological Society, Health, Agency's Sentinel, European Space Agency, Catholic, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, ROME, Southern Europe, Islands, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Athens, Europe's, Lodi, Rome, Florence, Bologna, Perugia, Spain, Extremadura, Sicily

☆ Ancient Roman Pantheon to start charging entry from Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People queue to enter Pantheon, one of the ancient world's best preserved monuments which from July will start charging visitors an entry fee in Rome, Italy, June 30, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneROME, June 30 (Reuters) - Visitors to Rome's Pantheon, one of the ancient world's best preserved monuments, will have to pay a 5 euro ($5.45) entrance fee from Monday, Italy's tourism ministry has said. It remains the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome and has a circular skylight at its crown. The building survived the Barbarian attacks on Rome and was transformed into a Christian church in 609. ($1 = 0.9168 euros)Reporting by Cristiano Corvino; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Guglielmo Mangiapane ROME, Emperor Hadrian, Karsten Kohler, Cristiano Corvino, Crispian Balmer, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, UNESCO, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy

Opposition parties are clamouring for a vote in parliament, but Meloni said on Wednesday that was not about to happen and linked the debate to ongoing discussions on a broader reform of European budget rules. "Italy's interest is addressing negotiations on European governance, which covers the entirety of our national interests," she told parliament. "Meloni does not want to leave the anti-ESM front to Salvini and nobody wants to lose face," he told Reuters. Despite irritation in Brussels over the dithering in Rome, EU officials have told Reuters that any attempt by Meloni to link ESM approval to much more significant budget reform will not pay off. Italy, which has the second largest debt mountain in relation to its GDP in the euro zone after Greece, has criticised the suggestion.

Persons: Giorgia, Meloni, Matteo Salvini, Francesco Galietti, Paschal Donohoe, Francesco Saraceno, Crispian Balmer Organizations: ROME, European Union, Treasury, Reuters, European, Rome's Luiss University, Sciences Po, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Italy, Brussels, Rome, Sciences Po Paris, Greece, Rome's

☆ Italy to crack down on e-scooters after deaths and accidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Like in many European countries, the use of e-scooters has boomed across Italy in recent years, with rental companies flooding major cities with scooters for rent that are popular with locals and tourists alike. However, police have reported countless accidents, with six people dying in Rome alone over the past two years while riding scooters. Scooters have also caused problems for pedestrians, with no rules in place for where they should be left. Despite offering an environmentally friendly way to get around town, e-scooters have faced a backlash from people, who have felt threatened by the zippy, silent machines. There has been no such suggestion in Italy, although various cities have looked to cap the speed limit of scooters and reduce the number of firms that can hire them out.

Persons: Matteo Salvini, Crispian Balmer, Sandra Maler Organizations: gymkhana, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, Milan

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