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[1/6] Pope Francis presides over the Good Friday Passion of the Lord service in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 7, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSROME, April 7 (Reuters) - Pope Francis presided at one indoor service on Good Friday, but doctors ordered him to skip an outdoor evening "Way of the Cross" procession at Rome's Colosseum after being hospitalised last week for bronchitis. Friday marked the first time since his election in 2013 that Francis missed a Way of the Cross event. The last pope to skip a Good Friday Way of the Cross service was Pope John Paul II. He is due to preside at an Easter vigil Mass on Saturday night in St. Peter's Basilica, and on Easter Sunday he is due to say Mass in St. Peter's Square and then deliver his twice-annual "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing and message in St. Peter's Square.

☆ Italian drugs cartels conceal payments via Chinese shadow banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Emilio Parodi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

[1/3] Seized drugs are seen following an investigation on drugs cartels operating in Italy increasingly using shadow networks of unlicensed Chinese money brokers to launder their proceeds in this handout photo obtained by Reuters on April 4, 2023. Carabinieri/Handout via REUTERSMILAN, April 6 (Reuters) - Drugs cartels operating in Italy are increasingly using shadow networks of unlicensed Chinese money brokers to conceal cross-border payments, according to Italian judicial and law enforcement authorities. U.S. authorities have said Chinese “money brokers” represent one of the most worrisome new threats in their war on drugs, as a Reuters investigation in 2020 found. Chinese authorities have previously vowed to crackdown on underground banking. One of the first probes to come to light involving use of Chinese money brokers by Italian mobsters was linked to the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta group, one of the largest crime gangs in the world.

☆ Former Italian PM Berlusconi in intensive care in hospital -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MILAN, April 5 (Reuters) - Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is in intensive care in a Milan hospital, a political source told Reuters on Wednesday. The billionaire media tycoon and four-times premier has suffered repeated bouts of ill-health in recent years and came out of hospital just last week. Reporting by Angelo Amante, writing by Gavin Jones, editing by Crispian BalmerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Former Italian PM Berlusconi in intensive care in hospital
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Federico Maccioni Angelo Amante | Angelo Amante | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Forza Italia leader and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi looks on following a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy October 21, 2022. REUTERS/Yara NardiMILAN, April 5 (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi, who was Italian prime minister four times, is in intensive care in a cardiac unit at Milan's San Raffaele Hospital, political sources said on Wednesday. Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition although he does not have a role in government. Three sources from Berlusconi's Forza Italia party said he was in intensive care, and one of them confirmed Italian media reports that he was being treated in a cardiac unit. An Italian court acquitted Berlusconi in February over allegations of paying witnesses to lie in an underage prostitution case that has dogged the former prime minister for more than a decade.

☆ Pope Francis attends Palm Sunday service after hospital stay
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, April 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis attended a Palm Sunday service in St Peter's Square, a day after he was discharged from hospital following successful treatment for a severe bout of bronchitis. He was driven into the huge esplanade, sitting in the back of an open-topped vehicle as it passed through the crowds, before descending and starting the service from his position beneath an ancient Egyptian obelisk. The pope, 86, was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties, but recovered quickly following an infusion of antibiotics and returned to his Vatican residence on Saturday. Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday on April 9 this year. Reporting by Crispian Balmer Editing by Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italian minister says country's ban on ChatGPT is excessive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, April 2 (Reuters) - Italy's deputy prime minister on Sunday criticised a decision by the government's Data Protection Authority to temporarily ban chatbot ChatGPT, saying the block over privacy concerns seemed excessive. Salvini, who also serves as transport minister, said the regulator's move was "hypocritical" and that common sense was needed as "privacy issues concern practically all online services". OpenAI, which disabled ChatGPT for users in Italy on the back of the agency's request, said on Friday it actively works to reduce the use of personal data in training its AI systems like ChatGPT. "We look forward to working closely with (the Italian data agency) and educating them on how our systems are built and used," it said. It is right to control and regulate through an international cooperation between regulators and legislators, but it cannot be blocked," he said.

☆ Pope Francis leaves hospital, saying 'I'm still alive'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Remo Casilli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ROME, April 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis left hospital and returned to the Vatican on Saturday after being treated for bronchitis, making light of his illness by saying: "I'm still alive you know". Looking to show he was fully recovered, Francis got out of his car before leaving left the hospital grounds, using a walking stick to support himself. Before getting back into the car, Francis embraced a sobbing mother, whose young daughter had died overnight in the hospital, and then prayed with both the parents. Asked by reporters if he had been afraid during his hospital stay, the pope said: "No, afraid no." [1/6] Pope Francis rides in a car near the Vatican after having been discharged from Gemelli hospital in Rome, Italy, April 1, 2023.

☆ Pope spent a second peaceful night in hospital - Vatican source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Pope Francis spent a second peaceful night in hospital, a Vatican source said on Friday, in the latest sign he is recovering well from a bronchitis infection. The pope was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties, raising fresh concerns over the health of the 86-year-old pontiff, who suffers from a number of ailments. However, the Vatican said on Thursday he was already much better after beginning treatment with antibiotics and would probably be discharged within a few days. The Vatican expects to issue another bulletin on Francis's progress later on Friday, the source said. Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

ChatGPT has an "absence of any legal basis that justifies the massive collection and storage of personal data" to "train" the chatbot, Garante said. OpenAI has 20 days to respond with remedies or could risk a fine of up to 4% of its annual worldwide turnover. ChatGPT was still answering questions posted by Italian users on the platform on Friday evening. Italy, which provisionally restricted ChatGPT's use of domestic users' personal data, became the first Western country to take action against a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence. The European Commission, which is debating the EU AI Act, may not be inclined to ban AI, European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager tweeted.

☆ Meloni's party looks to shield Italian language from foreign contamination
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party has proposed imposing fines of up to 100,000 euros ($108,750) on public and private entities which use foreign terms, most notably English, instead of Italian in official communications. "It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions pass, but Anglomania (has) repercussions for society as a whole," said the text of the draft bill, calling for the Italian language to be protected and nurtured. The bill was presented by lawmakers from Meloni's nationalist Brothers of Italy party and will have to be approved by both houses of parliament to become law. It also stipulates that all names and acronyms indicating jobs in companies operating in Italy should be spelt out in the local language, with foreign words only allowed if they prove to be impossible to translate. The draft bill comes just days after the government moved to defend what it sees as another important part of Italy's culture, banning the use of laboratory-produced food to safeguard the country's agri-food heritage.

Summary Pontiff was hospitalised unexpectedly on WednesdayVatican says he has respiratory infectionNot clear if pope will be able to lead Easter servicesVATICAN CITY, March 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis spent a peaceful night in a Rome hospital after suffering from a respiratory infection, a Vatican source said on Thursday. Bruni has said Francis would have to stay at Rome's Gemelli hospital for "a few days" for "appropriate" medical treatment. An official update on his condition was expected in late morning, the Vatican source said. Last year, the pope attended but did not preside at some of the Easter services due to his knee pain. Francis, who this month marked 10 years as pope, is sometimes short of breath and generally more exposed to respiratory problems.

☆ Pope Francis has respiratory infection, needs hospital treatment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Pope goes for medical tests to hospitalVatican says pope has infection, rules out COVIDPope to spend "a few days" in hospitalVATICAN CITY, March 29 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will need to spend "a few days" in hospital for treatment, the Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday. "Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer," the Vatican said. The statement came hours after the pope was unexpectedly taken to hospital for tests. Earlier in the day, the pope attended his weekly general audience at the Vatican and had appeared in good health. Pope Francis suffers from diverticulitis, a condition that can infect or inflame the colon, and had an operation at the Gemelli hospital in 2021 to remove part of his colon.

☆ Pope extends sexual abuse law to include lay leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] People reach out to touch Pope Francis' hand during his meeting with the faithful of parishes from Rho at the Vatican, March 25, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiVATICAN CITY, March 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday updated rules on dealing with sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, expanding their scope to include lay Catholic leaders and spelling out that both minors and adults can be victims. BishopAccountability.org, a not-for-profit organisation looking to document the abuses within the Roman Catholic Church, said the revision was "a big disappointment" and fell short of the "extensive revamping" the policy against the abuses would have required. The updated provisions have been unveiled a month after the Roman Catholic religious order of Jesuits said that accusations of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse against one of its most prominent members were highly credible. Rupnik has not spoken publicly of the accusations, which have rattled the worldwide order, of which the pope is a member.

☆ Italy pushing IMF to help Tunisia and avoid instability, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

However, Tajani has spoken to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and urged her to show flexibility to stave off possible financial collapse. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is also "working the phones", one official said, warning that Italy faced an "invasion of migrants" in the coming months if Tunisia did not get the money. "Uncontrolled irregular migration can only be reduced by improving the conditions of security and economic stability," Tajani said, adding that Italy was looking to boost training opportunities for Tunisians as an alternative to migration. Of the arrivals this year to Italy, the top country of origin is Ivory Coast (3,223), followed by Guinea (2,906). "The stability and prosperity of Tunisia, with respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, are crucial for the stability of the entire Mediterranean region," Tajani said.

☆ Rome hopes to reverse decline and relive La Dolce Vita
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Giselda Vagnoni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] General view of the Colosseum next to a subway's construction sites in Rome, Italy, February 16, 2023. However, flailing public services can make La Dolce Vita seem a remote dream, for both visitors and residents alike. "It is the biggest investment plan Rome has ever had," Gualtieri told Reuters. "Milan was turned around by the EXPO and has become a city capable of attracting capital from all over the world. Rome is an incredible place and second to none," Luca Luciani, head of BAI Communications Italia, told Reuters.

☆ Italy approves bill cutting income tax, easing sanctions for evaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Giuseppe Fonte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The scheme is "aimed at simplifying and reducing the tax burden, encouraging investment and hiring," the Treasury said in a statement. Tax evasion is a chronic problem in Italy, costing state coffers some 90 billion euros ($95.5 billion) each year, according to the most recent Treasury data. Looking to overhaul the fiscal system, the bill aims to reduce current income tax bands from four to three within two years, with the final aim of achieving a single tax rate at a later stage, the Treasury said. The current income tax levy, named IRPEF, is based on rates running from a minimum of 23% on annual income up to 15,000 euros, to a top rate of 43% on income above 50,000 euros. These so-called "tax expenditures" deprive the state of 165 billion euros in revenues every year, a separate Treasury document showed.

☆ Italy's Treasury sets up new department for state-run companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, March 16 (Reuters) - Italy approved on Thursday a decree to create a new department at the economy ministry in charge of managing state-controlling companies such as energy groups Enel (ENEI.MI) and Eni . Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti announced the scheme in January as part of efforts to tighten the government's grip on key companies dealing with some of the most delicate corporate issues facing Italy. Under the scheme, the influential Treasury department within the ministry, led by veteran economist Riccardo Barbieri, will continue to supervise public debt management, macroeconomic policies, European and international relations as well as financial regulation. The newly created "economic department" will have its own director general and will handle the decision-making process regarding state-controlled firms, public assets and public guarantees on banking loans. Rome is expected to decide on the chairperson and CEO positions of these firms by the end of next week, government sources said.

☆ More than 1,000 migrants brought ashore in Italy after multiple rescues
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, March 11 (Reuters) - More than 1,000 migrants were brought ashore to southern Italy on Saturday after coastguards launched major rescue operations for three boats struggling in rough seas off Calabria. Local officials said a further 200 migrants had been picked up off the coast of Sicily and would be ferried to Catania later in the day. Prosecutors are investigating whether Italian authorities should have done more to prevent the disaster. Late last year, it cracked down on charity rescue boats, accusing them of acting as a taxi service for migrants. However, departures have nonetheless picked up dramatically, with roughly 17,000 migrants reaching Italy by boat so far this year against some 6,000 in the same period of 2022.

☆ Five migrants die as boat sinks in the Aegean, Turkish coastguard says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Turkey's coastguard said it had arrived at the scene after learning that a boat was taking in water at 6:20 a.m. (0320 GMT). It rescued 11 people, including a child, and brought them to Didim port to hand them off to health personnel. The Greek coastguard said it was informed by Turkey about those rescued from a "half-sunken dinghy" in Turkish waters. Those rescued said there were a total of 31 people on the boat, the Greek coastguard added. Both the Turkish and Greek coastguards said search and rescue operations were continuing.

☆ Italian officer given 30-year jail term for selling secrets to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, March 9 (Reuters) - An Italian navy captain was found guilty on Thursday of selling secrets to Russia and sentenced by a military tribunal to 30 years in jail. Walter Biot, 56, was arrested in 2021 as he was handing information to a Russian embassy employee in a Rome car park. Italy subsequently expelled two Russian diplomats and accused Biot of selling documents, including classified NATO documents, for 5,000 euros ($5,280). The military prosecutor had sought a life term. It said he had given his Russian contact a memory card that contained 181 photographs of documents and images from his computer.

☆ The life and times of Pope Francis as he marks his 10th anniversary as pontiff
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

[1/3] Pope Francis greets people as he attends the weekly general audience in St. Peter's square at the Vatican, March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneVATICAN CITY, March 8 (Reuters) - Following are some of the major events of the life and ministry of Pope Francis, who marks the 10th anniversary of his election as pontiff on March 13. 2017Jan. 2 - Pope Francis says in a letter bishops must show zero tolerance to clergy who sexually abuse children. May 18 - In unprecedented move, all Chile's bishops offer to resign after attending crisis meeting with Pope Francis. In March 2022, he introduces a reform saying Catholic women could in future take charge of most departments.

☆ In surprise result, Italy's left picks Elly Schlein to rebuild party
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Italy's opposition centre-left Democratic Party (PD) picked Elly Schlein, a 37-year-old U.S.-Italian national who grew up in Switzerland, to be its new leader and rebuild the group after its election rout last year. Schlein will lead opposition in parliament to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with two women for the first time in Italian history heading the country's two main parties. Although she has promised a new start for the party, many of the PD's grandees have rallied behind her in recent weeks. Polls suggested he would easily beat Schlein, but in the end he only drew strong backing in the more traditionalist south. Schlein faces a monumental struggle if she hopes to heal divisions within her party and beat Meloni's conservative bloc in the next national election in 2027.

☆ Migrant crossings in Mediterranean leave thousands dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

2021Dec. 17: 9 dead, 93 missing, 8 survivors after boat sinks off Sabratha, Libya. 2020Nov. 12: 57 dead, 18 missing, 48 survivors after boat sinks off the coast of Al Khums, Libya. July 25: 75 dead, 75 missing, 134 survivors when boat sinks off Al Khums, Libya. 2018Sept. 1: 2 dead, 128 missing, 55 survivors when boat sinks off the coast of Al Khums, Libya. June 29: 3 dead, 101 missing, 16 survivors when boat sinks off the coast of Tripoli, Libya.

☆ Factbox: Migrant arrivals in Italy on the rise, despite high danger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Some 861 of the migrants registered this year were unaccompanied minors. In 2022, 105,129 migrants reached Italy in total, up from 67,477 in 2021 and 34,154 in 2020. Some 13,386 of the migrants in 2022 were registered as unaccompanied minors. The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said in 2022 51% of migrant sea crossings to Italy departed from Libya, 31% from Tunisia and 15% from Turkey. Migrant arrivals stayed low in subsequent years, partly as a result of the COVID pandemic.

☆ Beaten and divided, Italy's centre-left seeks new leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Centre-left Democratic Party (PD) supporters gather during the electoral campaign closing event of Enrico Letta, secretary of PD, in Piazza del Popolo, ahead of the general election, in Rome, Italy, September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneSummary Italy's PD looking to recover after 2022 election defeatParty seeks ninth leader in just 16 yearsModerate regional president faces young left-wingerROME, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Italy's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) will chose a new leader this weekend who it hopes can pull the group out of a tail spin and provide a credible challenge to the nationalist prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. PD supporters will have to pick between two starkly different candidates who offer opposing views on how to revive the party after a string of crushing election defeats. He promotes himself as a sound administrator and proven vote winner, who would seek cross-party alliances to defeat the ruling right-wing coalition. Makeshift voting booths are being set up across the country and PD officials hope at least a million people take part.

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