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Italy allows migrant boat to dock but many remain stranded

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After spending a week at sea, migrants from one of four rescue boats that Italy had barred from docking have been let to disembark, according to the charity that runs the vessel. On the Rise Above, 89 persons in total were permitted to set foot on land.

However, although Rome promises to stop irregular migrants from crossing the Mediterranean, individuals are still on three additional rescue boats. Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, has stated that she wants to prohibit human traffickers from “deciding who enters Italy.” Her right-wing administration has come under fire for refusing the rescue boats safe harbour.

But Chiara Cardoletti, the UN refugee commissioner’s representative in Italy, said that Italy had been on the front line of the migrant crisis for too long and she called on the European Union to find a common strategy.

“We appreciate what Italy has done by allowing boats to enter territorial waters, allowing children, women and people with medical problems to disembark,” she told the BBC. “Italy cannot be left alone, the European Union must step forward and find appropriate and faster solutions.”

On Monday, three people leapt into the water from the Geo Barents after being refused permission to disembark in the Sicilian port of Catania. They were among about 250 migrants told to remain on two boats in Catania after officials deemed them “healthy”.

The Rise Above is operated by the German nonprofit Mission Lifeline, which released a statement in which it expressed its “relief that the rescued persons are finally safe on land” at Reggio Calabria, on the Italian mainland, a short distance from Sicily. 89 people disembarked, with several of them being characterised as minors.

Authorities claimed to the Italian media that they were let to go because, in contrast to the two boats parked in Sicily, they had been picked up in a’save and rescue’ (SAR) incident in the Mediterranean.

The nonprofit organisation denounced the “undignified political game” that had left them adrift. Italian reports claim that the Rise Above’s crew has not yet been able to disembark.

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Italy stops adult male migrants from disembarking

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35 men have been unable to disembark from a migrant ship that has been demanding entry to an Italian port for two weeks due to Italy’s new far-right government.

In Sicily, passengers with disabilities and minors were permitted to disembark. One of four migrant-carrying ships awaiting approval to dock in Italy was the Humanity 1.

Giorgia Meloni, the next Italian prime minister, has vowed to crack down on migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. According to the UN, 85,000 migrants have arrived on boats in Italy since the year began, one of the main access routes into Europe. Many of the migrants embark on their journey in small boats and are saved by relief ships.

On Sunday morning, 144 individuals in total were permitted to disembark the Humanity 1, which flies the German flag. The “flag state” should look after those who do not “qualify” as vulnerable, according to Matteo Piantedosi, the interior minister of Italy.

The refugees’ attitude is particularly gloomy, according to the charity that operates the ship: “One individual just had a breakdown,” Petra Krischok of SOS Humanity told the AFP news agency. According to the charity, it is against international law to stop those in need of assistance from disembarking.

While three further ships carrying about 900 people have also asked to enter an Italian port, they have not yet been permitted to dock.

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Giorgia Meloni: Italy’s new PM takes aim at migrant boats in debut speech

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Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s new far-right leader, emphasised her goal to stop migrant boats from crossing the Mediterranean in her first speech to MPs. She reiterated her campaign promise to stop boats leaving North Africa for Italy, saying, “We must end illicit departures and human trafficking.”

Italy has always served as a hub for unauthorised immigrants travelling to Europe. This year, more than 77,000 people have attempted the extremely risky crossing into Italy, placing stress on nearby communities. The Brothers of Italy party is led by Ms. Meloni, 45, who was elected as leader of a right-wing alliance.

She addressed the lower house of parliament, “We do not seek in any way to dispute the right to asylum for individuals escaping wars and persecutions. In terms of immigration, what we want to accomplish is make it impossible for people traffickers to choose who gets into Italy.

She referred to herself as a “underdog” and acknowledged the responsibility of becoming the first female leader of her nation while paying thanks to the many Italian women who had come before her in “breaking this ultimate glass ceiling.”

She was greeted with a standing ovation and cries of “Giorgia, Giorgia”.

Even though the Meloni government was only sworn in on Saturday, it has already reverted to a stance taken in 2018–19 by one of its parties, the far-right League.

Matteo Piantedosi, the new interior minister, threatened to restrict ports to two rescue boats carrying hundreds of migrants just before the prime minister spoke, claiming that the Ocean Viking and Humanity1 were breaking the law.

Mr. Piantedosi was instrumental in the prior policy that forbade migrant-carrying rescue boats from arriving in Italian ports. That ultimately led to the League’s leader, Matteo Salvini, facing charges of kidnapping and obstructing the arrival of the rescue vessel Open Arms transporting 147 migrants in Sicily in 2019.

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Italy votes as far-right Meloni looks for victory

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In an election that is being widely watched around Europe, Italians will decide whether to elect their most right-wing administration since World War Two. Giorgia Meloni, the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, is attempting to unite two other right-leaning parties in order to become the nation’s first female prime minister.

She dislikes being associated with Italy’s fascist past despite having softened her image. Up to 23:00, nearly 51 million Italians may use their right to vote (21:00 GMT). Long lines were observed at some polling places in Rome by lunchtime, when turnout had reached over 19%, a level similar to that of the previous election four years prior.

Enrico Letta, the leader of the center-left, was Ms. Meloni’s main opponent. Matteo Salvini, a supporter of the far-right, voted in Milan. There are 4.7 million foreign voters and 2.6 million first-time voters. When the polls close, exit polls will be released, and the results will be available hours later.

One voter hailed her “strong character,” while another claimed she had voted to keep the extreme right out, in the southern Rome neighbourhood of Garbatella, where the Brothers of Italy leader grew up. Emma stated, “I don’t want to win; it’s not who I want to win.”

Giorgia Meloni has toned down her rhetoric towards Europe and supports Western sanctions against Russia.

But she continues to support the old fascist adage, “God, fatherland, and family,” which was popularised by Benito Mussolini.

A unity administration led by Mario Draghi, a well-liked former head of the European Central Bank, governed Italy for a year and a half. One of the few party leaders who steadfastly declined to participate was Giorgia Meloni.

The primary goal of the Draghi administration was to implement the reforms that were agreed upon as part of the EU’s eye-watering €200 billion (£178 billion) in grants and loans for post-Covid recovery. Meloni wants those measures to be reviewed in light of the energy crisis because by July the administration had disintegrated. Additionally, she has expressed a desire to “protect” Italy’s national interests within the EU. It seems sense that many European leaders are anxiously monitoring this vote.

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Italy: Floods and rain kill at least 10 overnight – officials

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Authorities in Marche, Italy, reported that at least 10 people had perished as a result of nocturnal flash floods. Late on Thursday, torrential rain forced rivers and streams to overflow, flooding coastal towns near the regional capital of Ancona.

A half-worth year’s of rain, or about 400mm (16 inches), fell in a few of hours. Four more people, including a kid who was split up when a river burst its banks, are still missing and being sought for by rescuers. Local mayor Ludovico Caverni told the state-run RAI radio station that “it was like an earthquake.”

A mother who managed to leave her car while holding her infant in her arms reportedly lost sight of him after becoming submerged in water when the River Misa burst its banks.

Emergency personnel were able to save the woman over night, but several people remain unaccounted for, according to local media. In addition to the 10 confirmed fatalities, 50 additional patients were reportedly being treated in hospitals in Italy for hypothermia and other flood-related injuries.

More than 180 firefighters are helping with the rescue operations by removing residents who were compelled to scale trees or climb onto their roofs to flee the rising water overnight. Video reveals that some of the rescuers reached the stranded families using dinghy rafts and helicopters.

The neighbouring coastal areas were parched after an extremely dry summer and unable to absorb the massive amounts of water that were raining down.

Local officials claim that even though rain was predicted for the area, the accompanying flash floods completely caught everyone off guard.

According to Reuters, regional administrator for the Marche region Stefano Aguzzi told reporters, “We were given a regular rain alert, but nobody had expected anything like this.”

Weather forecasters claimed that a combination of two factors—unusual high temperatures in September and an ongoing drought throughout the summer—explained the intensity of the floods.

Due to the heat, the water was warmer than usual for the season, which increased the amount of moisture in the air. Because of the extreme summer drought, the land was unable to quickly absorb the rain that a storm later discharged as moisture.

Fears about the effects of climate change have increased as a result of unusually hot weather and low rainfall levels in northern Italy.

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Europe storms: Children among dead in France, Austria and Italy

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Areas of central and southern Europe have been blasted by strong storms that have killed at least 12 people, including three children. In Italy, Austria, and on the French island of Corsica, there were documented deaths, the majority of which were caused by fallen trees.

Campsites on the island were destroyed by strong winds and rain, while in Venice, Italy, stone was blown from the belltower of St. Mark’s Basilica. Following weeks of scorching and drought across much of the continent, the storms hit. Wind gusts of up to 224 km/h (140 mph) in Corsica destroyed trees and harmed mobile homes.

Authorities there said that a 13-year-old girl was murdered on a camping by a tree that fell.

Due to human-induced climate change, extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and storms, have gotten worse and more common in recent years.

Since the start of the industrial age, the world has already warmed by around 1.1C, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments drastically reduce emissions.

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Suspected bank robber rescued from tunnel near Vatican

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Police believe an Italian guy who was pulled from a collapsed tunnel not far from the Vatican may have been trying to tunnel his way into a bank. After firefighters spent eight hours pulling him out from beneath a road, he is now recovering in a hospital.

However, given that he and another man were both taken into custody by police for “resisting a public authority,” he may now need to bail himself out of even more trouble. He might have been a member of a gang trying to rob a bank, according to police speculation.

A police spokesman told the AFP news agency, “We are still investigating; we do not exclude that they are thieves, it is one of the ideas.

The two were also held for causing damage to public property. According to local media, the reason is obvious because the tunnel was discovered close to a bank just before the long weekend on August 15, when the majority of the city is empty.

The Corriere della Sera daily’s headline read, “The whole gang.”

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Domino’s: the fast food juggernaut departs from Italy, the birthplace of pizza

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According to sources, Domino’s Pizza’s final locations in Italy have been shut down as a result of the bankruptcy of the company that ran its locations there. According to Bloomberg, who broke the news, the pandemic affected franchise owner ePizza SpA.

Since its arrival in the pizza capital in 2015, Domino’s had had trouble attracting customers. Some social media users rejoiced at the news of the fast food giant’s departure from the nation. After being adversely affected by coronavirus restrictions, EPizza SpA initially declared bankruptcy in the beginning of April.

“The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent and prolonged restrictions from a financial point of view have seriously damaged ePizza,” the company said.

The business also said that as more conventional eateries began utilising delivery apps, competition was growing. The company received 90 days of creditor protection as part of the bankruptcy process. However, that defence expired last month.

Since its peak in 2020, the Italian company has already begun to reduce its operations, and deliveries ceased at the end of July. According to the bankruptcy records, as of 2020, the company operated 23 stores in Italy directly and six more through sub-franchising.

With more than 1,200 locations, the UK and Ireland is by far the largest Domino’s market in Europe. The largest pizza company in the world has more than 18,300 locations throughout more than 90 different countries, the majority of which are franchisee-run.

Domino’s set out to differentiate itself from the country’s traditional pizza producers seven years ago by offering a thorough home delivery service and a distinctive menu that featured US-style toppings like pineapple. Nevertheless, it encountered escalating competition during the epidemic as neighbourhood eateries joined services like Deliveroo and Just Eat for meal delivery.

Some social media users applauded the news that Domino’s was abandoning the birthplace of pizza.

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Rocco Morabito: Fugitive mobster handed over to Italy

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Mobster Rocco Morabito, one of Italy’s most wanted individuals, has arrived in Rome after being extradited from Brazil, where he had been hiding. Morabito, who was dubbed the “cocaine king of Milan,” was taken into custody by Brazilian and Italian police in May of last year during a combined operation.

The 55-year-old will spend 30 years in prison for distributing drugs. The mafia boss used a false identity while hiding underground in South America for decades. He was finally located by police last year in Joo Pessoa, a port city in northeastern Brazil, where he was detained alongside Vincenzo Pasquino, another Ndrangheta mafia member. Since then, Pasquino has been given a 17-year prison term for narcotics trafficking.

After decades of searching, Rocco Morabito has finally arrived in Rome. Rocco Morabito, who was raised in the Calabrian hamlet of Africo and has ties to mafia leader Giuseppe Morabito, rose to prominence within the ‘Ndrangheta, a vast criminal organisation that dominates much of the cocaine trade in Italy and worldwide.

Morabito established important cocaine smuggling routes from South America into Milan as a young man, quickly becoming known as a prolific drug dealer in the city.

He was well-dressed in double-breasted suits and frequently spotted mixing with the city’s jet set. Italian police immediately became aware of him and put him under surveillance.

He was seen trying to arrange arrangements to get more than a tonne of cocaine from South America into the country, but he quickly vanished. Police believe he eluded capture by travelling to Brazil, where he resided under the guise of Francisco Capeletto. From there, he moved to the neighbouring country of Uruguay, where he spent at least 13 years living in the tourist city of Punta del Este.

He was imprisoned for two years in 2019 while awaiting extradition to Italy until he and three other prisoners made their escape via a hole in the roof.

He was eventually located in a hotel in the city of Joo Pessoa in 2021 as part of a multinational police operation directed by Interpol with the goal of stopping the ‘Ndrangheta. His extradition to Italy was authorised last week by Brazil’s federal top court.

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Drought emergency declared in northern Italy

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In light of the worst drought in 70 years, Italy has declared an emergency in five northern districts around the Po River. To address the water scarcity, emergency funding totaling €36.5 million (£31 million; $38 million) will be allocated to Emilia-Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto.

According to the agricultural group Coldiretti, the drought puts more than 30% of Italy’s agricultural output in jeopardy. Water rationing has already been announced by a number of municipalities. Water problems in northern Italy have been made worse by unusually warm temperatures and minimal rainfall during the winter and spring.

The Italian government stated that “the state of emergency is intended to manage the current crisis with unprecedented means and powers.” If things didn’t get better, it threatened to take more action. Italy’s longest river, the Po, flows more than 650 kilometres eastward (404 miles).

Farmers in the Po Valley claim that crops are being destroyed by seawater that is now leaking into the river. Mario Draghi, the prime minister, travelled to the Dolomites on Monday, where a glacier fall left 13 people missing. He claimed there was “no doubt” that global warming contributed to the calamity.

On the Marmolada mountain, an avalanche brought on by the glacier’s disintegration resulted in at least seven fatalities and eight injuries.

Drones with thermal imaging capabilities are helping in the search for the missing, who also include a number of international nationals.

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