Central News Hub

Tag: ITALY

  • Rise in Chinese police stations across world, Italy hosts highest

    Rise in Chinese police stations across world, Italy hosts highest

    In a report published on Monday, the civil rights group said it had identified 48 additional stations, 11 of which are in Italy….reports Asian Lite News

    Italy hosts the highest number of unofficial Chinese “police stations” out of a network of more than 100 around the world, a report by a Spanish civil rights group has claimed.

    Milan was allegedly used by two local Chinese public security authorities as a European testing ground for a policing strategy to monitor the Chinese population abroad and force dissidents to return home, the Guardian quoted the report by the Madrid-based Safeguard Defenders as saying.

    Safeguard Defenders reported in September that 54 such stations allegedly existed around the world, prompting police investigations in at least 12 countries including Canada, Germany and the Netherlands.

    In a report published on Monday, the civil rights group said it had identified 48 additional stations, 11 of which are in Italy.

    Other newly identified stations were in Croatia, Serbia and Romania, it said.

    The Italian stations are in Rome, Milan, Bolzano, Venice, Florence, Prato — a town near Florence that hosts the largest Chinese community in Italy — and Sicily, reports the Guardian.

    China has said the offices are merely “service stations” set up to assist Chinese citizens with bureaucratic procedures such as renewing a passport or driving licence.

    The investigation carried out by Safeguard Defenders was based on publicly available Chinese statements and data, and was limited to stations established by local Chinese public security authorities in countries where there is a large Chinese community.

    Safeguard Defenders claimed that while the stations were not directly run by Beijing, “some statements and policies are starting to show a clearer guidance from the central government in encouraging their establishment and policies”.

    The civil rights group alleges that the unofficial police stations are used by China to “harass, threaten, intimidate and force targets to return to China for persecution”.

    The group says it has evidence of intimidation, as opposed to the official channel of extradition, being used to force people home fromItaly, including against a factory worker accused of misappropriation who returned to China after 13 years in Italy and disappeared without a trace, the Guardian reported.

    ALSO READ: China’s ‘Blank-Page Revolution’ draws global attention

  • Italy’s inflation reaches nearly 40-yr high in October

    Italy’s inflation reaches nearly 40-yr high in October

    The main driver behind the price increase was the rising energy costs sparked by the Russia-Ukraine war…reports Asian Lite News

    Prices in Italy jumped by 11.9 per cent in October compared to the same month a year ago, the highest in nearly four decades, according to provisional data released by the National Statistics Institute (ISTAT).

    The figure was 3 percentage points above the then-record 8.9-per cent of annual inflation in September, and it was the highest since 1983 in Italy.

    It was also the first time that the country’s inflation experienced double digits since Italy’s adoption of the euro currency in 1999.

    The main driver behind the price increase was the rising energy costs sparked by the Russia-Ukraine war, ISTAT said on Friday.

    But even the “core” inflation rate — which excludes energy and food costs given their susceptibility to international market forces — rose by 5.3 per cent in October.

    Costs for services less susceptible to energy-related factors were still higher in October, up 3.7 per cent compared to a year earlier.

    Local media reports said that the record-setting inflation rate helped to illustrate the tough economic climate that the newly-installed government, led by Giorgia Meloni, is facing.

    Meloni, who was sworn in as prime minister on Saturday, has vowed to curb energy prices and overall inflation in the coming months.

    “It is mostly energy goods, whether regulated or unregulated, that explain the extraordinary acceleration of inflation,” ISTAT said in a statement.

    “Prices for food goods also continued to accelerate to paint a picture of inflationary pressures that ran through almost all product sectors; only recreational, cultural, and personal care sectors are withstanding the trend,” it added.

    ALSO READ: Anti-NATO Protest erupt in France, Germany

  • Far-right Meloni named Italy’s first woman PM

    Far-right Meloni named Italy’s first woman PM

    It won 26 percent of the vote last month, compared to eight and nine percent respectively for her allies Forza Italia and the far-right League…reports Asian Lite News

    Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as Italian prime minister on Saturday, to become the first woman to head a government in Italy.

    Meloni took the oath before President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, once home to popes and kings of Italy.

    Her post-fascist Brothers of Italy party — Eurosceptic and anti-immigration — won the Sept 25 legislative polls but needed outside support to form a government.

    Meloni’s appointment is an historic event for the eurozone’s third largest economy and for Brothers of Italy, which has never been in government.

    It won 26 percent of the vote last month, compared to eight and nine percent respectively for her allies Forza Italia and the far-right League.

    Meloni’s list of 24 ministers, including six women, revealed a desire to reassure Italy’s partners. She named Giancarlo Giorgetti as economy minister, who served under the previous government of Mario Draghi.

    Giorgetti, a former minister of economic development, is considered one of the more moderate, pro-Europe members of Matteo Salvini’s League.

    Meloni also named ex-European Parliament president Antonio Tajani, of Forza Italia, as foreign minister and deputy prime minister. Salvini will serve as deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure and transport.

    That appointment is likely to disappoint Salvini, who wanted Meloni to give him the role of interior minister again after he previously held the post between 2018 and 2019.

    The position went instead to a technocrat, Rome prefect Matteo Piantedosi. A formal ceremony for the handover of power from Draghi to Meloni will take place on Sunday before the premier leads the first cabinet meeting.

    European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Meloni on her appointment. “I count on and look forward to constructive cooperation with the new government on the challenges we face together,” she tweeted on Saturday, while European Parliament speaker Roberta Metsola tweeted in Italian that “Europe needs Italy”. US President Joe Biden congratulated Meloni and called Italy a “vital Nato ally and close partner.”

    ALSO READ-Boris back in London to launch leadership bid

  • Algeria to increase gas supply to Italy

    Algeria to increase gas supply to Italy

    In 2021, the North African country exported 21.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Italy…reports Asian Lite News

    Algerian state-owned energy giant Sonatrach plans to increase its gas supply to Italy in the coming months, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

    With 17.8 billion cubic meters of gas already delivered in 2022, Italy “will still receive an additional 10 billion cubic meters of gas” in the next months, with the total supply exceeding 25 billion cubic meters by the end of the year, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the ministry statement.

    In 2021, the North African country exported 21.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Italy.

    With such deliveries, Algeria has been “honoring its commitments with Italy,” thus “consolidating its position as the leading gas supplier to this southern European country,” the statement noted.

    During his visit to Algeria’s capital Algiers on July 18, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi hailed Algeria as a “key” energy partner of his country.

    ALSO READ-Algeria, France vow to examine colonial past

  • 10 killed due to flash floods in Italy

    10 killed due to flash floods in Italy

    Rescue officials said the four missing people included an eight-year-old boy…reports Asian Lite News

    At least 10 people were killed and four others remain unaccounted for after flash floods hit the Marche region in Italy, creating what a local mayor described as an “apocalyptic situation”.

    Violent thunderstorms shook Marche and the surrounding areas on Thursday and Friday, sparking flash floods that uprooted trees, destroyed homes and swept away vehicles.

    Rescue officials said the four missing people included an eight-year-old boy.

    According to Carlo Manfredi, mayor of Castelleone di Suasa town, one of the areas hit hardest by the flooding, the boy was lost after he and his mother had escaped the approaching floodwaters from their car.

    Manfredi said the mother survived, but the boy was swept away from her arms. Also missing late on Friday were a 17-year-old girl and her mother, aged 56. The authorities did not disclose information about the fourth missing person.

    According to accounts on social media, dozens of other people managed to escape the floods by climbing onto rooftops or trees.

    According to news reports, at least six months’ worth of rain fell in some areas in the span of a few hours.

    Severe property damage was reported across Marche and in the neighbouring region of Tuscany, with heavy rainfall also reported in Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio in central Italy and in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy and Liguria in northern Italy.

    President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi issued statements of solidarity with the residents of the hard-hit areas.

    Draghi on Friday said that the region would receive the financial support needed to repair the damage and to set up temporary housing for those displaced by the tragedy.

    So far this year, the weather in Italy has been the most extreme on record.

    The summer was unusually hot and dry, with water levels of the country’s rivers dropping to historic lows, reducing agricultural output by a third or more.

    The Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council said in August that 2022 was expected to be the hottest year since records began in 1800.

    In July, a massive glacier in the Dolomite Mountains collapsed, killing 11 people and severely injuring eight others.

    Last month, violent thunderstorms ravaged parts of northern Italy, causing flooding and mudslides causing large-scale property damage.

    ALSO READ: WHO Europe urges countries to take long Covid seriously

  • UN, Italy team up to refurbish Beirut

    UN, Italy team up to refurbish Beirut

    The agreement, which is estimated to be worth 2.3 million euros ($2.37 million)…reports Asian Lite News

    An Italian agency and the UN have signed a two-year agreement to repair the Mar Mikhael railway station in the Lebanese capital of Beirut and the housing units damaged by the 2020 blasts at the Beirut port.

    The agreement, which is estimated to be worth 2.3 million euros ($2.37 million), was signed between the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) on Wednesday.

    Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Nicoletta Bombardiere, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Italian agency, said the project “will allow people in Beirut to re-discover the old train station of Mar Mikhael and its historical relevance”.

    She added that Italy would remain committed to responding to Lebanese people’s basic needs, such as social housing, and restoring the cultural and social fabric of the neighbourhoods affected by the blasts, which killed more than 200 people and wounded more than 6,000 others on August 4, 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.

    For her part, Taina Christiansen, Head of UN-Habitat Lebanon Country Programme, said the UN body would work with Italy to rehabilitate the Mar Mikhael train station and provide adequate housing for those who were affected by the blasts.

    ALSO READ: Algeria, Italy agree to boost energy ties

  • Italian PM Mario Draghi resigns amid political crisis

    Italian PM Mario Draghi resigns amid political crisis

    Mattarella had asked him to remain as caretaker leader until early elections, expected this autumn…reports Asian Lite News

    Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi officially resigned on Thursday after he failed to revive his coalition government, putting an end to his national unity government after 17 months in office.

    Draghi told President Sergio Mattarella that he failed to reunite his coalition government as three parties in his government refused to back him in a confidence vote on Wednesday, BBC reported.

    Mattarella had asked him to remain as caretaker leader until early elections, expected this autumn.

    Draghi, 74, was dubbed Super Mario for his handling of the eurozone crisis as head of the European Central Bank.

    However, a week ago, one of the parties in his government refused to back his economic package prompting a political crisis.

    ALSO READ-EU Renews Support to Ukraine

  • Algeria, Italy agree to boost energy ties

    Algeria, Italy agree to boost energy ties

    The visit of Draghi focused on finalizing deals to increase Algerian natural gas supply to Italy to replace the possible cut of Russian gas supply…reports Asian Lite News

    Algeria and Italy on Monday signed 16 cooperation agreements in energy and other fields during Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s one-day visit.

    Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune held a meeting with Draghi and the two sides signed 16 agreements in the fields of hydrocarbons and renewable energy, investment, pharmaceutical industry, scientific research and so on.

    “Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will sign a 4-billion-U.S. dollar deal with Occidental, Eni and TotalEnergies, which will allow supplying Italy with a large quantity of Algerian natural gas,” said Tebboune at a joint press briefing, stressing the commitment between the two countries to pursuing energy cooperation.

    The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues, as well as global food security, he added.

    For his part, the Italian prime minister said that Algeria is a “key” country for Italy in the field of energy, stressing that the two countries have to strengthen their friendly ties in a bid to face several common challenges.

    He noted that over the recent months, Algeria has become the main gas supplier for Italy.

    The visit of Draghi focused on finalizing deals to increase Algerian natural gas supply to Italy to replace the possible cut of Russian gas supply.

    On Friday, Algeria announced that it would increase its gas exports to Italy by 4 billion cubic meters. The Algerian energy giant Sonatrach will ensure the delivery of the additional natural gas shipment to its Italian partners, including Eni, according to the official Algeria Press Service.

    Algeria has already delivered 13.9 billion cubic meters of gas to Italy so far in 2022. In 2021, the North African country exported 21.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Italy.

    ALSO READ-ALGERIA@60

  • Italy Leader Lauds Palestine Ties

    Italy Leader Lauds Palestine Ties

    Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye on Tuesday discussed with his visiting Italian counterpart Mario Draghi the unilateral Israeli actions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem…reports Asian Lite News

    “We discussed the daily Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the expansion of Israeli settlements, the Israeli settlers’ assaults on Palestinians,” Ishtaye told a joint news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

    He noted that the Venice Declaration called for the acknowledgment of the Palestinians’ right of self-determination.

    The Venice Declaration was an agreement issued by the European Economic Community, seen as the predecessor of the European Union, after its meeting with the Palestinian Liberation Organization in June 1980.

    The Palestinian prime minister also called on Italy “to protect the two-state solution and save it from destruction by unilateral Israeli measures.”

    For his part, Draghi said his visit to Palestine shows “Italy is committed to the peace process” between Israelis and Palestinians.

    ALSO READ:Italy backs Finland-Sweden NATO bid, Turkey says no

    “Peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis must be resumed to restore confidence. There is a need to work to reduce tension at all levels,” he noted.

    The last round of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, brokered by the United States, collapsed in April 2014 because of continuing Israeli expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories in the West Bank occupied by Israel in 1967.

    Palestine and Italy also signed six development cooperation agreements worth 16.6 million euros to support health, tourism, employment, statistics, and the private sector in Palestine.

  • EU Seeks Deal on Israeli Gas

    EU Seeks Deal on Israeli Gas

    Israel, Italy discuss Israeli gas exports to Europe. Bennett’s office said in a separate statement that the leaders talked about boosting Israeli gas exports to Europe in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine.

    Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday held talks with visiting Italian counterpart Mario Draghi to discuss a deal on exporting Israel’s natural gas to Europe.

    They discussed “the cooperation necessary to ensure that Israel’s natural gas can also be used in Europe,” which is “good news for Israel, Italy and Europe,” Bennett said in a joint statement issued by the two sides.

    The two leaders held a private meeting followed by an expanded meeting between Israeli and Italian officials with the participation of Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar.

    Bennett’s office said in a separate statement that the leaders talked about boosting Israeli gas exports to Europe in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine.

    “They discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Israel and Italy, the implications of the war in Ukraine, ways to deal with the global food crisis, and possibilities for cooperation in energy, especially in light of the potential for exporting natural gas to Europe via Egypt,” the statement said.

    The talks were part of a recent bid by the European Union to strengthen its energy cooperation with Israel in an attempt to decrease its dependence on Russian oil and gas.

    ALSO READ:Israel raised travel warning for Istanbul over possible attacks by Iran

    Earlier on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is also visiting Israel, said in a speech at the Ben Gurion University in the southern city of Beer Sheva that the EU is “exploring ways to step up our energy cooperation with Israel.”

    She said that the bilateral cooperation includes the work on an underwater power cable and a natural gas pipeline in the eastern Mediterranean.

    Biden in the ME

    U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Saudi Arabia next month and take part in a summit with leaders from Gulf and Arab countries, the Saudi Royal Court announced .

    During the visit, which is set to take place on July 15 and 16, Biden will meet with Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation as well as joint efforts to address regional and global challenges, according to a statement from the Royal Court.

    He will also attend a joint summit with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as the King of Jordan, the president of Egypt, and the prime minister of Iraq.

    The visit aims to enhance the bilateral historic relations and strategic partnership between the two countries, the statement said.