Pope Francis apologised to the faithful for not being able to greet them and shake their hands as Italy posted a record spike in coronavirus infections that is threatening to once again spiral out of control. Instead of wading into the crowd to embrace the sick and kiss babies during his weekly general audience on […]
Continue ReadingA French minister on Wednesday accused Italy’s anti-immigration interior minister, Matteo Salvini, of behaving “like Pontius Pilate”, the Roman official who washed his hands of the fate of Jesus Christ. Relations between Paris and Rome have soured since Italy’s new government took office in June and immediately moved to close its ports to charity ships […]
Continue ReadingFormer Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon is helping to craft the curriculum for a leadership course at a right-wing Roman Catholic institute in Italy, stepping up his efforts to influence conservative thinking in the church. Benjamin Harnwell, director of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute based in a mountaintop monastery not far from Rome, told Reuters […]
Continue ReadingBritish singer and actor Sting called world leaders “half men and cowards” on Saturday for their inability to solve the refugee crisis. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already played down expectations of a breakthrough at hastily-arranged talks among EU leaders on Sunday on the migration dispute dividing Europe and threatening her own government. Austrian Vice […]
Continue ReadingItaly’s new government plans to carry out a census of the Roma community with an eye to kicking out anyone staying in the country illegally, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Monday. “Unfortunately we will have to keep the Italian Roma because we can’t expel them,” Salvini, who is head of the far-right League, told […]
Continue ReadingDozens of migrants bound for Italy are rescued off the Libyan coast by a Spanish volunteer rescue ship, including one boat that is in the middle of sinking. A dramatic rescue at sea. Migrants bound for Italy plucked out of the sea after their dingy sank off the Libyan coast. Later they sit safely aboard […]
Continue ReadingMigrant Numbers Dying in Crossings Highlights Human Catastrophe At least 700 migrants may have died at sea this past week in the busiest week of migrant crossings from Libya towards Italy this year, Medecins San Frontieres and the UN Refugee agency said on Sunday. About 14,000 have been rescued since Monday amid calm seas, and […]
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