The Local

Ferocious storms and torrential rains that lashed France, Switzerland and Italy this weekend have left at least seven people dead, local authorities said on Sunday. ...

The European Union was expected to issue waings to France, Italy and several other govements over excessive spending after new budget rules came into force this year. ...

French national rail operator SNCF said on Wednesday it plaed to offer high-speed passenger services in neighbouring Italy from 2026, competing with rival Trenitalia on its home turf. ...

Italy pushes ahead with Messina Strait bridge project, Salvini's League breaks ties with Russia, warm weather on the way, and more news from around Italy on Wednesday. ...

Sardinia set to elect regional president, families of Cutro shipwreck victims plan to sue govement, and more news from around Italy on Tuesday. ...

Warm weather arrives for the end of January, parliament approves migrant deal with Albania, Udine bans more racist football fans, and more news from around Italy on Thursday. ...

Revelations about mafia boss Messina Denaro, a major fraud scheme uncovered, tax breaks for adopting dogs from shelters, and more news from around Italy on Friday. ...

Italy's iconic tricolour flag celebrates its 227th aiversary, the foreign minister calls for an EU army, a deadly avalanche, and more news from around Italy on Monday. ...

Pope Francis pictured during his weekly general audience. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP Pope Francis waed on Wednesday against the temptation of fake news, drawing a parallel between ethically compromised joualism and the biblical tale of Adam, Eve, the snake and the forbidden fruit. In his aual World Communication Day message held on the feast day of Francis de Sales, the patron saint of joualists, the Pope referred to Eve being fooled by the snake as "the first fake news"."We need to unmask what could be called the 'snake-tactics' used by those who disguise themselves in order to strike," he said. Fake news" was popularised as a phrase by Donald Trump during his victorious 2016 US ...

Police inspect a train between Milan and Paris. Photo: Piero Cruciatti/AFPFrench police discovered the partially bued body of a man on the roof of a train travelling from northe Italy to southe France. His body was found as the regional train arrived early on Sunday moing in Menton, in the south of France, its first stop after Ventimiglia station in Italy. Police suspect that the man climbed on top of the train to make the 15-minute jouey across the border and may have grabbed hold of an overhead electric line to avoid being thrown off. Passengers reported hearing three loud bangs and seeing flames, France Info reported. It is the fifth such incident on the cross-border train line in a year,...

Italy seen from space in October 2017. Photo: Paolo Nespoli/European Space Agency/AFP A lot has happened in Italy this year. We take a look back at the news stories that shaped Italy in 2017 – including some you may have missed. EXTREME WEATHER It was a tragic start to the year in Italy, with one of 2017’s biggest stories being the avalanche in Abruzzo in mid-January. A combination of heavy snowfall and successive earthquakes brought terror to areas still recovering from 2016’s deadly quakes, when a huge snowslide buried the Rigopiano hotel with guests and staff inside. A rescue helicopter en route to the avalanche site. Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP On the ...

A mountain rescue team in northe Italy on Wednesday found six people, dressed in jeans and gym shoes, attempting to cross a snow-covered pass in freezing temperatures. It was one of several such incidents in recent months, according to rescuers, who say the situation has reached “emergency level”. On Wednesday afteoon, members of CNSAS Piemonte – a voluntary mountain rescue organization in Piedmont –reached the group of six just below the Colle della Scala, an Alpine pass that coects north-west Italy with France, after they had walked for several kilometres in the snow. “They were visibly cold and poorly equipped, but they didn’t want to tu back so close to their ...

A newspaper kiosk in Milan. Photo: Jose Luis Hidalgo R/Flickr An Italian newspaper editor has been acquitted of wrongdoing over a headline printed after the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, which labelled the killers 'Islamic bastards'. Maurizio Belpietropublished the headline on the front page of centre-right Italian daily Libero the moing after the attacks in which 130 people were killed, including one Italian. A court in Milan, where the publication is based, has now acquitted the editor of insulting a religious belief, aggravated by racial hatred, under article 403 of the Italian criminal code. If found guilty, Belpietro could have faced a fine of thousands of euros. ...

Pope Francis is pictured through the branches of a Christmas Tree, addresses crowds at St Peter's Square. Photo: AFP AFP news@thelocal.it @thelocalitaly 10 December 2017 14:26 CET+01:00 Pope Francis on Sunday renewed a call for "wisdom and prudence" over US President Donald Trump's controversial decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which has sparked protests and clashes. "The Holy Father renews his appeal for the wisdom and prudence of everyone, and raises fervent prayers so that the leaders of nations, in this time of special gravity, commit themselves...

In this week's podcast we look at how Austria's govement could soon include an ex-Nazi party. How right wing could it get? We also ask Jessica Phelan in Rome whether northe Italy is really following Catalonia's lead towards independence. And after the Harvey Weinstein sex allegations, The Local France's Evie Burrows-Taylor explains how France is plaing to deal with men who assault women. With James Savage, Emma Löfgren and Paul O'Mahony. ...

Brexit & You will be your weekly guide to how the 27 remaining member states of the EU are preparing for the exit of one of the union's largest and most recalcitrant members. Every Friday, multilingual correspondent Alex Macbeth will bring you weekly news and reflections from around Europe. What we won't do is give you yet another take on the Brexit negotiations in Brussels (the latest roun...

Pope Francis is to tackle the rise of fake news in a bid to stop trolls and irresponsible media outlets fomenting hate. "I have chosen this theme for World Communications Day 2018: 'The truth will set you free'. Fake news and joualism for peace," he said on Twitter on Friday. Francis has repeatedly waed joualists of the weight of their responsibility in a world dominated by so...

France said on Tuesday it was ready to seek other buyers for its biggest shipyard should Italy refuse a 50-50 ownership split, before both countries pledged to find a solution next month. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, in Rome for talks, said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera dai...

France's biggest shipyard is about to be temporarily nationalised at a cost of €80 million. France will temporarily nationalise its biggest shipyard after failing to agree with its prospective Italian owner on a deal to share control of the site, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire aounced Thursday. ...

British newspaper The Sun labelled Naples as one of the world's ten most dangerous cities, alongside Isis-occupied Raqqa in Syria. Under the caption 'Bad World', the headline said the newspaper had revealed the world's ten most dangerous cities, "from drug cartel run hellholes to war-ravaged cities ...