Former Archbishop of Santa Fe Michael Sheehan, who served from 1993 to 2015, dies at 83
June 4, 2023 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Retired Archbishop Michael Sheehan, who served the Archdiocese of Santa Fe for 22 years, has died. He was 83.
Sheehan died Saturday, but a cause of death wasn’t disclosed, Leslie Radigan, a spokesperson for the archdiocese, said.
Italian media say border police are under investigation over shipwreck that killed 94 migrants
June 2, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Three members of Italy’s border police force are under investigation for a suspected role in a shipwreck off the country’s southern coast this year that killed more than 90 migrants, Italian news outlets reported Friday.
Italy displays antiquities looted from Italian territory and recovered from London dealer
June 1, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Italy on Wednesday displayed hundreds of antiquities that had been looted from Italian territory and were recovered from a London antiquities dealer.
The 750 objects, which date from the 8th century B.C.
Italy, Nigeria and Brazil advance to Under-20 World Cup quarterfinals; Argentina, England out
May 31, 2023 GMTBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Italy, Nigeria, Colombia and a 10-man Brazil lineup advanced to the quarterfinals of the Under-20 World Cup on Wednesday.
Host Argentina lost 2-0 to Nigeria in front of almost 30,000 fans in San Juan, ending an unlikely campaign for the home team.
Europa League Champions
May 31, 2023 GMT2023 — Sevilla (Spain)
Israel’s Mossad says former agent was among 4 people who died when boat sank in Italy
May 31, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's intelligence agency said Wednesday that a retired agent was among four people killed in northern Italy when a sudden storm sank a houseboat hired for a weekend pleasure cruise on a lake.
4 dead after tourist boat capsizes in storm on Italian lake
May 29, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — A body was retrieved early Monday in a northern Italian lake by police divers, raising to four the final death toll in the capsizing of a tourist boat a day earlier during a sudden, violent storm that included a whirlwind.
German airline Lufthansa signs deal for minority stake in Italy’s struggling ITA Airways
May 25, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — German airline Lufthansa on Thursday signed a deal with the Italian government for a 41-percent minority share in the long-struggling ITA Airways, formerly Alitalia.
Italy, France move to heal diplomatic spat over migration with French foreign minister’s visit
May 25, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Thursday in Rome with his French counterpart just weeks after canceling a visit to Paris in protest of a French minister's criticism of Italy’s migration policy.
Italy OKs aid mega-package for flooded north, with museum ticket surcharge to help pay for it
May 23, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — The Italian government on Tuesday approved more than 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in aid for the flood-stricken region of Emilia-Romagna in the north, including for farmers and business owners in one of the country's most productive regions.
Curator of Africa-themed Venice Biennale denounces Italy’s denial of visas to 3 Ghanaians
May 18, 2023 GMTVENICE, Italy (AP) — The curator of this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale on Thursday denounced Italy’s denial of visas to three Ghanaian men who worked with her on the main exhibition giving voice to Africans and the African diaspora.
IMOLA, Italy (AP) — This weekend's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in northern Italy was canceled Wednesday because of deadly floods in the region.
ROME (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had private talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, later saying he sought support for Ukraine's peace plan from the pontiff, who in the past has offered to try to help end the full-scale war launched by Russia a year ago.
Pope joins Meloni in urging Italians to have more kids, not pets
May 12, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Pope Francis joined Italy’s conservative premier on Friday in encouraging Italians to have more children, denouncing the financial precariousness facing young couples and “selfish, egotistical” choices that have led to a record low birth rate that is threatening the country’s economic future.
Van carrying oxygen tanks explodes in Milan; driver injured
May 11, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — A van that was transporting oxygen tanks to a nearby medical facility exploded in the center of the Italian city of Milan on Thursday, forcing the evacuation of a school and residential apartment buildings.
Greenpeace sues Italian energy company ENI over climate change; ENI says lawsuit is ‘groundless’
May 10, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Greenpeace and an environmental coalition including 12 Italian citizens are suing Italian energy company ENI, accusing it of knowingly contributing to climate change.
The complaint names ENI as well as its two biggest shareholders, the Italian Economy Ministry and the Italian state lender and public investment bank, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.
Italy smashes cross-border migrant smuggling ring
May 10, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Italian police on Wednesday arrested 29 suspected smugglers as they smashed a transnational operation that for years brought migrants illegally into Italy by sea and then moved them overland into northern Europe, authorities said.
Italy begins to reckon with Fascist-era colonial collections
May 10, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — For decades, Italy has worked to recover ancient Roman-era statues, Etruscan vases and other treasures that were looted from its soil and sold to museums around the world. Now, the country is coming to terms with the fact that it, too, has stolen loot in its museum collections: the relics of a brutal colonial empire in North Africa that it hasn’t fully reckoned with.
Champions League Glance
May 9, 2023 GMTBotticelli’s Venus is an ‘influencer’ and Italy is not happy
May 6, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — The Italian tourism ministry thought it had a sure-fire way to bring travelers into the country: turning a 15th century art icon into a 21st century “virtual influencer.”
The digital rendition of Venus, goddess of love, based on Sandro Botticelli’s Renaissance masterpiece “Birth of Venus,” can be seen noshing on pizza and snapping selfies for her Instagram page.
Italian ex-leader Conte attacked by man protesting lockdowns
May 5, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — Former Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has been physically attacked during an official appearance in Tuscany by a man protesting against Italy’s lockdowns and other measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Italian media reported Friday.
Italian minister scraps trip over French official’s remarks
May 4, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Thursday abruptly canceled a trip to Paris, calling “unacceptable” remarks by the French interior minister criticizing the Italian premier’s migration policy.
Germany, Italy clamp down on Italian mob with raids, arrests
May 4, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Police across Europe arrested dozens of people, raided homes and seized millions of euros in assets on Wednesday, in a coordinated crackdown on Italy’s ’ndrangheta organized crime syndicate, one of the world’s most powerful, extensive and wealthy drug-trafficking groups.
Severe flooding in Italy kills 2; drought persists
May 4, 2023 GMTMILAN (AP) — A day and a half of nonstop rain has caused caused flooding in Italy’s populous Emilia-Romagna region, leaving at least two people dead as riverbeds left dry by drought overflowed their banks.
Pompeii chariot stars in Rome exhibit probing ancient roots
May 3, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — A meticulously reconstructed Pompeii bridal chariot that eluded the ancient city’s modern-day looters is a star of an ambitious new exhibition in Rome, which invites viewers to reflect on today's connections with classical Roman and Greek civilizations.
OpenAI: ChatGPT back in Italy after meeting watchdog demands
April 28, 2023 GMTChatGPT's maker said Friday that the artificial intelligence chatbot is available again in Italy after the company met the demands of regulators who temporarily blocked it over privacy concerns.
Italy returns ancient stele, illegally exported, to Turkey
April 28, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Italy on Friday returned to Turkish authorities a funerary stele, dating from the second century and carrying a loving inscription to the dead woman's spouse, after investigation determined that it was illegally excavated from southeastern Turkey.
Italy ends probe of alleged aid to pro-Russia politicians
April 28, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Milan prosecutors have dropped their investigation of Italian lobbyists who allegedly sought Russian funding for right-wing leader Matteo Salvini’s pro-Moscow party.
State TV said investigators concluded that they had no grounds to continue the probe into alleged illegal party financing involving three Italians, including a close associate of Salvini, the leader of the League party, a coalition partner in Italy’s right-wing government.
Suspected smuggler in deadly shipwreck sent back to Italy
April 28, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Austrian authorities on Friday handed over to Italy one of the suspected smugglers of the boat which capsized in February off southern Italy in a tragedy that killed 92 migrants, Italian police said.
Sunak says UK, Italy ‘aligned’ as he meets far-right Meloni
April 27, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that Britain and Italy are “very aligned” in values as he welcomed far-right Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday for talks focused on migration, defense and the war in Ukraine.
Italy’s Meloni urges quick start of Ukraine’s EU entry talks
April 26, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday urged European allies to accelerate Ukraine's European Union membership bid, as Rome hosted a bilateral conference on the war-torn country's reconstruction attended by hundreds of Italian and Ukrainian businesses.
Dutch court bars return of African migrants to Italy
April 26, 2023 GMTTHE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands' top administrative court ruled Wednesday that immigration authorities can't send migrants back to Italy, because they face possible human rights violations there — a decision that will likely put further pressure on the strained Dutch asylum system.
Italy’s Meloni calls for unity on Liberation Day anniversary
April 25, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday called for unity among political forces in celebrating the 78th anniversary of the liberation from the Nazis and their fascist allies on April 25, 1945.
Over 1,000 migrants reach Italian isle; 23 reported missing
April 25, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — With the return of calm seas, migrant smugglers launched dozens of boats from Tunisia during the weekend and some 1,200 people ended up on a tiny Italian island while several were reported missing at sea, the Italian Coast Guard said Monday.
Fatal beating of psychiatrist in Italy sparks reforms outcry
April 24, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — The fatal beating of a hospital psychiatrist, allegedly by a former patient, has sparked calls in Italy to improve mental health care.
Police on Sunday arrested a 35-year old Italian man for investigation in the attack on Dr.
Lack of snow condemns Italy’s Po to a desperately dry summer
April 24, 2023 GMTTRENTO, Italy (AP) — Italy’s largest river is already as low as it was last summer, with the winter snow fields that normally save it from drying up over the warmer months having receded by 75%, according to the Bolzano climate and environment agency.
Diplomats flee Sudan fighting as citizens struggle to escape
April 24, 2023 GMTKHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Foreign governments evacuated diplomats, staff and others from Sudan on Sunday as rival generals battled for a ninth day with no sign of a truce that had been declared for a major Muslim holiday.
Europa League Glance
April 20, 2023 GMTAjax (Netherlands) 0, Union Berlin (Germany) 0
Italian justice minister blames court for Russian’s escape
April 20, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Italy’s justice minister insisted Thursday his office bore no responsibility for the escape of a Russian businessman wanted by the United States, and blamed Milan judicial authorities for having released him to house arrest despite a flood of U.S.
Juventus up to 3rd after 15-point penalty suspended
April 20, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Juventus had a 15-point penalty suspended on Thursday, lifting the storied Italian team up to third in Serie A and right in the mix for a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Following a three-hour hearing the previous day, the case has now been referred back to the soccer federation’s appeals court and Juventus has been handed back the points pending the new trial.
EU lawmakers approve migration plan, set clock ticking
April 20, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — European Union lawmakers on Thursday approved a series of proposals aimed at ending the yearslong standoff over how best to manage migration, a conundrum that has provoked one of the bloc’s biggest political crises.
Champions League Glance
April 20, 2023 GMTBenfica (Portugal) 0, Inter Milan (Italy) 2
Champions League Glance
April 20, 2023 GMTBenfica (Portugal) 0, Inter Milan (Italy) 2
Champions League Glance
April 19, 2023 GMTJuventus awaits verdict in appeal of 15-point penalty
April 19, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Juventus and the rest of Serie A will have to wait until Thursday at the earliest for the verdict of the Bianconeri's appeal against a 15-point penalty for false accounting.
Italy’s highest sports court adjourned on Wednesday evening after a three-hour hearing without announcing a decision, although it seems increasingly likely Juventus will be given the points back pending another trial.
Champions League Glance
April 19, 2023 GMTChampions League Glance
April 18, 2023 GMTItaly’s contested bid to crack down on migrants sparks flap
April 18, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Bogged down by leftist opposition amendments, Italy's Senate on Tuesday delayed the start of a debate on the right-wing government's contested immigration crackdown, while a minister's warning to Italians about “ethnic substitution" triggered anger.
Italy captures killer bear amid debate on her fate
April 18, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Authorities in northern Italy captured a bear that fatally mauled a runner and became the focus of a battle over what to do with Italy’s growing Alpine brown bear population that was once nearly extinct but has rebounded thanks to a European Union-funded project.
Italy pushes crackdown on migrants reaching its shores
April 17, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Italy's right-wing government pressed ahead with plans to crack down on migrants as they arrived by the hundreds on Monday at a Sicilian port after a coast guard rescue. Dozens more were taken on board a charity boat from an unseaworthy vessel operated by smugglers, while others came ashore unaided.
Pope slams ‘insinuations’ against John Paul II as baseless
April 16, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday publicly defended St. John Paul II, condemning as “offensive and baseless” insinuations that recently surfaced about the late pontiff.
Archeologists in Italy unearth ancient dolphin statuette
April 15, 2023 GMTROME (AP) — Excavations in southern Italy have unearthed terracotta bull heads and a figurine of the Greek god Eros riding a dolphin, shining new light on the religious life and rituals of an ancient city, culture ministry officials said Saturday.