Angela Giuffrida

Nuns from the Suore di Carità di Santa Maria order are contesting Spotorno’s decision to put their 50-metre beach concession, Bagni Gino Garrone, out to public tender. They have operated the resort since 1946, using proceeds to support an infant school and summer beach camp, but the municipality says the concession must be reclassified and opened to competition under Italian and EU rules. The nuns warn that a free-equipped-beach model would reduce income and threaten their charitable work. The tender is expected in autumn, ahead of Italy’s 30 June 2027 deadline to open private beach concessions to public bidding under the EU Bolkestein directive.

Successive heatwaves and severe drought have caused major agricultural losses across Europe, with vegetable, grain, livestock, egg, rice and wine production particularly affected. France expects its maize harvest to fall 35% from 2025 levels, while vegetable yields have declined sharply and shortages of hay are threatening winter livestock feed. Italy reports drought across about 60% of farmland, a 20% fall in milk production and more than €3bn in sector-wide damage, while Spain has recorded steep cereal losses and expects wine production to drop 20%. Governments are responding with financial aid, including €145m in immediate French support, but growers are calling for urgent and longer-term measures as climate-driven production risks intensify.

Wildfires across southern and western Europe have killed two elderly people on Greece’s Salamis island and a soldier in Spain’s Aragon region. Belgium is fighting its largest modern-era wildfire in the High Fens nature reserve near the German border, where about 3,000 hectares have burned and hundreds of residents have been evacuated. More than 250 firefighters, farmers, aircraft and helicopters from several European countries are supporting the response, while fires also affect Portugal, Croatia, Germany and France. Intense heat and human-caused climate change are contributing to increasingly severe wildfire conditions across the continent.

Around 400 residents were evicted from Rome’s Spin Time Labs after a minor fire and subsequent police safety measures, following the private owner’s refusal to accept the city council’s offer to purchase the building. More than 200 people, including elderly residents, people with health problems and children, remain in tents outside during an extreme heatwave; one child was hospitalized with breathing difficulties. Rome’s leftwing council and Caritas are seeking emergency accommodation, while Mayor Roberto Gualtieri criticized the failed negotiations. The eviction has intensified debate over Italy’s crackdown on squatted buildings, particularly amid criticism that the government has treated the neofascist CasaPound occupation differently.

Italy is placing all 27 cities monitored by its health ministry under the highest heat alert as the country’s fourth heatwave of the summer pushes temperatures toward 40C. Authorities have advised residents to avoid direct sunlight, remain indoors during the hottest hours, stay hydrated and take precautions around children and animals. The heat has been linked to at least four recent deaths, worsened drought conditions in the Po Valley, disrupted water supplies in more than 100 towns and harmed agriculture, including crop yields and milk production. Scientists attribute the increasingly intense and prolonged heatwaves to the human-caused climate crisis, while tourist cities are introducing cooling measures and extending evening access to cultural sites.

About 400 residents of Rome’s Spin Time Labs, including children, elderly people and people with disabilities, have spent a week in tents after a minor fire prompted police to evacuate and seal the occupied building. The centre has provided housing, food, childcare, migration assistance and other services since 2013, with support from Rome’s leftwing council and the Vatican. Giorgia Meloni’s government regards such occupations as linked to criminality and wants Spin Time evicted, although an order issued in 2020 was not carried out because of concerns about the social consequences. Rome officials and volunteers are providing emergency aid and considering buying the property, while residents and public figures demand their return or alternative accommodation.

Border controls between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta reportedly collapsed, allowing an estimated 50,000 people to attempt the crossing and causing dozens of deaths. Most arrivals were returned to Morocco, while about 2,500 remained in Ceuta. The territory is a heavily fortified EU land border with Africa and a recurring migration flashpoint. Spanish intelligence sources attributed the influx partly to a false social-media claim about asylum rules, while analysts suggested Morocco may have loosened surveillance to pressure Spain amid tensions involving Algeria and Western Sahara. Spain deployed military and police forces, and the crisis triggered divisions within the EU, including criticism from Italy’s far-right government and tighter French border controls.

At least 57 people died after as many as 50,000 to 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco within 24 hours, overwhelming the enclave and leaving thousands, including unaccompanied children, without shelter. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez blamed human-trafficking networks and announced reception, registration and expedited-expulsion measures, along with a buoy barrier near Tarajal beach. More than 48,300 people had returned voluntarily to Morocco by Friday evening. The incident triggered an EU political crisis: Italy announced a temporary suspension of its Schengen arrangements with Spain and several governments criticised Madrid, while the European Commission clarified that Ceuta and Melilla already have special rules preventing onward movement. France and EU leaders expressed solidarity with Spain, as Spain's opposition and far-right parties demanded a tougher response.

A Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crashed in an uninhabited area of eastern Poland after crossing Polish and NATO airspace, creating a large crater but causing no casualties. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the missile was likely Russian but probably was not aimed at Poland; NATO said it was in close contact with Warsaw and would take all necessary measures to defend its territory. European leaders condemned the incident and Russia’s strikes on Ukraine, while Ukraine offered assistance with the investigation and called for stronger air defences. The live coverage also reported deadly Russian attacks in Ukraine, record-severity wildfires across southern Europe, a mass attempted crossing into Spain’s Ceuta, and Brexit-related travel difficulties affecting an elderly Polish couple.

Pope Leo XIV says he regards himself primarily as the pope of a universal church who happens to be American, while expressing deep affection for the United States and its traditions of freedom, opportunity and welcoming immigrants. He discussed his family’s immigrant, enslaved and slave-owning roots, and reaffirmed his support for migrants while criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Tensions with Trump have also grown over the US-Israeli war against Iran. Leo has not accepted an invitation to visit the White House but hopes to travel to the United States soon.

Father Manuel Russo discovered an undated late-19th-century document in the San Marco convent’s Florence pharmacy archives describing a restorative wine elixir made with Bolivian coca leaves and kola nuts. Its ingredients resemble those used by John Pemberton in the 1886 Coca-Cola recipe, but there is no evidence that the Florentine friars’ potion influenced the American soft drink. The elixir was reportedly a popular treatment for fatigue until coca leaves were banned because of their cocaine content.

Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated from campsites, holiday villages and other tourist sites near Lacanau, west of Bordeaux, as renewed winds and extreme heat threatened France’s firefighting efforts. The Gironde fire has destroyed about 42,000 hectares, while other French fires remain active or have only recently been contained. In Spain, a wildfire death toll reached 14, and a blaze in Ávila became the country’s largest on record after burning roughly 50,000 hectares. European countries are supplying firefighting aircraft and helicopters, but officials warn that the continent may face fires into November. Experts attribute the worsening conditions to heat, drought, accumulated vegetation and climate change, while urging better land management, faster emissions reductions and timely evacuations.

Authorities in Torre del Greco, near Naples, seized 40 umbrellas, chairs, loungers and tables left unattended on a free-access beach to reserve spots overnight. The practice is prohibited under maritime public-domain regulations, and owners can face fines of up to €500 and difficulties recovering confiscated items. Similar operations have taken place in Puglia, Liguria and Sardinia amid broader efforts to preserve public access to Italy’s increasingly concession-dominated coastline.

Firefighters in France and Spain are racing to contain record-scale wildfires before temperatures rise again, with officials warning that the coming days will be critical. Fires near Bordeaux and Madrid have burned tens of thousands of hectares and forced hundreds of thousands of evacuations, while Italy, Portugal and Greece also confront major blazes. European authorities are deploying aircraft, helicopters and firefighting teams, but officials say hotter conditions, dry vegetation and rapidly spreading fires are exposing the limits of the continent’s preparedness. Leaders including Pedro Sánchez link the crisis to climate change, while the European Commission plans a broader adaptation strategy.

Firefighters in France and Spain are battling exceptionally large wildfires ahead of another prolonged heatwave expected to begin on Wednesday. The Gironde blaze near Bordeaux has burned about 42,000 hectares, forced roughly 220,000 evacuations and destroyed at least 240 homes, while fires in Spain have affected more than 170,000 hectares, including a record-scale blaze near Ávila. EU officials warn that the wildfire season could continue into early November and may surpass previous records, prompting the deployment of additional aircraft, helicopters and firefighting teams. Experts attribute the fires’ intensity to prolonged heat, dryness, wind and climate change, with pyrocumulonimbus “fire clouds” creating dangerous winds and lightning. Authorities are warning of further risks to lives, public health, firefighting operations and regional economies, particularly tourism and wine production around Bordeaux.

Italy’s governing coalition suffered a narrow parliamentary defeat on a key electoral reform amendment after dozens of its lawmakers voted against it, prompting opposition calls for early elections. Giorgia Meloni condemned the setback and acknowledged internal dissent, while opposition leaders argued the vote showed she had lost control. Coalition figures insisted the government would continue pushing for a proportional electoral model with bonus seats and played down the risk of collapse. Polls indicate an uncertain electoral outlook, with Meloni’s bloc trailing a leftwing alliance and facing competition from a new far-right party.

Rising prices at private Italian beach clubs have intensified disputes over bans on bringing packed lunches after a mother was reprimanded for homemade sandwiches at a Puglia resort. Beachgoers argue that high rental fees make restaurant spending unreasonable, while concession holders cite hygiene, waste and operational costs. Local officials stress that bringing food is legal, amid broader frustration over the cost of beach access, the growing share of coastline dominated by private concessions and the declining affordability of holidays. Grassroots groups continue pushing for better-maintained public beaches as an alternative.

Varenna on Lake Como introduced fines of €50 to €200 for tourists walking around shirtless or in swimwear in an effort to preserve local decorum and reduce strain from heavy visitor numbers. The village also limited tour groups to 25 people and banned loudspeakers. Local shop owners expressed support for the measures. Similar restrictions have been adopted in other Italian destinations, including Sorrento and Portofino, to manage overcrowding and maintain public order.

Prosecutors are investigating businessman and former journalist Valter Lavitola for allegedly commissioning a bomb attack outside the home of investigative reporter Sigfrido Ranucci near Rome. Four suspects were arrested last week for carrying out the October attack, which damaged cars belonging to Ranucci and his daughter but caused no injuries. Ranucci, long under police protection due to threats linked to his reporting on crime and corruption, expressed shock at Lavitola’s suspected involvement. Investigators have not determined a motive, though Lavitola allegedly paid several thousand euros to have the device planted. Ranucci’s work for Rai’s Report has frequently targeted government ministers and drawn political backlash, including accusations of interference under Giorgia Meloni’s administration.

The European Court of Human Rights ordered Italy to pay about €60,000 to Audrey Ubeda and her two children after authorities mishandled her allegations that her former partner repeatedly raped and abused her. A prosecutor had described overcoming women’s resistance to sex as normal, minimized an alleged knife threat and dismissed violence against the children as parental discipline. The court ruled that these remarks perpetuated sexist stereotypes, downplayed gender violence and contributed to further victimisation, while authorities also failed to conduct an effective investigation or provide adequate protection and housing. Ubeda’s former partner was later convicted and sentenced to four and a half years in prison, though he remains free while appealing.

Pope Leo XIV praised the United States' history of welcoming immigrants while urging the country to uphold the founding ideals of unity, justice and peace during its 250th anniversary. In a speech delivered from the Vatican, he implicitly rebuked Donald Trump’s immigration policies and highlighted the moral significance of migrant rights. Ahead of a symbolic visit to Lampedusa, Leo reaffirmed his opposition to the persecution of migrants and honored the legacy of Pope Francis. The trip underscores tensions between the Vatican and the Trump administration, with senior US officials criticizing the pope’s stance. Despite declining migrant arrivals in Italy, fatalities in the Mediterranean remain high, and humanitarian workers expressed hope that the visit will renew global attention to displaced people worldwide.

At least 21 people were killed and 85 injured in a major Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv, with damage reported at 30 locations, mostly residential buildings and civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that Ukraine would retaliate, while European leaders condemned the assault and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for further sanctions against Russia. The attack drove a record 52,500 people into Kyiv’s underground stations. The live coverage also reported stalled US-backed peace contacts, German allegations that Ukrainian state authorities ordered the 2022 Nord Stream sabotage, Vatican excommunication of Society of Saint Pius X members, airline concerns over EU fingerprint border checks, and extreme-heat warnings in Portugal and elsewhere in southern Europe.

The Vatican has declared the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) and Catholics who formally adhere to it to be in schism and automatically excommunicated after the group ordained four bishops without Pope Leo XIV’s consent. The decision reverses concessions made under Pope Francis, making confessions and marriages performed by SSPX priests invalid. The SSPX says the ordinations are a sacred duty to preserve Catholic tradition, while the Vatican views them as a grave schismatic act. Although the ceremony drew about 16,500 people and attracted far-right Italian groups, analysts expect the dispute to have limited impact on the wider Catholic Church, which has around 1.4 billion members.

A breakaway traditionalist Catholic group, the Society of Saint Pius X, ordained four bishops in Ecône, Switzerland, without papal approval, triggering automatic excommunication and marking a major challenge to Pope Leo’s efforts to maintain church unity. The Vatican denounced the consecrations as a schismatic act, while SSPX leaders justified the move as necessary to preserve tradition. The event drew far‑right political groups and highlighted the society’s international reach, reviving tensions not seen since similar illicit ordinations in 1988.

Pope Leo urges the Society of Saint Pius X to abandon plans to ordain bishops without Vatican approval, warning the act would constitute schism and lead to automatic excommunications. The SSPX rejects key Vatican II reforms and insists the ordinations are driven by necessity, refusing to alter its plans despite the pope’s appeals. The dispute threatens to deepen divisions between the Vatican and traditionalist Catholics, echoing past conflicts, including the 1988 excommunications over similar unauthorized consecrations.

A delegation of MEPs from the Greens/EFA group reported being obstructed during an inspection of Italy’s offshore migrant detention centre in Gjadër, Albania, raising suspicions about attempts to conceal poor conditions. Cristina Guarda highlighted severe heat, lack of information, restricted access to cells and multiple suicide attempts among detainees. Tineke Strik described the visit as disgraceful, while Cecilia Strada urged explanations from the Italian government and European Commission. The centres, part of Italy’s offshore migration processing deal with Albania, remain controversial amid legal challenges and criticism over detainee treatment and transparency.