Italians voted in huge numbers on Sunday in a high-stakes constitutional referendum that will decide the fate of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and has left the rest of Europe braced for the fallout.

Renzi, who has vowed to step aside if he loses, was counting on a last-minute turnaround in voter sentiment to win backing for his proposals to streamline parliament and centralise some regional powers in the name of more effective and stable government.

Turnout was very high by Italian standards, with 57.24 per cent of voters having cast their ballots by 7 pm (1800 GMT), according to the interior ministry.

Nearly two-thirds of the electorate had voted in some parts of prosperous northern Italy but the turnout was much lower in the south, a pattern which was seen as a potential boost to the premier&#39;s survival hopes.

Renzi was in jovial mood as he cast his vote in his native Tuscany.

&quot;Have you decided how you are going to vote, prime minister?&quot; a female voter cheekily asked outside a voting station in his home town of Pontassieve, near Florence.

&quot;Now I&#39;m thinking about it!&quot; Renzi, 41, quipped back before spending 10 minutes queuing to register his vote.

Opposition parties have denounced the proposed amendments to the 68-year-old constitution as dangerous for democracy because they remove important checks and balances on executive power.

Spearheaded by the populist Five Star Movement, the biggest rival to Renzi&#39;s Democratic party, the &quot;No&quot; campaign has also sought to capitalise on Renzi&#39;s declining popularity, a sluggish economy and the problems caused by tens of thousands of migrants arriving in Italy from Africa.

&quot;God willing it&#39;s over. A new era starts tomorrow I hope,&quot; said Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right Northern League, after voting in Milan.

Five Star leader Beppe Grillo, who had urged Italians to follow their gut instincts, used his voting appearance to joke about some voters&#39; claims that the pencils being used to vote meant ticks on the ballot papers could easily be rubbed out.

&quot;Us oldies knew what to do in this digital age. I sucked the pencil and it was working,&quot; the comedian told reporters in Genoa.

Outside a polling station in Rome, business owner Raffaele Pasquini, 37, told AFPTV he was voting &quot;Yes&quot; in the interest of his two-year-old son.

&quot;We are voting to try and change a country that has been stalled for far too long.&quot;

Turnout in Rome may have been affected by the vote coinciding with the local football derby match.&nbsp;

Matteo Rossi, 25, voted &quot;Yes&quot; before heading to the Stadio Olimpico to watch his side, Roma, beat arch rivals Lazio 2-0.

&quot;I hesitated but when you look at the people who are for &#39;No&#39;, I couldn&#39;t be with them,&quot; he told AFP.

Fellow fan Guido wasn&#39;t planning to vote. &quot;For me, the important thing today is what happens inside this stadium.&quot;Polls close at 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) with a reliable projection of the result not expected until the early hours of Monday.

If Renzi goes, some short-term market turbulence looks inevitable. Some analysts fear a deeper crisis of investor confidence that could derail a rescue scheme for Italy&#39;s most indebted banks, triggering a wider financial crisis across the eurozone.

If he wins, Italy&#39;s youngest ever prime minister could be emboldened to accelerate promised reforms in areas such as public administration, the judicial system and education.

&quot;If we miss this chance it won&#39;t come back for 20 years,&quot; Renzi warned voters before campaigning was suspended at midnight on Friday.

Up until polls were banned on November 18, the &quot;No&quot; camp was leading comfortably -- but with a quarter of the electorate undecided.

After the Brexit vote and Donald Trump&#39;s victory in the US presidential election, populism has been a factor, and Grillo&#39;s Five Star would see a &quot;No&quot; vote as its stepping stone to government.

But the campaign has also caused many voters to reconsider the merits of a much-loved constitution, crafted in the aftermath of World War II and the bitter experience of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini&#39;s disastrous rule.

Under the proposed reform, the Senate, currently a body of 315 directly-elected and five lifetime lawmakers, would have only 100 members, mostly nominated by the regions.&nbsp;

The chamber would also be stripped of most of its powers to block and revise legislation, and to unseat governments.

Other envisioned changes involve transferring some regional powers to the national government, making it easier to get major infrastructural works approved, and abolishing a costly policy agency in Rome.

&nbsp;

(AFP)

57.24 per cent of voters had cast their ballot by 7 pm local time. A high turnout by Italian standards, says the interior ministry

Italians voted in huge numbers on Sunday in a high-stakes constitutional referendum that will decide the fate of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and has left the rest of Europe braced for the fallout. Renzi, who has vowed to step aside if he loses, was counting on a last-minute turnaround in voter sentiment to win backing for his proposals to streamline parliament and centralise some regional powers in the name of more effective and stable government. Turnout was very high by Italian standards, with 57.24 per cent of voters having cast their ballots by 7 pm (1800 GMT), according to the interior ministry. Nearly two-thirds of the electorate had voted in some parts of prosperous northern Italy but the turnout was much lower in the south, a pattern which was seen as a potential boost to the premier's survival hopes. Renzi was in jovial mood as he cast his vote in his native Tuscany. "Have you decided how you are going to vote, prime minister?" a female voter cheekily asked outside a voting station in his home town of Pontassieve, near Florence. "Now I'm thinking about it!" Renzi, 41, quipped back before spending 10 minutes queuing to register his vote. Opposition parties have denounced the proposed amendments to the 68-year-old constitution as dangerous for democracy because they remove important checks and balances on executive power. Spearheaded by the populist Five Star Movement, the biggest rival to Renzi's Democratic party, the "No" campaign has also sought to capitalise on Renzi's declining popularity, a sluggish economy and the problems caused by tens of thousands of migrants arriving in Italy from Africa. "God willing it's over. A new era starts tomorrow I hope," said Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right Northern League, after voting in Milan. Five Star leader Beppe Grillo, who had urged Italians to follow their gut instincts, used his voting appearance to joke about some voters' claims that the pencils being used to vote meant ticks on the ballot papers could easily be rubbed out. "Us oldies knew what to do in this digital age. I sucked the pencil and it was working," the comedian told reporters in Genoa. Outside a polling station in Rome, business owner Raffaele Pasquini, 37, told AFPTV he was voting "Yes" in the interest of his two-year-old son. "We are voting to try and change a country that has been stalled for far too long." Turnout in Rome may have been affected by the vote coinciding with the local football derby match. Matteo Rossi, 25, voted "Yes" before heading to the Stadio Olimpico to watch his side, Roma, beat arch rivals Lazio 2-0. "I hesitated but when you look at the people who are for 'No', I couldn't be with them," he told AFP. Fellow fan Guido wasn't planning to vote. "For me, the important thing today is what happens inside this stadium."Polls close at 11 p.m. (2200 GMT) with a reliable projection of the result not expected until the early hours of Monday. If Renzi goes, some short-term market turbulence looks inevitable. Some analysts fear a deeper crisis of investor confidence that could derail a rescue scheme for Italy's most indebted banks, triggering a wider financial crisis across the eurozone. If he wins, Italy's youngest ever prime minister could be emboldened to accelerate promised reforms in areas such as public administration, the judicial system and education. "If we miss this chance it won't come back for 20 years," Renzi warned voters before campaigning was suspended at midnight on Friday. Up until polls were banned on November 18, the "No" camp was leading comfortably -- but with a quarter of the electorate undecided. After the Brexit vote and Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election, populism has been a factor, and Grillo's Five Star would see a "No" vote as its stepping stone to government. But the campaign has also caused many voters to reconsider the merits of a much-loved constitution, crafted in the aftermath of World War II and the bitter experience of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini's disastrous rule. Under the proposed reform, the Senate, currently a body of 315 directly-elected and five lifetime lawmakers, would have only 100 members, mostly nominated by the regions. The chamber would also be stripped of most of its powers to block and revise legislation, and to unseat governments. Other envisioned changes involve transferring some regional powers to the national government, making it easier to get major infrastructural works approved, and abolishing a costly policy agency in Rome. (AFP)

Italy: Referendum battle enters final hours, logs massive turnout

With his career on the line, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made a final appeal to Italians on Friday to support a crucial referendum to change the constitution, saying Italy could become Europe&#39;s strongest nation if it wins.

&quot;(This Sunday) could change the lives of our children,&quot; he told a large rally in his home city of Florence.

&quot;It is not for us, it is not for a political party, it is for them,&quot; he said at the end of a frenetic day of campaigning that included numerous media events and public rallies.

Financial markets and European political leaders fear victory for the opposition &quot;No&quot; camp in Sunday&#39;s vote could trigger political instability and renewed turmoil for Italy&#39;s battered banks, pushing the euro zone towards a fresh crisis.

Renzi has promised to resign if Italians reject his plan to drastically reduce the role of the upper house Senate and claw back powers from regional authorities.&nbsp;

The opposition says the reform will reduce vital democratic checks and balances.

Renzi, who has been trying to turn around a plethora of opinion polls showing a lead for &quot;No&quot;, said voting &quot;Yes&quot; would &quot;give Italians the possibility to write a page of history&quot;.

&quot;If &#39;Yes&#39; wins, Italy will become the leader of Europe,&quot; said Renzi, who has pledged to immediately veto the European Union&#39;s budget to force Italy&#39;s partners to give it more help in handling an influx of migrants arriving on its shores.

If Renzi is defeated, he is expected to go to President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace, a ritual for a prime minister about to resign.

Mattarella might try to convince him to stay in office to guarantee political stability, officials have said.

Hours before Renzi spoke in Florence, Beppe Grillo, founder of the anti-euro 5-star Movement which backs a &quot;No&quot; vote, thundered against the political establishment at a rally in the northern industrial city of Turin.

&quot;We are a country that is stuck in the mud,&quot; the former comedian told thousands of people.

MOST BETS ON &quot;NO&quot;

A blackout on the publication of surveys was imposed on Nov. 18, but private polls are still being carried out and bookmakers say the &quot;No&quot; camp remains the clear favourite to win.

Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan sought to calm nervous markets, saying in a newspaper interview that there was &quot;no risk of a financial earthquake&quot; if &quot;No&quot; wins, though there may be &quot;48 hours of turbulence&quot;.

European shares fell to a three-week low on Friday as investors stayed cautious ahead of Italy&#39;s vote, with Milan&#39;s blue chip index off 0.75 per cent.

The bond market was more sanguine, with the gap between Italian and German 10-year bond yields, a key bellwether of investor sentiment, dipping to 165 basis points against a 2-1/2 year high of 190 points registered last week.

Market jitters have concentrated on Italy&#39;s banks, saddled with 360 billion euros ($380 billion) of bad loans, and most specifically on Monte Dei Paschi di Siena , its oldest and third largest lender.

The bank needs to raise 5 billion euros ($5.3 billion) by the end of the year to plug a capital shortfall or risk being wound down.&nbsp;

Government officials say potential investors may be deterred by political instability if &#39;No&#39; wins on Sunday.

With bookmakers odds suggesting a roughly 75 per cent chance of a win for &quot;No&quot;, speculation is rife on what Renzi will do in the event of defeat.

Renzi has said he will play no role in any unelected, so-called &quot;technical&quot; government, which Mattarella may try to put in place. Some of his allies have urged him to stay in power regardless of the result.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

Markets and European political leaders fear victory of opposition 'No' camp in Sunday's crucial referendum to change Italy's constitution

With his career on the line, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made a final appeal to Italians on Friday to support a crucial referendum to change the constitution, saying Italy could become Europe's strongest nation if it wins. "(This Sunday) could change the lives of our children," he told a large rally in his home city of Florence. "It is not for us, it is not for a political party, it is for them," he said at the end of a frenetic day of campaigning that included numerous media events and public rallies. Financial markets and European political leaders fear victory for the opposition "No" camp in Sunday's vote could trigger political instability and renewed turmoil for Italy's battered banks, pushing the euro zone towards a fresh crisis. Renzi has promised to resign if Italians reject his plan to drastically reduce the role of the upper house Senate and claw back powers from regional authorities. The opposition says the reform will reduce vital democratic checks and balances. Renzi, who has been trying to turn around a plethora of opinion polls showing a lead for "No", said voting "Yes" would "give Italians the possibility to write a page of history". "If 'Yes' wins, Italy will become the leader of Europe," said Renzi, who has pledged to immediately veto the European Union's budget to force Italy's partners to give it more help in handling an influx of migrants arriving on its shores. If Renzi is defeated, he is expected to go to President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace, a ritual for a prime minister about to resign. Mattarella might try to convince him to stay in office to guarantee political stability, officials have said. Hours before Renzi spoke in Florence, Beppe Grillo, founder of the anti-euro 5-star Movement which backs a "No" vote, thundered against the political establishment at a rally in the northern industrial city of Turin. "We are a country that is stuck in the mud," the former comedian told thousands of people. MOST BETS ON "NO" A blackout on the publication of surveys was imposed on Nov. 18, but private polls are still being carried out and bookmakers say the "No" camp remains the clear favourite to win. Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan sought to calm nervous markets, saying in a newspaper interview that there was "no risk of a financial earthquake" if "No" wins, though there may be "48 hours of turbulence". European shares fell to a three-week low on Friday as investors stayed cautious ahead of Italy's vote, with Milan's blue chip index off 0.75 per cent. The bond market was more sanguine, with the gap between Italian and German 10-year bond yields, a key bellwether of investor sentiment, dipping to 165 basis points against a 2-1/2 year high of 190 points registered last week. Market jitters have concentrated on Italy's banks, saddled with 360 billion euros ($380 billion) of bad loans, and most specifically on Monte Dei Paschi di Siena , its oldest and third largest lender. The bank needs to raise 5 billion euros ($5.3 billion) by the end of the year to plug a capital shortfall or risk being wound down. Government officials say potential investors may be deterred by political instability if 'No' wins on Sunday. With bookmakers odds suggesting a roughly 75 per cent chance of a win for "No", speculation is rife on what Renzi will do in the event of defeat. Renzi has said he will play no role in any unelected, so-called "technical" government, which Mattarella may try to put in place. Some of his allies have urged him to stay in power regardless of the result. (Reuters)

Italy's last day of frantic referendum campaign, Renzi makes final appeal

Wales conceded an agonising late equaliser as Serbia battled to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday as former champions Italy and Spain both won 4-0.

Earlier Saturday, the Republic of Ireland has stunned Austria 1-0 in Vienna and are top of Group D on 10 points, with Serbia second on eight and Wales third on six.

Gareth Bale rocketed Wales into a 30th-minute lead in Cardiff after Hal Robson-Kanu dispossessed Matija Nastasic and fed the ball to the Real Madrid forward, who cracked home a powerful snap shot to make it 1-0.

But Aleksander Mitrovic was fastest to react with four red shirts around him when Antonio Rukavina whipped in an inviting cross to level for the visitors late in the game.

&quot;It was a disappointing result, we feel like we threw away two points. We&#39;re at home, 1-0 up after 85 minutes, it`s two points lost,&quot; Bale admitted after the game.

Just moments before Serbia had levelled, Bale had seen a snapshot come agonisingly back off the post.

Wales coach Chris Coleman was less disappointed and was looking down the road.&nbsp;

&quot;We are four points behind Ireland but we play them twice,&quot; he said. &quot;We have a massive chance. Tonight the boys deserved all three points.&quot;

It was the third game in a row the Welsh have gone ahead only to draw.

&quot;We can be proud of ourselves. We are on the right track. Today we can be happy with one point,&quot; said Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic.

The Irish top Group D thanks to a James McClean strike three minutes after half-time in Vienna.

&quot;This is going to be a very tight finish. But this has been a splendid start for us and we are delighted with the 10 points,&quot; said Ireland boss Martin O`Neill.

Spain and Italy continue to set the pace at the helm in Group G and both have 10 points.

Spain played at Granada where Macedonia`s Darko Velkovski scored a 34th minute own goal before Votolo on 63 minutes, Nacho Monreal (83) and veteran striker Aritz Aduriz (85) gave them a comfortable win.&nbsp;

Taking on minnows Liechtenstein, Italy&#39;s Anfrea Belotti scored either side of strikes from Ciro Imobile and Antonio Candreva.

Eran Zahavi converted an 18th-minute penalty to set Israel on their way with Dan Einbinder and Eliran Atar making sure they beat Albania 3-0 in Tirana.

Iceland failed to replicate their Euro 2016 heroics in a 2-0 defeat in Croatia in Group I.

Croatia grabbed the lead after 15 minutes through Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but it was Iceland who took control after that in Zagreb, where the game was played out in front of empty stands after a FIFA stadium ban.

Despite having plenty of the ball in both halves, Iceland failed to make the crucial breakthrough.

And the home side punished them in injury time, Brozovic again doing the damage against the run of play.

Croatia, now top of the group with 10 points from four games, finished the match with 10 men after Ivan Perisic was sent off at the death.

Also in Group I, Turkey revived their slim hopes of making it to Russia in 2018 with a 2-0 home victory over Kosovo in Antalya.

Burak Yilmaz and Volkan Sen scored within four minutes of one another in the second half to leave Kosovo bottom on just a solitary point.

Georgia and Moldova played out a 1-1 draw in Tbilisi to remain rooted in the bottom two spots in Group D.

(AFP)

Serbia's Aleksander Mitrovic scored late in the match to push Wales down to third in the group

Wales conceded an agonising late equaliser as Serbia battled to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday as former champions Italy and Spain both won 4-0. Earlier Saturday, the Republic of Ireland has stunned Austria 1-0 in Vienna and are top of Group D on 10 points, with Serbia second on eight and Wales third on six. Gareth Bale rocketed Wales into a 30th-minute lead in Cardiff after Hal Robson-Kanu dispossessed Matija Nastasic and fed the ball to the Real Madrid forward, who cracked home a powerful snap shot to make it 1-0. But Aleksander Mitrovic was fastest to react with four red shirts around him when Antonio Rukavina whipped in an inviting cross to level for the visitors late in the game. "It was a disappointing result, we feel like we threw away two points. We're at home, 1-0 up after 85 minutes, it`s two points lost," Bale admitted after the game. Just moments before Serbia had levelled, Bale had seen a snapshot come agonisingly back off the post. Wales coach Chris Coleman was less disappointed and was looking down the road. "We are four points behind Ireland but we play them twice," he said. "We have a massive chance. Tonight the boys deserved all three points." It was the third game in a row the Welsh have gone ahead only to draw. "We can be proud of ourselves. We are on the right track. Today we can be happy with one point," said Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic. The Irish top Group D thanks to a James McClean strike three minutes after half-time in Vienna. "This is going to be a very tight finish. But this has been a splendid start for us and we are delighted with the 10 points," said Ireland boss Martin O`Neill. Spain and Italy continue to set the pace at the helm in Group G and both have 10 points. Spain played at Granada where Macedonia`s Darko Velkovski scored a 34th minute own goal before Votolo on 63 minutes, Nacho Monreal (83) and veteran striker Aritz Aduriz (85) gave them a comfortable win. Taking on minnows Liechtenstein, Italy's Anfrea Belotti scored either side of strikes from Ciro Imobile and Antonio Candreva. Eran Zahavi converted an 18th-minute penalty to set Israel on their way with Dan Einbinder and Eliran Atar making sure they beat Albania 3-0 in Tirana. Iceland failed to replicate their Euro 2016 heroics in a 2-0 defeat in Croatia in Group I. Croatia grabbed the lead after 15 minutes through Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but it was Iceland who took control after that in Zagreb, where the game was played out in front of empty stands after a FIFA stadium ban. Despite having plenty of the ball in both halves, Iceland failed to make the crucial breakthrough. And the home side punished them in injury time, Brozovic again doing the damage against the run of play. Croatia, now top of the group with 10 points from four games, finished the match with 10 men after Ivan Perisic was sent off at the death. Also in Group I, Turkey revived their slim hopes of making it to Russia in 2018 with a 2-0 home victory over Kosovo in Antalya. Burak Yilmaz and Volkan Sen scored within four minutes of one another in the second half to leave Kosovo bottom on just a solitary point. Georgia and Moldova played out a 1-1 draw in Tbilisi to remain rooted in the bottom two spots in Group D. (AFP)

FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Spain, Italy win big, Wales held

Italy held a tear-drenched funeral Saturday for dozens of its earthquake victims as the country observed a day of mourning over a disaster that killed nearly 300 people. 
 
President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and other leaders were among hundreds of mourners who sat solemnly behind 35 coffins in a sports hall in Ascoli Piceno. 
 
The hall in the capital of the Marche region had been converted temporarily to a place of worship for the funeral of most of the people who perished in the villages of Arquata del Tronto and Pescara del Tronto in the region&#39;s mountainous interior. 
 
Hundreds more stood silently outside, the sombre proceedings of the mass relayed to them by loudspeakers. 
 
Relatives of the dead sat alongside the flower-bedecked coffins, some draping themselves across them and sobbing inconsolably, three days after the deadly earthquake struck before dawn. 
 
Others hugged each other tight as Giovanni D&#39;Ercole, the bishop of Ascoli, implored them not to lose faith. 
 
&quot;Don&#39;t be afraid to scream your suffering, but do not lose courage,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Together we will rebuild our houses and churches, together above all we will give life back to our communities ... the village bells will ring once more.&quot; 
 
Among the coffins was a small, white casket for nine-year-old Giulia, whose body protected her younger sister, Giorgia, for long enough for the five-year-old to be pulled from the rubble virtually unscathed. 
 
Giorgia was one of the last survivors to be rescued and there have been no reports of anyone else being found alive since late Wednesday. 
 
On her sister Giulia&#39;s coffin a little note had been left that stated: &quot;Ciao little one. Sorry that we arrived too late.&quot; It had apparently been left by one of the workers involved in the rescue operation. 
 
More bodies found 
 
&quot;Giulia died but she was found in a position protecting Giorgia ... life and death came face to face and for Giorgia, life won,&quot; the bishop said. 
 
Mattarella, Italy&#39;s head of state, had earlier paid tribute to the &quot;extraordinary effort&quot; of more than 4,000 rescue professionals and volunteers on a brief visit to Amatrice, the small mountain town hit hardest by the quake. 
 
Some 230 of the quake&#39;s 290 confirmed victims were buried under tonnes of collapsed masonry in the popular beauty spot&#39;s devastated centre. 
 
Three more bodies were plucked from the town&#39;s Hotel Roma overnight and there are fears there are still more bodies to be recovered. 
 
Amatrice was packed with visitors when the powerful quake struck in the early hours of Wednesday. 
 
Nearly 400 people have been hospitalised since then, some of them with life-threatening injuries. 
 
Emergency services are more confident that they have accounted for everyone in the smaller outlying hamlets to the north of Amatrice -- some of which have been so badly damaged there are doubts as to whether they will ever be inhabited again. 
 
&quot;Saletta will disappear like so many tiny places,&quot; predicted Marco Beltrame. The 28-year-old lost his aunt and uncle when the quake struck their one-street hamlet. 
 
The first grieving families to bury their dead did so on Friday evening in Pomezia. 
 
There were also tearful scenes there as hundreds of residents of the small town south of Rome turned out to pay their respects to lost relatives, friends and neighbours who included an eight-year-old boy. 
 
1,300 aftershocks 
 
A large number of the victims were from the Rome area, where many former inhabitants of the mountains have moved for work, returning to family homes only at the height of summer. 
 
At least 16 foreigners died: 10 Romanians, three Britons and one each from Canada, El Salvador and Spain. 
 
Sixteen Romanians are unaccounted for, the foreign ministry in Bucharest said Saturday. 
 
With emotions still raw, some families chose not to take up the offer of state funerals. 
 
&quot;Why attend? To listen to politicians? They always say the same thing -- that they stand with us and that it must never happen again... always the same thing!&quot; said one inconsolable woman after identifying a relative in Amatrice. 
 
The government has pledged to support immediate reconstruction. 
 
But the clear-up operation needed first has been hampered by powerful aftershocks -- more than 1,300 since Wednesday -- which have closed winding mountain roads, damaged key bridges and made life dangerous for exhausted emergency services. 
 
Renzi has declared a state of emergency for the regions affected, releasing an initial tranche of 50 million euros ($56 million) in emergency aid.&nbsp; 
 
The total rebuilding operation is forecast to cost over a billion euros. 
 
Another major commemoration service has been scheduled for Wednesday in Amatrice. Once that is over, the government and local authorities will face intense scrutiny over why so many people died, just seven years after an earthquake in the nearby city of L&#39;Aquila left more than 300 people dead. 
 
That disaster, just 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the south, underscored the region&#39;s vulnerability to seismic events -- but preparations for a fresh quake have been partial at best.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

290 people died in the earthquake and nearly 400 have been hospitalised since then

Italy held a tear-drenched funeral Saturday for dozens of its earthquake victims as the country observed a day of mourning over a disaster that killed nearly 300 people. President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and other leaders were among hundreds of mourners who sat solemnly behind 35 coffins in a sports hall in Ascoli Piceno. The hall in the capital of the Marche region had been converted temporarily to a place of worship for the funeral of most of the people who perished in the villages of Arquata del Tronto and Pescara del Tronto in the region's mountainous interior. Hundreds more stood silently outside, the sombre proceedings of the mass relayed to them by loudspeakers. Relatives of the dead sat alongside the flower-bedecked coffins, some draping themselves across them and sobbing inconsolably, three days after the deadly earthquake struck before dawn. Others hugged each other tight as Giovanni D'Ercole, the bishop of Ascoli, implored them not to lose faith. "Don't be afraid to scream your suffering, but do not lose courage," he said. "Together we will rebuild our houses and churches, together above all we will give life back to our communities ... the village bells will ring once more." Among the coffins was a small, white casket for nine-year-old Giulia, whose body protected her younger sister, Giorgia, for long enough for the five-year-old to be pulled from the rubble virtually unscathed. Giorgia was one of the last survivors to be rescued and there have been no reports of anyone else being found alive since late Wednesday. On her sister Giulia's coffin a little note had been left that stated: "Ciao little one. Sorry that we arrived too late." It had apparently been left by one of the workers involved in the rescue operation. More bodies found "Giulia died but she was found in a position protecting Giorgia ... life and death came face to face and for Giorgia, life won," the bishop said. Mattarella, Italy's head of state, had earlier paid tribute to the "extraordinary effort" of more than 4,000 rescue professionals and volunteers on a brief visit to Amatrice, the small mountain town hit hardest by the quake. Some 230 of the quake's 290 confirmed victims were buried under tonnes of collapsed masonry in the popular beauty spot's devastated centre. Three more bodies were plucked from the town's Hotel Roma overnight and there are fears there are still more bodies to be recovered. Amatrice was packed with visitors when the powerful quake struck in the early hours of Wednesday. Nearly 400 people have been hospitalised since then, some of them with life-threatening injuries. Emergency services are more confident that they have accounted for everyone in the smaller outlying hamlets to the north of Amatrice -- some of which have been so badly damaged there are doubts as to whether they will ever be inhabited again. "Saletta will disappear like so many tiny places," predicted Marco Beltrame. The 28-year-old lost his aunt and uncle when the quake struck their one-street hamlet. The first grieving families to bury their dead did so on Friday evening in Pomezia. There were also tearful scenes there as hundreds of residents of the small town south of Rome turned out to pay their respects to lost relatives, friends and neighbours who included an eight-year-old boy. 1,300 aftershocks A large number of the victims were from the Rome area, where many former inhabitants of the mountains have moved for work, returning to family homes only at the height of summer. At least 16 foreigners died: 10 Romanians, three Britons and one each from Canada, El Salvador and Spain. Sixteen Romanians are unaccounted for, the foreign ministry in Bucharest said Saturday. With emotions still raw, some families chose not to take up the offer of state funerals. "Why attend? To listen to politicians? They always say the same thing -- that they stand with us and that it must never happen again... always the same thing!" said one inconsolable woman after identifying a relative in Amatrice. The government has pledged to support immediate reconstruction. But the clear-up operation needed first has been hampered by powerful aftershocks -- more than 1,300 since Wednesday -- which have closed winding mountain roads, damaged key bridges and made life dangerous for exhausted emergency services. Renzi has declared a state of emergency for the regions affected, releasing an initial tranche of 50 million euros ($56 million) in emergency aid. The total rebuilding operation is forecast to cost over a billion euros. Another major commemoration service has been scheduled for Wednesday in Amatrice. Once that is over, the government and local authorities will face intense scrutiny over why so many people died, just seven years after an earthquake in the nearby city of L'Aquila left more than 300 people dead. That disaster, just 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the south, underscored the region's vulnerability to seismic events -- but preparations for a fresh quake have been partial at best. (AFP)

Italy holds tear-drenched funeral for quake victims, observes day of mourning

Brazil captain Bruno said his side could no longer be accused of choking after beating Italy 3-0 to win men&#39;s Olympic volleyball gold on Sunday. 
 
After losing the last two finals in Beijing and London, Brazil reclaimed the title they&#39;d won in Athens as they beat Italy 25-22, 28-26, 26-24 at the Maracazinho in Rio. 
 
A day after the Brazilian football team ended their 120-year wait to finally win Olympic gold, the volleyball team erased memories of their dramatic collapse against Russia in London, triumphing with football star Neymar looking on. 
 
&quot;We deserved this medal so much. It&#39;s much more special to do it at home, it&#39;s a magical moment,&quot; said Bruno, who is the son of coach Bernardo. &quot;Everything we went through and now we are Olympic champions. This generation was said to be chokers. After so many silvers, now we&#39;re gold.&quot; 
 
The United States beat Russia 3-2 in the battle for bronze between the last two Olympic champions. 
 
Led by 20 points from the tournament&#39;s top scorer, the impeccable Wallace, Brazil avenged a 3-1 pool stage defeat to the Italians, who have never won Olympic gold, losing in the final three times now. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m proud of what we&#39;ve done because the whole team worked hard together, each one played with heart,&quot; said Italy outside setter Ivan Zaytsev. &quot;We&#39;ve given a great account of ourselves, we showed a winning mentality. We could have finished with the gold medal but even though we didn&#39;t, we gave our all so we have a very solid base for the future.&quot; 
 
It was a fourth final in a row for Brazil, who also beat Italy in Athens in 2004 before losing to the US in Beijing and suffering a Russian comeback four years ago in London after leading by two sets to nil. 
 
Despite the presence of 2.09-metre tall giants Lucas and Souza, it was the relatively diminutive 1.96m Lipe who rose to get the crucial block on the final point and send a packed home crowd into party mode. 
 
&#39;Brazilian party&#39; 
 
Italy started fast and opened up an early three-point lead but by the midway point of the first set, Brazil had pulled out a four-point gap over their error-prone opponents. 
 
Italy had been more than twice as efficient as Brazil in spiking but their errors proved costly with their patchy display summed up by Zaytsev ploughing his serve into a team-mate on set point. 
 
It was a high-powered affair with serves reaching up to 120km/h (75m/h) while a fiercly partisan home crowd ensured the atmosphere at the Maracazinho was rocking and pretty hostile towards Italy, not that the players were complaining. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s part of the Brazilian party,&quot; said Zaytsev, whose Russian parents were a professional volleyball player father and competitive swimmer mother. 
 
The second set saw a reversal of fortunes in one respect as Brazil&#39;s error count ratcheted up, yet they vastly improved their spiking accuracy, which at the midway point was more than three times better than in the first set. 
 
It was neck and neck with each side saving two set points until a mistake by Filippo Lanza on a serve reception gifted Brazil a two-set lead. 
 
Having been unable to win a first set against opponents with a lamentable spiking accuracy of under 15 per cent and blowing two set points in the second, one with a serve into the net, Italy could have been forgiven for letting their heads drop. 
 
Yet they rallied, their spiking efficiency reaching an incredible 70 per cent at one point in the third set. 
 
But it wasn&#39;t enough as Brazil hung in and with Wallace inspired, Lipe got the vital block to win back the gold medal. 
 
(AFP)

After losing the last two finals in Beijing and London, Brazil reclaimed the title as they beat Italy 25-22, 28-26, 26-24

Brazil captain Bruno said his side could no longer be accused of choking after beating Italy 3-0 to win men's Olympic volleyball gold on Sunday. After losing the last two finals in Beijing and London, Brazil reclaimed the title they'd won in Athens as they beat Italy 25-22, 28-26, 26-24 at the Maracazinho in Rio. A day after the Brazilian football team ended their 120-year wait to finally win Olympic gold, the volleyball team erased memories of their dramatic collapse against Russia in London, triumphing with football star Neymar looking on. "We deserved this medal so much. It's much more special to do it at home, it's a magical moment," said Bruno, who is the son of coach Bernardo. "Everything we went through and now we are Olympic champions. This generation was said to be chokers. After so many silvers, now we're gold." The United States beat Russia 3-2 in the battle for bronze between the last two Olympic champions. Led by 20 points from the tournament's top scorer, the impeccable Wallace, Brazil avenged a 3-1 pool stage defeat to the Italians, who have never won Olympic gold, losing in the final three times now. "I'm proud of what we've done because the whole team worked hard together, each one played with heart," said Italy outside setter Ivan Zaytsev. "We've given a great account of ourselves, we showed a winning mentality. We could have finished with the gold medal but even though we didn't, we gave our all so we have a very solid base for the future." It was a fourth final in a row for Brazil, who also beat Italy in Athens in 2004 before losing to the US in Beijing and suffering a Russian comeback four years ago in London after leading by two sets to nil. Despite the presence of 2.09-metre tall giants Lucas and Souza, it was the relatively diminutive 1.96m Lipe who rose to get the crucial block on the final point and send a packed home crowd into party mode. 'Brazilian party' Italy started fast and opened up an early three-point lead but by the midway point of the first set, Brazil had pulled out a four-point gap over their error-prone opponents. Italy had been more than twice as efficient as Brazil in spiking but their errors proved costly with their patchy display summed up by Zaytsev ploughing his serve into a team-mate on set point. It was a high-powered affair with serves reaching up to 120km/h (75m/h) while a fiercly partisan home crowd ensured the atmosphere at the Maracazinho was rocking and pretty hostile towards Italy, not that the players were complaining. "It's part of the Brazilian party," said Zaytsev, whose Russian parents were a professional volleyball player father and competitive swimmer mother. The second set saw a reversal of fortunes in one respect as Brazil's error count ratcheted up, yet they vastly improved their spiking accuracy, which at the midway point was more than three times better than in the first set. It was neck and neck with each side saving two set points until a mistake by Filippo Lanza on a serve reception gifted Brazil a two-set lead. Having been unable to win a first set against opponents with a lamentable spiking accuracy of under 15 per cent and blowing two set points in the second, one with a serve into the net, Italy could have been forgiven for letting their heads drop. Yet they rallied, their spiking efficiency reaching an incredible 70 per cent at one point in the third set. But it wasn't enough as Brazil hung in and with Wallace inspired, Lipe got the vital block to win back the gold medal. (AFP)

Rio Olympics 2016: Brazil wins men's volleyball gold

The roar from the stands in Florence could not have been louder if it had been stars Usain Bolt or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the track. 
 
It was the first world competition for athletes with Down&#39;s Syndrome, and Nicole Orlando and Nicolas Virapin made it to the victory podium in the Tuscan city - a first step, they hope, on the path to Olympic glory. 
 
Orlando, a runner from Italy who has become the face of the &#39;Trisome Games&#39;, scooped up the silver for a 400-metres relay, sending her flag-waving delegation leaping into each others arms with joy as the national anthem rang out. 
 
Almost 1,000 contenders from 36 countries spent the week here fighting for gold in a series of categories from athletics to fusbol, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, synchronised swimming, tennis and table tennis. 
 
The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down&#39;s Syndrome, trisomy 21, where sufferers have an extra copy of chromosome 21. 
 
&quot;The Trisome Games are a unique opportunity to distinguish the T21 and bring them into the light,&quot; Marc Truffaut, head of the French Adaptive Sports Federation (FFSA), said. 
 
The Trisome Games were created by Marco Borzacchini, president of the FISDIR (the Italian Federation of Sports for Intellectually and Relationally Disabled), who believes they will help challenge stereotypes surrounding T21 athletes. 
 
&quot;The games are the culmination of a long process which began more than 10 years ago to enable people with Down&#39;s Syndrome to experience sport as something other than mere entertainment,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;It was generally thought they could only play around or enjoy themselves with sports, but actually they are capable of high quality sporting performances just like conventional athletes.&quot; 
 
With the Olympic Games opening in a few weeks time in Brazil, organisers here are abuzz with plans to try to reintroduce Down&#39;s Syndrome athletes to the world`s most prestigious competition. 
 
The Paralympics suspended all intellectually disabled athletes from the 2004 games onwards after members of several national championship teams taking part in the 2000 event were discovered not to have mental disabilities. 
 
Truffaut believes their best chances lie with Paris, should the French capital win their bid to host the next Olympic Games. 
 
&quot;The slogan of the Paris bid for the 2024 Games is &#39;Power of Dreams&#39;. The dream would be that every athlete, regardless of their defining features, can participate in the games. Including the T21s,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP)

The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down's Syndrome, trisomy 21

The roar from the stands in Florence could not have been louder if it had been stars Usain Bolt or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on the track. It was the first world competition for athletes with Down's Syndrome, and Nicole Orlando and Nicolas Virapin made it to the victory podium in the Tuscan city - a first step, they hope, on the path to Olympic glory. Orlando, a runner from Italy who has become the face of the 'Trisome Games', scooped up the silver for a 400-metres relay, sending her flag-waving delegation leaping into each others arms with joy as the national anthem rang out. Almost 1,000 contenders from 36 countries spent the week here fighting for gold in a series of categories from athletics to fusbol, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, synchronised swimming, tennis and table tennis. The athletes taking part are dubbed T21s, named after the most common form of Down's Syndrome, trisomy 21, where sufferers have an extra copy of chromosome 21. "The Trisome Games are a unique opportunity to distinguish the T21 and bring them into the light," Marc Truffaut, head of the French Adaptive Sports Federation (FFSA), said. The Trisome Games were created by Marco Borzacchini, president of the FISDIR (the Italian Federation of Sports for Intellectually and Relationally Disabled), who believes they will help challenge stereotypes surrounding T21 athletes. "The games are the culmination of a long process which began more than 10 years ago to enable people with Down's Syndrome to experience sport as something other than mere entertainment," he said. "It was generally thought they could only play around or enjoy themselves with sports, but actually they are capable of high quality sporting performances just like conventional athletes." With the Olympic Games opening in a few weeks time in Brazil, organisers here are abuzz with plans to try to reintroduce Down's Syndrome athletes to the world`s most prestigious competition. The Paralympics suspended all intellectually disabled athletes from the 2004 games onwards after members of several national championship teams taking part in the 2000 event were discovered not to have mental disabilities. Truffaut believes their best chances lie with Paris, should the French capital win their bid to host the next Olympic Games. "The slogan of the Paris bid for the 2024 Games is 'Power of Dreams'. The dream would be that every athlete, regardless of their defining features, can participate in the games. Including the T21s," he said. (AFP)

Italy hosts first Down's Syndrome Olympics

Volkswagen has been slapped with a five-million-Euro ($5.5 million) fine in Italy over the massive engine-fixing scandal, the Italian competition authority said on Monday. 
 
The German carmaker was handed the fine for &quot;improper business practices&quot; after it installed emissions-cheating software in 11 million diesel engines worldwide in a scandal which broke last year, dubbed &quot;dieselgate&quot;. 
 
The antitrust watchdog said the fine related to the marketing in Italy since 2009 of vehicles that tricked pollution tests. 
 
Volkswagen, which owns 12 brands in all, from VW to Audi, Porsche, Seat, and Lamborghini, admitted in September that it had installed software in the vehicles that tricked US emissions tests into showing the cars met environmental standards. 
 
The device switched off after testing, enabling the vehicles to spew up to 40 times the permitted amounts of nitrogen oxides. The still incalculable costs of the affair, including regulatory fines and legal costs, pushed VW into the red for the first time in more than 20 years last year when it booked a loss of 1.6 billion Euros. 
 
In June it agreed to pay out $14.7 billion in a settlement with US authorities and car owners.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP) 
 
Keywords- VW scandal, VW engine-fixing scandal, Volkswagen emissions&nbsp;scandal, VW fined by Italy watchdog, VW fined $5.5 million, Italy watchdog fines VW with 5 million Euros

The fine was for the emissions-cheating software the German carmaker had installed in 11 million of its diesel cars worldwide

Volkswagen has been slapped with a five-million-Euro ($5.5 million) fine in Italy over the massive engine-fixing scandal, the Italian competition authority said on Monday. The German carmaker was handed the fine for "improper business practices" after it installed emissions-cheating software in 11 million diesel engines worldwide in a scandal which broke last year, dubbed "dieselgate". The antitrust watchdog said the fine related to the marketing in Italy since 2009 of vehicles that tricked pollution tests. Volkswagen, which owns 12 brands in all, from VW to Audi, Porsche, Seat, and Lamborghini, admitted in September that it had installed software in the vehicles that tricked US emissions tests into showing the cars met environmental standards. The device switched off after testing, enabling the vehicles to spew up to 40 times the permitted amounts of nitrogen oxides. The still incalculable costs of the affair, including regulatory fines and legal costs, pushed VW into the red for the first time in more than 20 years last year when it booked a loss of 1.6 billion Euros. In June it agreed to pay out $14.7 billion in a settlement with US authorities and car owners. (AFP) Keywords- VW scandal, VW engine-fixing scandal, Volkswagen emissions scandal, VW fined by Italy watchdog, VW fined $5.5 million, Italy watchdog fines VW with 5 million Euros

Volkswagen fined $5.5 million in Italy

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday&#39;s Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. 
 
The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team&#39;s 1-1 draw with Ireland. 
 
De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. 
 
&quot;Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls,&quot; De Rossi told reporters in France. 
 
&quot;Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. 
 
&quot;We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch.&quot; 
 
Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. 
 
(Reuters)

The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland

Italy are wary of the threat that Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic poses, but they can win Friday's Euro 2016 match in the same way they defeated Belgium, said midfielder Daniele De Rossi. The 34-year-old Ibrahimovic, who has scored 62 goals for Sweden, failed to make an impact in his team's 1-1 draw with Ireland. De Rossi compared the former Paris St Germain striker to Dutch great Marco van Basten. "Maybe they have less talent than Belgium so they will probably wait in their half and try to play counterattack with long balls," De Rossi told reporters in France. "Ibrahimovic is the best forward since the time of Van Basten, except for Ronaldo, but they are different players. "We are a little bit scared of his power and his talent but we can beat them the same way that we can beat Belgium with organisation and by working hard on the training pitch." Italy, who began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Belgium to top Group E, face Ireland in their final group stage match. (Reuters)

Italy can overcome Ibrahimovic threat to beat Sweden - De Rossi

Bordeaux: Belgium rediscovered their most blistering form to batter group E rivals Ireland 3-0 thanks to a brace from Romelu Lukaku and an Axel Witsel header on Saturday. 
 
The victory of the world&#39;s second-ranked team was in stark contrast to their limp defeat in their opening Euro 2016 match against Italy. 
 
Despite dominating the opening half, it still took until the opening minutes of the second period for Belgium to take the lead when Lukaku finished a counter-attack by rifling a shot into the far corner. 
 
Ireland had a brief positive spell but Witsel made it two for Belgium with a pinpoint header after 61 minutes, and Lukaku completed the rout with a simple finish after another counter-attack nine minutes later. 
 
With Italy having beaten both the Belgians and Sweden to win the group, the victory puts Belgium in second place on three points with the Irish and Sweden stuck on a point apiece. 
 
&quot;We were under pressure before today,&quot; Belgium&#39;s Kevin De Bruyne, the game&#39;s outstanding player, said. &quot;And we came out with the right reponse.&quot; 
 
Coach Marc Wilmots made three changes to the Belgium line-up that struggled against Italy, and they immediately appeared more vibrant and cohesive. 
 
Their speed and fluidity improved, with the introduction of Thomas Meunier and Yannick Carrasco giving them a menace out wide which had been missing in their opener. 
 
De Bruyne kept his place despite a subdued showing against Italy and, vastly improved, he set the tone with a searing 13th-minute corner which Toby Alderweireld headed wide, before finding his range with a free kick. 
 
Ireland were not without their own threat, as Meunier&#39;s adventures down the right flank left space for Shane Long to exploit, although Martin O&#39;Neill&#39;s side ultimately failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 90 minutes. 
 
Belgium began to dominate, with De Bruyne&#39;s teasing delivery forcing a diving header from John O&#39;Shea on 20 minutes, which inadvertently set up Eden Hazard to fire over. 
 
Wes Hoolahan then cleared off the line as Alderweireld headed another fine De Bruyne corner goalwards. 
 
As Irish resolve strengthened, Wilmots was again left pondering how to forge an effective attacking unit from the Golden Generation&#39;s wealth of striking talent. 
 
It took only three second-half minutes for an answer to emerge, as De Bruyne tore down the right before crossing for Lukaku, who opened his body and sent a curling left-foot effort into the corner of the net. 
 
The goal seemed to release the pressure on Belgium, who celebrated furiously with Wilmots in the corner while their supporters threw flares onto the pitch. 
 
Yet Ireland were justifiably left seething as Alderweireld&#39;s penalty-box high foot on Long in the build-up went unpunished. 
 
Witsel put the contest beyond the Irish 13 minutes later, arriving in the box to head the impressive Meunier&#39;s cross beyond Randolph, whose outstretched hand could not quite divert the thumping effort wide. 
 
In the 70th minute, Belgium added a third in a delicious move that encapsulated the invention and panache that has long been expected from this talented squad. 
 
Meunier, again influential, dispossessed McClean and sent a long ball forward for Hazard down the right. 
 
The attacker, outrageously lapping the linesman on the outside, raced to meet the pass before crossing for Lukaku who swept home with aplomb as Belgium secured their biggest winning scoreline at a major international tournament in 46 years. 
 
&quot;As a team, we had to give a response to everybody who watched the game against Italy,&quot; Hazard said. &quot;The way we responded was good and we really deserved this victory.&quot; 
 
For Ireland, though, there was nothing but disappointment as their winless run at the European Championships was extended to seven games. 
 
&quot;When you&#39;re attacking you&#39;re at your most vulnerable,&quot; O&#39;Shea said. &quot;So we&#39;ll have to work on that.&quot; 
 
This was an emphatic response from Belgium to their critics. 
 
With their first clean sheet in nine matches and a dazzling second-half performance, they had finally realised their potential in a high-profile fixture, reaffirming their title credentials with clinical precision and real style. 
(Reuters)

Team were a changed side from their opening defeat to Italy

Bordeaux: Belgium rediscovered their most blistering form to batter group E rivals Ireland 3-0 thanks to a brace from Romelu Lukaku and an Axel Witsel header on Saturday. The victory of the world's second-ranked team was in stark contrast to their limp defeat in their opening Euro 2016 match against Italy. Despite dominating the opening half, it still took until the opening minutes of the second period for Belgium to take the lead when Lukaku finished a counter-attack by rifling a shot into the far corner. Ireland had a brief positive spell but Witsel made it two for Belgium with a pinpoint header after 61 minutes, and Lukaku completed the rout with a simple finish after another counter-attack nine minutes later. With Italy having beaten both the Belgians and Sweden to win the group, the victory puts Belgium in second place on three points with the Irish and Sweden stuck on a point apiece. "We were under pressure before today," Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne, the game's outstanding player, said. "And we came out with the right reponse." Coach Marc Wilmots made three changes to the Belgium line-up that struggled against Italy, and they immediately appeared more vibrant and cohesive. Their speed and fluidity improved, with the introduction of Thomas Meunier and Yannick Carrasco giving them a menace out wide which had been missing in their opener. De Bruyne kept his place despite a subdued showing against Italy and, vastly improved, he set the tone with a searing 13th-minute corner which Toby Alderweireld headed wide, before finding his range with a free kick. Ireland were not without their own threat, as Meunier's adventures down the right flank left space for Shane Long to exploit, although Martin O'Neill's side ultimately failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 90 minutes. Belgium began to dominate, with De Bruyne's teasing delivery forcing a diving header from John O'Shea on 20 minutes, which inadvertently set up Eden Hazard to fire over. Wes Hoolahan then cleared off the line as Alderweireld headed another fine De Bruyne corner goalwards. As Irish resolve strengthened, Wilmots was again left pondering how to forge an effective attacking unit from the Golden Generation's wealth of striking talent. It took only three second-half minutes for an answer to emerge, as De Bruyne tore down the right before crossing for Lukaku, who opened his body and sent a curling left-foot effort into the corner of the net. The goal seemed to release the pressure on Belgium, who celebrated furiously with Wilmots in the corner while their supporters threw flares onto the pitch. Yet Ireland were justifiably left seething as Alderweireld's penalty-box high foot on Long in the build-up went unpunished. Witsel put the contest beyond the Irish 13 minutes later, arriving in the box to head the impressive Meunier's cross beyond Randolph, whose outstretched hand could not quite divert the thumping effort wide. In the 70th minute, Belgium added a third in a delicious move that encapsulated the invention and panache that has long been expected from this talented squad. Meunier, again influential, dispossessed McClean and sent a long ball forward for Hazard down the right. The attacker, outrageously lapping the linesman on the outside, raced to meet the pass before crossing for Lukaku who swept home with aplomb as Belgium secured their biggest winning scoreline at a major international tournament in 46 years. "As a team, we had to give a response to everybody who watched the game against Italy," Hazard said. "The way we responded was good and we really deserved this victory." For Ireland, though, there was nothing but disappointment as their winless run at the European Championships was extended to seven games. "When you're attacking you're at your most vulnerable," O'Shea said. "So we'll have to work on that." This was an emphatic response from Belgium to their critics. With their first clean sheet in nine matches and a dazzling second-half performance, they had finally realised their potential in a high-profile fixture, reaffirming their title credentials with clinical precision and real style. (Reuters)

Belgium batter Ireland, Lukaku scores twice

<div style="text-align: justify;">Italy&nbsp;moved into the knockout stages of Euro 2016 and continued to defy their doubters as Eder scored two minutes from fulltime to secure a 1-0 win over a shot-shy and unadventurous Sweden on Friday. 
Eder ended a great run by firing home to move&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;clear at the top of Group E on six points after two matches following their 2-0 victory over Belgium in their opening encounter. 
The result left Sweden in an uncomfortable position with one point after two games ahead of their final group clash against Belgium next week. 
Sweden were well organised at the back but toothless in attack, with their danger man Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking a shadow of his brilliant best and hardly creating a chance. 
Italy, who came into the tournament with questions surrounding the strength of their squad, but surprised many with their superb performance against a highly-fancied Belgium side, relied on their trademark, tight defence against the Swedes. 
They rarely threatened up front, however, until Marco Parolo hit the crossbar with a header shortly before Eder netted the winner. 
&quot;It was a difficult game,&quot;&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;coach Antonio Conte told Rai Sport. &quot;We struggled in the first half. 
&quot;The boys did well to ride the storm and hurt Sweden when we needed to.&quot; 
Italy&nbsp;had been praised for their unity and work rate in their opening win over Belgium, but appeared to have no answer to Sweden&#39;s organised rearguard until Eder&#39;s late intervention. 
Sweden coach Erik Hamren had criticised their lack of attacking vitality following their opening 1-1 draw with Ireland, and while there was an improvement in their overall performance, Ibrahimovic once again failed to provide a cutting edge and live up to his billing. 
&quot;We were much better than the Italians for periods, but we didn&rsquo;t create really dangerous chances,&quot; Sweden midfielder Albin Ekdal told Swedish broadcaster SVT. 
Sweden are still without a shot on target at the tournament, although Martin Olsson proved a menacing threat down the left, sending an effort just over the bar on 18 minutes having set the tone with an early cross that prompted a nervous clearance from Giorgio Chiellini. 
Olsson&#39;s frequent forays left space for Antonio Candreva, but Andreas Isaksson and Erik Johansson combined to clear his testing deliveries, while Ibrahimovic flashed a close-range header wide towards the end of the first half. 
Having masterminded victory over the Belgians, Conte&#39;s tactics were completely neutralised during the opening 45 minutes in Toulouse and his side appeared unsettled as a result. 
&quot;At halftime Conte told us we were too slow and he was right,&quot; Parolo told Rai Sport. 
&quot;We changed the tempo after the break and we deserved our victory.&quot; 
Conte introduced Simone Zaza in the 60th minute and he had a decisive role in the winner, heading a Chiellini throw in into the path of Eder. 
The forward then cut in from the left -- evading Andreas Granqvist&#39;s attempted tackle -- and sent a curling right-footed shot round Isaksson to take&nbsp;Italy&nbsp;through. 
(Reuters)</div>

Eder scored two minutes from full time to secure the win against Sweden

Italy moved into the knockout stages of Euro 2016 and continued to defy their doubters as Eder scored two minutes from fulltime to secure a 1-0 win over a shot-shy and unadventurous Sweden on Friday. Eder ended a great run by firing home to move Italy clear at the top of Group E on six points after two matches following their 2-0 victory over Belgium in their opening encounter. The result left Sweden in an uncomfortable position with one point after two games ahead of their final group clash against Belgium next week. Sweden were well organised at the back but toothless in attack, with their danger man Zlatan Ibrahimovic looking a shadow of his brilliant best and hardly creating a chance. Italy, who came into the tournament with questions surrounding the strength of their squad, but surprised many with their superb performance against a highly-fancied Belgium side, relied on their trademark, tight defence against the Swedes. They rarely threatened up front, however, until Marco Parolo hit the crossbar with a header shortly before Eder netted the winner. "It was a difficult game," Italy coach Antonio Conte told Rai Sport. "We struggled in the first half. "The boys did well to ride the storm and hurt Sweden when we needed to." Italy had been praised for their unity and work rate in their opening win over Belgium, but appeared to have no answer to Sweden's organised rearguard until Eder's late intervention. Sweden coach Erik Hamren had criticised their lack of attacking vitality following their opening 1-1 draw with Ireland, and while there was an improvement in their overall performance, Ibrahimovic once again failed to provide a cutting edge and live up to his billing. "We were much better than the Italians for periods, but we didn’t create really dangerous chances," Sweden midfielder Albin Ekdal told Swedish broadcaster SVT. Sweden are still without a shot on target at the tournament, although Martin Olsson proved a menacing threat down the left, sending an effort just over the bar on 18 minutes having set the tone with an early cross that prompted a nervous clearance from Giorgio Chiellini. Olsson's frequent forays left space for Antonio Candreva, but Andreas Isaksson and Erik Johansson combined to clear his testing deliveries, while Ibrahimovic flashed a close-range header wide towards the end of the first half. Having masterminded victory over the Belgians, Conte's tactics were completely neutralised during the opening 45 minutes in Toulouse and his side appeared unsettled as a result. "At halftime Conte told us we were too slow and he was right," Parolo told Rai Sport. "We changed the tempo after the break and we deserved our victory." Conte introduced Simone Zaza in the 60th minute and he had a decisive role in the winner, heading a Chiellini throw in into the path of Eder. The forward then cut in from the left -- evading Andreas Granqvist's attempted tackle -- and sent a curling right-footed shot round Isaksson to take Italy through. (Reuters)

Late goal allows Italy to enter knockout stages of Euro 2016

New Italian coach Giampiero Ventura hinted today that striker Graziano Pelle could risk his Azzurri place following a recent move to China and gave Mario Balotelli little chance of returning to the national team. 
 
Pelle, 31, scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for Southampton following his arrival from Feyenoord in 2014 and was an integral part of the Italy team that reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. 
 
But Pelle&#39;s reported 15m Euros (&pound;12.7 million, $16.6 million) move to Shandong Luneng could dent his Italy future if he follows in the footsteps of former Juventus maestro Andrea Pirlo and ex-Bologna star Alessandro Diamanti. 
 
Pirlo&#39;s move to New York City FC and Diamanti&#39;s signing for Guangzhou Evergrande preceded the ends of their respective international careers. 
 
Ventura, officially unveiled as Chelsea manager Antonio Conte&#39;s successor today, said the circumstances surrounding Pelle and those players &quot;could not be compared&quot;. 
 
But he added: &quot;A player has to be strong, psychologically and mentally&quot;, to feature for Italy while playing outside of Europe. 
 
&quot;Diamanti, despite being a quality player, lost it (Italy place) when he went to China.&quot; 
 
Pelle scored twice for Italy in France last month but was one of several players to miss the target in an error-strewn 18-shot penalty shoot-out that Germany won 6-5 to advance to the semi-finals. 
 
Ventura said the striker, at least on paper, remains part of his plans but admitted the long-haul travel could complicate matters. 
 
&quot;I have to consider all the 23 players who were at the Euros because of what they achieved. Plus, there will be many others because we&#39;re moving forward,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;As for Pelle, apart from his missed penalty, he had a positive campaign. But China is far away. Let&#39;s see why he moved.&quot; 
 
Balotelli, meanwhile, will have to reignite his troubled club future if he is to have any chance of remaining an Italy international. 
 
Having spent a mediocre last season on loan at AC Milan, Balotelli was told recently by Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp to find a new club. 
 
Ventura said the door would remain open but that the troubled star was &quot;at a crossroads&quot; in his career. 
 
&quot;For me he&#39;s exactly the same as all other players when, a) he plays, and b) he is professional,&quot; added Ventura when asked about Balotelli. 
 
&quot;In terms of his character, he could do much better. The fact he&#39;s not playing at Milan, that Liverpool have abandoned him, means that he is at crossroads. 
 
&quot;The few times that Balotelli has really wanted to be a footballer, he has shown his quality. I have no prejudice, but his football must do the talking.&quot; 
 
A respected tactician, Ventura comes to the post after a five-year spell with Torino. 
 
Tasked with qualifying Italy for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he now hopes to convince rock-solid Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli to extend his international career. 
 
The sixty-eight-year-old coach also intends to build on Conte&#39;s two-year spell in charge by steering the new generation through the ranks. 
 
&quot;I haven&#39;t spoken to Barzagli yet but if I want to take up where Conte has left off it&#39;s obvious that he would be a crucial player for us,&quot; added Ventura, whose first game in charge is a friendly against beaten Euro 2016 finalists France in Bari on September 1. 
 
&quot;We have a lot of upcoming players and I want to bring them through. But we have to be patient and give them time to come through gradually.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Graziano Pelle is all set to leave Southampton for Chinese Super League's Shandong Luneng

New Italian coach Giampiero Ventura hinted today that striker Graziano Pelle could risk his Azzurri place following a recent move to China and gave Mario Balotelli little chance of returning to the national team. Pelle, 31, scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for Southampton following his arrival from Feyenoord in 2014 and was an integral part of the Italy team that reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals in France. But Pelle's reported 15m Euros (£12.7 million, $16.6 million) move to Shandong Luneng could dent his Italy future if he follows in the footsteps of former Juventus maestro Andrea Pirlo and ex-Bologna star Alessandro Diamanti. Pirlo's move to New York City FC and Diamanti's signing for Guangzhou Evergrande preceded the ends of their respective international careers. Ventura, officially unveiled as Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's successor today, said the circumstances surrounding Pelle and those players "could not be compared". But he added: "A player has to be strong, psychologically and mentally", to feature for Italy while playing outside of Europe. "Diamanti, despite being a quality player, lost it (Italy place) when he went to China." Pelle scored twice for Italy in France last month but was one of several players to miss the target in an error-strewn 18-shot penalty shoot-out that Germany won 6-5 to advance to the semi-finals. Ventura said the striker, at least on paper, remains part of his plans but admitted the long-haul travel could complicate matters. "I have to consider all the 23 players who were at the Euros because of what they achieved. Plus, there will be many others because we're moving forward," he explained. "As for Pelle, apart from his missed penalty, he had a positive campaign. But China is far away. Let's see why he moved." Balotelli, meanwhile, will have to reignite his troubled club future if he is to have any chance of remaining an Italy international. Having spent a mediocre last season on loan at AC Milan, Balotelli was told recently by Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp to find a new club. Ventura said the door would remain open but that the troubled star was "at a crossroads" in his career. "For me he's exactly the same as all other players when, a) he plays, and b) he is professional," added Ventura when asked about Balotelli. "In terms of his character, he could do much better. The fact he's not playing at Milan, that Liverpool have abandoned him, means that he is at crossroads. "The few times that Balotelli has really wanted to be a footballer, he has shown his quality. I have no prejudice, but his football must do the talking." A respected tactician, Ventura comes to the post after a five-year spell with Torino. Tasked with qualifying Italy for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he now hopes to convince rock-solid Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli to extend his international career. The sixty-eight-year-old coach also intends to build on Conte's two-year spell in charge by steering the new generation through the ranks. "I haven't spoken to Barzagli yet but if I want to take up where Conte has left off it's obvious that he would be a crucial player for us," added Ventura, whose first game in charge is a friendly against beaten Euro 2016 finalists France in Bari on September 1. "We have a lot of upcoming players and I want to bring them through. But we have to be patient and give them time to come through gradually." (AFP)

Italy's Graziano Pelle, Mario Balotelli receive warning

Ireland manager Martin O&#39;Neill has warned his side to be prepared for a backlash when they take on a smarting Belgium in their European Championship match in Bordeaux on Saturday. 
 
Belgium, who were at number one in the FIFA rankings for the first three months of 2016 and second since then, suffered a 2-0 loss to Italy and slipped to the bottom of Group E. 
 
In contrast, a spirited Ireland side opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Sweden. 
 
&quot;Belgium are a really fine side, really fine,&quot; O&#39;Neill told reporters in France. 
 
&quot;Individually they are as talented as any side in the competition. They are very dangerous anyway, but even more so now they are a bit of a wounded animal.&quot; 
 
&quot;They will cause us problems so we have to show the same spirit and determination again and try and play as strongly with the ball as we did the other night.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think overall they have the players (to hurt us). If they are disappointed themselves with not playing well against Italy, they will feel they can rectify it.&quot; 
 
Ireland will conclude their group stage campaign against Italy on June 22. 
(Reuters)

Belgium, who were number one in the FIFA rankings for a few months of 2016, suffered a 2-0 loss to Italy and slipped to the bottom of Group

Ireland manager Martin O'Neill has warned his side to be prepared for a backlash when they take on a smarting Belgium in their European Championship match in Bordeaux on Saturday. Belgium, who were at number one in the FIFA rankings for the first three months of 2016 and second since then, suffered a 2-0 loss to Italy and slipped to the bottom of Group E. In contrast, a spirited Ireland side opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw with Sweden. "Belgium are a really fine side, really fine," O'Neill told reporters in France. "Individually they are as talented as any side in the competition. They are very dangerous anyway, but even more so now they are a bit of a wounded animal." "They will cause us problems so we have to show the same spirit and determination again and try and play as strongly with the ball as we did the other night." "I think overall they have the players (to hurt us). If they are disappointed themselves with not playing well against Italy, they will feel they can rectify it." Ireland will conclude their group stage campaign against Italy on June 22. (Reuters)

O'Neill warns Ireland against 'wounded animal' Belgium

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. 
 
Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. 
 
Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. 
 
Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. 
 
For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection,&quot; Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m happy above all for the players. It&#39;s more than a month that we&#39;ve been working tactically, technically, mentally and we&#39;ve been trying to surprise everybody and I think we&#39;ve succeeded to some extent.&quot; 
 
Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. 
 
Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. 
 
The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. 
 
&quot;We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday,&quot; Conte said. &quot;It&#39;s going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We&#39;ve got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that&#39;s a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The team has been winning games despite fielding an ageing squad lacking any big-name talent

Without the star names that have graced Italy sides in the past, coach Antonio Conte says the secret to their success at Euro 2016 has been to shun the mentality of a national team and behave like a club. Italy came into the European Championship with an ageing squad shorn of standout talents and with few tipping them for success. Their tournament performances, however, have confounded expectations and a 2-0 victory over Spain on Monday propelled them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday. Recent Italy teams went into major tournaments with individual talents such as Mario Balotelli or Andrea Pirlo, who attracted enormous amounts of media attention. For Conte, who has a notorious emphasis on the team ethic and industry over individuality, the way to achieve success is to mould the national team around the model of a club, where a well-drilled tactical system can stifle even the best opponents. "I've always said, right from the start of my work here with the national team, that the only road we can follow if we want a bit of success is to be like a club, to be like a team that play together every week - we cannot allow ourselves to be a selection," Conte told reporters following the victory over Spain at the Stade de France. "I'm happy above all for the players. It's more than a month that we've been working tactically, technically, mentally and we've been trying to surprise everybody and I think we've succeeded to some extent." Spain were comprehensively snuffed out, barely posing a threat until the closing stages of the game. Conte feels next opponents Germany, however, could pose a greater challenge. The world champions cruised through the group stage and thumped Slovakia 3-0 to reach the last eight. "We now face the best side at the European Championship next Saturday," Conte said. "It's going to be very, very hard in all aspects. We've got to do well to recover and prepare for Germany the best way we can. We are without Thiago Motta (suspended) and that's a big blow, also because (Daniele) De Rossi took a knock to his hip. But we know that in adversity, we give that little bit more." (Reuters)

Italy's Coach Conte says club mentality crucial to success

Robbie Brady scored a glorious late winner for Ireland to put them through to the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time with a 1-0 win over Group E winners Italy. 
 
Brady scored his 85th minute headed goal from a pinpoint cross by his Norwich City clubmate Wes Hoolahan, who had just spurned a golden opportunity to seal the well-deserved victory himself. 
 
It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights against a second-string Italy side, with the three points securing third place in the group and setting up a last-16 tie against hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s what dreams are made of. I grew up dreaming about this stage and to go and do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world,&quot; said Brady, who reckoned that scoring the goal felt like &quot;an out of body&quot; experience. 
 
&quot;All applause is for Wes Hoolahan. He put the ball right on my head. I would have done well to miss it. We rode our luck a couple of times, but we got the result in the end. If we stick together like we did tonight, we can take on anyone.&quot; 
 
With his team already guaranteed to top the group, Antonio Conte made eight changes, with only Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Alessandro Florenzi surviving from the side that started against Sweden. 
 
The Irish began like a team on a mission, full back Seamus Coleman thundering into a tackle in the opening seconds to lay down a marker, and plenty of tough challenges from both sides followed. 
 
Ireland almost took an early lead when Jeff Hendrick created some space at the edge of the box and hit a left-footed piledriver that flew just wide of the top corner. 
 
In the 21st minute, Daryl Murphy met Brady&#39;s outswinging corner with a powerful header, forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make a flying save and tip the ball over the bar for another corner. 
 
Italy had to wait until just before halftime for their first decent chance, Ciro Immobile dragging his shot just wide after a well-worked short free kick. 
 
Moments later the Irish were denied what looked like a clear penalty when James McClean was pushed in the back by Federico Bernardeschi, but referee Ovidiu Hategan turned down their appeals, leaving coach Martin O&#39;Neill incandescent with rage. 
 
Simone Zaza almost broke the deadlock on a rare Italian foray forward with a fizzing shot after the break, but then Ireland dominated almost the entire second half. 
 
With Italy content to soak up the considerable pressure, the Irish mixed up their play, alternating between long balls and short passes, and set pieces continued to be a potent weapon. 
 
The Italians were not content to simply concede, and Lorenzo Insigne came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance at the Euros. Within two minutes, he had curled an exquisite shot past Darren Randolph only to see it come back off the post. 
 
With 13 minutes left and the Irish tiring, O&#39;Neill threw on playmaker Hoolahan, who netted the goal in Ireland&#39;s 1-1 draw with Sweden, in a last-gasp effort to finally unlock the Italian defence. 
 
He missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead minutes later, shooting straight at Sirigu when he got through one-on-one and it looked as if Ireland were heading for elimination. 
 
Yet he made amends soon after, crossing for Brady to head Ireland into the lead and send the Irish fans into raptures. 
 
When Hategan sounded the final whistle, there were wild celebrations from players, coaching staff and fans alike with Ireland&#39;s Euro dream still very much alive. 
 
&quot;We stuck at it and put in a great performance,&quot; Brady said. &quot;In the end we got the result we deserved. Roll on France!&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights, with the three points setting up a last-16 tie against France on Sunday

Robbie Brady scored a glorious late winner for Ireland to put them through to the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time with a 1-0 win over Group E winners Italy. Brady scored his 85th minute headed goal from a pinpoint cross by his Norwich City clubmate Wes Hoolahan, who had just spurned a golden opportunity to seal the well-deserved victory himself. It delivered Irish football one of its most famous nights against a second-string Italy side, with the three points securing third place in the group and setting up a last-16 tie against hosts France in Lyon on Sunday. "It's what dreams are made of. I grew up dreaming about this stage and to go and do it in front of my family is the best feeling in the world," said Brady, who reckoned that scoring the goal felt like "an out of body" experience. "All applause is for Wes Hoolahan. He put the ball right on my head. I would have done well to miss it. We rode our luck a couple of times, but we got the result in the end. If we stick together like we did tonight, we can take on anyone." With his team already guaranteed to top the group, Antonio Conte made eight changes, with only Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Alessandro Florenzi surviving from the side that started against Sweden. The Irish began like a team on a mission, full back Seamus Coleman thundering into a tackle in the opening seconds to lay down a marker, and plenty of tough challenges from both sides followed. Ireland almost took an early lead when Jeff Hendrick created some space at the edge of the box and hit a left-footed piledriver that flew just wide of the top corner. In the 21st minute, Daryl Murphy met Brady's outswinging corner with a powerful header, forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make a flying save and tip the ball over the bar for another corner. Italy had to wait until just before halftime for their first decent chance, Ciro Immobile dragging his shot just wide after a well-worked short free kick. Moments later the Irish were denied what looked like a clear penalty when James McClean was pushed in the back by Federico Bernardeschi, but referee Ovidiu Hategan turned down their appeals, leaving coach Martin O'Neill incandescent with rage. Simone Zaza almost broke the deadlock on a rare Italian foray forward with a fizzing shot after the break, but then Ireland dominated almost the entire second half. With Italy content to soak up the considerable pressure, the Irish mixed up their play, alternating between long balls and short passes, and set pieces continued to be a potent weapon. The Italians were not content to simply concede, and Lorenzo Insigne came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance at the Euros. Within two minutes, he had curled an exquisite shot past Darren Randolph only to see it come back off the post. With 13 minutes left and the Irish tiring, O'Neill threw on playmaker Hoolahan, who netted the goal in Ireland's 1-1 draw with Sweden, in a last-gasp effort to finally unlock the Italian defence. He missed a glorious chance to put his side ahead minutes later, shooting straight at Sirigu when he got through one-on-one and it looked as if Ireland were heading for elimination. Yet he made amends soon after, crossing for Brady to head Ireland into the lead and send the Irish fans into raptures. When Hategan sounded the final whistle, there were wild celebrations from players, coaching staff and fans alike with Ireland's Euro dream still very much alive. "We stuck at it and put in a great performance," Brady said. "In the end we got the result we deserved. Roll on France!" (Reuters)

Euro 2016: Brady's late goal fires Ireland into last-16

AC Milan have appointed former Fiorentina and Sampdoria boss Vincenzo Montella as their new manager on a two-year contract, the Serie A club said on their website on Tuesday. 
 
The 42-year-old will begin work with the Italian side from July 1 and will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April. 
 
The former striker has also managed at Catania after a playing career that took him to Empoli, Genoa, Sampdoria and AS Roma, as well as a brief loan spell at English side Fulham in 2007. 
 
Montella, who took over at Sampdoria last November and led them to 15th in Serie A, represented Italy 20 times between 1999 and 2005, scoring three times for his country. 
 
&quot;It is the belief of the club that the style of play of the new Rossoneri coach will be the basis of an important, fruitful and positive collaboration,&quot; the club said in a statement on their website. 
 
&quot;Heartfelt thanks to Cristian Brocchi for the enthusiasm, preparation and intensity with which he approached his career as Milan coach with the youth sides and the first team.&quot; 
 
Milan, who lost to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final last month, finished seventh in the league last season and will miss out on Europe for a third successive campaign. 
 
(Reuters)

Montella will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April

AC Milan have appointed former Fiorentina and Sampdoria boss Vincenzo Montella as their new manager on a two-year contract, the Serie A club said on their website on Tuesday. The 42-year-old will begin work with the Italian side from July 1 and will replace Cristian Brocchi, who took charge on an interim basis after Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April. The former striker has also managed at Catania after a playing career that took him to Empoli, Genoa, Sampdoria and AS Roma, as well as a brief loan spell at English side Fulham in 2007. Montella, who took over at Sampdoria last November and led them to 15th in Serie A, represented Italy 20 times between 1999 and 2005, scoring three times for his country. "It is the belief of the club that the style of play of the new Rossoneri coach will be the basis of an important, fruitful and positive collaboration," the club said in a statement on their website. "Heartfelt thanks to Cristian Brocchi for the enthusiasm, preparation and intensity with which he approached his career as Milan coach with the youth sides and the first team." Milan, who lost to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final last month, finished seventh in the league last season and will miss out on Europe for a third successive campaign. (Reuters)

Vincenzo Montella named as new AC Milan manager

Italy coach Antonio Conte said before Euro 2016 that his side would have to make up for their lack of talent with tactical cunning, and they did exactly that to sink Belgium 2-0 on Monday. 
 
In terms of pure footballing ability, Italy&#39;s current team is regarded as one of the country&#39;s weakest in years. Yet, they were still too streetwise for a Belgium team that once again failed to live up to expectations. 
 
The Azzurri&#39;s shortage of talent is such that 38-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is seen as their standout performer while Daniele De Rossi, once a purely destructive presence, has been recalled to dictate the passing in midfield. 
 
Riccardo Montolivo, Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio, who might have added some class, are injured while maverick forward Mario Balotelli&#39;s career has gone so far off the rails that his exclusion from the squad went almost unnoticed. 
 
Monday&#39;s opening Group E performance was typical of Conte who won three successive Serie A titles in as many years at Juventus. 
 
In the last few months he has talked about understanding the importance of &quot;wearing the shirt&quot;, to the exclusion of almost anything else, and the players seem to have got the message. 
 
Italy appeared to line up with a 3-5-2 formation but this quickly reverted to a back line of five when the opposition had the ball and changed to an attacking four when they went forward. 
 
It required extraordinary work from the players and Italy were wilting by the end. 
 
The defence, featuring Juventus trio Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, was outstanding but this was by no means the sort of negative or cynical performance that has marred Italy&#39;s reputation in the past. 
 
Conte&#39;s men looked to attack in numbers when they had the chance and, for all of Belgium&#39;s possession, Thibaut Courtois was the busier goalkeeper. 
 
There was some gamesmanship to start with, but it didn&#39;t last. Having cleverly avoided any yellow cards in the first hour, Italy picked up four in the last third of the match as they stopped counter-attacks at all cost. 
 
Two excellent goals from Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle capped Italy&#39;s display. Giaccherini&#39;s goal was his first in internationals since the Confederations Cup three years ago. 
 
In the meantime he has gone from a fringe player at Juventus to struggling for a place at Sunderland and finally to unglamorous Bologna, an example of how workmenlike players have replaced Italian artists such as Andrea Pirlo.

Conte's Azzuri battled from start to finish in the win

Italy coach Antonio Conte said before Euro 2016 that his side would have to make up for their lack of talent with tactical cunning, and they did exactly that to sink Belgium 2-0 on Monday. In terms of pure footballing ability, Italy's current team is regarded as one of the country's weakest in years. Yet, they were still too streetwise for a Belgium team that once again failed to live up to expectations. The Azzurri's shortage of talent is such that 38-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is seen as their standout performer while Daniele De Rossi, once a purely destructive presence, has been recalled to dictate the passing in midfield. Riccardo Montolivo, Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio, who might have added some class, are injured while maverick forward Mario Balotelli's career has gone so far off the rails that his exclusion from the squad went almost unnoticed. Monday's opening Group E performance was typical of Conte who won three successive Serie A titles in as many years at Juventus. In the last few months he has talked about understanding the importance of "wearing the shirt", to the exclusion of almost anything else, and the players seem to have got the message. Italy appeared to line up with a 3-5-2 formation but this quickly reverted to a back line of five when the opposition had the ball and changed to an attacking four when they went forward. It required extraordinary work from the players and Italy were wilting by the end. The defence, featuring Juventus trio Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, was outstanding but this was by no means the sort of negative or cynical performance that has marred Italy's reputation in the past. Conte's men looked to attack in numbers when they had the chance and, for all of Belgium's possession, Thibaut Courtois was the busier goalkeeper. There was some gamesmanship to start with, but it didn't last. Having cleverly avoided any yellow cards in the first hour, Italy picked up four in the last third of the match as they stopped counter-attacks at all cost. Two excellent goals from Emanuele Giaccherini and Graziano Pelle capped Italy's display. Giaccherini's goal was his first in internationals since the Confederations Cup three years ago. In the meantime he has gone from a fringe player at Juventus to struggling for a place at Sunderland and finally to unglamorous Bologna, an example of how workmenlike players have replaced Italian artists such as Andrea Pirlo.

Scrappy Italy take Belgium down

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney&#39;s England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. 
 
To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. 
 
But they come into today&#39;s game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque&#39;s team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. 
 
It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. 
 
While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are,&quot; he said. 
 
Recent history is on Spain&#39;s side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. 
 
Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to go home, the boys don&#39;t want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch,&quot; said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. 
 
Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition&#39;s joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. 
 
Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. 
 
Chance of a lifetime&nbsp; 
 
England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. 
 
Iceland&#39;s population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. 
 
But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. 
 
Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. 
 
Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a &quot;win or bust&quot; clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not &quot;beg&quot; for his job. 
 
&quot;I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to,&quot; Hodgson said. 
 
&quot;If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I&#39;m not begging for the job.&quot; 
 
England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We&#39;re showing full respect.&quot; 
 
Iceland&#39;s co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. 
 
&quot;If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already.&quot; 
 
Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. 
 
(AFP)

To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final which they won by 4-0

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney's England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. But they come into today's game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque's team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. "We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are," he said. Recent history is on Spain's side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. "I don't want to go home, the boys don't want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch," said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition's joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. Chance of a lifetime England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. Iceland's population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a "win or bust" clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not "beg" for his job. "I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to," Hodgson said. "If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I'm not begging for the job." England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. "We're not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We're showing full respect." Iceland's co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. "If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different," he said. "But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already." Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. (AFP)

Spain-Italy in 'early final', England eye quarters

Pope Francis said on Sunday that Islam could not be equated with terrorism and warned Europe was pushing its young into the hands of extremists. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not true and it&#39;s not correct (to say) Islam is terrorism,&quot; he told journalists aboard the papal plane during the return journey from a trip to Poland. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it is right to equate Islam with violence&quot;. 
 
Francis defended his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal jihadist murder of a Catholic priest in France in the latest of a string of recent attacks in Europe claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. 
 
&quot;In almost every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them too.&quot; 
 
&quot;If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics.&quot; 
 
The pontiff was speaking after Muslims attended Catholic mass in churches around France on Sunday in solidarity and sorrow following the murder of the priest, whose throat was slit at the altar of his church. 
 
In an echo of remarks made during his five-day trip to Poland for a Catholic youth festival, Francis said religion was not the driving force behind the violence. 
 
&quot;You can kill with the tongue as well as the knife,&quot; he said, in an apparent reference to a rise in populist parties fuelling racism and xenophobia. 
 
He said Europe should look closer to home, saying &quot;terrorism... grows where the God of money is put first&quot; and &quot;where there are no other options&quot;. 
 
&quot;How many of our European young have we left empty of ideals, with no work, so they turn to drugs, to alcohol, and sign up with fundamentalist groups?&quot; he asked. 
 
(AFP)

Pope defended his decision not to name Islam while condemning brutal jihadist murder of Catholic priest in recent church attack in France

Pope Francis said on Sunday that Islam could not be equated with terrorism and warned Europe was pushing its young into the hands of extremists. "It's not true and it's not correct (to say) Islam is terrorism," he told journalists aboard the papal plane during the return journey from a trip to Poland. "I don't think it is right to equate Islam with violence". Francis defended his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal jihadist murder of a Catholic priest in France in the latest of a string of recent attacks in Europe claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. "In almost every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them too." "If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics." The pontiff was speaking after Muslims attended Catholic mass in churches around France on Sunday in solidarity and sorrow following the murder of the priest, whose throat was slit at the altar of his church. In an echo of remarks made during his five-day trip to Poland for a Catholic youth festival, Francis said religion was not the driving force behind the violence. "You can kill with the tongue as well as the knife," he said, in an apparent reference to a rise in populist parties fuelling racism and xenophobia. He said Europe should look closer to home, saying "terrorism... grows where the God of money is put first" and "where there are no other options". "How many of our European young have we left empty of ideals, with no work, so they turn to drugs, to alcohol, and sign up with fundamentalist groups?" he asked. (AFP)

Islam is not terrorism: Pope

More than 120 bodies of&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;who died trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe have washed up around Sabratha in western Libya this month, the city&#39;s mayor said on Sunday.

Hussein Thwadi said bodies had washed up on a daily basis, with 53 found on a single day last week.

Libya is a common departure point for&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;seeking to travel to Europe by boat, many of them fleeing violence, repression or poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

Political turmoil and armed conflict in Libya have given smugglers the space to work with impunity, running trafficking networks that bring&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;across the Sahara desert to the coast.

Of more than 3,000&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;known to have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year, about three out of four perished trying to reach Italy from North Africa, mainly Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Nearly 90,000&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;had crossed the central Mediterranean to Italy as of this week, the IOM said, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year.

As the number of attempted crossings from Libya picked up in the spring with the arrival of calmer weather, many of the boats have been leaving from the coastline near Sabratha.

&quot;The whole coast of Sabratha is open,&quot; Thwadi told Reuters by phone. &quot;There are patrols but they do not have enough capacity to tackle this crisis.&quot;

&quot;Illegal migration existed before, but with insecurity and the lack of state authorities, the crisis has become worse and worse.&quot;

Thwadi said most of the&nbsp;migrants&nbsp;whose bodies washed up this month were from sub-Saharan African states, though there were also 23 Tunisians. Red Crescent volunteers and local officials have been removing them for burial in a cemetery for unidentified bodies in Sabratha, he said.

A UN-backed government that has been trying to establish itself in Tripoli since March says tackling migration is among its priorities.&nbsp;But the government is struggling to manage complex security and economic challenges, and still faces political opposition on the ground.&nbsp;Thwadi said he had raised the issue with the new government&#39;s leadership but had not yet received any concrete response.

(Reuters)

Nearly 90,000?migrants?had crossed the central Mediterranean to Italy as of this week, a 14% increase over the previous year

More than 120 bodies of migrants who died trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe have washed up around Sabratha in western Libya this month, the city's mayor said on Sunday. Hussein Thwadi said bodies had washed up on a daily basis, with 53 found on a single day last week. Libya is a common departure point for migrants seeking to travel to Europe by boat, many of them fleeing violence, repression or poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Political turmoil and armed conflict in Libya have given smugglers the space to work with impunity, running trafficking networks that bring migrants across the Sahara desert to the coast. Of more than 3,000 migrants known to have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year, about three out of four perished trying to reach Italy from North Africa, mainly Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Nearly 90,000 migrants had crossed the central Mediterranean to Italy as of this week, the IOM said, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year. As the number of attempted crossings from Libya picked up in the spring with the arrival of calmer weather, many of the boats have been leaving from the coastline near Sabratha. "The whole coast of Sabratha is open," Thwadi told Reuters by phone. "There are patrols but they do not have enough capacity to tackle this crisis." "Illegal migration existed before, but with insecurity and the lack of state authorities, the crisis has become worse and worse." Thwadi said most of the migrants whose bodies washed up this month were from sub-Saharan African states, though there were also 23 Tunisians. Red Crescent volunteers and local officials have been removing them for burial in a cemetery for unidentified bodies in Sabratha, he said. A UN-backed government that has been trying to establish itself in Tripoli since March says tackling migration is among its priorities. But the government is struggling to manage complex security and economic challenges, and still faces political opposition on the ground. Thwadi said he had raised the issue with the new government's leadership but had not yet received any concrete response. (Reuters)

More than 120 migrant bodies washed up in Libya's Sabratha this July

Italy&#39;s data privacy regulator said today that Alphabet Inc&#39;s Google had met its requests to change the way it treats and stores user data to bring practices into line with Italian rules. 
 
Two years ago, the watchdog told Google its disclosure to users on how their data was being treated was inadequate, giving it 18 months to comply fully and indicating a series of measures that needed to be carried out. 
 
The move was one of several privacy challenges against the US Internet giant in the European Union (EU), highlighting the bloc&#39;s desire to ensure its citizens data is treated according to EU law, even when held in foreign jurisdictions. 
 
In a note, the watchdog said it was pleased with the agreement but added the monitoring of Google would continue. 
 
&quot;We will continue with checks, in tandem also with other European regulators, so that users data are increasingly protected and their rights recognised by web giants,&quot; watchdog president Antonello Soro said. 
 
Under the changes agreed, Google will have to make clear to users how their data is used and will not be allowed to use data to profile users without their prior consent. Users will be able to withhold or grant partial consent. 
 
Google will also need to improve how it stores data and guarantee its deletion within a specified timeframe. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re pleased that the Garante (watchdog) has acknowledged the steps we have taken to ensure compliance with Italian law and improve user control,&quot; a Google spokesperson said. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Two years ago, Italy's data privacy regulator told Google that its disclosure to users on how their data was being treated was inadequate

Italy's data privacy regulator said today that Alphabet Inc's Google had met its requests to change the way it treats and stores user data to bring practices into line with Italian rules. Two years ago, the watchdog told Google its disclosure to users on how their data was being treated was inadequate, giving it 18 months to comply fully and indicating a series of measures that needed to be carried out. The move was one of several privacy challenges against the US Internet giant in the European Union (EU), highlighting the bloc's desire to ensure its citizens data is treated according to EU law, even when held in foreign jurisdictions. In a note, the watchdog said it was pleased with the agreement but added the monitoring of Google would continue. "We will continue with checks, in tandem also with other European regulators, so that users data are increasingly protected and their rights recognised by web giants," watchdog president Antonello Soro said. Under the changes agreed, Google will have to make clear to users how their data is used and will not be allowed to use data to profile users without their prior consent. Users will be able to withhold or grant partial consent. Google will also need to improve how it stores data and guarantee its deletion within a specified timeframe. "We're pleased that the Garante (watchdog) has acknowledged the steps we have taken to ensure compliance with Italian law and improve user control," a Google spokesperson said. (Reuters)

Google meets Italy's demands on data use practices

Italy&#39;s long-awaited, much-disputed law allowing gay civil unions took effect today after it was published in an official journal, as couples start applying for legal recognition of their same-sex relationships. 
 
In Milan, an official went on Wednesday to an intensive care unit to perform the civil union ceremony of a terminally ill 53-year-old teacher named Margherita and her partner of 28 years.&nbsp;Theirs will be the first union registered in Milan in about 10 days&#39; time, the city told the media. 
 
Throughout Italy, town halls have reported that requests for gay unions have started coming in. 
 
The Italian parliament passed the landmark legislation in May overruling opposition from the country&#39;s powerful Catholic Church.&nbsp;It introduces civil unions for the first time, but denies same sex couples equal adoption rights to their heterosexual counterparts. 
 
Italy was the last major Western country to introduce legal recognition of gay relationships, and the law&#39;s provisions do not go as far as the gay marriage legislation enacted in other European countries such as Britain, France and Spain. 
 
Some more complicated cases in Italy, such as couples of different nationalities who got married overseas, will have to wait a bit longer until a definitive decree of the new law is made by early December. 
 
(AFP)

The landmark legislation that came into effect today was passed in May, overruling opposition from the country's powerful Catholic Church

Italy's long-awaited, much-disputed law allowing gay civil unions took effect today after it was published in an official journal, as couples start applying for legal recognition of their same-sex relationships. In Milan, an official went on Wednesday to an intensive care unit to perform the civil union ceremony of a terminally ill 53-year-old teacher named Margherita and her partner of 28 years. Theirs will be the first union registered in Milan in about 10 days' time, the city told the media. Throughout Italy, town halls have reported that requests for gay unions have started coming in. The Italian parliament passed the landmark legislation in May overruling opposition from the country's powerful Catholic Church. It introduces civil unions for the first time, but denies same sex couples equal adoption rights to their heterosexual counterparts. Italy was the last major Western country to introduce legal recognition of gay relationships, and the law's provisions do not go as far as the gay marriage legislation enacted in other European countries such as Britain, France and Spain. Some more complicated cases in Italy, such as couples of different nationalities who got married overseas, will have to wait a bit longer until a definitive decree of the new law is made by early December. (AFP)

Gay civil unions become reality in Italy

Italian lawmakers will begin discussing on Monday a proposal to ease up on the recreational use and growing of cannabis, a highly inflammatory topic, with the government on the fence. 
 
Were the draft to pass into law, people would be allowed to grow up to five cannabis plants for personal use and keep up to 15 grams of marajuana at home and five grams on their person. 
 
It would still be illegal for people to buy or sell weed or smoke marijuana in public, but the Italian state could start issuing licenses allowing the drug to be grown and sold in a similar way to tobacco. 
 
Several European countries, as well as a number of US states, have legalised marijuana in recent years, both for medical and recreational use. 
 
Proponents of this approach argue that decades of international prohibition have manifestly failed to halt the worldwide spread of cannabis consumption. 
 
In its latest annual report, Italy&#39;s Anti-Mafia Directorate criticised &quot;the total failure of repressive action&quot;, to limit marijuana consumption. 
 
The directorate said it supports relaxing existing laws in order to ease &quot;the workload of the judiciary and free up resources for the security forces and judges in order to fight other crime&quot;. 
 
While medical marijuana is legal in Italy, a string of other European nations including the Netherlands and Spain tolerate personal recreational use of the herb. 
 
In the US, 23 states have legalised medical use, while four have decriminalised recreational consumption.The draft was submitted for debate by foreign ministry undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova, a libertarian who has also fought for gay rights, with the support of 200 MPs and senators. 
 
But Italy is sharply divided on the matter, with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi&#39;s government on the fence. 
Renzi said in May that the hot-button issue was &quot;not on the agenda&quot; for his team. 
 
Catholic lawmakers have already made it clear they intend to fight the bill to the bitter end, including drowning the text with amendments. 
 
With parliament recess about to begin, it will probably take MPs weeks to actually get to the core of the bill. 
 
A coalition of centre-right Catholic lawmakers, &quot;has presented 1,300 amendments to say no to the absurd draft&quot;, the group leader Maurizio Lupi said. 
&quot;We are completely opposed to the legislation, to the idea of sending out the message that it is alright to freely smoke a joint without a problem,&quot; Lupi said, adding that he was opposed to the bill both on health and public safety grounds. 
 
Supporters of the bill say the criticism is baseless. 
 
&quot;The experience of states that have started legally regulating the marijuana market shows that the number of consumers has not increased, and that there has been no (negative) social or health impact,&quot; the draft text reads.&nbsp; 
 
The only thing that does increase, the draft says, is tax returns.&nbsp; 
 
According to Italian association Nativa, some three million kilos (6.6 million pounds) of cannabis are consumed in the Mediterranean country each year. 
 
(AFP)

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said in May that the hot-button issue was 'not on the agenda' for his team.Italy is sharply divided on the issue

Italian lawmakers will begin discussing on Monday a proposal to ease up on the recreational use and growing of cannabis, a highly inflammatory topic, with the government on the fence. Were the draft to pass into law, people would be allowed to grow up to five cannabis plants for personal use and keep up to 15 grams of marajuana at home and five grams on their person. It would still be illegal for people to buy or sell weed or smoke marijuana in public, but the Italian state could start issuing licenses allowing the drug to be grown and sold in a similar way to tobacco. Several European countries, as well as a number of US states, have legalised marijuana in recent years, both for medical and recreational use. Proponents of this approach argue that decades of international prohibition have manifestly failed to halt the worldwide spread of cannabis consumption. In its latest annual report, Italy's Anti-Mafia Directorate criticised "the total failure of repressive action", to limit marijuana consumption. The directorate said it supports relaxing existing laws in order to ease "the workload of the judiciary and free up resources for the security forces and judges in order to fight other crime". While medical marijuana is legal in Italy, a string of other European nations including the Netherlands and Spain tolerate personal recreational use of the herb. In the US, 23 states have legalised medical use, while four have decriminalised recreational consumption.The draft was submitted for debate by foreign ministry undersecretary Benedetto Della Vedova, a libertarian who has also fought for gay rights, with the support of 200 MPs and senators. But Italy is sharply divided on the matter, with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government on the fence. Renzi said in May that the hot-button issue was "not on the agenda" for his team. Catholic lawmakers have already made it clear they intend to fight the bill to the bitter end, including drowning the text with amendments. With parliament recess about to begin, it will probably take MPs weeks to actually get to the core of the bill. A coalition of centre-right Catholic lawmakers, "has presented 1,300 amendments to say no to the absurd draft", the group leader Maurizio Lupi said. "We are completely opposed to the legislation, to the idea of sending out the message that it is alright to freely smoke a joint without a problem," Lupi said, adding that he was opposed to the bill both on health and public safety grounds. Supporters of the bill say the criticism is baseless. "The experience of states that have started legally regulating the marijuana market shows that the number of consumers has not increased, and that there has been no (negative) social or health impact," the draft text reads. The only thing that does increase, the draft says, is tax returns. According to Italian association Nativa, some three million kilos (6.6 million pounds) of cannabis are consumed in the Mediterranean country each year. (AFP)

Italian lawmakers to discuss controversial cannabis law

Hundreds of rescued migrants arrived to safety at the Sicilian port of Trapani on Friday (July 22) according to the Italian coastguard. 
 
The bodies of 21 women and one man were also brought to the port by humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) after being found on a rubber dinghy adrift near the Libyan coast earlier in the week. 
 
An MSF ship patrolling the central Mediterranean came to the rescue of two dinghies that were sailing close together and managed to pull 209 people, including 50 children, to safety. 
 
However, 22 migrants were found dead at the bottom of the first dinghy, lying in a pool of fuel. 
 
Red Cross workers held roses and stood in silence on the portside in Trapani, Sicily, as the bodies of 21 women and a man were carried off a rescue ship, placed in wooden coffins and loaded into hearses. 
 
Survivors told MSF the victims had drowned in 30 centimetres (12 inches) of water and fuel. 
 
&quot;People were trying not to slip into (the) pool of fuel/water in (the) middle of (the) dinghy, but when they moved to the sides more water came in,&quot; a survivor named only as David was quoted as saying on MSFs Twitter feed.&nbsp; 
 
The overcrowded dinghy was deflating on one side. Those aboard began trying to bail out the water, which rose quickly to knee high. 
 
&quot;Girls sitting down in centre started to panic, tried to get up,&quot; he said. &quot;The bodies were on the floor under water, we were shouting and praying to be rescued.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
MSF said many of the 209 survivors were crying as they disembarked, and the charity was offering psychological support. Among those saved by the MS Aquarius were two pregnant women and 50 children, 45 of whom were travelling without their parents.It was not the first tragedy to be caused by panic onboard over fears of sinking.&nbsp; 
 
Desperate migrants all too often cause their own shipwrecks as they tip their unstable crafts over by waving frantically for help or attempting to bail out water.&nbsp; 
 
Since 2014, more than 10,000 migrants have died or are feared to have drowned while attempting the perilous journey to Europe by sea, most losing their lives in the central Mediterranean, the UNHCR says. 
 
Nearly 3,000 have died or been lost at sea during the crossing so far this year. That represents a sharp increase on the same period in 2015, when 1,870 people died, according to MSF. 
 
&quot;Our experience is that the number of migrant boats -- simple dinghies with hundreds of people massed on them -- driven to leave by the difficult situation in Libya, are on the rise,&quot; Loris De Filippi, head of MSF Italy, said Thursday. 
 
(Reuters, AFP) 
&nbsp;

There has been a jump in the number of migrants who people smugglers have put onto overcrowded boats in Libya this week amid calm seas

Hundreds of rescued migrants arrived to safety at the Sicilian port of Trapani on Friday (July 22) according to the Italian coastguard. The bodies of 21 women and one man were also brought to the port by humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) after being found on a rubber dinghy adrift near the Libyan coast earlier in the week. An MSF ship patrolling the central Mediterranean came to the rescue of two dinghies that were sailing close together and managed to pull 209 people, including 50 children, to safety. However, 22 migrants were found dead at the bottom of the first dinghy, lying in a pool of fuel. Red Cross workers held roses and stood in silence on the portside in Trapani, Sicily, as the bodies of 21 women and a man were carried off a rescue ship, placed in wooden coffins and loaded into hearses. Survivors told MSF the victims had drowned in 30 centimetres (12 inches) of water and fuel. "People were trying not to slip into (the) pool of fuel/water in (the) middle of (the) dinghy, but when they moved to the sides more water came in," a survivor named only as David was quoted as saying on MSFs Twitter feed. The overcrowded dinghy was deflating on one side. Those aboard began trying to bail out the water, which rose quickly to knee high. "Girls sitting down in centre started to panic, tried to get up," he said. "The bodies were on the floor under water, we were shouting and praying to be rescued." MSF said many of the 209 survivors were crying as they disembarked, and the charity was offering psychological support. Among those saved by the MS Aquarius were two pregnant women and 50 children, 45 of whom were travelling without their parents.It was not the first tragedy to be caused by panic onboard over fears of sinking. Desperate migrants all too often cause their own shipwrecks as they tip their unstable crafts over by waving frantically for help or attempting to bail out water. Since 2014, more than 10,000 migrants have died or are feared to have drowned while attempting the perilous journey to Europe by sea, most losing their lives in the central Mediterranean, the UNHCR says. Nearly 3,000 have died or been lost at sea during the crossing so far this year. That represents a sharp increase on the same period in 2015, when 1,870 people died, according to MSF. "Our experience is that the number of migrant boats -- simple dinghies with hundreds of people massed on them -- driven to leave by the difficult situation in Libya, are on the rise," Loris De Filippi, head of MSF Italy, said Thursday. (Reuters, AFP)

22 migrants 'crushed, drowned' in dinghy horror

An Italian train station manager admitted partial responsibility for a head-on collision that killed 23, but insisted he was not the only one to blame, as investigators today probed possible institutional negligence or corruption. 
 
The crash happened on Tuesday on a single-track stretch of railway run by station managers who communicate directly with train drivers, a system Italian authorities described as outdated and &quot;risky&quot;. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m the one who sent the train on its way,&quot; Vito Piccarreta, head of Andria station in the Puglia region in southern Italy, told journalists. 
 
&quot;There was some confusion, the trains were late. But I&#39;m not the only one at fault.&quot; 
 
Hundreds of mourners held a silent, candle-lit procession through the town to the station late Wednesday, after relatives of victims spent the day at a hospital morgue, providing identification details to help doctors put names to the mangled dead. 
 
One of the four-carriage trains was supposed to have waited at Andria to let another through from nearby Corato town. 
 
An extra train had been slotted into the timetable at the last minute because of delays on the line on Tuesday, which may have resulted in the confusion for the Andria station chief, according to Italian media reports. 
 
The delays worsened after one of the trains coming north from Corato had to turn back because it had forgotten to let a disabled girl off at the previous stop, the Repubblica daily said. 
 
Piccarreta is under investigation for having lifted the green &quot;Go&quot; signalling sign. But the Corato station master, Alessio Porcelli, is also in the spotlight because Piccarreta reportedly warned him the train was on its way. 
 
Multiple probes&nbsp; 
 
Trade unions had filed complaints saying the recent increase in traffic on the line with no extra staff was a safety risk, the Repubblica paper said. 
 
A slight bend in the track reduced visibility, leaving the trains which were travelling at over 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour with fewer than 50 metres in which to brake to a stop, when they needed 250 metres, the Corriere della Sera said. 
 
But assistant prosecutor Francesco Giannella insisted the station managers will not become scapegoats. 
 
&quot;We will absolutely not stop at the first version of the truth. Human error is only the starting point of this drama,&quot; he said. 
 
A call for tenders to modernise the security system and lay a second track had been scheduled to open later this month after a two-year delay. 
 
About 55 per cent of the rail network in Italy is single track. A pot of 150 million Euros ($166 million) allocated by the European Regional Development Fund in the 2007-2013 budget to add second tracks was only partially used, La Stampa daily said. 
 
As Italy&#39;s financial police opened an investigation into the project delays, the head of the nation&#39;s anti-bribery authority pointed the finger at endemic corruption in the country which has poisoned the well of public infrastructure procurement. 
 
&quot;The tragedy is probably the result of human error, the judiciary will establish the facts. But it is without doubt also the result of an old problem in our country, the difficulties in putting in place suitable infrastructure,&quot; Raffaele Cantone said. 
 
&quot;And one of the reasons for these difficulties is precisely corruption&quot;. 
 
Italian consumer association Codacons also insisted Piccarreta and Porcelli could not shoulder the blame alone. 
 
&quot;It is frankly unacceptable. If the control and warning systems had been installed, none of this would have happened,&quot; it said. 
 
(AFP)

The crash happened on Tuesday on a single-track stretch of railway run by station managers who communicate directly with train drivers

An Italian train station manager admitted partial responsibility for a head-on collision that killed 23, but insisted he was not the only one to blame, as investigators today probed possible institutional negligence or corruption. The crash happened on Tuesday on a single-track stretch of railway run by station managers who communicate directly with train drivers, a system Italian authorities described as outdated and "risky". "I'm the one who sent the train on its way," Vito Piccarreta, head of Andria station in the Puglia region in southern Italy, told journalists. "There was some confusion, the trains were late. But I'm not the only one at fault." Hundreds of mourners held a silent, candle-lit procession through the town to the station late Wednesday, after relatives of victims spent the day at a hospital morgue, providing identification details to help doctors put names to the mangled dead. One of the four-carriage trains was supposed to have waited at Andria to let another through from nearby Corato town. An extra train had been slotted into the timetable at the last minute because of delays on the line on Tuesday, which may have resulted in the confusion for the Andria station chief, according to Italian media reports. The delays worsened after one of the trains coming north from Corato had to turn back because it had forgotten to let a disabled girl off at the previous stop, the Repubblica daily said. Piccarreta is under investigation for having lifted the green "Go" signalling sign. But the Corato station master, Alessio Porcelli, is also in the spotlight because Piccarreta reportedly warned him the train was on its way. Multiple probes Trade unions had filed complaints saying the recent increase in traffic on the line with no extra staff was a safety risk, the Repubblica paper said. A slight bend in the track reduced visibility, leaving the trains which were travelling at over 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour with fewer than 50 metres in which to brake to a stop, when they needed 250 metres, the Corriere della Sera said. But assistant prosecutor Francesco Giannella insisted the station managers will not become scapegoats. "We will absolutely not stop at the first version of the truth. Human error is only the starting point of this drama," he said. A call for tenders to modernise the security system and lay a second track had been scheduled to open later this month after a two-year delay. About 55 per cent of the rail network in Italy is single track. A pot of 150 million Euros ($166 million) allocated by the European Regional Development Fund in the 2007-2013 budget to add second tracks was only partially used, La Stampa daily said. As Italy's financial police opened an investigation into the project delays, the head of the nation's anti-bribery authority pointed the finger at endemic corruption in the country which has poisoned the well of public infrastructure procurement. "The tragedy is probably the result of human error, the judiciary will establish the facts. But it is without doubt also the result of an old problem in our country, the difficulties in putting in place suitable infrastructure," Raffaele Cantone said. "And one of the reasons for these difficulties is precisely corruption". Italian consumer association Codacons also insisted Piccarreta and Porcelli could not shoulder the blame alone. "It is frankly unacceptable. If the control and warning systems had been installed, none of this would have happened," it said. (AFP)

Italian station manager admits partial responsibility for train crash, but says he isn't the only one to blame

Rescue and search operations continued through the night on the train line between the small towns of Corato and Andria in southern Italy where two passenger trains collided head-on at high speed on Tuesday. 
 
The death toll from the crash stood at 27 today morning with dozens injured, some were in serious condition. 
 
Three carriages were torn apart by the violence of the impact after the two trains hit each other while travelling down the same stretch of track linking the small towns in the southeastern Puglia region. 
 
It was not clear how many people had been on the trains at the time of the collision. 
 
Rescuers used a crane to lift debris and the smashed carriages to search for bodies trapped under the wreckage. 
 
There was no immediate indication of what had caused one of Italy&#39;s worst train disasters in recent years, but the government promised a full and swift investigation. 
 
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi visited the site on Tuesday evening, demanding clarity over the events. 
 
The crash happened at around 11.30 a.m. (0930 GMT) on a hot summer&#39;s day. 
 
Both trains comprised of four carriages. The front carriages on each were pulverised as they slammed into one another. Sky Italia TV said one of the drivers had died. According to the official Ansa news agency the other driver was alive but in a serious condition. 
 
The stretch of track is operated by a small, private rail company Ferrotramviaria. Italian media said the European Union had earmarked funds to build a second track along the route but that the work had been delayed. 
 
The last major rail disaster in Italy was in 2009 when a freight train derailed in Viareggio, in the centre of the country, and more than 30 people living close to the tracks died in the subsequent fire. 
 
(Reuters)

Rescuers used a crane to lift debris and the smashed carriages, to search for bodies trapped under the wreckage

Rescue and search operations continued through the night on the train line between the small towns of Corato and Andria in southern Italy where two passenger trains collided head-on at high speed on Tuesday. The death toll from the crash stood at 27 today morning with dozens injured, some were in serious condition. Three carriages were torn apart by the violence of the impact after the two trains hit each other while travelling down the same stretch of track linking the small towns in the southeastern Puglia region. It was not clear how many people had been on the trains at the time of the collision. Rescuers used a crane to lift debris and the smashed carriages to search for bodies trapped under the wreckage. There was no immediate indication of what had caused one of Italy's worst train disasters in recent years, but the government promised a full and swift investigation. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi visited the site on Tuesday evening, demanding clarity over the events. The crash happened at around 11.30 a.m. (0930 GMT) on a hot summer's day. Both trains comprised of four carriages. The front carriages on each were pulverised as they slammed into one another. Sky Italia TV said one of the drivers had died. According to the official Ansa news agency the other driver was alive but in a serious condition. The stretch of track is operated by a small, private rail company Ferrotramviaria. Italian media said the European Union had earmarked funds to build a second track along the route but that the work had been delayed. The last major rail disaster in Italy was in 2009 when a freight train derailed in Viareggio, in the centre of the country, and more than 30 people living close to the tracks died in the subsequent fire. (Reuters)

Death toll rises to 27 in Italy train collision

Twenty people died and dozens were injured when two passenger trains collided head-on in southern Italy today, a regional official told reporters. 
 
The force of the impact crumpled carriages and sent debris flying into an olive grove that flanked the single stretch of track in countryside between the towns of Corato and Andria. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately the death toll has risen to 20,&quot; said Giuseppe Corrado, the deputy head of the local province. He appealed for blood donors to go to local hospitals. 
 
Firemen worked in fierce summer heat after the crash, which happened at around 11.30 am (0930 GMT), picking through the wreckage and shattered carriages in search of other victims. 
 
&quot;The rescue is complicated because this happened in the middle of the countryside,&quot; said Luca Cari, a fire service spokesman, the sound of crickets ringing out as rescue teams started to extract bodies from the site. 
 
There was no immediate indication of what had caused the two trains to be travelling towards each other on the same line and the transport ministry said it was dispatching two investigators to the region of Puglia to look into the disaster. 
 
&quot;We won&#39;t stop until we get a clear explanation over what happened,&quot; Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told reporters, cutting short a visit to Milan in northern Italy to return to Rome. He was due to travel to Puglia later in the day. 
 
The trains each had four carriages. A photograph released by the fire brigade showed that three carriages had disintegrated under the impact, suggesting at least one of the trains had been travelling at high speed. 
 
&quot;It looks like there has been a plane crash,&quot; said the mayor of Corato, Massimo Mazzilli. 
 
The stretch of track is operated by regional rail company Ferrotramviaria. It was not clear how many people had been on the trains at the time of the collision. 
 
The last major rail disaster in Italy was in 2009 when a freight train derailed in Viareggio, in the centre of the country, and more than 30 people living close to the tracks died in the subsequent fire. 
 
(Reuters)

No immediate reason was given for the collision

Twenty people died and dozens were injured when two passenger trains collided head-on in southern Italy today, a regional official told reporters. The force of the impact crumpled carriages and sent debris flying into an olive grove that flanked the single stretch of track in countryside between the towns of Corato and Andria. "Unfortunately the death toll has risen to 20," said Giuseppe Corrado, the deputy head of the local province. He appealed for blood donors to go to local hospitals. Firemen worked in fierce summer heat after the crash, which happened at around 11.30 am (0930 GMT), picking through the wreckage and shattered carriages in search of other victims. "The rescue is complicated because this happened in the middle of the countryside," said Luca Cari, a fire service spokesman, the sound of crickets ringing out as rescue teams started to extract bodies from the site. There was no immediate indication of what had caused the two trains to be travelling towards each other on the same line and the transport ministry said it was dispatching two investigators to the region of Puglia to look into the disaster. "We won't stop until we get a clear explanation over what happened," Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told reporters, cutting short a visit to Milan in northern Italy to return to Rome. He was due to travel to Puglia later in the day. The trains each had four carriages. A photograph released by the fire brigade showed that three carriages had disintegrated under the impact, suggesting at least one of the trains had been travelling at high speed. "It looks like there has been a plane crash," said the mayor of Corato, Massimo Mazzilli. The stretch of track is operated by regional rail company Ferrotramviaria. It was not clear how many people had been on the trains at the time of the collision. The last major rail disaster in Italy was in 2009 when a freight train derailed in Viareggio, in the centre of the country, and more than 30 people living close to the tracks died in the subsequent fire. (Reuters)

20 dead and dozens injured after two trains collide head-on in Italy

Italian emergency workers have recovered 217 bodies from the wreck of a boat that sank in the Mediterranean in April 2015, killing some 500 migrants, the Navy said today. 
 
The sinking was one of the worst known disasters involving migrants trying to reach Europe by sea. Thousands of people a year, many of them fleeing war in the West Asia, have crossed the Mediterranean in unseaworthy or overcrowded boats. 
 
In 2015, at least 3,770 are thought to have died on Mediterranean routes, mostly by drowning when their boats capsized. 
 
The vessel was hauled off the seabed and taken to a naval site in southeastern Sicily last week. Its sinking about 135 km (85 miles) north of Libya, from where it departed, jolted the European Union into stepping up Mediterranean rescue efforts. 
 
Originally at least 700 were thought to have died in the disaster, based on survivor testimony. A Navy official said last week he thought some 300 bodies were still in the hold, which added to 169 recovered from the nearby seabed, would bring the death toll closer to 500. 
 
A team of 150 professionals and volunteers from the Navy, fire service, Italian Red Cross and a forensic team of Milan university professors have been working around the clock to remove bodies from the fishing boat and examine them. 
 
Autopsies have been carried out on 52 of the victims, and police scientists coordinated by a local public prosecutor have begun making reports on their findings. 
 
(Reuters)

The sinking, in which 500 people died, had been one of the worst known disasters involving migrants trying to reach Europe by ship

Italian emergency workers have recovered 217 bodies from the wreck of a boat that sank in the Mediterranean in April 2015, killing some 500 migrants, the Navy said today. The sinking was one of the worst known disasters involving migrants trying to reach Europe by sea. Thousands of people a year, many of them fleeing war in the West Asia, have crossed the Mediterranean in unseaworthy or overcrowded boats. In 2015, at least 3,770 are thought to have died on Mediterranean routes, mostly by drowning when their boats capsized. The vessel was hauled off the seabed and taken to a naval site in southeastern Sicily last week. Its sinking about 135 km (85 miles) north of Libya, from where it departed, jolted the European Union into stepping up Mediterranean rescue efforts. Originally at least 700 were thought to have died in the disaster, based on survivor testimony. A Navy official said last week he thought some 300 bodies were still in the hold, which added to 169 recovered from the nearby seabed, would bring the death toll closer to 500. A team of 150 professionals and volunteers from the Navy, fire service, Italian Red Cross and a forensic team of Milan university professors have been working around the clock to remove bodies from the fishing boat and examine them. Autopsies have been carried out on 52 of the victims, and police scientists coordinated by a local public prosecutor have begun making reports on their findings. (Reuters)

Italy recovers 217 bodies from 2015 shipwreck

The UN General Assembly on Thursday elected Italy to the Security Council under a deal that will see the Netherlands take over the seat in a year. 
 
The two countries agreed to split the two-year term on the council after five rounds of voting earlier this week ended with a tie. 
 
Under the deal, Italy will take up the seat on January 1 and then make way for the Netherlands to take over in 2018. 
 
The arrangement is rare but not unprecedented at the United Nations. 
 
The last split term was in 1964-65 between what was then Czechoslovakia and Malaysia. 
 
Italy was elected with 179 votes in the General Assembly, which has 193 member states. 
 
During elections on Tuesday, Kazkahstan was elected to the council for the first time along with Bolivia, Ethiopia and Sweden. 
 
The newly-elected countries will take their place alongside the five permanent council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. 
 
The other five non-permanent members are: Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay. 
 
(AFP)

The two countries agreed to split the two-year term after five rounds of voting ended with a tie

The UN General Assembly on Thursday elected Italy to the Security Council under a deal that will see the Netherlands take over the seat in a year. The two countries agreed to split the two-year term on the council after five rounds of voting earlier this week ended with a tie. Under the deal, Italy will take up the seat on January 1 and then make way for the Netherlands to take over in 2018. The arrangement is rare but not unprecedented at the United Nations. The last split term was in 1964-65 between what was then Czechoslovakia and Malaysia. Italy was elected with 179 votes in the General Assembly, which has 193 member states. During elections on Tuesday, Kazkahstan was elected to the council for the first time along with Bolivia, Ethiopia and Sweden. The newly-elected countries will take their place alongside the five permanent council members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The other five non-permanent members are: Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay. (AFP)

UN elects Italy, Netherlands to share Security Council seat

At least 10 people died after an inflatable dinghy loaded with migrants began sinking in the Mediterranean on Thursday, the Italian coastguard said. 
 
The coastguard said on Twitter that 107 people had been rescued from the stricken vessel and 10 bodies had been recovered. 
 
It was possible the final death toll could be higher as dinghies used by people smugglers often carry up to 140 people. 
 
A total of 116 people were safely picked up in a separate operation in waters between Sicily and Libya on Thursday, the coastguard said. 
 
The latest rescues will lift to more than 13,700 people the number of asylum seekers and migrants brought to Italian ports in just over a week as smugglers seek to take advantage of the current fine weather and calm sea conditions. 
 
More than 64,000 people have landed at Italian ports since the start of the year, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa, according to a tally by the UN refugee agency which does not include the latest arrivals. 
 
The latest deaths came as Italian authorities prepared to begin removing the remains of hundreds of corpses from a salvaged fishing boat which sank off Libya last year in the deadliest disaster of the migrant crisis. 
 
The boat, in which up to 800 people are feared to have died, was raised from the seabed on Monday and towed to the Sicilian port of Augusta. 
 
Italian Prime Minsiter Matteo Renzi has vowed to give all of the victims decent burials as a way of highlighting the human cost of trafficking. 
 
(AFP)

UNHCR says about 64,000 people have landed at Italian ports since the start of the year and most of them are from sub-Saharan Africa

At least 10 people died after an inflatable dinghy loaded with migrants began sinking in the Mediterranean on Thursday, the Italian coastguard said. The coastguard said on Twitter that 107 people had been rescued from the stricken vessel and 10 bodies had been recovered. It was possible the final death toll could be higher as dinghies used by people smugglers often carry up to 140 people. A total of 116 people were safely picked up in a separate operation in waters between Sicily and Libya on Thursday, the coastguard said. The latest rescues will lift to more than 13,700 people the number of asylum seekers and migrants brought to Italian ports in just over a week as smugglers seek to take advantage of the current fine weather and calm sea conditions. More than 64,000 people have landed at Italian ports since the start of the year, most of them from sub-Saharan Africa, according to a tally by the UN refugee agency which does not include the latest arrivals. The latest deaths came as Italian authorities prepared to begin removing the remains of hundreds of corpses from a salvaged fishing boat which sank off Libya last year in the deadliest disaster of the migrant crisis. The boat, in which up to 800 people are feared to have died, was raised from the seabed on Monday and towed to the Sicilian port of Augusta. Italian Prime Minsiter Matteo Renzi has vowed to give all of the victims decent burials as a way of highlighting the human cost of trafficking. (AFP)

At least 10 dead on sinking migrant boat: Italian coastguard

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told parliament today that Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union can be a &quot;great opportunity&quot; for the rest of the bloc to make long-needed changes. 
 
Speaking before flying to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, Renzi said the EU must now focus &quot;a bit more on social issues and a bit less on bureaucratic ones.&quot; 
 
The referendum outcome strengthened the arguments for reform that Italy had often put forward to its partners, and these now had a greater chance of success, Renzi said. 
 
Several top Italian officials have made clear they see the outcome of the British referendum offering opportunities for Italy, especially by allowing it to spend more without falling foul of EU budget deficit limits. 
 
Economy minister Pier Carlo Padoan warned on Saturday the referendum would probably weaken Italy&#39;s already listless economic growth and hit its public finances. Its public debt, at around 133 per cent of gross domestic product, is the highest in the euro zone after Greece&#39;s. 
 
Rome is also hoping to win EU backing as it tries to put together proposals to shore up its ailing banks, whose shares have been hit by heavy sell-offs since Thursday&#39;s referendum. 
 
&quot;More growth and more investment, less austerity and less bureaucracy, this is the line we have proposed for two years, at the beginning in isolation,&quot; Renzi told the chamber of deputies. 
 
&quot;Allow me to say that Brexit can be a great opportunity for Europe.&quot; 
 
The 41-year-old prime minister said it was important that not much time should be spent on deciding the technicalities of Britain&#39;s exit from the EU. 
 
&quot;The referendum result must be respected, otherwise the credibility of Europe will be definitively swept away,&quot; he said. 
 
After months had been spent negotiating better terms for Britain to try to keep it in the EU, it would now be &quot;offensive&quot; if there were further drawn-out negotiations over the procedures for its exit, Renzi said. 
 
(Reuters)

Renzi in his address to the parliament said the EU must now focus 'a bit more on social issues and a bit less on bureaucratic ones'

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told parliament today that Britain's vote to leave the European Union can be a "great opportunity" for the rest of the bloc to make long-needed changes. Speaking before flying to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, Renzi said the EU must now focus "a bit more on social issues and a bit less on bureaucratic ones." The referendum outcome strengthened the arguments for reform that Italy had often put forward to its partners, and these now had a greater chance of success, Renzi said. Several top Italian officials have made clear they see the outcome of the British referendum offering opportunities for Italy, especially by allowing it to spend more without falling foul of EU budget deficit limits. Economy minister Pier Carlo Padoan warned on Saturday the referendum would probably weaken Italy's already listless economic growth and hit its public finances. Its public debt, at around 133 per cent of gross domestic product, is the highest in the euro zone after Greece's. Rome is also hoping to win EU backing as it tries to put together proposals to shore up its ailing banks, whose shares have been hit by heavy sell-offs since Thursday's referendum. "More growth and more investment, less austerity and less bureaucracy, this is the line we have proposed for two years, at the beginning in isolation," Renzi told the chamber of deputies. "Allow me to say that Brexit can be a great opportunity for Europe." The 41-year-old prime minister said it was important that not much time should be spent on deciding the technicalities of Britain's exit from the EU. "The referendum result must be respected, otherwise the credibility of Europe will be definitively swept away," he said. After months had been spent negotiating better terms for Britain to try to keep it in the EU, it would now be "offensive" if there were further drawn-out negotiations over the procedures for its exit, Renzi said. (Reuters)

Italy says Brexit can be a 'great opportunity' for EU to make long-needed changes

Thousands of visitors walked on water today when they visited Bulgarian-born artist Christo&#39;s latest art installation, &quot;The Floating Piers,&quot; on Lake Iseo, 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of Milan. 
 
Despite a forecast of thunderstorms and the threat of closure, over 10,000 tourists arrived early in the day to experience the 4.5-kilometre walkway made up of floating pontoons, covered in 70,000 metres of iridescent orange-yellow fabric that stretches between the town of Sulzano on the edge of the lake to Monte Isola and San Paolo islands. 
 
The installation was opened last Saturday and local authorities had expected around 40,000 visitors a day. But 97,000 came on Wednesday alone. 
 
By Saturday, Mayor of Monte Isola Fiorella Turla said half a million people had visited, and he expected the flux to continue. 
 
Made of some 220,000 high-density polyethylene cubes covered with shimmering yellow fabric, the piers have suffered more wear and tear than expected. 
 
While some visitors were more than enthusiastic, others complained about the lack of services. 
 
&quot;It is certainly an experience to remember, above all because of the sensation you feel when you are walking on it,&quot; said a smiling tourist from the Italian Veneto region, Oriolos Solano. 
 
&quot;Disorganisation reigns supreme. The transport is unacceptable, queues and queues, very few connections and never any information between the boats and the trains,&quot; said disgruntled visitor Riccardo Venanzi. 
 
Emergency services were on hand to spray cooling water over the crowds and hand out bottled water. 
 
Christo, along with his wife Jeanne-Claude who died in 2009, have completed some 23 installations including the &quot;Wrapped Reichstag&quot; in Berlin in 1995, when the artist wrapped the German parliament in silvery foil, and &quot;The Gates&quot; in New York&#39;s Central park in 2005, where vinyl gates were planted along 37 kilometres (23 miles) of pathway. 
 
All the works of art are on display for a limited period of time. On this occasion the Floating Piers is open at the time of maximum light in the area and will run for two weeks. 
 
The installation took two years of planning and cost 15 million Euros ($17 million), paid for by the artist himself. 
 
It runs until July 3, 2016 and is free to visit. 
 
(Reuters)

Bulgarian-born artist Christo's latest art installation 'The Floating Piers' on Lake Iseo attracted thousands of visitors in its opening

Thousands of visitors walked on water today when they visited Bulgarian-born artist Christo's latest art installation, "The Floating Piers," on Lake Iseo, 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of Milan. Despite a forecast of thunderstorms and the threat of closure, over 10,000 tourists arrived early in the day to experience the 4.5-kilometre walkway made up of floating pontoons, covered in 70,000 metres of iridescent orange-yellow fabric that stretches between the town of Sulzano on the edge of the lake to Monte Isola and San Paolo islands. The installation was opened last Saturday and local authorities had expected around 40,000 visitors a day. But 97,000 came on Wednesday alone. By Saturday, Mayor of Monte Isola Fiorella Turla said half a million people had visited, and he expected the flux to continue. Made of some 220,000 high-density polyethylene cubes covered with shimmering yellow fabric, the piers have suffered more wear and tear than expected. While some visitors were more than enthusiastic, others complained about the lack of services. "It is certainly an experience to remember, above all because of the sensation you feel when you are walking on it," said a smiling tourist from the Italian Veneto region, Oriolos Solano. "Disorganisation reigns supreme. The transport is unacceptable, queues and queues, very few connections and never any information between the boats and the trains," said disgruntled visitor Riccardo Venanzi. Emergency services were on hand to spray cooling water over the crowds and hand out bottled water. Christo, along with his wife Jeanne-Claude who died in 2009, have completed some 23 installations including the "Wrapped Reichstag" in Berlin in 1995, when the artist wrapped the German parliament in silvery foil, and "The Gates" in New York's Central park in 2005, where vinyl gates were planted along 37 kilometres (23 miles) of pathway. All the works of art are on display for a limited period of time. On this occasion the Floating Piers is open at the time of maximum light in the area and will run for two weeks. The installation took two years of planning and cost 15 million Euros ($17 million), paid for by the artist himself. It runs until July 3, 2016 and is free to visit. (Reuters)

Unlike namesake, Christo makes thousands walk on water

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