Europe

Italy finally set to decide on Serie A resumption

Jim Stein May 27, 2020

ROME (Europe) – After weeks of wrangling, with several U-turns on the way, Italy is due to decide on Thursday if and when its top-flight Serie A soccer league can resume after the coronavirus stoppage. Possibly encouraged by seeing how Germany’s Bundesliga has restarted without

Business

Atlantia’s Autostrade dossier needs more work, minister says

Jim Stein May 26, 2020

ROME (Business) – Proposals submitted by Atlantia’s motorway unit to solve an impasse over its toll-road concession have so far proved inadequate and more work is needed on the issue, an Italian minister said on Tuesday. The infrastructure group and the government are locked in a long-running dispute over the concession that Atlantia’s Autostrade per […]

Europe

Nursing homes in Italy fight to survive post coronavirus

Nia N May 26, 2020

MILAN (Europe) – Italy’s nursing homes, ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic which claimed the lives of thousands of residents, face financial pressures that threaten to put many out of business and create a fresh elderly care crisis. With costs escalating because of the pandemic and new admissions to care homes blocked in regions including Lombardy, […]

Sport

2021 World alpine skiing championships may be pushed back a year

Nia N May 25, 2020

ROME (Sports) – The Italian winter sports federation (FISI) will ask to push back the 2021 Alpine skiing World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo by a year because of uncertainties linked to the coronavirus, the head of the country’s Olympic committee said. Should the request to stage the event in March, 2022 be approved, the World […]

Europe

‘Here’s your scan code for tonight’: Italy eatery rips up paper menus

Nia N May 22, 2020

ROME (Technology) – Say “arrivederci” to paper menus. As Italian restaurants reopen after a business-bruising coronavirus lockdown, owners are turning to safe eating practices to entice customers back. “Finally after two-and-a-half-months of imprisonment, I’ve managed to come out, not just to go to the supermarket but to a restaurant.

Europe

Italy has come out of worst part of virus emergency – PM

Nia N May 21, 2020

ROME (Europe) – Italy has left the worst part of the COVID-19 emergency behind and as lockdown restrictions are slowly lifted the country must now enter the new phase with confidence and responsibility, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Thursday. “We can say that the worst is behind us… we cannot stop to wait for […]

Europe

Spain revokes ban on Italy direct flights

Nia N May 19, 2020

MADRID (Europe) – Spain lifted the ban on all direct flights and ships from Italy since March 11 during its coronavirus lockdown. Travellers entering Spain from Italy will have to comply with a two-week quarantine up until a state of emergency is in place. (Photo syndicated via Reuters)This story has been edited by BH staff […]

Europe

Euro, Italian bonds cheer EU recovery fund plan

Jim Stein May 19, 2020

LONDON (Finance) – The euro and Italian government bonds continued on Tuesday to cheer German- and French-led plans for a 500 billion euro EU coronavirus recovery fund, though stock markets were suffering from fatigue after their best day in months. There was still a sense of optimism after Monday’s news that early-stage tests on a […]

Europe

Public masses in Vatican, Italy resume

Jim Stein May 18, 2020

VATICAN CITY (Europe) – Pope Francis inaugurated the full reopening of St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday and Catholic churches held public Masses for the first time in two months in the latest easing of Italy’s coronavirus restrictions. Francis said a private Mass in a side chapel where St. John Paul II is buried to commemorate […]

Europe

Italy to reopen its borders next month amid easing lockdown measures

Jim Stein May 17, 2020

ROME/MILAN (Europe) – Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte outlined a further loosening of movement restrictions on Saturday, including opening borders to travellers from Europe from next month to unwind one of the world’s most rigid coronavirus lockdowns. With shops as well as bars and restaurants due to reopen from Monday, the government has also announced