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Italy News

  • UNWTO: International tourism – strongest half-year results since 2010

    AFGHANISTAN, 2017/09/09 Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the initial six months of 2017, some 36 million additional than in the same period of 2016. At 6%, increase was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010. Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong request for international travel in the initial half of 2017, according to the new UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6% compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher increase since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years.
  • US LNG exports make European market more competitive

    ALBANIA, 2017/08/27 The European gas market is becoming additional and additional competitive and US exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are part of this landscape, Francis Perrin, energy expert, chairman of Energy Strategies and Policies (France) told Trend. “Energy is always a strategic business. Economic aspects are very significant of course, particularly the price of LNG, but nations as well take into account strategic issues. For some Central and Eastern European nations one of the key priorities of their energy policies is the diversification of their supplies, in particular gas imports, in order to reduce their dependence on Russia,” said the expert.
  • Italy Current Account Surplus Grows In June

    ITALY, 2017/08/22 Italy's current account surplus increased in June from a year ago, data from the Bank of Italy showed Friday. The current account surplus climbed to EUR 5.26 billion in June from EUR 4.04 billion in the corresponding month last year. The surplus on trade in goods fell to EUR 5.21 billion in June from EUR 5.38 billion in the same month of 2016. Similarly, services surplus shrank to EUR 551 million from EUR 661 million.
  • Italy to send new ambassador to Egypt year after recalling ex-envoy

    ITALY, 2017/08/15 Italy will send a new ambassador to Cairo next recalling its former envoy additional than a year ago following the death of an Italian student found in Egypt's capital, spokesman for Egypt's foreign ministry said on Monday. In a phone call, the Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano told his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry that Italy was willing to send Ambassador Giampaolo Cantini to Cairo, Ahmed Abu Zaid, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.
  • Italy seizes NGO rescue boat for allegedly aiding illegal migration

    ITALY, 2017/08/03 Italian coastguards seized a migrant rescue boat operated by a German aid group in the Mediterranean suspected of aiding illegal immigration from Libya, a prosecutor said on Wednesday. Video showed the Iuventa, which is run by Jugend Rettet, arriving at the island of Lampedusa surrounded by several coastguard vessels next it was stopped at sea before dawn. Police inspected the ship as any minute at this time as it docked and checked the crew passports. They later took charge of the boat and set sail for a larger port in Sicily.
  • France and Italy quarrel over shipyard and Libya

    FRANCE, 2017/07/29 French president Emmanuel Macron called Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni on Thursday evening (27 July) to defuse tensions amid accusations of "colonialism" in Libya and economic "protectionism". The call was "friendly", Gentiloni's office said, hours next his government had stated that a French decision to nationalise a shipyard was "critical and incomprehensible". The French government decided on Thursday to "temporarily" take control of the STX shipyards, in Saint-Nazaire, western France, in order to block a takeover by Italian national-owned company Fincantieri, which was due to take result on Saturday.
  • The Commission for Environment, Energy and Climate Change (ENVE) of the European Committee of the Regions met in Tallinn today

    ESTONIA, 2017/07/29 The Commission for Environment, Energy and Climate Change (ENVE) of the European Committee of the Regions met in Tallinn today under the auspices of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Committee is the EU’s assembly of cities and regions. Its mandate is to contribute to EU policy-making and legislation through what are known as 'opinions', which gather recommendations based on the competencies and expertise local and regional authorities have, in a wide range of policy areas. The topics of the environment and climate change were on top of the schedule today in Tallinn Creative Hub (Kultuurikatel).
  • Italy's Current Account Surplus Increases In May

    ITALY, 2017/07/21 Italy's current account surplus increased in May from the previous year, the Bank of Italy reported Thursday. The current account surplus totaled EUR 3.26 billion compared to EUR 2.98 billion in the same period of last year. The surplus on trade in goods fell to EUR 5.49 billion from EUR 5.73 billion. At the same time, services showed a shortfall of EUR 3 million next logging EUR 165 million surplus.
  • Migration drives EU population up, Luxembourg, Sweden, Malta register large growth in 2016

    CROATIA, 2017/07/11 Eurostat on Monday said in a press release that the people of the European Union (EU) was estimated at 511.8 million on January 1, 2017 due to net migration. According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU, during the year of 2016, 18 EU members witnessed people increases, while 10 members witnessed people decreases. The major increase was recorded in Luxembourg which was 19.8 per 1,000 residents, according to the data. Sweden's 14.5 per 1,000 residents and Malta's 13.8 per 1,000 residents ranked the second and the third.
  • Crimea: Circumventing Trade Sanctions Via Novorossiysk

    ARMENIA, 2017/07/08 Despite trade sanctions, Crimea is maintaining connections to international markets. Crimean traders are performing some logistical gymnastics to skirt sanctions, in particular transiting goods through the Russian port of Novorossiysk. On paper, of course, Crimea is experiencing a severe trade crisis. Official statistics indicate that Crimea’s import volume in 2016 shrank by a full third compared to the 2015 level, a drop of $33.6 million. Exports fell by $31.8 million, a 40-% decline from 2015. The city of Sevastopol, which is not formally part of the Republic of Crimea, reported a 12.6 % fall in its imports and 66.8 % fall in its exports in the same period, with volumes shrinking to $33.4 million and $5.9 million, respectively.