Today in Italy: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Earthquakes felt in Tuscany and Campania, Italy pushes for energy deals with African countries, Italy halts UN agency aid for Palestine, and more news from around Italy on Monday.
Tuscany and Campania shaken by earthquakes
People in the southern Italian regions of Campania and Basilicata felt a small earthquake on Sunday morning, according to reports from the province of Salerno and the province of Potenza. No damage was reported.
The earthquake, measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale, was recorded at 9.23am. Experts from Italian volcanic institute INGV said its epicentre was in Ricigliano, in the province of Salerno, at a depth of 8 kilometers.
This followed a smaller 2.5 magnitude quake earlier on Sunday morning in Alta Garfagnana in the Appenine mountains, which straddle the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.
INGV said the quake's epicentre was in Monte Romecchio, 1700 meters above sea level in the province of Lucca at a depth of 10km, hitting at 7.47am. Again, no damage was recorded.
Earthquakes are a regular occurrence across most parts of Italy, though thankfully the vast majority are small and cause no damage.
Italy eyes African energy deals in return for stopping migration
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni was due to reveal her 'Mattei Plan' for Africa on Monday, a "non-predatory" approach which critics say favours European priorities and pockets.
Meloni was set to discuss the plan - a blueprint of energy cooperation deals - with the leaders of several African countries on Monday as part of a two-day Italy-Africa summit.
Meloni, who came to power in 2022 on an anti-migrant platform, hopes to posit Italy as a key bridge between Africa and Europe, funnelling energy north while exchanging investment in the south for political deals aimed at preventing irregular migration, AFP reported.
Meloni's so-called Mattei Plan is named after Italian state-owned energy giant ENI's founder, Enrico Mattei.
Italy to halt aid to UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Italy on Saturday became the latest country to stop funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees after Israel accused several UNRWA staff of involvement in Hamas's October 7 attack, AFP reported.
"The Italian government has suspended financing UNRWA after the atrocious Hamas attack on October 7," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X, formerly Twitter.
"Allied countries have taken a similar decision. We are committed to providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population while protecting Israel's security," he added.
Pope expresses support for Catholic church attacked in Istanbul
The pope expressed his support for a Catholic church in Istanbul where one person was killed in an armed attack during mass on Sunday.
"I express my closeness to the community of the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul," the Argentine pope said at the end of his weekly Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square at the Vatican, AFP reported.
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also expressed his "condolences and firm condemnation" over the attack, and backed the Turkish authorities to find the killers.
The incident came more than a week after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Erdogan in Istanbul.
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Tuscany and Campania shaken by earthquakes
People in the southern Italian regions of Campania and Basilicata felt a small earthquake on Sunday morning, according to reports from the province of Salerno and the province of Potenza. No damage was reported.
The earthquake, measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale, was recorded at 9.23am. Experts from Italian volcanic institute INGV said its epicentre was in Ricigliano, in the province of Salerno, at a depth of 8 kilometers.
This followed a smaller 2.5 magnitude quake earlier on Sunday morning in Alta Garfagnana in the Appenine mountains, which straddle the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.
INGV said the quake's epicentre was in Monte Romecchio, 1700 meters above sea level in the province of Lucca at a depth of 10km, hitting at 7.47am. Again, no damage was recorded.
Earthquakes are a regular occurrence across most parts of Italy, though thankfully the vast majority are small and cause no damage.
Italy eyes African energy deals in return for stopping migration
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni was due to reveal her 'Mattei Plan' for Africa on Monday, a "non-predatory" approach which critics say favours European priorities and pockets.
Meloni was set to discuss the plan - a blueprint of energy cooperation deals - with the leaders of several African countries on Monday as part of a two-day Italy-Africa summit.
Meloni, who came to power in 2022 on an anti-migrant platform, hopes to posit Italy as a key bridge between Africa and Europe, funnelling energy north while exchanging investment in the south for political deals aimed at preventing irregular migration, AFP reported.
Meloni's so-called Mattei Plan is named after Italian state-owned energy giant ENI's founder, Enrico Mattei.
Italy to halt aid to UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Italy on Saturday became the latest country to stop funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees after Israel accused several UNRWA staff of involvement in Hamas's October 7 attack, AFP reported.
"The Italian government has suspended financing UNRWA after the atrocious Hamas attack on October 7," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X, formerly Twitter.
"Allied countries have taken a similar decision. We are committed to providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population while protecting Israel's security," he added.
Pope expresses support for Catholic church attacked in Istanbul
The pope expressed his support for a Catholic church in Istanbul where one person was killed in an armed attack during mass on Sunday.
"I express my closeness to the community of the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul," the Argentine pope said at the end of his weekly Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square at the Vatican, AFP reported.
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also expressed his "condolences and firm condemnation" over the attack, and backed the Turkish authorities to find the killers.
The incident came more than a week after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Erdogan in Istanbul.
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