https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Over 370 migrants will be allowed to disembark on the Italian island of Sicily on Monday after being rescued amid storms in the Mediterranean by the Ocean Viking humanitarian vesse. https://www.thelocal.it/20210125/rescue-ship-cleared-to-dock-in-sicily-with-373-migrants-on-board Mon, 25 Jan 2021 11:03:58 +0100 rescue-ship-cleared-to-dock-in-sicily-with-373-migrants-on-board Eighteen Italian fishermen have been released after being held prisoner in Libya for more than three months, ending a tense political standoff. https://www.thelocal.it/20201217/italian-fishermen-return-home-after-being-held-in-libya-for-three-months Thu, 17 Dec 2020 16:05:10 +0100 italian-fishermen-return-home-after-being-held-in-libya-for-three-months The first charity boats have headed back to the Mediterranean after a two-month hiatus in migrant rescue operations, as humanitarian groups await a new wave of arrivals. https://www.thelocal.it/20200611/italian-charity-boats-resume-migrant-rescues-after-two-month-break Thu, 11 Jun 2020 17:24:38 +0200 italian-charity-boats-resume-migrant-rescues-after-two-month-break German charity Sea-Eye said it had rescued 78 migrants off the Libyan coast on Saturday and accused Libyan authorities of harassing rescuers and acting illegally. https://www.thelocal.it/20200126/german-rescue-boat-rescues-78-migrants-off-libya Sun, 26 Jan 2020 11:07:55 +0100 german-rescue-boat-rescues-78-migrants-off-libya The UN voiced alarm Friday at a "spike" in migrant boats departing from Libya this week, following fresh raids around the capital Tripoli. https://www.thelocal.it/20191123/un-warns-of-spike-in-migrant-boats-leaving-for-italy Sat, 23 Nov 2019 10:35:13 +0100 un-warns-of-spike-in-migrant-boats-leaving-for-italy Italy has renewed a controversial agreement signed in 2017 with Libya to block illegal migrants trying to leave from the North African country's coast. https://www.thelocal.it/20191031/italy-renews-deal-with-libya-to-block-migrants Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:35:39 +0100 italy-renews-deal-with-libya-to-block-migrants Italian authorities have given permission to 176 migrants aboard a rescue ship to disembark in the port of Taranto in the south of the country, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Monday. https://www.thelocal.it/20191015/rescue-ship-cleared-to-dock-in-italy-as-eu-still-lacks-migrant-plan Tue, 15 Oct 2019 10:49:27 +0200 rescue-ship-cleared-to-dock-in-italy-as-eu-still-lacks-migrant-plan Nearly 150 migrants from East Africa, including 65 minors and 13 babies under one, were rescued from conflict-torn Libya and airlifted to Rome on Thursday by the UN refugee agency. https://www.thelocal.it/20190531/150-people-airlifted-from-libya-to-rome-unhcr Fri, 31 May 2019 11:16:57 +0200 150-people-airlifted-from-libya-to-rome-unhcr Families with children saved in the Mediterranean by the German charity Sea-Watch were given permission to land in Italy Friday, despite the interior minister's "closed ports" policy. https://www.thelocal.it/20190518/families-rescued-off-libya-allowed-to-land-in-italy Sat, 18 May 2019 11:44:34 +0200 families-rescued-off-libya-allowed-to-land-in-italy Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, who has launched a military offensive against the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, held surprise talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Rome on Thursday, officials said. https://www.thelocal.it/20190517/libyan-strongman-haftar-makes-surprise-visit-to-italy Fri, 17 May 2019 10:50:53 +0200 libyan-strongman-haftar-makes-surprise-visit-to-italy The Sea-Watch charity ship reported rescuing 65 migrants in distress off Libya on Wednesday, sparking an immediate warning from Rome to stay away from Italian waters. https://www.thelocal.it/20190516/italy-tells-rescue-ship-carrying-migrants-to-stay-away Thu, 16 May 2019 11:30:48 +0200 italy-tells-rescue-ship-carrying-migrants-to-stay-away Italy's interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the refugees were fleeing war and claimed "Italy's ports are largely open to women and children.” https://www.thelocal.it/20190430/italy-accepts-147-refugees-flown-in-from-libya Tue, 30 Apr 2019 11:55:44 +0200 italy-accepts-147-refugees-flown-in-from-libya Pope Francis on Sunday called for the evacuation of refugees held in detention camps in Libya, particularly women and children, as fighting there escalates. https://www.thelocal.it/20190428/pope-appeals-for-evacuation-of-refugees-in-libya-camps Sun, 28 Apr 2019 17:50:28 +0200 pope-appeals-for-evacuation-of-refugees-in-libya-camps Italian prosecutors are investigating the deaths of 117 people in a shipwreck off Libya last month and whether delays at the rescue command centre in Rome cost lives, a Sicilian prosecutor said Friday. https://www.thelocal.it/20190202/italian-prosecutors-probe-coast-guard-over-deadly-shipwreck Sat, 02 Feb 2019 17:50:00 +0100 italian-prosecutors-probe-coast-guard-over-deadly-shipwreck Libya's key political players meet with global leaders in Sicily today in the latest bid to kickstart a long-stalled political process and trigger elections. https://www.thelocal.it/20181112/libyan-leaders-in-italy-for-fresh-attempt-to-solve-crisis Mon, 12 Nov 2018 14:26:57 +0100 libyan-leaders-in-italy-for-fresh-attempt-to-solve-crisis The Libyan coastguard fired shots at Italian fishing boats before seizing the vessels and detaining their crew, Italian media said on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20181011/libyan-coastguard-fires-on-italian-fishing-boats-detains-crew Thu, 11 Oct 2018 11:07:40 +0200 libyan-coastguard-fires-on-italian-fishing-boats-detains-crew A Libya conference will be held in Sicily in November, Italy's foreign minister said Tuesday, with talks focusing on an "inclusive approach" to stabilising the war-torn north African country while not fixating on a date for elections. https://www.thelocal.it/20181003/libya-conference-to-be-held-in-sicily-in-november-italy Wed, 03 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +0200 libya-conference-to-be-held-in-sicily-in-november-italy An Italian naval vessel was used to smuggle crates of cigarettes while returning from a mission to stop migrants from travelling from Libya to Europe, the navy confirmed on Wednesday September 19th after revelations in the press. https://www.thelocal.it/20180920/italian-navy-vessel-smuggled-crates-of-cigarettes-from-libya Thu, 20 Sep 2018 11:32:47 +0200 italian-navy-vessel-smuggled-crates-of-cigarettes-from-libya Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi held talks with Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi on Monday in a bid to strengthen ties, his ministry said. https://www.thelocal.it/20180911/italian-foreign-minister-in-libya-for-talks-with-marshal-haftar Tue, 11 Sep 2018 11:46:24 +0200 italian-foreign-minister-in-libya-for-talks-with-marshal-haftar France is partly to blame for the crisis in Libya, Italy's Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta said on Monday, ruling out Italian military intervention there. https://www.thelocal.it/20180904/italy-blames-france-crisis-libya-elisabetta-trenta Tue, 04 Sep 2018 10:46:54 +0200 italy-blames-france-crisis-libya-elisabetta-trenta