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 Italy’s interior minister and co-deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini has denied reports that the government's new budget plan will include raising VAT and scrapping the 80 euro monthly salary top-up given to workers with annual incomes below 26,000 euros, putting him at odds with his own finance minister. https://www.thelocal.it/20180809/no-vat-hike-or-scrapping-of-renzi-bonus-says-salvini Thu, 09 Aug 2018 19:45:00 +0200 no-vat-hike-or-scrapping-of-renzi-bonus-says-salvini Basking in the Italian sunshine, Syrians rescued by Pope Francis from a refugee camp a year ago are beginning to feel at home, sharing not only the joys but also the trials of life in Europe. https://www.thelocal.it/20170414/popes-syrians-in-rome-life-a-year-on Fri, 14 Apr 2017 12:21:53 +0200 popes-syrians-in-rome-life-a-year-on Pope Francis stressed the importance of rebuilding "hearts as well as homes" on Thursday, as he welcomed to the Vatican several thousand people affected by Italian earthquakes. https://www.thelocal.it/20170105/pope-to-quake-victims-rebuild-hearts-as-well-as-homes Thu, 05 Jan 2017 17:38:22 +0100 pope-to-quake-victims-rebuild-hearts-as-well-as-homes Italy is known for many things: its art, landscapes, food and wine, for example. But they also have the dubious honour of being crowned the biggest tax dodgers in the EU. https://www.thelocal.it/20160907/italians-europe-vat-tax-evasion-dodge-again Wed, 07 Sep 2016 12:16:22 +0200 italians-europe-vat-tax-evasion-dodge-again It was once used exclusively by popes, but the Vatican's train line can now be ridden by all from the Holy See to the papal summer palace. https://www.thelocal.it/20150914/all-aboard-the-vatican-train-for-popes-summer-castle Mon, 14 Sep 2015 15:37:03 +0200 all-aboard-the-vatican-train-for-popes-summer-castle Two workers from an engineering firm died on Wednesday after falling into an industrial sewage vat at a petrochemicals plant owned by Eni subsidiary, Versalis. https://www.thelocal.it/20150910/two-killed-after-falling-into-sewage-vat-at-eni-plant Thu, 10 Sep 2015 13:40:41 +0200 two-killed-after-falling-into-sewage-vat-at-eni-plant The Vatican bank's stepped-up internal monitoring has led to a sharp rise in suspicious transaction reports - from just six in 2012 to 202 in 2013 and collaboration with foreign financial authorities has increased sharply. https://www.thelocal.it/20140519/spike-in-shady-deal-reports-at-vatican-bank Mon, 19 May 2014 15:14:00 +0200 spike-in-shady-deal-reports-at-vatican-bank Pope Francis's habit of picking up the phone and cold calling people who write to him is landing the Vatican in hot water and spokesman Federico Lombardi has had enough. https://www.thelocal.it/20140424/pope-in-trouble-over-personal-phone-calls Thu, 24 Apr 2014 15:54:00 +0200 pope-in-trouble-over-personal-phone-calls Barack Obama will meet Pope Francis for the first time on Thursday for talks on a shared agenda to fight inequality which the US president hopes will help boost support at home. https://www.thelocal.it/20140327/obama-meets-pope-to-tackle-inequality Thu, 27 Mar 2014 10:22:00 +0100 obama-meets-pope-to-tackle-inequality Pope Francis has formally accepted the resignation of Germany's controversial bishop of Limburg, the Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20140326/pope-accepts-resignation-of-german-bling-bishop Wed, 26 Mar 2014 13:23:00 +0100 pope-accepts-resignation-of-german-bling-bishop A 50-year-old Italian man set himself on fire on St Peter's Square Thursday in a rare event on the famous esplanade and is being treated in hospital with burns over half his body, the Vatican and police sources said. https://www.thelocal.it/20131219/man-sets-himself-alight-on-st-peters-square Thu, 19 Dec 2013 11:27:00 +0100 man-sets-himself-alight-on-st-peters-square A big-spending Catholic bishop was called before Pope Francis on Monday, as speculation grows over whether he will be forced to resign for his high-roller lifestyle. https://www.thelocal.it/20131021/bling-bishop-meets-with-pope-for-crisis-talks Mon, 21 Oct 2013 16:48:31 +0200 bling-bishop-meets-with-pope-for-crisis-talks While countries across Europe have been boosting their state coffers with tax collection, Italy has seen revenues fall this year. https://www.thelocal.it/20131016/italy-is-the-worst-in-europe-for-tax-collection Wed, 16 Oct 2013 14:45:00 +0200 italy-is-the-worst-in-europe-for-tax-collection Italy has the worst record in Europe for value-added tax evasion, costing the country €36.1 billion a year, according to a study by the European Commission. https://www.thelocal.it/20130920/italians-are-europes-worst-tax-dodgers Fri, 20 Sep 2013 18:35:00 +0200 italians-are-europes-worst-tax-dodgers The price of electronic cigarettes in Italy could be set to rise sharply as the Italian government considers a taxation on the devices, La Stampa reported. https://www.thelocal.it/20130627/cost-of-e-cigarettes-set-to-rise-in-italy Thu, 27 Jun 2013 17:37:00 +0200 cost-of-e-cigarettes-set-to-rise-in-italy The Italian government agreed to push back a VAT increase on Wednesday, a decision which will cost the country €1 billion, according to a statement from Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta's Democratic Party. https://www.thelocal.it/20130626/vat-freeze-will-cost-1-billion Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:16:00 +0200 vat-freeze-will-cost-1-billion