Giorgia Meloni Named As Italy's First Female PM

 

Daily Mail: Giorgia Meloni officially becomes Italy's first female PM and will lead country's first far-right coalition since WW2 

* Giorgia Meloni and the Brothers of Italy party emerged winners from Italy's general election last month 

* She received the most votes but not enough for a majority, today she formed a coalition with her allies 

* The far right-wing party leader is now Italy's first female PM, thanks to Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini 

Far-right politician Giorgia Meloni has been elected as Italy's leader after officially asking the President for the right to form a government. 

Meloni and her post-fascist Brothers of Italy party emerged the winners of last month's election, but short of an overall majority. 

She has now formed Italy's most right-wing government since Benito Mussolini after negotiating a coalition with allies including Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Italy is about to enter some interesting times.

 Giorgia Meloni Named As Italy's First Female PM 

 Giorgia Meloni becomes Italy’s first female prime minister -- Politico 

Italy’s far-right leader formally asks for mandate to govern -- AP  

Meloni takes charge as PM as Italy swings to the right -- Reuters

Far-right Meloni named Italy's first woman PM -- AFP 

Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni named as Italy’s first female prime minister -- CNN 

Italy’s far-right leader Meloni forms new government -- Al Jazeera  

Who is Giorgia Meloni? The rise to power of Italy's new far-right PM -- BBC

Russia To Resume Gas Deliveries To Italy

 

Reuters: Gazprom resumes gas exports to Italy via Austria 

MILAN — Russian energy giant Gazprom resumed gas exports to Italy via Austria on Wednesday after resolving an issue over guarantees that had led to the suspension of flows over the weekend. 

Gazprom said the company and its Italian customers had found a solution following regulatory changes in Austria which halted flows entering Italy via a pipeline passing through Tarvisio in the northeast of the country.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Russia Gas Flows via Austria to Italy Are Resuming, Gazprom Says (Bloomberg)  

Update #2: Russia to Resume Gas Deliveries to Italy – Gazprom (Moscow Times/AFP)  

WNU Editor: It was Austria that was blocking Russian gas exports to Italy. It looks like it has been resolved.

Western Media And Progressive Leaders Go Crazy Over The Election Of Italian Conservative Populist Giorgia Meloni

 

National Review: American Liberals Can’t Help Themselves in Talking about Giorgia Meloni 

Newly elected Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni will be the first woman to lead Italy, a fact that is producing far less than the usual “girl power” cheers. That relative quiet is undoubtedly due to the fact that Italy now joins Great Britain (Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May, Liz Truss) and Germany (Angela Merkel) in having chosen female heads of the elected government only from parties of the center-Right or Right. Meloni is undeniably a figure of the social Right.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Her approach towards an audience reminds me of former President Trump. But she is better. Check out the video below from three years ago. It is no wonder the woke/progressive left despise her, and I am willing to bet that they are going to do everything in their power to derail her and what she believes in. 

 

Western Media And Progressive Leaders Go Crazy Over The Election Of Italian Conservative Populist Giorgia Meloni  

MSNBC's Joy Reid claims 'neofascism won big in Italy' with Giorgia Meloni’s victory -- FOX News  

Fascism Returns in Italy: Giorgia Meloni Claims Victory, Allied with Right-Wing Parties Across Europe -- Democracy Now! 

It is great that little girls now have role models so they, too, can grow up to be crazed world leaders -- Arwa Mahdawi, The Guardian

Biden Has No Ambassador in Italy as It Flirts With Fascism -- Daily Beast How the far right is surging in Europe -- Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN 

It’s a Girl (Fascist)! -- The Intercept  

Giorgia Meloni and the Return of Fascism to Italy -- George Newth, City Watch

Is Italy Seeing the Rise of a New Fascism? -- Foreign Policy  

Giorgia Meloni and the return of fascism: how Italy got here -- The Conversation  

The Return of Fascism in Italy -- Ruth Ben-Ghiat, The Atlantic

Conservative Coalition Wins Clear Majority In Italian Elections

 

Daily Mail: Italy lurches to the far-Right in political earthquake: Exit poll finds 'anti-woke' Giorgia Meloni is set to win elections and become the country's first female PM as EU state braces for its most right-wing government since Mussolini 

* Giorgia Meloni, 45, who ran on a motto of 'God, country and family', will become Italy's first female PM 

* The Brothers of Italy party, headed by the one-time Mussolini supporter, had earlier led opinion polls 

* Exit poll now says the bloc of conservative parties have enough votes to control of both houses of parliament 

* It looks set to take office in a coalition with the far-right League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia parties 

An exit poll has found Giorgia Meloni is set to win Italy's elections and become the country's first female Prime Minister as it braces for its most right-wing government since Mussolini. 

The poll for state broadcaster RAI said Meloni's Brothers of Italy, in alliance Matteo Salvini's League and Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, has won between 41 per cent and 45 per cent of the vote. 

Despite Salvini's and Berlusconi's parties lagging behind, between them the Conservative bloc appear to have enough seats to secure a majority in both houses of parliament.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: First Sweden. Now Italy. Change is in the air in Europe.

Conservative Coalition Wins Clear Majority In Italian Elections 

Italian election 2022: live official results -- The Guardian

Italy election: Exit polls show right-wing alliance set to win — live updates -- DW  

Giorgia Meloni: Italy's far right set to win election - exit polls -- BBC  

Meloni’s far-right alliance leads in Italian elections -- AP  

Italy elections: exit polls point to victory for coalition led by far-right Giorgia Meloni -- The Guardian  

Italy's right-wing, led by neo-fascist Meloni, wins election, exit polls say -- France 24  

Meloni's Right-Wing Alliance Wins Clear Majority In Italian Elections -- Zero Hedge  

Pocket dynamo set to become Italy's first female Prime Minister: She is loathed by the Left, but Giorgia Meloni's tough line on immigration has made her favourite to lead a new Right-wing coalition in Rome -- Daily Mail  

‘Mother, Italian, Christian’: Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s far-right leader on the cusp of power -- France 24  

Rising star of Italian far right, Giorgia Meloni, eyes top job -- DW 

Giorgia Meloni: Far-right leader on course to run Italy -- BBC 

Inspired by Tolkien, Meloni is on a quest for Italy’s ‘ring of power’ -- France 24 

Italy expected to swing right in Sunday's election -- DW  

Italy elections: Who's who and how the vote works -- BBC

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Issues Veiled Threat To Italy's Conservative Coalition

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends the 77th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters  

Reuters: EU's von der Leyen delivers veiled warning to Italy's right wing 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned Italy of consequences should it veer away from democratic principles, issuing a barely veiled threat ahead of Sunday's election that a rightist bloc led by Giorgia Meloni is expected to win. 

The comments highlighted concern in some European capitals over the forthcoming election and suggested that relations between Brussels and Rome could get turbulent if Meloni and her partners secure victory. 

"My approach is that whatever democratic government is willing to work with us, we're working together," von der Leyen said at Princeton University in the United States on Thursday, responding to a question on whether there were any concerns with regard to the upcoming elections in Italy. 

"If things go in a difficult direction, I've spoken about Hungary and Poland, we have tools," she added.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Italian election: EU can work with any democracy but has 'tools' if it gets 'difficult', VDL says (Euronews)  

Update #2: Von der Leyen warns that there are «instruments» in the face of governments that move away from the «right direction». (News 360)  

WNU Editor: Italy's conservative coalition are furious with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attempt to influence Sunday's election .... ‘Squalid threats’: Italy’s Salvini hits out at EU chief over election comment (The Local). More here .... Salvini calls on Von Der Leyen to resign or apologize for his «threats» to Italy (News 360).

Italian Conservative Coalition Predicted To Win In A Landslide On Sunday's General Election

 

The Guardian: Italian rightwing coalition makes final push before election  

Packed rally in Rome closes campaign for group forecast for landslide victory in polls on Sunday 

A conservative coalition forecast to glide into power in the Italian general election on Sunday has wrapped up its campaign to a packed square in central Rome, filled with supporters old and new, young and not so young, a smattering of anti-abortion activists and a descendant of the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. 

The trio – led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, a party with neofascist origins, and including Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia – has experienced loud and robust support over the past months and remained relatively close-knit, in stark contrast to a campaign by its main rival, the centre-left Democratic party, that has been so lacklustre it managed to breathe new life into the populist Five Star Movement (M5S) in southern Italy.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: It looks like change is in the air in Italy, and many are nervous on what will this mean. 

Italian Conservative Coalition Predicted To Win Big On Sunday's General Election  

Italian election campaign ends as far right bids for power -- BBC  

Italy is poised to take a sharp turn right as voters elect next government -- CBC  

‘Crucial’ vote could move Italy to right; many might boycott -- AP  

Meloni rallies supporters as Italy's right moves closer to historic win -- France 24 

‘We’ve tried them all, except Meloni’: Far-right leader tipped to become Italy’s first female PM -- France 24  

Italy elections: Far-right leader Meloni tells Italians 'don't be afraid' -- BBC  

Giorgia Meloni could make history as Italy's first female PM. She would also be its first far-right leader since Benito Mussolini -- ABC News Australia 

Italy’s lurch to the right triggers diplomatic storm on eve of election -- Politico  

A Meloni election win could shift Europe's balance of power -- Reuters

Polls Indicate A Crushing Win For Italy;s Conservative Coalition When Polls Open On September 25

 

Bloomberg: Italy’s Right Set for Crushing Win in Last Polls Before Vote 

(Bloomberg) -- Italy’s right-wing coalition, led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, is poised for a landslide win on Sept. 25, according to the last available polls before a blackout period. 

The bloc has an advantage of almost 20 percentage points on the center-left coalition led by Enrico Letta’s Democratic Party, according to Bloomberg’s latest polling average. 

Such an advantage, thanks to Italy’s complex electoral system, might grant it a two-thirds majority of seats in both houses of parliament, enough to change Italy’s constitution on its own. 

Support for Meloni’s Brothers of Italy has been growing steadily since she took center stage in the campaign. At 45, Meloni, who started her political career in Italy’s post-fascist party, is a political veteran but has almost no government experience. 

As the frontrunner to become the next prime minister, she has vowed to maintain the course set by outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi on support for Ukraine and fiscal discipline.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Italians want real change and a stable government. 

Polls Indicate A Crushing Win For Italy's Conservative Coalition When Polls Open On September 25  

Italy's right heads for clear election victory, final polls indicate -- Reuters 

Italy’s fractured left taps young feminist to lift campaign -- AP  

What happens if right-wing Giorgia Meloni wins Italy’s elections? -- Brookings Institute  

Italy election: who’s running, who will win, and why does it matter? -- The Guardian

Leader Of The League Party And Coalition Partner In The Next Italian Government Says West Should Rethink Sanctions On Russia

League leader Matteo Salvini  

Politico: Italy’s Salvini says West should rethink sanctions for Russia  

Far-right League leader has drawn criticism for questioning impact of penalties for Moscow’s Ukraine war. 

ROME — Western sanctions against Russia are not working and actually harm Italy, according to Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy's far-right League party, suggesting allied countries should reconsider their approach. 

Speaking at a conference of political leaders Sunday on Lake Como, Salvini claimed the sanctions meant to punish Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine had in fact helped Russia, resulting in an export surplus of $140 billion, during the year ending July 2022. 

 "Do we have to defend Ukraine? Yes," Salvini said. "But I would not want the sanctions to harm those who impose them more than those who are hit by them."  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Italy’s Salvini calls for Europe to ‘rethink’ sanctions on Russia (The Local)  

Update #2: Italian far-right leader: Sanctioning Russia for Ukraine war not working (AFP)  

WNU Editor: League leader Matteo Salvini is correct in his assessment that sanctions are not working. But Italy's next Prime Minister has already stated that there will be no change in policy when it comes to Russian sanctions .... Meloni Says She’ll Keep Italy on Draghi’s Course on Russia, Debt (Bloomberg).

Italy Thrown Into Crisis After Government Collapses

 

CNN: Italy's president dissolves parliament, triggering snap election following Draghi's resignation 

Rome, Italy (CNN)Italy's President Sergio Mattarella dissolved parliament on Thursday, triggering a snap election following the resignation of the country's Prime Minister Mario Draghi earlier in the day. 

Mattarella branded the move "inevitable" following the political upheaval faced by the European Union's third largest economy over the last 24 hours. 

Thanking Draghi and his ministers "for their efforts over the past 18 months," Mattarella said in a short address from his Quirinale Palace in Rome.  

Read more ....  

WNU editor: Former Italian Premier Mario Draghi looks happy and relieved that he is no longer running the government. It makes you wonder if the reason why he is happy to now be out of power is because he knows how difficult and rough the coming months are going to be for Italy, and for the EU has a whole. 

As to who is poised to take power after elections? If polls continue to hold, it looks like this group will take power, and if they do it will be a geo-political earthquake for Italy and in the EU as a whole .... Italy’s far right celebrate Draghi’s downfall and look poised to take power (The Guardian). 

Italy Thrown Into Crisis After Government Collapses  

Italian parliament dissolved, paving way for early elections -- AP 

Italy’s president dissolves parliament, paving way for early elections -- France 24  

Italian PM Mario Draghi quits after failing to revive his coalition government -- CNBC 

Italian PM Mario Draghi resigns after attempt to salvage coalition fails -- The Guardian  

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi resigns after coalition falls apart -- ABC News Australia  

Italy's Mario Draghi resigns after coalition implodes -- Axios  

Italian Prime Minister Draghi resigns in latest world leader shakeup -- FOX News 

Italy Set to Hold Early Elections on September 25 -- Bloomberg

More Bad Poll Numbers For President Biden

Daily Mail: Are you sure you want to run again Joe? Biden's national approval rating nosedives to 31% and hits the lowest in Iowa of any President in history at 27%: More disastrous polls show more than 70% of Americans DON'T want him to run in 2024 

* Just 31 percent of adults say they approve of the way Biden is handling the presidency while 60 percent disapprove 

* A whopping 71 percent of Americans do not want to see Biden run again in 2024 - including a majority of Democrats, 54 percent 

* The findings contrast with support for Donald Trump on the Republican side - 69 percent of Republicans said they want to see him run again in 2024 

* Republicans in Congress scored even worse than Biden by the Quinnipiac poll, where 23 percent of respondents approved, 68 percent disapproved 

More Americans are unhappy with President Biden's job in office than at any point in his presidency, according to a dim new Quinnipiac poll. 

Just 31 percent of adults say they approve of the way Biden is handling the presidency while 60 percent disapprove. 

Among registered voters, 33 percent said they approved while 59 percent disapprove. The low approval spelled bad news for Biden's 2024 prospects.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The poll is here .... Biden Approval Hits New Low Amid Public Discontent With Both Parties, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Nearly Half Of Americans Worry About Being Mass Shooting Victim (Quinnipiac). 

What caught my eye in this poll is that Congressional Democrats ( a negative 30 - 63 percent job approval rating) are polling better than Congressional Republicans (a negative 23 - 68 percent job approval rating). Maybe the Democrats will keep control of Congress after this year's midterms?

Italy Coalition On The Verge Of Collapse

 

France 24: Italy in limbo as Draghi wins confidence vote but loses parliamentary majority 

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi won a confidence motion in the upper house Senate on Wednesday, but three main coalition parties refused to take part in the vote, effectively torpedoing his administration. 

The motion asked the house to approve a speech made by Draghi earlier in the day, when he demanded unity from his coalition allies. 

The vote was approved by 95 to 38 with many dozens of senators absenting themselves.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: This looks like the end of Draghi.

 Italy Coalition On The Verge Of Collapse  

Italy Coalition on Cusp of Collapse as Parties Abandon Draghi -- Bloomberg  

Italian PM Draghi wins confidence vote, but three parties snub motion -- Reuters  

LATEST: Mario Draghi faces the end as Italy’s coalition refuses to back him -- Politico  

Italian PM Mario Draghi suffers blow as key parties boycott confidence vote -- CNN

Italy's President Rejects Prime Minister Mario Draghi's Resignation Over Coalition Collapse

 

Daily Mail: Italian Prime Minister QUITS after coalition government collapses but President REFUSES his resignation plunging country into political crisis 

* Draghi, who was appointed in 2021, won a confidence vote today in the Senate 

* However, the Prime Minister's coalition government was thrown into crisis when the populist 5-Star Movement boycotted the vote 

* Draghi later met with President Sergio Mattarella to decide on the next steps 

* His resignation was then announced, and it will be up to the President to accept or reject Draghi's resignation - which could lead to an election in September 

Italy's President today refused Prime Minister Mario Draghi's resignation, who announced he would quit after a party in his coalition government did not participate in a confidence vote - plunging the country into political crisis. 

President Sergio Mattarella - who appointed Draghi last year - told the premier to instead see if he can still find a majority in Parliament willing to support him. 

If the government crisis can't be resolved quickly, Mattarella could pull the plug on Italy's Parliament - setting the stage for an election as early as September. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: It is going to be difficult (if not impossible) for the government to function in this environment.  

Update: You have to wonder if this is becoming a trend .... Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi Second NATO Leader to Resign in 7 Days (Newsweek). 

 Italy's President Rejects Prime Minister Mario Draghi's Resignation Over Coalition Collapse  

Italian Premier Draghi’s resignation rebuffed by president -- AP 

Italy's president refuses Prime Minister Draghi's resignation -- France 24  

'No, Mario', Italian president urges PM Draghi not to quit -- Reuters  

Italy: President rejects PM Mario Draghi's resignation -- DW  

Italian prime minister Mario Draghi ordered back to parliament after president rejects his resignation -- SKY News 

Italian president rejects Mario Draghi resignation as Rome plunges into political crisis -- CNBC  

Italy's President Mattarella rejects Prime Minister Draghi's resignation -- CNN

Italian president rejects PM Draghi’s resignation -- RT

Italy's Coalition Government On The Brink Of Collapse

 

Euronews: Italy's government plunged into crisis after junior coalition partner quits 

Italy's ruling coalition collapsed on Wednesday after former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi withdrew support over the country's economic recovery plans. 

Renzi announced in a press conference on Wednesday evening that his Italia Viva party was resigning from government. 

The small centrist party had two ministers.

It also means the ruling coalition no longer has a majority in parliament. 

His announcement plunged the country, Europe's most heavily impacted by the pandemic, into a new political crisis. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: As if there wasn't enough troubles in the world. 

 More News On Italy's Coalition Government On The Brink Of Collapse 

Ex-premier yanks ministers from Italy’s coalition government -- AP 

Italy thrown into political crisis as Renzi sinks government -- Reuters 

Italy Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte loses Senate majority -- DW 

Italy facing political crisis after ex-PM withdraws party from coalition -- The Guardian 

Italy’s government in crisis after former PM pulls support for ruling coalition -- CNBC

Italy: Renzi quits coalition, sparking political crisis -- Al Jazeera

Italy Has 'Two Aircraft Carriers' But No Stealth Fighters To fly From Them

'Trieste.' Ivan Guida via Wikipedia

Forbes: Italy’s Getting Two Aircraft Carriers. Too Bad It Won’t Have Enough Stealth Fighters To Fly From Them

She squeezed through the narrow channel at the Maritime Military Arsenal in Taranto, Italy, all 27,000 tons of her. It was May 6, and the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour was leaving the semi-enclosed basin at the arsenal following 10 months of work costing $76 million.

That work involved, among other efforts, adding a layer of heat-resisting material to Cavour’s 801-foot-long flight deck so the vessel, the flagship of the Italian fleet, safely can operate Lockheed Martin LMT F-35B stealth jump jets, whose downward-blasting lift fans produce enough heat to melt the decks of unprepared ships.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  This is what bad planning looks like.

Italy Fears Mass Looting And Riots As Nationwide Lockdown Extended To April 18

Fmtnews, Covid 19

Bloomberg: Italy Risks Losing Grip in South With Fears of Looting and Riots

As Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte fights to hold Italian society together through a crippling nationwide lockdown, the depressed south is turning into a powder keg.

Police have been deployed on the streets of Sicily’s capital, Palermo, amid reports gangs are using social media to plot attacks on stores. A bankrupt ferry company halted service to the island, including vital supplies of food and medicines. As the state creaks under the strain of the coronavirus pandemic, officials worry the mafia may be preparing to step in.

Preventing unrest in the so-called Mezzogiorno, the underdeveloped southern region that’s long lagged behind the wealthy north, has become the government’s top priority, according to Italian officials who asked not to be named discussing the administration’s strategy.

With the European Union’s most dangerously indebted state already fighting the Germans over the terms of the financial aid it needs, the fallout may reach far beyond Rome if Conte fails.

Read more ....

Update: ‘We have to eat’: Sicily police crackdown on looting amid coronavirus (AFP)

WNU Editor: Most families have enough to sustain themselves for about a month. After a month, especially for small families of 4 or more, the situation becomes dire. Italy is in that situation right now, and it looks like this lockdown is going to go on into the summer .... Italy's 'very long' lockdown to only end gradually (France 24).

Update #2: The pandemic has cost Italy 10,779 lives, and there are currently 97,689 cases .... Italy’s death toll surpasses 10,000 as prime minister warns of rising ‘nationalist instincts’ (CNBC)

Italy's Death Toll From The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic Has Now Passed China's

Italy has now overtaken China as the country with the most coronavirus deaths after suffering 427 more fatalities, taking the total number to 3,405

Daily Mail: Italy overtakes China as the country with the most coronavirus deaths with 3,405 dead after a rise of 427

* Latest figures have squashed hopes that unprecedented national lockdown was slowing spread of pathogen
* The death toll in China, where the coronavirus started in Wuhan, currently stands at 3,249
* It comes after military trucks deployed across nation to transport scores of victims' coffins to be cremated
* Mortuaries are full and crematorium staff have been handling 24 bodies a day, officials in Bergamo have said

Italy has now overtaken China as the country with the most coronavirus deaths after suffering 427 more fatalities, taking the total number to 3,405.

Both the death toll and number of confirmed cases shot up again today and the nation has now recorded 41,035 infections, more than half of the world's positive cases.

Yesterday, Italy recorded the highest one-day official coronavirus death toll of any country with 475 deaths in just 24 hours.

The latest figures have squashed hopes that the unprecedented national lockdown was helping to slow the spread of the pathogen.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: My girlfriend's relatives in Italy are telling her to not trust the government's numbers. They are comparing the obituary pages that have exploded in the past two weeks to government announcements on how many people have died from the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, and there is no correlation. But what is even more frightening to me is what the above graph is showing .... that the exponential death rate in Italy is not even close to levelling off. And as for those Chinese numbers that everyone likes to quote. Do not trust them. I would not be surprised if years from now we learn that the numbers are 10x the official number, if not worse.

Update: I am not surprised .... ‘We’re Not Counting Bodies Anymore,’ Says Nurse in Italy (Epoch Times).

Update #2: And I am not surprised that they are going to extend the lock-down .... Italy passes China's coronavirus death toll, prepares to extend lockdown (Reuters).

More News On Italy's Death Toll From The Covid-19 Coronavirus Passing China's

Italian death toll overtakes China’s as virus spreads -- AP
Rich nations pump aid into battered economy as coronavirus deaths in Italy overtake China -- Reuters
Coronavirus death toll in Italy overtakes China's after rising to 3,405 -- France 24
Coronavirus: Italy's death toll overtakes China's -- BBC
Italy’s death toll from the coronavirus overtakes China’s -- CNBC
Italy becomes country with most coronavirus deaths -- The Guardian
Italy surpasses China in number of coronavirus deaths -- CNN
Thousands of medical staff infected with coronavirus in Italy -- The Al Jazeera
Scientists say mass tests in Italian town have halted Covid-19 there -- The Guardian
Italy's military deployed to transport bodies of those killed by coronavirus outbreak -- FOX News
'A generation has died': Italian province struggles to bury its coronavirus dead -- The Generation
Southern Italy braces for 'tsunami' of coronavirus cases -- The Guardian

Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Italy -- News Updates March 17

Daily Mail: Italy's doctors warn of 'catastrophic' situation as coronavirus death toll rises 345 to 2,503 and infections reach 31,506

* Patients who should be in intensive care but are instead slumped in busy wards
* Hospitals which typically provide excellent care were caught flat-footed by virus
* Papa Giovanni hospital in Bergamo is creaking at the seams with case overload

Doctors on the front line of Italy's coronavirus outbreak have described 'catastrophic' scenes in hospitals which are creaking with the sheer volume of cases.

They tell of critically ill patients who should be in intensive care but are instead slumped in busy wards because of a woeful lack of equipment and staff.

Worryingly, the doctors who have spoken out are from state-of-the-art hospitals which typically provide excellent care but were caught flat-footed by the virus which is stretching their capacity to breaking point.

Italy's outbreak - the worst outside of China - spiralled further today as infections hit 31,506 and the death toll jumped 345 to 2,503.

Read more ....

Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Italy -- News Updates March 17

Italy struggles to make room for onslaught of virus patients -- ABC News/AP
Italy rushes new doctors into service as coronavirus deaths rise above 2,500 -- Reuters
Italy's death toll from coronavirus tops 2,500 -- The Hill
Italy coronavirus death toll soars past 2,500 after week in full lockdown -- RT
Italy Records More Than 3,500 COVID-19 Cases, 368 Deaths Over Past 24 Hours -- Sputnik
Italy reports one-third of deaths in global coronavirus pandemic -- FOX News
Coronavirus pandemic piles pressure on Italy's health system -- Al Jazeera
Italy will renationalize the struggling Alitalia airline after the coronavirus pandemic brought the carrier to its knees -- Business Insider
'This is like a war': view from Italy's coronavirus frontline -- The Guardian
Coronavirus: What life under quarantine is really like around Italy -- The Local
Why the Coronavirus Hit Italy So Hard -- Wired
Italy will be Europe's canary in the coalmine for the post-Covid economy -- Marchel Alexandrovich, The Guardian

Venice Flooded By The Highest Tides In 50 Years

Daily Mail: Venice suffers hundreds of millions of pounds of damage in 'apocalyptic' flood: Mayor blames climate change after water levels in the city rise to their second-highest EVER

* St Mark's Square in Venice was submerged by more than three feet of water and the basilica there flooded
* Venice officials said the tide had peaked at nearly 6ft 2in last night, only inches short of the record set in 1966
* One man in his 70s was electrocuted when water entered his home and a second fatality was also reported
* The governor of the Veneto region said Venice was facing 'total, apocalyptic devastation' after the flooding
* Today there was anger among shopkeepers over a barrier protection system delayed by costs and corruption

The mayor of Venice says the city has suffered damage 'in the hundreds of millions' of pounds after 'apocalyptic' floods which he today blamed on climate change.

The city's historic Saint Mark's Basilica has 'suffered irreparable damage, especially in the lower section of the mosaics and tiling,' Venice Archbishop Francesco Moraglia told a news conference.

The church was flooded for just the sixth time in 1,200 years while the adjacent St Mark's Square was submerged by more than three feet of water - so deep that one man even swam across it.

The floods have also brought misery to tourists and local residents - stranding boats, battering shops and hotels and and leaving many of the city's squares and alleyways deep underwater.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is the sixth time that the city's historic Saint Mark's Basilica has been flooded in 1,200 years, and the second worst recorded flood since 1966. Visited the city three times in my life, and I was always amazed on the delicate balance that the city must have with it's surrounding water.

More News On Venice Being Flooded With The Highest Tides In Fifty Years

Venice ‘on its knees’ after second-worst flood ever recorded -- AP
Venice flooded by highest tide in 50 years -- France 24
'An apocalypse happened': Venice counts cost of devastating floods -- The Guardian
Venice floods: Climate change behind highest tide in 50 years, says mayor -- BBC
Italy: Venice floods cause mayor to declare a state of emergency -- DW
Venice's mayor blames climate change for devastating second-highest flood in city's history -- ABC News Online
Venice's cultural institutions hit hard by floods -- DW
Italy's Venice flooded by highest tide in 50 years -- Al Jazeera

Italy’s Prime Minister Resigns. Government Nears Collapse

BBC: Italy government crisis: PM Conte quits amid coalition row

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has resigned following a blistering attack on coalition partner Matteo Salvini.

Mr Conte said Mr Salvini had been "irresponsible" in creating a new political crisis for Italy for "personal and party interests".

Mr Salvini, the leader of the nationalist League party, had tabled a no-confidence motion against Mr Conte.

He also said he could no longer work with his coalition partners Five Star.

The League and the anti-establishment Five Star Movement formed a coalition to govern just 14 months ago with Mr Conte as an independent as prime minister.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I am surprised that the government lasted this long.

More News On The Collapse Of The Italian Government

The Latest: Italian PM is asked to stay as caretaker leader -- AP
Italian PM resigns, denounces Salvini for sinking government -- Reuters
Italian PM Conte quits, condemns ‘reckless’ far-right Salvini for triggering crisis -- France 24
Italian premier resigns, blames deputy for political crisis -- AP
Italian PM resigns with attack on 'opportunist' Salvini -- The Guardian
Italian Prime Minister Conte offers resignation amid political crisis -- DW
Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigns after blistering attack on deputy Matteo Salvini -- ABC News Online
Italy and Matteo Salvini face uncertainty after PM’s resignation -- The Guardian

Italian PM: France And Germany Are Taking Us 'For A Ride' In The EU. France Responds By Saying 'Mind Your Own Business'

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte speaks to the media during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Euronews: Italy: stop messing in other countries' affairs. France: mind your own business

After top Italian politicians launched a string of attacks on France, including criticising it for interfering in the affairs of African nations, a French minister has responded with a diplomatic request for Rome to mind its own business.

Agnès Pannier-Runacher, who serves as secretary of state in the French economics ministry, told Sasha Vakulina in Davos, that Italy's leaders would do better to focus on strengthening Europe's competitivity.

Italy's deputy prime minister, Luigi di Maio, earlier this week accused Paris of profiting from Africa by refusing to give up its colonial position.

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WNU Editor: As I just told my Canadian-Italian girlfriend right now ....  I'm with the Italians on this one.

More News On The War Of Words Between France And Italy

Italy PM raps France, Germany for hypocrisy on Europe -- Reuters
France, Italy ratchet up rhetoric amid migration dispute -- DW
Italy CONDEMNS France and Germany - ‘We have caught them with hands in cookie jar!’ -- Express
‘They are taking us for a ride’: Italian PM slams France & Germany’s ‘hypocritical’ role in EU -- RT
Italian Prime Minister Concerned Over Germany-France Aachen Treaty of Friendship -- Sputnik