As the 82nd Venice International Film Festival kicks off, pro-Palestinian activists are using the high-profile event to draw attention to the war in Gaza. Demonstrators from the group Venice4Palestine are demanding the festival sever ties with organizations backing Israel and disinvite actors Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler, both linked to support for the Israeli military.
Prosecutors in Italy have launched a surprise appeal to overturn the 2023 acquittal of Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, reigniting legal battles over his 2019 decision to block a migrant-laden NGO ship from entering Italian waters. The move, which Salvini and his allies describe as “judicial warfare,” represents the latest clash between populist leaders and activist judges over national sovereignty and border control.
Mount Etna, the towering and restless volcano on Sicily’s eastern coast, erupted Monday, spewing fiery lava and thick ash high into the sky. Tourists and locals alike scrambled for safety as the volcano’s latest outburst rattled nearby homes and blanketed the region in ash. Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reported “intense and almost continuous” strombolian explosions, prompting the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre Toulouse to issue a “code red” alert.
The U.S. State Department has elevated its travel advisory for Italy to Level 2, urging Americans to "exercise increased caution" due to potential terrorist threats.
