Mario Draghi

 Italy has brought forward the easing of coronavirus restrictions, meaning people can enjoy al fresco dining from April 26.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced the easing of rules, almost a week earlier than planned, at a press conference Friday. The reopening includes schools as well as open-air restaurants, bars, cinemas and theaters.

By George Gilson

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlet Cavusoglu, in Ankara tomorrow in a bid to transcend the apparent quagmire in bilateral exploratory talks.

Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has slammed Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi for calling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a dictator, stressing the Turkish history has never created leaders like "Duce" or "Führer."

Turkish ministers condemned on April 9 the Italian prime minister's remarks on the country's president.

"I condemn the low and unacceptable way of the appointed Italian Prime Minister [Mario Draghi] towards our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan," Treasury and Finance Minister Lütfi Elvan said on Twitter over the remarks of Draghi, calling Erdoğan a "dictator."

Turkey's Foreign Ministry on April 8 summoned the Italian ambassador to condemn the Italian premier's remarks on the country's president.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi at a news conference earlier on April 8 called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a "dictator."

The prime ministers of Italy and Greece on April 6 joined a growing number of foreign leaders visiting Libya as it seeks to emerge from a decade of post-revolution chaos under a U.N.-sponsored peace process.

All health workers in Italy must have coronavirus jabs, the government has announced, in a potentially controversial move aimed at protecting vulnerable patients and pushing back against 'no-vax' sentiment.

Europe is facing a new type of world war over COVID-19 vaccinations, Le Figaro reported referring to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi over the phone, according to Turkey's Communications Directorate on March 23. 

A shipment of more than a quarter million AstraZeneca vaccines destined for Australia has been blocked from leaving the European Union, in the first use of an export control system instituted by the bloc to make sure big pharma companies would respect their contracts.