Il Messaggiere - News from Rome, Modena, Reggio, Italy and the world

A Belgian court on Wednesday is to deliver its verdict in a trial of 23 people suspected of being involved with a gang that smuggled Vietnamese migrants to Britain, 39 of whom died in the back of a truck in October 2019.

Liam Broady panned the intimidating home support for Nick Krygios at the Australian Open as an "absolutely awful" experience and one of the toughest atmospheres in which to play tennis.

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled its big-ticket plans to buy US video game powerhouse Activision Blizzard, a record-smashing acquisition in the gaming sector.

A thief has made off with 42,000 much-sought rapid antigen tests from a freight depot in Sydney, authorities said Wednesday.

Teenage US Open champion Emma Raducanu says 2022 will be a learning experience as she adjusts to the big time, with her first-round win at the Australian Open "a great step forward".

When Joe Biden became president, he inherited an America divided in almost every conceivable way, promising to be a force for unity and reconciliation.

Andy Murray called it "irritating" and Nick Kyrgios said it was "stupid" as confused players at the Australian Open had to deal with spectators giving them Cristiano Ronaldo's "siuu" celebration treatment.

Derby manager Wayne Rooney is in contention for an emotional return to Everton after the former England star's impressive handling of affairs on the pitch despite a financial crisis at the Championship club.

Four-time champions Ghana were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations after crashing 3-2 to minnows Comoros in Group C on Tuesday in Garoua.

ExxonMobil pledged Tuesday to reach "net zero" greenhouse gas emissions in its operations by 2050, but stopped short of extending the promise to products it sells throughout the global economy.

An app all attendees of the upcoming Beijing Olympics must use has encryption flaws that could allow personal information to leak, a cyber security watchdog said Tuesday.

The congressional committee investigating the US Capitol riot issued subpoenas Tuesday to Rudy Giuliani -- a key figure in Donald Trump's failed bid to overturn the 2020 election -- and three other allies of the defeated ex-president.

AT&T and Verizon agreed Tuesday to a partial delay in activating their 5G networks following an outcry from US airlines, who said the rollout could lead to travel chaos.

Hong Kong independence activist Edward Leung, whose now-banned slogan became a rallying cry during the 2019 pro-democracy movement, was released from jail in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday after serving nearly four years.

A federal judge on Tuesday approved a plan to restructure Puerto Rico's public debt, which will allow the US territory to end the bankruptcy process it declared almost five years ago.

Countries are neglecting the massive impact of the "throwaway" economy on planet-warming emissions, according to research published Wednesday that calculated more than half a trillion tonnes of virgin materials have been consumed since the 2015 Paris climate deal.

US cereal giant Kellogg's has been sanctioned by the Mexican authorities for breaking sugar and other content labeling rules in a country with one of the world's most obese populations.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick built a video game empire with flagship titles like "World of Warcraft", but he could lose control of it after a whopping Microsoft buyout deal announced Tuesday.

Up to 2,000 trucks are backed up at Argentina's main border crossing with Chile due to tougher Covid-19 testing requirements, Argentine haulers said on Tuesday, adding that the supply chain could suffer.

Ralf Rangnick has vowed to play Paul Pogba even if the Manchester United midfielder is only motivated by the chance to secure a move away from Old Trafford.

Oil prices hit their highest levels in more than seven years Tuesday, driven in part by hopes of a global economic recovery that would ramp up demand.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel blamed fatigue for an alarming slump in form that continued with a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Tuesday.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's proposed referendum on his own presidency has secured enough signatures of support from voters to go ahead, the national electoral institute said Tuesday.

England coach Eddie Jones believes Alfie Barbeary has the mentality as well as the talent to make his mark on international rugby after calling the Wasps back-row into his training squad for the Six Nations Championship.

Holders Borussia Dortmund were dumped out of the German Cup on Tuesday after a shock 2-1 defeat at second division side St Pauli in their last 16 tie.

The United States raised the alarm Tuesday on a potentially imminent Russian attack against Ukraine, ahead of a whirlwind diplomatic mission by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The Grammy music awards will be held in Las Vegas for the first time this April after being postponed because of the surge of Omicron-variant Covid-19 cases across the United States.

Microsoft on Tuesday announced a landmark $69 billion deal to buy US gaming giant Activision Blizzard, betting big on the prospects of the video game market by scooping up the scandal-hit "Call of Duty" maker.

Rafael Nadal steps up his march towards a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Wednesday, with Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka also taking centre stage.

A German referee has revealed he has been the target of a death threat and abusive emails since England midfielder Jude Bellingham sharply criticised his handling of last month's Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday weighed the fate of a painting by Camille Pissarro looted by the Nazis in 1939 and currently on display at a gallery in Spain.

Tourism arrivals around the world are not expected to return to their pre-pandemic levels until 2024 at the earliest, the World Tourism Organization said Tuesday.

Lionel Messi was back in full training with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday for the first time since testing positive for Covid-19 at the end of last year.

Israeli police on Tuesday backed down from attempts to evict Palestinians from their home in a Jerusalem flashpoint district, the family said.

The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, the World Health Organization chief said Tuesday, cautioning against a narrative that the fast-spreading Omicron variant is risk-free.

Ingrid Betancourt -- who was abducted 20 years ago while campaigning for Colombia's presidency, and held captive by FARC rebels in the jungle for more than six years -- on Tuesday announced a new bid for the country's top job.

Irina Karamanos, the partner of Chile's president elect Gabriel Boric, announced on Tuesday she would take on the official role of first lady but vowed to make it more feminist.

Britain's York Racecourse is to rename the Duke of York Stakes in an effort to distance itself from Queen Elizabeth II's second son Prince Andrew, who is facing a US civil case for sexual assault.

Senegal were held 0-0 by minnows Malawi in Bafoussam on Tuesday despite the return of stars Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gueye, but still won Group B at the Africa Cup of Nations.