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

Britain's Labour government plans to permanently ban fracking, a highly controversial method of extracting fossil fuels, due its environmental impact, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said Wednesday.

The situation at the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine is "under control", the Moscow-installed operator said Wednesday, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned it was "critical" following a week-long power cut.

An independent appeals body tasked with resolving disputes between social media platforms and EU users on Wednesday criticised a lack of cooperation from digital platforms, especially YouTube.

The EU will propose cutting steel import quotas and significantly increasing tariffs on the metal from abroad, the bloc's industry chief Stephane Sejourne told the sector on Wednesday, mirroring US moves.

Liverpool started the season with seven straight wins as they threatened to sweep all before them but consecutive defeats underscore pressing issues that Arne Slot must address.

European stocks and gold prices rose, while Wall Street futures fell on Wednesday as the US government shut down after lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal.

Survivors and relatives of victims of the 2005 Bali bombings gathered on the popular tourist island Wednesday to mark 20 years since the attack, saying the trauma of that night still haunts them.

Thousands of Greek workers prompted large-scale disruption during a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday, protesting against the conservative government's plans to introduce a 13-hour work day.

Hundreds of Indigenous people in Colombia -- holding spears, blowguns and banners saying "Don't kill us" -- protested against bloody clashes between guerrilla factions on the Venezuelan border that have displaced their communities.

A severe rainstorm battered the Ukrainian city of Odesa overnight, causing floods that killed at least nine people including a child in the southern port city, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday.

An unbeaten maiden century by New Zealand's Tim Robinson wasn't enough to deny Australia a comfortable six-wicket win in the opening Twenty20 at Bay Oval on Wednesday.

French tennis player Gael Monfils, one of the most entertaining and popular players on the ATP tour, announced on Wednesday that he will retire at the end of next year.

Jannik Sinner won the 21st title of his career by thrashing American teenager Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in the China Open final on Wednesday.

Rescuers pulled a survivor from the ruins of a collapsed school in Indonesia on Wednesday, as desperate parents demanded searchers speed up efforts to find dozens more still believed trapped in the rubble.

Carlos Alcaraz added his voice to the criticism and pulled out of the Shanghai Masters with "physical issues" as the packed schedule for elite tennis players came under renewed scrutiny this week.

New guidelines agreed to by World Rugby that will limit players to 30 full games a season to protect their health were hailed Wednesday as a "landmark moment" for the sport.

The ocean hidden under the icy shell of Saturn's moon Enceladus harbours complex organic molecules, a study said Wednesday, offering further evidence that the small world could have all the right ingredients to host extraterrestrial life.

Germany's Oktoberfest was temporarily closed by a bomb threat Wednesday, organisers said, as police investigated a house in Munich that had been rigged with explosives then set alight, leaving one man dead.

A Spanish court opened a trial on Wednesday over a 550-million-euro lawsuit brought by more than 80 Spanish media organisations against Facebook owner Meta for allegedly breaching European Union data protection rules.

After a well-received menswear collection for Dior in June, star Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson is set to unveil his first women's ready-to-wear collection on Wednesday during Paris Fashion Week.

Gold hit a record high and Wall Street futures fell with the dollar Wednesday as the US government shut down after lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal, though most Asian and European markets edged up.

Jannik Sinner won the 21st title of his career by thrashing American teenager Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in the China Open final on Wednesday.

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines rose to at least 69 on Wednesday, a disaster official said, with scores of injured patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.

Switzerland's glaciers, which are disproportionately impacted by climate change, have lost a quarter of their volume in the past decade alone, a study warned Wednesday, heightening concerns over accelerating melting.

The US government began shutting down Wednesday after lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding.

The land that villager Senum once called home has been swallowed by Indonesia's MotoGP circuit, part of a mega tourism project accused of forced evictions and rights abuses.

Emily is no longer the only doe-eyed American in Paris: Isabel "Belly" Conklin, lead character in global TV phenomenon "The Summer I Turned Pretty", has also moved to the French capital, burnishing its reputation for romance and escapism.

Nathan Lyon warned England on Wednesday that they would be making a mistake if they do not play a spinner during the Ashes, with the veteran Australian sure the wickets will offer variation.

Taiwan "will not agree" to making 50 percent of its semiconductors in the United States, the island's lead tariff negotiator said Wednesday, as Washington pressures Taipei to produce more chips on US soil.

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines rose above 50 on Wednesday, with injured patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.

Max Verstappen's recent resurgence will be put to the test at the Singapore Grand Prix this week as the Red Bull driver tries to turn the Formula One world championship into a three-horse race.

Shohei Ohtani blasted two home runs in a 10-5 Los Angeles Dodgers victory over the Cincinnati Reds while the New York Yankees were stunned at home by the Boston Red Sox as Major League Baseball's playoffs got under way on Tuesday.

Gold hit a record high and Wall Street futures fell Wednesday as the US government went into shutdown after lawmakers in Washington failed to reach a deal to keep it funded, though most Asia markets held gains.

Greece will grind to a halt on Wednesday in a 24-hour general strike against plans by the conservative government to introduce a 13-hour workday.

Georgia risks fresh political turmoil this weekend as the ruling party -- accused by critics of aligning the Black Sea nation with Moscow -- faces its first electoral test since a disputed parliamentary poll threw the country into chaos last year.

The US government began shutting down after midnight Wednesday as lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding.

A Spanish court will open a trial on Wednesday over a 550-million-euro lawsuit brought by more than 80 Spanish media organisations against Facebook owner Meta for allegedly breaching European Union data protection rules.

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines approached 60 on Wednesday, with injured patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu as workers carried dozens of body bags away in the chaotic aftermath.

Pope Leo XIV joins environmental experts and campaigners from around the world for a climate conference near Rome Wednesday featuring "Terminator" star Arnold Schwarzenegger.