Free Republic

Rome authorities have tightened security around the Colosseum and other popular tourist attractions in the Italian capital due to a rise in crime. In late August, the area around the ancient amphitheater was officially declared a "red zone" - an increase in the presence of law enforcement officers and their powers were expanded. The special regime will be in effect until at least December 24, 2026, write CNN. The reason for the increased security was, in particular, a series of incidents in the Colosseum area. In July, about 50 young people attacked police officers using fireworks, as a result of...

The remains of a California airman killed during World War II have been identified more than eight decades after his B-24 bomber was shot down over Italy. Army Air Force Sgt. Adolph P. Aguirre was just 21 years old when his plane went down on Aug. 16, 1943, while returning from a mission, according to his obituary. Now, 82 years later, his family finally has answers and is preparing to lay him to rest later this month in Exeter, in Tulare County. Aguirre will be buried next to his parents at Exeter District Cemetery. Born in Visalia on Oct. 29,...

Researchers working at the archaeological site of Kainua near the modern town of Marzabotto found two bronze female statuettes and an extremely rare bronze bowl inside an ancient well system. Human remains belonging to two adults were also found at the site. The excavation is being conducted by the University of Bologna in collaboration with the Ravenna Archaeological Group. The objects have been dated to between the late sixth and early fifth centuries BC, when the Etruscan settlement was being established and developed... The location of the discovery adds to its significance. The well stands within Kainua’s sanctuary district, where...

Theodore Roosevelt was famous for gunboat diplomacy. But Donald Trump's ambassador to Italy has found a rather more luxurious way to win friends: love boat diplomacy. Billionaire entertainment mogul Tilman Fertitta, 69, is wooing foreign officials from the deck of his $450 million mega yacht, the Boardwalk, as he cruises around Italy on a two-and-a-half-month 'Coastal Diplomatic Tour.' The 383ft vessel boasts two helipads, two swimming pools, four hot tubs, a fully equipped spa, scuba room, putting green and cinema, with business tycoons and sports personalities rubbing shoulders with government officials at lavish receptions. Fertitta, the world's 312th-richest person according...

The spur of St.Erasmo, looming above the village of Cesi... represents the best preserved example of a fortified high ground site in the Umbria region and, in general, one of the main sites of this type in central-southern Italy. This point was fortified, encircling an area of about 7000 sq.m with massive masonry in polygonal work, with a wall of about 400 linear metres, which alternates various types of polygonal work, from the more regular and well- smoothed that distinguishes the northern side, to more cursive ones, with not well-worked blocks, attested in several points, perhaps less visible on the...

Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe paid an unannounced visit to Moscow yesterday, spending eight hours in the Russian capital before returning to the US. Though he visited the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that they had met – though Ratcliffe certainly spoke to his counterpart Sergei Naryshkin, head of Russia’s SVR external intelligence service, and other top Russian security officials. The list of topics urgent enough to prompt the first personal visit of a US cabinet-level official to the Kremlin in six months is short. Ratcliffe could have been responding to reports of a planned Russian escalation...

Well, for a movement we were told was just an “idea,” a massive swath of Antifa sure seems to have developed one helluva IT department. The public image of Antifa has always been this loosey-goosey street-level chaos, complete with black clothes, masks, pool noodles, broken windows, fights with cops, and somebody always setting something on fire. But those who pay even the slightest bit of attention know there’s a lot more to this very coordinated, highly funded network of anti-American storm troopers. And one of the biggest things they need are places to communicate without being easily tracked. They need...

Marketed as a Neolithic and Roman find, the site was in fact assembled with concrete and grouted stone blocks. A man in northern Italy has been sent to prison after Italy's highest court gave final confirmation to his conviction for illegally constructing a fake ancient theater and presenting it to the public as a genuine archaeological site, charging visitors an entrance fee of up to 40 euros. The structure still stands in Arcugnano, in the province of Vicenza. It consists of tiered stone seating built from stacked stones that were worked to look ancient. The columns are fake too, made...

More than half of the illegal migrants disembarked in Italy by NGO vessels since Giorgia Meloni came to power were brought there by German organisations. Of the 42,338 people that entered Italy via NGO operations since October 2022, 22,513—just over 53%—arrived aboard vessels linked to German organisations. If organisations of other nationalities operating German-flagged ships are included, the figure rises to around 27,000. Italy received 157,651 people by sea in 2023, 66,617 in 2024, and 66,316 in 2025. Vessels operated by these types of organisations—some of which have been accused of people trafficking—accounted for approximately 8% of all arrivals in...

Since Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took office in October 2022, German aid organisations have, according to Rome's figures, brought around 22,500 migrants to Italian ports. The dispute between Italy and Germany over the sharing of responsibility for migrants is becoming increasingly heated. The Italian Interior Ministry has now released new figures on private rescue vessels and is demanding financial compensation from Germany. Since Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took office in October 2022, German aid organisations have, according to Rome's figures, brought around 22,500 migrants to Italian ports. In total, about 42,300 people have arrived in Italy on board...

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - A single laptop can reveal much, and so it is with the digital treasure chest that Colombian commandos found in the jungle quarters of slain rebel leader Raul Reyes. Files in the computer seized in Saturday's raid into Ecuador that claimed the lives of Reyes and 23 of his comrades offer an intimate portrait of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's desire to undermine Colombia's U.S.-allied government. If authentic, the documents show that sympathies Chavez first aired publicly in January grew out of a relationship that dates back more than a decade. But Chavez is not one of...

Spain announced it would temporarily establish border controls for flights and ships from Italy as a row between the two countries over the influx of migrants into Ceuta intensified. Passport, nationality and visa checks would be conducted for visitors and maritime passengers arriving from Italy from midnight on Friday until Sept 7 "amid the persistent irregular migratory pressure" from Rome, the Spanish government declared. Spain said the measures would apply while Italy applied its own measures, which Rome said were motivated by the mass migration rush by 72,000 people to Spain's African exclave of Ceuta on July 30. Hours earlier,...

Thousands of migrants pour into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta after crossing the border from Morocco. (Screenshot/Faro TV) Italy’s conservative government is considering extraordinary border controls as Spain’s socialist open-borders experiment erupts into chaos. The Gateway Pundit reported earlier that Spain’s border police were overwhelmed as thousands of mostly young men poured into the Spanish enclave from Morocco, forcing businesses to close and local officials to demand troops. Spain’s border with Africa descended into “absolute chaos” Thursday as thousands of migrants stormed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighboring Morocco. Videos from Tarajal Beach showed enormous crowds swimming...

The Meloni government responded to Madrid in a written statement, declaring that Italy will not accept external pressure or ultimatums when it comes to national security and border controls."Italy does not accept impositions from abroad or ultimatums" concerning national security and border control, the government said.Rome also made clear that it has no intention of reconsidering its decision to temporarily suspend the application of the Schengen Agreement for third-country nationals arriving from Spain, at least until August 15.The Italian government said it would maintain the measures until authorities rule out potential terrorism-related and other security risks to Italy.It also pointed...

A Roman-era shipwreck has been found off Mazara del Vallo, along with hundreds of amphorae on the seabed. Culture Minister Giuli has hailed the discovery as "extraordinary"... A Roman-era shipwreck, probably dating from between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, has been located around three miles off the coast of Mazara del Vallo, at a depth of 46 metres. On the seabed, the Italian Ministry of Culture reports, there are hundreds of amphorae, mostly of the Dressel 1A type, two lead anchor stocks and another structure made of the same material. The discovery was made during a joint inspection carried...

Moroccan King Mohammed VI said his decision to give US President Donald Trump’s name to a US$1 billion (S$1.28 billion) highway that crosses into the disputed Western Sahara expresses his “deep appreciation” of the American leader. Hailing Trump’s “historic recognition” of Moroccan rule of the Western Sahara in 2020, the king said it “will forever be etched in the memory of Moroccans” and has “given unprecedented momentum to our bilateral relations”. A resource-rich territory about the size of the UK, the Western Sahara has been disputed by Morocco and an Algerian-backed independence movement since former colonial ruler Spain withdrew in...

France and Italy bolstered border controls on Saturday after about 60,000 people crossed into Spain's enclave in North Africa, sparking one of the largest migrant crises for the European Union in recent years. The migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco, the enclave's regional president Juan Jesus Vivas told reporters, but by Friday evening officials said more than 48,000 had returned. To cross into Ceuta, many swam around a small border barrier that juts out into the Mediterranean. At least 34 people died in the attempt. The sudden influx sparked an international crisis. France tightened checks on its border with Spain and...

This video from Black Conservative Perspective discusses a major migrant crisis in the Spanish city of Ceuta, where tens of thousands of individuals surged across the border from Morocco (0:00-0:12, 0:56-1:04). Key highlights include: The Situation: Reports indicate up to 34 deaths occurred during the chaotic influx, with the local president labeling the situation as unsustainable (0:00-0:06, 0:20-0:24, 5:01-5:03). The Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, has deployed the military to restore order and blamed human trafficking networks for the crisis (0:34-0:48). Controversial Policies: The host attributes the crisis to "leftist" government policies, specifically citing a recent program...

Italy said on Friday it was suspending the ​EU's border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain for one month in response to a mass influx of ‌migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco. Italy does not share a land border with Spain but the measure - which looks certain to anger Madrid - will impact people travelling by plane or boat between ​the two countries, meaning they will need to show a passport to gain access. Italy's interior ​ministry said in a statement it had also agreed with Paris ⁠to strengthen controls along the Franco-Italian land border to try...

As wildfires blazed in southern Italy this week, authorities probing for arson found a grisly clue: cats “with flammable-soaked rags tied to their tails.” “These animals were released into the fields, running around and spreading the fire,” said Domenico Costarella of Calabria’s Civil Protection Agency in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday. He added that other pieces of evidence also pointed to arson, including candles lit among flammable rags and delayed ignition devices. Firefighters are still working to contain blazes around Calabria’s Pollino National Park, according to Italian broadcaster RAI, which reported Wednesday that firefighting teams have completed more...