Italy
Factbox: Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus
Worldwide COVID-19 deaths crossed 1.5 million on Thursday, as South Korea's capital required most establishments to close at 9 p.m. each day and Italy banned midnight mass and movement between towns over Christmas and New Year.
Over half of Italians back giving up freedoms for public health amid COVID-19 - survey
ROME More than half of Italians think it is right to give up personal freedom to protect public health, a survey said on Friday, suggesting the government's curbs to fight the COVID-19 pandemic still have public support.
Alitalia to run COVID-tested Rome-New York flights from Dec. 8
MILAN Italian carrier Alitalia will offer COVID-tested flights between Rome and New York starting from Dec. 8, the airline and the company running Rome's Fiumicino airport said in a joint statement on Friday.
Italy's Eni joins North Sea wind power grab with Dogger deal
OSLO/MILAN Italy's Eni is buying a 20% stake in the Dogger Bank Wind Farm project from Norway's Equinor and Britain's SSE as it seeks to gain expertise in the sector and cut its greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050.
Italy tightens curbs for Christmas as COVID deaths hit record high
ROME Italy approved new restrictions on Thursday to avoid a surge in novel coronavirus infections over Christmas and the New Year, banning midnight mass and halting movement between towns, as the country posted its highest daily death toll of the pandemic.
Factbox: Italy's measures to prevent Xmas surge in COVID-19 infections
ROME Italy approved new restrictions on Thursday to avoid a new surge in coronavirus infections during the Christmas and New Year holidays. [L8N2IJ59S]
Monte dei Paschi to send ECB plan to plug capital shortfall by Jan 31
MILAN Italian state-owned bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS) said on Thursday it would tell the European Central Bank by the end of January how it plans to tackle its capital shortfall.
Italy bans Xmas midnight mass, movement between regions amid high COVID toll
ROME Italians will not be able to attend midnight mass or move between regions over the Christmas period, a top health ministry official said on Wednesday, as the country battles high coronavirus infection rates and deaths.
Mustier exit complicates Italian attempt at MPS deal with UniCredit
LONDON/MILAN Jean Pierre Mustier's abrupt resignation as chief executive of UniCredit complicates Italian Treasury efforts to shore up Monte dei Paschi (MPS), leaving merger negotiations stranded and delays likely.
Swiss plough ahead with skiing despite neighbours' fears
VERBIER, Switzerland Swiss ski resorts are ploughing ahead with preparations for the year-end holiday season despite pressure from neighbouring Italy, France and Germany to shut until the latest coronavirus wave passes.
Iran pressures Biden with plan to increase underground enrichment machines
VIENNA Iran is raising pressure on U.S. President-elect Joe Biden with plans to install more advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges at an underground plant in breach of its deal with major powers, a U.N. nuclear watchdog report showed on Friday.