Prosecutors allege Maria Licciardi, 70, ran extortion rackets as head of Naples-based Camorra crime syndicateA reputed top Naples crime syndicate boss was arrested as she was about to board a flight to Spain, Italian authorities said.The interior minis…
Belarus exiles fear the long arm of the vengeful dictator in Minsk
The attempt to ‘kidnap’ an Olympic sprinter and the suspicious death of an activist are signs of growing oppression It is a fraught and dangerous time to be a Belarusian activist or dissident abroad, where the scrambling of a MiG-29 to ground a Ryanai…
Fresh protests in France against Covid health pass
Opponents of Emmanuel Macron’s plans take to streets across country for fourth weekend runningCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageProtesters took to the streets across France on Saturday for the fourth weekend in a row to oppose…
‘Olympian’ bat killed by cat after record flight from UK to Russia
Nathusius’ pipistrelle weighing just 8g flew 1,254 miles across EuropeA tiny record-breaking “Olympian” bat flew more than 1,200 miles from London to Russia but ended up being killed by a cat.The female Nathusius’ pipistrelle bat, weighing only 8g, was…
‘People think you’re an idiot’: death metal Irish baron rewilds his estate
Trees, grasses and wildlife are returning as Lord Randal Plunkett recreates a vanished landscape in County MeathLord Randal Plunkett strides through the hip-high grass of Dunsany, a 650-hectare (1,600-acre) estate in the middle of Ireland, trailed by a…
The support group at the heart of Belarus’s sporting resistance
The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation offers aid to dissident athletes while organising opposition to the regime’s sportwashing effortsIOC strips two Belarus Olympic coaches of accreditation over Tsimanouskaya scandalWhen Belarusian officials trie…
Chechen man given life sentence for killing dissident in Austria
Man convicted for July 2020 murder of Chechen government critic granted political asylum in ViennaA Chechen man has been handed a life sentence in Austria after being convicted of murdering a Chechen dissident, a court spokesperson said.Mamikhan Umarov…
‘Italy’s fairytale’: men’s 4x100m gold continues summer of success
President among those hailing first-ever victory in relay event that takes country’s Olympic medal haul to 38 Italy continued its summer of incredible sporting success by clinching gold in the men’s 4x100m relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.It was the co…
‘I still have concerns’: Britons on travelling to and from Europe
Former frequent travellers consider their options as rules for Germany, Norway and France are eased Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMany Britons living and working abroad have been unable to visit family in the UK without qu…
Wildfires burn out of control in Greece and Turkey as thousands flee
Protracted heatwave continues as flames threaten populated areas, electricity installations and historic sitesThousands of people have fled wildfires that are burning out of control in Greece and Turkey, including a large blaze just north of Athens tha…