MARIO DRAGHI

Former premier Silvio Berlusconi has bowed out of Italy’s presidential election set for next week.

Italy is poised to elect a new president, a figure who is supposed to serve as the nation’s moral compass and foster unity by being above the political fray.

Italy is about to elect a new president and there are a number of old faces among the contenders, including former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Pope Francis has issued a plea on behalf of prison inmates, saying they should never be deprived of hope and always have the opportunity to redeem themselves.

As patience with the pandemic wanes, leaders in widely vaccinated democracies are deploying a new political strategy.

"There is a boss and a sense of direction," an economist said about the Italian economy under Mario Draghi's leadership.

Italy is targeting the unvaccinated with a host of new coronavirus restrictions.

Mario Draghi, currently Italy's prime minister, could be chosen as its new president. Investors are worried.

Some 78% of Italy's population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and about 36% have received a booster shot.

Italy Politics FILE - Former and present Italian Premiers Silvio Berlusconi, left, and Mario Draghi, right, are seen during a press conference at Chigi Palace,in Rome, on Oct. 8, 2008. Italy’s lower chamber of parliament on Tuesday set Jan. 24 as the start date to begin voting for a new Italian president, officially kicking off a campaign that is expected to see Premier Mario Draghi and ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi vie for the prestigious job. The victor, who is chosen by around 1,000 “big electors" among lawmakers and regional representatives, will replace President Sergio Mattarella, whose seven-year term ends Feb. 3. The voting is expected to last several rounds over several days. On Tuesday, Italian news reports said the 5 Star Movement was instead rallying behind a second Mattarella term.

Italy has set Jan. 24 as the start date to begin voting for a new Italian president.

The politics are changing in the EU's three biggest economies and this could have implications for markets.

This New Year's the European Central Bank is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the euro's notes and coins.

The Italian presidency has limited powers and is largely ceremonial. But the president plays a key role in resolving political impasses, and having the internationally respected Draghi in the Quirinale Palace would send a signal of Italian stability and credibility for seven more years. Draghi, 74, didn’t respond directly Wednesday when asked repeatedly about his future at a year-end news conference. Draghi demurred when asked Wednesday if he thought Berlusconi was a viable candidate, saying it's not for him to evaluate possible heads of state. The Italian president had called on Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, to lead a broad-based government in February after a political crisis that saw the collapse of Giuseppe Conte’s government.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi says his government has accomplished most of what it set out do in fighting the pandemic and restoring economic growth.

CBS News' Imtiaz Tyab reports on the surge in Omicron cases in Britain, which is threatening to overwhelm the country's health care system.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi says a bilateral treaty signed with French President Emmanuel Macron to deepen bilateral cooperation will in turn strengthen the European Union.

Young refugee Sharbat Gulla's piercing green eyes on a 1984 National Geographic cover captivated the world. Almost 30 years later, she's sought refuge again, this time in Italy.

Sharbat Gulla arrived in Italy as part of the West's evacuation effort, Italy's government said Thursday. Premier Mario Draghi's office said Italy organized her evacuation after she asked for help.

ROME — (AP) — National Geographic magazine’s famed green-eyed “Afghan Girl” has arrived in Italy as part of the West’s evacuation of Afghans following the Taliban takeover of the country, the Italian government said Thursday. The office of Premier Mario Draghi said Italy organized the evacuation of Sharbat Gulla after she asked to be helped to leave the country. The Italian government will now help to get her integrated into life in Italy, the statement said. Gulla gained international fame in 1984 as an Afghan refugee girl, after war photographer Steve McCurry’s photograph of her, with piercing green eyes, was published on the cover of National Geographic. Italy was one of several Western countries that airlifted hundreds of Afghans out of the country following the departure of U.S. forces and the Taliban takeover in August.

National Geographic’s famed green-eyed “Afghan Girl” has arrived in Italy as part of the West’s evacuation of Afghans following the Taliban takeover of the country.

National Geographic magazine’s famed green-eyed “Afghan Girl” has arrived in Italy as part of the West’s evacuation of Afghans following the Taliban takeover of the country, the Italian government said Thursday. The office of Premier Mario Draghi said Italy organized the evacuation of Sharbat Gulla after she asked to be helped to leave the country. The Italian government will now help to get her integrated into life in Italy, the statement said.

A new government decree also made vaccinations mandatory for law enforcement, military and all school employees, among others. The so-called “Green Pass” contained proof of vaccination, of being cured of COVID-19 or a negative test. With the new decree, the government is introducing a “reinforced” Green Pass that excludes the ability to test into certain indoor activities. The decree also added activities for which even a basic Green Pass is needed, including to check into a hotel or use regional or local public transport. Previously, a Green Pass was necessary only for long-distance public transport.

Police in Italy are conducting searches against 17 anti-vaccine activists who were purportedly affiliated with a Telegram chat that espoused violence against government, medical and media figures for their perceived support of COVID-19 restrictions.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce suggested France was overreacting, saying, “we didn’t deface the Eiffel Tower.”Australia in September dropped the 5-year-old, 90 million Australian dollar ($66 million) contract with majority French state-owned Naval Group to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines. Instead, Australia made an alliance with Britain and the U.S. to acquire a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines built with U.S. technology. “We didn’t steal an island, we didn’t deface the Eiffel Tower, it was a contract,” Joyce said in the Australian capital on Monday. Macron had refused to take Morrison’s phone calls after the submarine furor broke until hours before the Australian leader was to fly to Rome last week. President Joe Biden told Macron last week that the U.S. had been “clumsy” in its handling of the Australian submarine alliance.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison denies lying to French President Emmanuel Macron while secretly negotiating a submarine deal with the United States and Britain.

A key sticking point remained the deadline for nations to reach carbon neutrality or “net-zero” emissions, meaning a balance between greenhouse gases added to and removed from the atmosphere. The U.S. and the European Union have set 2050 as their deadline for net-zero emissions, while China, Russia and Saudi Arabia are aiming for 2060. Coal is still China’s main source of power generation, and both China and India have resisted proposals for a G-20 declaration on phasing out domestic coal consumption. The failure of the G-20 to set a target for phasing out domestic coal use was a disappointment to Britain. But not if we continue like today,” they wrote, just weeks after Thunberg shamed global leaders for their “blah blah blah” rhetoric during a youth climate summit in Milan.

President Joe Biden is praising a new U.S. and European Union agreement that would crack down on “dirty steel” that leads to carbon emissions.

Leaders of the world's biggest economies made a compromise commitment Sunday to reach carbon neutrality "by or around mid-century."

Italy G20 Summit From left, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Premier Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stand at the Trevi Fountain during an event for the G20 summit in Rome, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. The future of coal, a key source of greenhouse gas emissions, has been one of the hardest things for the G-20 to agree on. Coal is still China’s main source of power generation, and both China and India have resisted proposals for a G-20 declaration on phasing out domestic coal consumption. Climate campaigners were hoping that rich G-20 countries would also take steps to meet a long-standing but yet-to-be-fulfilled commitment to raise $100 billion annually to help developing countries move toward greener economies and adapt to the changing climate. But not if we continue like today," they wrote, just weeks after Thunberg shamed global leaders for their “blah blah blah" rhetoric during a youth climate summit in Milan.

Italy G20 Summit From left, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Premier Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stand at the Trevi Fountain during an event for the G20 summit in Rome, Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. The two-day Group of 20 summit concludes on Sunday, the first in-person gathering of leaders of the world's biggest economies since the COVID-19 pandemic started. If the G-20 summit ends with only weak commitments, momentum could be lost for the larger annual talks in Glasgow, where countries from around the globe will be represented including poor ones most vulnerable to rising seas, desertification and other effects. The future of coal, a key source of greenhouse gas emissions, has been one of the hardest things for the G-20 to agree on. But not if we continue like today," they wrote, just weeks after Thunberg shamed global leaders for their “blah blah blah" rhetoric during a youth climate summit in Milan.

APTOPIX Italy G20 Summit Biden U.S. President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi prior to a ceremony at the Chigi Palace in Rome, Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. The climate target is a key requirement of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Biden rejoined on his first day in office. Even without signed legislation, Biden's framework shows U.S. leadership on climate, experts said. Still, there is pressure on Biden and Congress to pass the infrastructure bill and the larger domestic policy package during the two-week climate summit or soon after. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said there was no contradiction between Biden's climate goals and the request for more imported oil.

Leaders of the world’s biggest economies have agreed to stop funding coal-fired power plants in poor countries.

The move was hailed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen as benefiting American businesses and workers.

Italy G20 Summit U.S. President Joe Biden, bottom left, poses with other leaders for the family photo of the G20 summit at the La Nuvola conference center, in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. G-20 finance ministers in July had already agreed on a 15% minimum tax. Yellen predicted in a statement that the deal on new international tax rules, with a minimum global tax, “will end the damaging race to the bottom on corporate taxation.”The deal did fall short of U.S. President Joe Biden's original call for a 21% minimum tax. “Here at the G20, leaders representing 80% of the world's GDP — allies and competitors alike — made clear their support for a strong global minimum tax,” the president said in the tweet. Most of the summit leaders in Rome will head to Glasgow as soon as the G-20 ends on Sunday afternoon.

It's been two years since the leaders of the 20 largest economies met in person. "We can finally look at the future with great — or with some — optimism," said Italy's Mario Draghi, the summit host.

Italy G20 Summit Workers adjust a flag prior to a group photo at the G20 summit in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. The two-day Group of 20 summit is the first in-person gathering of leaders of the world's biggest economies since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Host leader Draghi opened the forum with a sharp call for redoubled efforts to get vaccines to the world's least-prosperous countries. Most of the heads of state and government who are in Rome will head to Glasgow as soon as the G-20 is over. The G-20 leaders are expected to formally affirm their commitment to establishing a 15% global minimum corporate tax rate by 2023, a measure aimed at preventing multinational companies from stashing profits in countries where they pay few or no taxes.

Italy G20 Summit World Trade Organization President Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, right, is greeted by Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi during arrivals at the La Nuvola conference center for the G20 summit in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis) (Domenico Stinellis)ROME — (AP) — The leaders of the world’s economic powerhouses gathered Saturday for the first in-person summit since the coronavirus pandemic, with climate change, COVID-19 economic recovery and the global minimum corporate tax rate on the agenda. Most of the heads of state and government who are in Rome will head to Glasgow as soon as the G-20 is over. “Let’s be clear — there is a serious risk that Glasgow will not deliver,″ Guterres told reporters in Rome. The G-20, though, will likely be a celebration of one agreement, on a global minimum corporate tax.

Leaders of the world’s biggest economies have endorsed a global minimum tax on corporations as part of an agreement on new international tax rules.

The Italian city that suffered the brunt of COVID-19’s first deadly wave is dedicating a vivid memorial to the pandemic dead: A grove of trees, creating oxygen in a park opposite the hospital where so many died, unable to breathe.

The G-20, whose annual summit plays out in Rome this weekend, has morphed from its creation in the 1990s as an international group to grapple with financial crises into a forum facing such pressing problems as worldwide vaccine access and climate change.

President Joe Biden says Pope Francis told him he's a “good Catholic” and should keep taking Communion when the world's two most prominent Roman Catholics met at the Vatican on Friday.

That’s especially true since as soon as the event ends, a bigger United Nations summit devoted to climate change begins in Glasgow, Scotland. The United Nations and climate activists also want the G-20 countries to fulfill their longtime pledges of providing $100 billion a year in climate aid to help poor nations cope with the impacts of global warming. President Xi Jinping, who hasn’t left China since early 2020, is expected to participate remotely, as is Russian President Vladimir Putin. Four of the threatened envoys hailed from G-20 nations Germany, France, Canada and the U.S. The G-20 also include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

A Group of 20 summit scheduled for this weekend in Rome is the first in-person gathering of leaders of the world’s biggest economies since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Key European Union leaders are unconvinced by Polish arguments that fundamental judicial changes the country has made would not undermine the bloc and said that the withholding of billions in EU recovery funds would likely continue unless Warsaw falls back into line.

Italy Mayoral Elections Center-left mayoral candidate Roberto Gualtieri flashes a v-sign at his party's headquarters in Rome, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (Gregorio Borgia)ROME — (AP) — Italy’s center-left forces won big in Rome, Turin and several other mayoral runoffs on Monday, dealing embarrassing defeats to the anti-migrant and far-right parties that are hoping to capture Italy's premiership in the next national election. “When the mayor of Rome is elected by 24% of those eligible to vote ... there is a crisis of democracy,” Meloni said. But she contended that it was the populist 5-Stars who had suffered the real “debacle," which recalibrated Italy's national politics to a question of center-right vs. center-left. Salvini's northern-based right-wing party suffered some stinging setbacks in the mayoral races, including a resounding first-round defeat for his candidate for Milan, Italy's financial capital, which reelected its center-left mayor.

Italy's center-left forces have won big in Rome and most other significant mayoral races, dealing a heavy blow to right-wing parties that have been hoping to capture the premiership in the next national election.

The IMF panel that sets policy for the 190-nation organization wrapped up its annual meeting with a joint statement expressing concerns about the wide divergence in vaccination rates between wealthy and poor countries. “The emergence of virus variants has increased uncertainty and risks to the recovery are tilted to the downside,” the group said. The downgrade reflected persistent supply chain disruptions and the wide disparity in vaccination rates. The IMF policy panel also endorsed the findings of the agency's executive board on Monday of "full confidence" in IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Anti-poverty groups on Thursday expressed disappointment that the IMF was not more specific on how the agency plans to boost vaccination rates and provide increased resources to fight climate change.

The International Monetary Fund is warning of rising threats to a global recovery posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and an outbreak of inflation.

The outcome of Virginia's gubernatorial race could determine whether McAuliffe's campaign is a blueprint for vulnerable Democrats in other divided states or a warning sign for what's to come.

APTOPIX Italy Green Pass Protest Demonstrators and police clash during a protest, in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. Starting Friday, anyone entering workplaces in Italy must have received at least one vaccine dose, or recovered from COVID-19 recently or tested negative with two days, using the country's Green Pass to prove their status. Unions have backed the Green Pass as a way to make Italy's workplaces safer for employees. On Monday, on Rome prosecutors' orders, Italy's telecommunications police force took down Forza Nuova’s website for alleged criminal instigation. Among the dozen people arrested in Saturday's violence are a co-founder of Forza Nuova (New Force) and its Rome leader.

Italy is wrestling with how to deal with a neo-fascist party that has violently exploited anger over the government's anti-COVID restrictions.

G-20 leaders demanded at a virtual summit hosted by Italy that the Taliban government allow humanitarian access across Afghanistan, keep Kabul Airport and the country's borders open and ensure security for U.N., humanitarian and diplomatic staff. Draghi told reporters that negotiations would be necessary with the Taliban to get humanitarian aid distributed. It will be targeted at the Afghan population only and neighboring countries, which have been the first to provide immediate aid. “But the Afghan people should not pay the price of the Taliban’s actions,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Erdogan proposed the creation of a working group on Afghanistan within the G-20 and said Turkey was willing to head such a grouping.

G-20 leaders demanded at a virtual summit hosted by Italy that the Taliban government allow humanitarian access across Afghanistan, keep Kabul Airport and the country's borders open and ensure security for U.N., humanitarian and diplomatic staff. Draghi told reporters that negotiations would be necessary with the Taliban to get humanitarian aid distributed. It will be targeted at the Afghan population only and neighboring countries, which have been the first to provide immediate aid. “But the Afghan people should not pay the price of the Taliban’s actions,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Erdogan proposed the creation of a working group on Afghanistan within the G-20 and said Turkey was willing to head such a grouping.

The Group of 20 nations have warned about a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan as the European Union pledged 1 billion euros ($1.15 billion) in support for Afghan people.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to be escorted from a mass in Rome on Saturday after major protests against Italy's new vaccine mandates broke out.

Italy Green Pass Protest People gather in Piazza del Popolo square during a protest, in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. The certification in Italy, known as a “Green Pass,” takes effect on Oct. 15 and applies to public and private workplaces. Employees entering a workplace must have a "Green Pass.'' Workers in the public sector can be suspended if they show up five times without a Green Pass. More protests against the workplace Green Pass requirement took place Saturday in other Italian cities, including Milan and Trento.

Italy Germany Italian Premier Mario Draghi, right, welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel as she arrives at Palazzo Chigi Premier office, in Rome, Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) (Andrew Medichini)ROME — (AP) — Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Thursday with Pope Francis and toured a Jesuit-run child protection center, while back home three German parties at home held talks on forming a new government without her center-right bloc. She spent some 45 minutes with the pope and received from him a small copy of the bronze Holy Door, as well as copies of his main documents. Merkel also met with Italian Premier Mario Draghi before attending a peace prayer at the Colosseum organized by the Rome-based Sant’Egidio charity. Merkel and her outgoing government will stay in office on a caretaker basis until a new administration is in place, a process that could take weeks or months.

Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Thursday with Pope Francis and toured a Jesuit-run child protection center, while back home three German parties held talks on forming a new government without her center-right bloc.

Italy Climate Summit Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate, left, and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg talk during the final day of a three-day Youth for Climate summit in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) (Luca Bruno)MILAN — (AP) — Young climate activists denounced Italian police for temporarily detaining delegates who protested peacefully inside their Milan conference before Italian Premier Mario Draghi’s speech. But the frustration overflowed on the youth event's final day, with minor clashes involving climate activists outside the venue and the police intervention with delegates inside. She criticized the document being finalized inside for the U.N. climate conference. Comparelli accused political leaders of both youth-washing and green-washing -- using environmental terminology and recruiting youth activists to make their pledges for reducing greenhouse gas emissions seem legitimate.

Young climate activists have denounced Italian police for temporarily detaining delegates who protested peacefully inside their Milan conference before Italian Premier Mario Draghi’s speech.

Italy Politics Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi talks to journalists during a press conference at the of a cabinet ministers meeting in Rome, Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021. (Massimo Percossi/LaPresse via AP) (Massimo Percossi)MILAN — (AP) — Italy’s vaccination campaign is a key factor behind its economic recovery from the pandemic, Premier Mario Draghi said Wednesday after signing a document that forecast a higher-than-expected 6% growth this year. Draghi called vaccinations “an ingredient that favored this recovery of the Italian economy." “There is trust in Italy, among Italians and from the rest of the world toward Italy. Draghi called “offensive” repeated questions about whether he would consider replacing Sergio Mattarella as Italian president when Mattarella’s term expires next year.

New York City schools have been temporarily blocked from enforcing a vaccine mandate for its teachers and other workers by a federal appeals judge days before it was to take effect.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is urging those now eligible for COVID-19 booster shots to get the added protection. ___SARAJEVO, Bosnia — More than 50,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses have expired in Bosnia. Bosnia has the highest rate in Europe of coronavirus deaths at 4.5%, according to Johns Hopkins University. ___MOSCOW -- Coronavirus deaths in Russia hit a record on Friday amid a steady increase in infections. The previous record of 820 daily deaths was registered on Aug. 26, and on Thursday this week the daily death toll reached 820 once again.

Officials in both the U.S. and the European Union are struggling with the same question.

“The Green Pass is an instrument of freedom, that will help us make workplaces safer,'' Health Minister Roberto Speranza told a press conference. “The Green Pass is not a nudge to get vaccinated, it is a not-so-gentle push,″ she said. The Green Pass requirement covers 14.7 million private sector workers and 3.2 million in state-supported jobs. Until now, only medical personnel have been obliged to be vaccinated, while the Green Pass mandate was in place only for school employees. Azzollini also underlined the difficulty in enforcing the Green Pass rules.

Italian workers in both the public and private sectors will be obliged to provide a health pass to access the workplace from Oct. 15 under a decree that has been approved by Premier Mario Draghi’s broad-based coalition government.

France Macron French President Emmanuel Macron, center, French chef Gerald Passedat, left, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi meet before a dinner at the restaurant "Le Petit Nice" in Marseille, southern France, Thursday Sept. 2, 2021. (Ludovic Marin, Pool photo via AP) (Ludovic Marin)MARSEILLE, France — (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to urge world leaders and institutions to safeguard biodiversity as they work to curb climate change and support human welfare at a global summit starting Friday in southern France. Macron will formally open the World Conservation Congress in the French southern city of Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast. A U.N. report released in June examined ways in which climate change was exacerbating the loss of biodiversity. Talks at the Marseille conference are also meant to inform the U.N.’s global climate summit, the COP26, scheduled in November in Glasgow, Scotland.

Italy is currently enjoying a "window of stability," according to one expert, despite the ever-present risk of a political crisis in the country.

Italian police have outnumbered demonstrators at several main train stations as COVID-19 vaccination or tests became mandatory for long-distance travel within Italy.

— More than 3,100 active coronavirus cases have been reported in Arkansas public schools among students and employees, according to newly released numbers from the state. The Arkansas Department of Health’s latest report on schools, released Thursday, found 3,102 active cases in 173 school districts in the state. ___LAS VEGAS -- A man from the Las Vegas area won the $1 million grand prize Thursday to cap an eight-week coronavirus vaccination jackpot program. State health data showed the percentage of vaccinated state residents increased about 10% between the time the prize pool was announced in mid-June and when it ended Thursday. ___BOISE, Idaho — Hospital facilities and public health agencies in Idaho are scrambling to add capacity as the number of coronavirus cases continue to rise statewide.

Intense heat baking Italy is creeping northward towards the popular tourist destination of Florence while wildfires charred the country’s south, and Spain appears headed for an all-time record high temperature as a heat wave keeps southern Europe in a fiery hold.

In mid-April, when nearly a quarter of all Americans were fully vaccinated, only 7% of Spaniards were similarly protected, according to Our World in Data. Now, nearly 60% of Spain's roughly 47 million people are fully vaccinated, while about half the U.S. is. Portugal, with around 10 million people, had fully vaccinated around a third of its population by the end of June. “European politicians see it coming and they’re taking these measures,” she said of the potential for vaccination efforts to stall in Europe. “They’re desperate trying to avoid that because Europe can't afford another lockdown, given the big economic toll COVID has already taken.”___Marcelo reported from Boston.

In mid-April, when nearly a quarter of all Americans were fully vaccinated, only 7% of Spaniards were similarly protected, according to Our World in Data. Now, nearly 60% of Spain's roughly 47 million people are fully vaccinated, while about half the U.S. is. Portugal, with around 10 million people, had fully vaccinated around a third of its population by the end of June. “European politicians see it coming and they’re taking these measures,” she said of the potential for vaccination efforts to stall in Europe. “They’re desperate trying to avoid that because Europe can't afford another lockdown, given the big economic toll COVID has already taken.”___Marcelo reported from Boston.

The European Union has caught up to the once-vaunted U.S. coronavirus vaccination effort despite a sluggish start.

A German charity boat carrying 257 rescued migrants has docked in Sicily after Italian authorities granted permission.

Virus Outbreak Italy Italian Premier Mario Draghi speaks at a press conference at Chigi Palace government office in Rome, Thursday, July 22, 2021. Following debate, in back-to-back confidence votes, the Chamber of Deputies by a wide margin approved two key articles of the bill. The Chamber of Deputies planned one final vote on the entire package later Tuesday, but that wasn't being tied to a confidence vote. Draghi had opted to risk the government's survival by putting the bill to a confidence vote. In a bid to win over some reluctant lawmakers, Draghi's justice minister revised some of the provisions, but some 5-Star lawmakers had still been voicing dissatisfaction.

(Roberto Monaldo/LaPresse via AP) (Roberto Monaldo)ROME — (AP) — A last-minute pledge by a former Italian premier that populist 5-Star Movement lawmakers would back a key justice reforms bill appeared to assure its passage during a crucial confidence vote set for Monday night. Italy’s current premier, Mario Draghi, decided to risk the government's survival by putting the bill in the Chamber of Deputies, Parliament's lower house, to a confidence vote. Should the government lose Monday night's confidence vote, Draghi would be required to resign. In a bid to win over some reluctant lawmakers, Draghi's justice minister revised some of the provisions, but some 5-Star lawmakers had still been voicing dissatisfaction. Even allowing for some 5-Star lawmakers to disobey Conte, the government went into the vote with a wide majority in the lower house.

Still, there are pockets of resistance by those who see it as a violation of civil liberties or have concerns about vaccine safety. Denmark pioneered vaccine passes with little resistance. Belgium will require a vaccine certificate to attend outdoor events with more than 1,500 people by mid-August and indoor events by September. In France and Italy, demonstrations against vaccine passes or virus restrictions in general are bringing together otherwise unlikely allies, often from the political extremes. Many say vaccine pass requirements are a source of inequality that will further divide society, and they draw uneasy historic parallels.

Italy and France are introducing Europe's toughest vaccine pass regimes for normal social activities like dining indoors at restaurants, visiting museums and attending sporting events.

In what appears to be a growing trend across Europe, the world three leaders first received a dose of an adenovirus vaccine (AstraZeneca) before switching to an mRNA for the second.

Virus Outbreak Italy Italian Premier Mario Draghi attends a press conference at Chigi Palace government office in Rome, Thursday, July 22, 2021. With COVID-19 cases rising again, Italy will start requiring people to have a so-called “green pass” to access venues like gyms, museums and indoor restaurants. It's reviving, and Italy is growing at a rhythm superior to that of other EU nations,'' the premier told reporters. Some 40 million people in Italy have already downloaded a “green pass,” Health Minister Roberto Speranza said. More than half of people in Italy older than 12 and thus eligible for COVID-19 vaccines have received two doses, and several million more have received a first dose.

The Weeknd, BTS and Billie Eilish will participate in Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour event on Sept. 25 organized to raise funding and awareness to battle worldwide issues including COVID-19, climate change and extreme poverty.

Europe's soccer champions have returned home to the ecstatic cheers of Italians.

Belgium EU Summit German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, talks to Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi during an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Friday, June 25, 2021. “It’s about additional funds of 3 billion euros, then afterwards also funds for Lebanon and Jordan,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. Separately, it is providing a further half a billion euros for refugees there this year. Turkey is estimated to now host around 3.7 million refugees from the conflict in Syria. An additional 2.2 billion euros would be spent to help refugees and displaced people in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, according to the commission plan.

European Union leaders have given the greenlight for plans to give Turkey billions of euros in coming years to assist Syrian refugees on its territory, but also to help the country boost border controls.

The Vatican’s Secretary of State has attempted to tamp down controversy over a Vatican diplomatic communication to Italy.

The European Union’s chief executive is vowing to take action to thwart a new law in Hungary that would ban content portraying or promoting homosexuality or sex reassignment to children.

A state government minister has been infected with COVID-19 and another minister is in isolation as a cluster in the Australian city of Sydney worsens.

The pandemic is giving Italy a chance to revamp its underperforming economy.

The European Union's executive branch has given the formal nod to 191.5 billion euros in pandemic recovery funds for Italy.

The Vatican has formally opposed a proposed Italian law expanding anti-discrimination protections to the LGBT community.

President Joe Biden says the U.S. has restored its presence on the world stage, as he has used his first overseas trip to connect with a new generation of leaders from some of the world’s most powerful countries and more closely unite allies around addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s trade and labor practices.

Leaders of the world largest economies have unveiled an infrastructure plan for the developing world to compete with China’s global initiatives.

Italy will play Turkey in the opening game of the European Championship on Friday.

Group of Seven leaders began arriving at a luxury seaside resort in England on Thursday for a Group of Seven summit where the world’s richest nations will pledge to give up some of their coronavirus vaccines with the poorest.

It's a very exclusive club, perhaps the most selective in the world.

The first cruise ship since the pandemic has wended its way through the heart of Venice, escorted by triumphant water-spouting tugboats and elated port workers as it traveled down the Giudecca Canal.

Early risers in Venice have woken to the sight of a cruise ship traveling down the Giudecca canal for the first time since the pandemic, despite repeated government pledges to reroute the huge vessels on safety and environmental grounds.

EU leaders have agreed to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poorer nations by the end of the year.