Italy

Nestle says sells US candy business to Ferrero for $2.9 bn

Geneva - Muslimchronicle

Nestle said Tuesday it has agreed to sell its US candy business to Italy's Ferrero for CHF 2.8 billion ($2.9 billion, 2.4 billion euros) in cash as the Swiss food giant shakes up its product portfolio. Nestle's chief executive Mark Schneider said the deal "allows Nestle to invest and innovate across a range of categories where we see strong futureRead more

Islamic State retreats online to 'virtual caliphate'

Paris - Muslimchronicle

On the brink of defeat in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State group has been taking refuge in its "virtual caliphate" -- but even online, experts say it is in decline. Back in 2015, when the jihadists held territory the size of Italy, they also commanded a huge digital presence, flooding the web with slick propaganda lionising their fighters andRead more

Child mummy in Italy had hepatitis, not smallpox

Miami - Muslimchronicle

A child mummy in Italy was thought to display the oldest medieval evidence of smallpox, but a new DNA analysis shows the disease was actually hepatitis B, researchers said Thursday. The small child was buried in the Basilica of Saint Domenico Maggiore in Naples, Italy during the 16th century, according to the study in the journal PLOS Pathogens. An apparentRead more

Italy parliament dissolved ahead of March election

Rome - Muslimchronicle

Italy's President Sergio Mattarella dissolved parliament on Thursday as the country prepares for knife-edge general elections in March. Next year's elections, to be held on March 4, may mark a new era of uncertainty for the country. With the vote expected to be split between the right, centre-left and the populist Five Star movement, the next parliament could be left without aRead more

Stefano:'Don't call me gay'

London - Muslimchronicle

Italian designer Stefano Gabbana, one half of the iconic Dolce & Gabbana brand, said Sunday that he was tired of being labelled by his sexuality. “I don’t want to be called gay, because I’m simply a man… full stop,” the 55-year-old said in an interview with Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily. “The word ‘gay’ was invented by those who needRead more

Ryanair offers to meet Irish pilots ahead of strike date

DUBLIN - Muslimchronicle

Ryanair has proposed talks with an Irish pilot union before a possible Wednesday strike in a bid to remove the last threat to its Christmas schedule after its surprise offer to recognize unions for the first time. Two other trade unions — Italy’s ANPAC and Portugal’s SPAC — withdrew plans for Christmas strikes after Friday’s announcement but Ireland’s IMPACT tradeRead more

Senegalese renounce European odyssey for the fields

Washington - Muslimchronicle

Kaolack - Some spent years working in Italy. Others dreamed of getting to Europe but never even made it as far as Libya. Today, they are among a small number of Senegalese who have turned away from the allure of migration and instead are part of a new generation of farmers at home. Pape Samba Diane, 45, spent five yearsRead more

Ryanair pilots suspend strike in Italy

Rome - Muslimchronicle

Ryanair pilots in Italy are to suspend their planned strike action scheduled for later on Friday after management of the Irish low-cost airline offered to recognise unions for the first time, unions said. Management's move was "a very important first step," the Associazione Nazionale Professionale Aviazione Civile (ANPAC) said in a statement, calling on its members to "suspend the strikeRead more