ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said on Thursday he had enough support for planned labor reforms despite a wave of criticism from unions and employers against proposals aimed at making it easier for companies to fire workers.

The battle over reforms to Italy’s rigid system of labor contracts has dominated Monti’s agenda this year and provided his first major political battle since he replaced the scandal-plagued Silvio Berlusconi in November.

ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti faced a revolt on Thursday by unions, employers and PDL, the main centre-right party, who all demanded changes to labor proposals aimed at making it easier for companies to fire workers.

The battle over reforms to Italy’s rigid system of labor contracts has dominated Monti’s agenda this year and provided his first major political battle since he replaced the scandal-plagued Silvio Berlusconi in November.

ROME, April 1 (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Mario
Monti’s government has reacted with concern at rising
electricity and gas prices that are set to hit hard-pressed
consumers already reeling from tough austerity measures and a
sharp rise in the cost of living.

Industry Minister Corrado Passera warned at the weekend that
the government would have to reconsider subsidies given to the
renewable energy sector following steep price increases
announced by Italy’s gas and electricity authority.

ROME (Reuters) – Pope Benedict preached a message of unity as he opened Holy Week celebrations on Palm Sunday before tens of thousands of faithful packed into St Peter’s Square.

Just back from a six-day visit to Mexico and Cuba, the 84-year-old pontiff on Saturday learnt that communist Cuba had agreed to his request of declaring Good Friday a holiday this year.

ROME, March 30 (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Mario
Monti tried on Friday to ease growing tensions with the parties
which back his unelected government in parliament but promised
to push on with labour reforms that are strongly opposed by
unions and the centre-left.

After a four-month honeymoon following his appointment to
stave off an imminent financial crisis, Monti has run into
serious headwinds over his proposal to make it easier for
companies to fire employees.

NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) – Francesco Schettino, the captain of the doomed cruise liner Costa Concordia, knew as soon as his ship struck a rock off the island of Giglio on January 13 that he had made a catastrophic error and a 30-year career at sea was ending in disgrace.

Bringing the 114,500 tonne vessel to within a stone’s throw of shore, he had intended to perform a “salute” to the island for the benefit of Antonello Tievoli, the ship’s head waiter and a native of Giglio.

NAPLES, Italy (Reuters) – Francesco Schettino, the captain of the doomed cruise liner Costa Concordia, knew as soon as his ship struck a rock off the island of Giglio on January 13 that he had made a catastrophic error and a 30-year career at sea was ending in disgrace.

Bringing the 114,500 tonne vessel to within a stone’s throw of shore, he had intended to perform a “salute” to the island for the benefit of Antonello Tievoli, the ship’s head waiter and a native of Giglio.

NAPLES, Italy, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Francesco Schettino,
the captain of the doomed cruise liner Costa Concordia, knew as
soon as his ship struck a rock off the island of Giglio on
January 13 that he had made a catastrophic error and a 30-year
career at sea was ending in disgrace.

Bringing the 114,500 tonne vessel to within a stone’s throw
of shore, he had intended to perform a “salute” to the island
for the benefit of Antonello Tievoli, the ship’s head waiter and
a native of Giglio.

ROME (Reuters) – The two-man workshop close to the Vatican had been busy when tax police raided it last week, seizing about a million religious articles and souvenirs ranging from rosaries to images of Pope John Paul II.

“It was a pretty substantial operation,” said Lieutenant Colonel Davide Cardia of the Guardia di Finanza in Rome. “Let’s say an average of 10-12 euros an item, multiplied by a million. It gives you some idea of the sums involved.”

ROME/ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and Italy’s Mario Monti were appointed within days of each other last November to replace politicians who took their countries to the brink of financial collapse.

Both sober former economics professors who have helped cement “technocrat” into the lexicon of Europe’s debt crisis, they were rushed in to head emergency governments as fears grew that the entire euro project was heading for a train wreck.