Aug 1, 2026, 11:30 AM UTC

A seismic swarm of over 100 aftershocks has struck Naples and nearby Pozzuoli, leaving 26 people injured and forcing residents from their homes. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani pledged full assistance to those displaced by the tremors.

Concurrently, rescue crews in Sicily are searching through rubble for seven missing people after a structural collapse in Messina's Pistunina district injured three individuals.

In southwestern Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed 13 deaths and over 9,000 evacuations following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture. Emergency teams are attempting to rescue individuals trapped inside a partially collapsed shopping center in Kashima.

Meanwhile, emergency services across Spain and France are battling uncontrolled wildfires that have forced more than 300,000 evacuations, with blazes reaching the Bordeaux region amid rising temperatures.

Sources: Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, Il Sole 24 Ore.

Greek authorities are on high alert as severe weather conditions and gale-force winds trigger multiple wildfires across the country. According to the National Observatory of Athens, wind gusts reached up to 130 km/h in Karystos, with high winds also sweeping through Attica, Euboea, the Aegean, and Crete.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Civil Protection Crisis Management Center to monitor ongoing operations, with critical blazes reported in Porto Germeno and Xironomi. Emergency authorities issued civil protection alerts via the 112 service, ordering residents in Livadostra, Boeotia, to evacuate toward Leuktra. The response comes amid broader concerns regarding fire safety, including recent suspicious blazes at recycling plants in Thessaloniki and Larissa.

Sources: Kathimerini

Italy's preliminary inflation estimate for July could be revised upward following a late-month increase in fuel prices, according to consumer advocacy group Unione Nazionale Consumatori.

Official price monitoring by statistical authorities generally concludes around the 21st day of each month. As a result, steep increases in gasoline and diesel costs recorded during the final week of July were not fully reflected in the initial monthly inflation readings. Consumer representatives warn that these uncaptured price surges could impact finalized inflation figures and further strain household purchasing power.

Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore.

Italy has granted approval for 1,828 self-employment incentive applications submitted by individuals aged 18 to 34, totaling 116 million euros in financial support. The funds are allocated under the nation's updated "Autoimpiego Centro Nord" and "Resto al Sud 2.0" programs, which aim to foster entrepreneurship among young citizens across both northern and southern regions.

The aid is delivered through non-repayable vouchers and partial financial contributions designed to cover initial business startup costs. Applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria regarding age and business sector to access the funding. The practical guidelines detail how young entrepreneurs can navigate the submission process to secure government backing.

Sources: Il Sole 24 Ore.

French retrospective reporting has highlighted the summer of 1994 as a decisive turning point in the political rivalry between Jacques Chirac and Édouard Balladur ahead of France's 1995 presidential election. The period between Chirac's book release in June 1994 and turbulent parliamentary meetings of the Rally for the Republic (RPR) party in September solidified the rift between the former political allies.

Although Chirac and Balladur had maintained a long partnership, competing presidential ambitions fractured the neo-Gaullist movement. Balladur, serving as prime minister at the time, emerged as a strong rival to Chirac, leading to an intense power struggle within the French right before Chirac ultimately secured the presidency in 1995.

Sources: Libération.