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Italy Advances Tougher Measures on Migrant Arrivals

ILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a bilateral meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance (not pictured), during his visit to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, February 6, 2026.  Italy’s government has approved a new migration bill that would grant authorities the power to impose temporary naval blockades during periods of intense pressure on the country’s borders. The proposal, backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is designed to curb irregular sea crossings by restricting access to Italian territorial waters. The draft law would allow officials to bar vessels from entering for up to 30 days, with the option to extend the measure to six months if national security or public order is deemed at risk. The plan also strengthens border surveillance, increases penalties for human smuggling, and expands the list of offenses that can lead to deportation. Supporters argue the move is necessary to manage migration flows more effectively, whi...

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Bank of Canada Holds Interest Rate Steady Amidst Economic Slowdown

 


The Bank of Canada has announced that it will maintain its benchmark interest rate at 5% as the economy shows signs of slowing down. This marks the fourth consecutive hold by the bank, and the decision was widely expected by economists. The central bank’s inflation target sits in the middle of a range, and the Consumer Price Index rose to 3.4% in December 2023. The bank has been signalling recently that it thinks it may be nearing the end of its hiking cycle, after raising its trendsetting rate 10 times since early 2022 to slow down runaway inflation.


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