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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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Global Outage Sends Markets Tumbling: S&P/TSX and U.S. Indices Drop


The S&P/TSX composite index closed lower on Friday, reflecting a broader downturn in global markets. The index fell by 36.37 points to settle at 22,690.39. This decline was part of a larger trend, as U.S. markets also experienced significant losses.

The downturn was largely attributed to a global outage caused by a faulty software update from CrowdStrike, which affected numerous companies and organizations worldwide. In the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 377.49 points to 40,287.53, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite indices fell by 39.59 points and 144.28 points, respectively.

The Canadian dollar also saw a slight decrease, trading at 72.85 cents U.S., down from 73.01 cents U.S. on Thursday. Commodity markets were not spared, with crude oil prices dropping by $2.66 to $78.64 per barrel, and gold prices falling by $57.30 to $2,399.10 an ounce.

This market reaction underscores the interconnected nature of global financial systems and the widespread impact that technological disruptions can have on economic stability.


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