Italy’s hard-right government has agreed to issue 500,000 visas for non-EU workers over the next three years, but a top trade union warned Tuesday that only structural change would tackle labour shortages.
The government of far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said a total of 497,550 workers would be allowed in over the 2026-2028 period, starting with around 165,000 in 2026.
This is up from the 450,000 quota set by Meloni’s government for 2023-2025 period — itself a sharp increase on the 75,700 quota for 2022 and around 70,000 for 2021.
Meloni, the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, has sought to reduce the number of undocumented migrants to Italy.
But her government has also increased pathways for legal migration for non-EU workers to tackle labour shortages in an ageing country with a sluggish birth rate.
The greatest number of visas over the next three years — some 267,000 — will be given for seasonal work in the agricultural and tourism sectors.
Italy’s main agricultural lobby, Coldiretti, welcomed the new visa plan as an “important step forward to ensure the availability of workers in the fields, and with it, food production”.
But a top official in the CGIL trade union — Italy’s oldest and largest — said Tuesday the new quotas did not address migration dynamics and labour needs.
Maria Grazia Gabrielli pointed to the number of applications that were far lower than the available quotas, with the exception of domestic work.
In 2023 and 2024, only 7.5-7.8 percent of the quotas actually resulted in a residence permit, she said in a statement, pointing to their ineffectiveness.
Gabrielli criticised the government’s policy of prioritising applicants from countries who discourage their nationals from illegally migrating to Italy.
A 2023 decree allowed preferential quotas from countries, such as those in North Africa, who help Italy fight human traffickers and conduct media campaigns warning of the dangers of crossing the Mediterranean.
She called it a system “that takes no account whatsoever of the reasons for migration dynamics and the need for a response that does not focus on punitive logic and rewards for some countries”.
Italy’s foreign worker policy is fraught with loopholes and possibilities for fraud, with criminal gangs exploiting the system and even foreign workers already in Italy applying for visas.
The union leader said structural work was needed — including regularising workers already in Italy — to help employers struggling to find labour and to try to keep foreign workers out of irregular situations.
JERUSALEM, July 1 (Xinhua) — Houthi forces fired a missile toward Israel on Tuesday night, triggering air raid sirens in central and southern parts of the country before it was intercepted, the Israeli military said in a statement.
“A missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF (Israel Air Force),” the military said, adding that sirens were activated.
No injuries were reported.
Houthi forces have repeatedly targeted Israel with missiles and drones, citing solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. The group has said it would halt its attacks if Israel ends its offensive and lifts the siege on the enclave. In response, Israel has carried out multiple airstrikes in Yemen, targeting key ports, airport, and other infrastructure.
In a separate statement, Israeli military said it had intercepted two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel on Tuesday evening. No injuries were reported.
This came amid intensified Israeli attacks in the enclave and renewed calls for a ceasefire.
Rocket fire from Gaza has significantly decreased during the 21-month Israeli offensive, which has killed at least 56,647 Palestinians and injured 134,105 others, according to figures from Gaza’s health authorities. ■
Lisbon, Portugal, 1 July 2025 – His Highness the Aga Khan and Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, met today at the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat in Lisbon, Portugal. Having last met at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC in February 2024, this was their first meeting since His Highness assumed office as the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Chair of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
They discussed matters of mutual interest, including development priorities in Afghanistan and the wider Central Asia region, Syria, addressing the climate crisis, expanding clean energy in Africa, and job creation.
The World Bank and AKDN have a long history of collaboration and partnership, spanning multiple countries and sectors, including energy, financial services and telecommunications, as well as agribusiness, community development, entrepreneurship, health, microfinance and tourism.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on Monday prohibiting individuals from wearing clothing in public places that covers their faces, joining a trend in several Central Asian countries to restrict forms of Islamic dress.
The text of the law says clothing that “interferes with facial recognition” will be banned in public, with exemptions for medical purposes, in adverse weather conditions and at sporting and cultural events.
The legislation, one in a series of wider amendments signed into law on Monday, does not explicitly mention religion or types of religious dress.
Tokayev has previously praised the legislation as an opportunity to celebrate ethnic identity in Kazakhstan, a majority-Muslim country and former Soviet republic.
“Rather than wearing face-concealing black robes, it’s much better to wear clothes in the national style,” he was quoted by Kazakh media as saying earlier this year.
“Our national clothes vividly emphasise our ethnic identity, so we need to popularise them comprehensively.”
Other Central Asian countries have introduced similar laws in recent years.
Police in Kyrgyzstan have conducted street patrols to enforce their ban on the niqab face veil, according to local media reports. In Uzbekistan, violating the niqab statute carries a fine of over $250. Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon signed a ban on wearing clothing in public that is “alien to national culture”.
The feud between President Donald Trump and his former ally, Elon Musk, escalated Tuesday as the president said he’ll look into potentially deporting the Tesla CEO and threatened probes into his companies, after Musk vowed to back primary challenges against GOP lawmakers voting for the president’s signature spending bill.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of … More the White House.
Getty Images
Key Facts
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he’ll deport the South African-born billionaire who is a naturalized U.S. citizen and said: “I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look.”
According to the Daily Mail’s Emily Goodin, Trump said he might have to “put DOGE on Elon…DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon,” referring to the cost-cutting agency that was the brainchild of Musk.
“I don’t think he should be playing that game with me,” Trump warned Musk in late morning comments to reporters, confirming he’ll order DOGE to “look at Musk.”
Replying to a video of the Trump deportation threat, Musk wrote “so tempting to escalate this,” but he would “refrain for now,” though he ominously added, “Physics sees through all lies perfectly.”
Musk attacked the spending bill in a series of posts on X on Monday night and early Tuesday morning, saying: “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending,” and backed the mega bill “will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
The billionaire then tweeted, “If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day,” as he bashed what he described as the “Democrat-Republican uniparty.”
What Has Trump Said In Response?
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president responded to Musk’s criticism of his signature spending bill by threatening to scrap government subsidies provided to the billionaire’s companies. Trump wrote: “Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign.” Trump then claimed: “Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.” The president suggested the Department of Government Efficiency—which was previously led by Musk—should “take a good, hard, look” at the subsidies offered to companies like SpaceX and Tesla. Musk shot back on X, by daring Trump to slash the subsidies: “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”
Tangent
Musk later said anyone who votes for the legislation after campaigning “on the PROMISE of REDUCING SPENDING” will see their face on a poster of Pinocchio with the caption “LIAR” followed by the text “Voted to increase America’s Debt by $5,000,000,000,000.” The X owner reshared the results of an unscientific poll he conducted on the platform last month during his public blow-up with the president and wrote “VOX POPULI VOX DEI 80% voted for a new party.” While criticizing the backers of the spending bill, Musk also boosted some of its prominent critics within the GOP, including some who have been the targets of Trump’s ire. Musk retweeted a post by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who Trump called a “Third Rate Congressman,” which said: “‘BBB’ = our credit rating if this bill becomes law.” Musk then vowed to support Massie’s reelection bid next year. Musk also reshared posts made by Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., whom Trump threatened to primary before he announced his decision not to seek reelection. Tillis had reshared a Musk post which appeared to criticize the spending bill for targeting solar and battery tech, and wrote: “Folks, Elon Musk is 100% right, and he understands this issue better than anyone. We should take his warnings seriously.” Earlier on Monday, Musk had attacked the GOP and the spending bill, tweeting: “It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
Big Number
6%. That’s how much shares of Tesla dropped in premarket trading in response to the battle between its CEO and the U.S. president.
Key Background
Musk, who left his role as a Trump administration “special government employee” late in May, has since attacked the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” backed by the president and the House GOP. The billionaire previously described himself as Trump’s “first buddy,” but eventually directed his ire directly at the president by sharing older clips of the president bashing Republicans for raising the debt ceiling. The feud escalated after the president accused Musk of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a phrase he often uses to target his critics. This launched a social media war between them, during which Trump threatened to scrap Musk’s government contracts. The billionaire retorted with a now-deleted tweet alleging without evidence that Trump’s name was in the Epstein files. Both individuals appeared to have reached a detente until Monday, with Musk even tweeting he regretted some of his “posts about President Donald Trump,” which he said “went too far.”
Further Reading
The Musk Vs. Trump Feud Timeline (Forbes)
Musk Says He Regrets His Posts Bashing Trump Last Week—‘Went Too Far’ (Forbes)
As of July 1, 2025, a group of serious wildfires is burning in the Izmir province and western region of Turkey (1). These wildfires are significant due to their proximity to the coastal city of Izmir, a major urban center and tourist destination.
The fires have spread across several districts within the province, including Menderes and Seferihisar, and have impacted areas near İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport, which was closed Sunday evening, leading to delays (2)(3).
Which cities or areas are affected by the Izmir wildfires?
The cities and areas directly impacted by the Izmir wildfires include:
The Hatay region, particularly near Antakya, is severely impacted by the wildfires.
While wind direction is blowing wildfire smoke southeast towards the sea and away from mainland Turkey on the morning of June 30, it is possible shifting wind direction could affect air quality throughout the region.
What is the current containment status of the Izmir wildfires?
Containment status of the wildfires in western Turkey is still under significant challenge. Nine of out 77 fires in the region are considered “major” conflagrations.
Strong winds have exacerbated the situation, making it difficult for firefighting efforts to gain substantial control. Over 1,000 firefighters and multiple aircraft are actively working to combat the blaze affecting the vast coastal region.
Are there any evacuation orders or alerts in place?
Evacuation orders have been issued for several areas affected by the wildfires. Over 50,000 people have been evacuated from various settlements, primarily in the Izmir province (4). This includes large-scale evacuations from Seferihisar and other nearby districts.
Authorities have set up temporary evacuation centers to accommodate those displaced by the fires. Residents and tourists in the affected regions are advised to follow the guidance of local officials and emergency services to ensure their safety.
How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?
Always plan ahead to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.
Three days after Spain’s national weather service confirmed a record 46°C reading in the southern town of El Granado, there’s been little let-up in stifling day and night temperatures across the continent and beyond.
In Barcelona, a road sweeper reportedly died on Saturday after completing her shift, prompting an investigation and widespread public appeals to keep out of the sun wherever possible.
“Everybody is at risk,” insisted Clare Nullis, spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “If you go out without water in the middle of the day, to do jogging, have a bike ride, you will probably have health problems or even die.”
Fossil fuel factor
If part of the reason for Europe’s heat misery is because it is in the grip of a strong high-pressure weather front trapping hot air from northern Africa, Ms. Nullis noted that “human-induced climate change” is the source of these acute weather events.
Another part of the climate puzzle is that sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean are exceptionally high for this time of year. “It’s the equivalent of a land heatwave”, the WMO spokesperson said.
“Extreme heat creeps up on you,” she added, while dangerously warm conditions are becoming “more frequent, more intense” because of global warming caused by burning fossil fuels.
“It’s something we have to learn to live with,” Ms. Nullis maintained, highlighting the importance of early warnings from national meteorological and hydrological services to prevent more deaths from extreme heat events – which are often “under-reflected” in official statistics.
Hot days – and nights
According to the UN agency, night-time minimum temperatures and daytime maximum temperatures broke monthly station records for June in parts of Western and Southwestern Europe, partly explaining why the heatwave is so draining.
“The frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is increasing in Europe and by 2050 about half the European population may be exposed to high or very high risk of heat stress during summer,” Ms. Nullis explained.
“What is exceptional – and I would stress exceptional but not unprecedented – is the time of year. We are 1 July, and we are seeing episodes of extreme heat which normally we would see later on.”
WMO insisted that warnings from national weather services and coordinated heat-health action plans are increasingly important to protect public safety and wellbeing.
The UN agency is promoting these efforts through its Early Warnings for All platform.
A key component is the WMO Coordination Mechanism (WCM) which supports crisis-prone and conflict-affected regions with advice. WMO curates authoritative weather, climate and water information from countries such as its WCM Global Hydromet Weekly Scan.
Outdoor working has been banned during the hottest parts of the day in more than half of Italy’s regions as an extreme heatwave that has smashed June temperature records in Spain and Portugal continues to grip large swathes of Europe.
The savage temperatures are believed to have claimed at least three lives, including that of a small boy who is thought to have died from heatstroke while in a car in Catalonia’s Tarragona province on Tuesday afternoon.
In Palermo, Sicily, a 53-year-old woman died on Monday after fainting while walking along a street. She had reportedly suffered from a heart condition.
A 70-year-old man was reported to have drowned at a tourist resort close to Turin as intense heat gave way to storms and flash floods.
Admissions to hospital emergency units in parts of Italy have risen by 15-20% in recent days. The majority of patients are elderly people suffering from dehydration.
The heatwave, which has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from their homes in Turkey due to wildfires, has also forced the closure of schools in parts of France – as education unions warned the classrooms were dangerously hot for children and teachers.
The top of the Eiffel Tower was closed to tourists amid the high temperatures in Paris. Photograph: Tom Nicholson/Reuters
Tourists, meanwhile, were confronted with closures of some of Europe’s popular attractions. The top of the Eiffel Tower was shut as temperatures in Paris were poised to hit 38C (100.4F). In Brussels, the Atomium monument, famed for its giant stainless steel balls, closed early as temperatures inched towards 37C.
In Italy, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, two industrial hubs, announced they were stopping open-air work between 12.30pm and 4pm, joining 11 other regions – stretching from Liguria in the north-west to Calabria and Sicily in the south – that have imposed similar bans in recent days.
Local authorities were heeding advice from trade unions after the death of Brahim Ait El Hajjam, a 47-year-old construction worker, who collapsed and died while working on a building site close to Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna, on Monday.
Two workers fell ill on Tuesday on a construction site near Vicenza in Veneto. One is reportedly in a coma.
The CGIL Bologna and Fillea CGIL unions said in a statement: “While we wait to learn the actual cause of death, it is essential, during this terrible period, to promote a culture of safety.
“The climate emergency has clearly worsened the conditions for those who work outside every day and companies must give absolute priority to the protection of workers.”
The French national rail operator SNCF said train travel between France and Italy had been suspended for “at least several days” after violent storms on Monday, AFP reported.
Cogne, a town in Italy’s Aosta Valley that suffered severe flooding in June last year, has been cut off by a landslide.
The Spanish state meteorological agency, Aemet, said in a social media update that “June 2025 smashed records” when it came to high temperature, with an average temperature of 23.6C, 0.8C above the previous hottest June in 2017.
The monthly average was also 3.5C higher than the average over the period from 1991 to 2020, it said.
A man drinks from a fountain during hot weather in Naples. Photograph: Ansa/Ciro Fusco/EPA
The agency’s comments come just days after Spain’s highest ever June temperature of 46C was recorded in the Huelva province of Andalucía.
In Portugal, temperatures hit 46.6C in Mora, a town in the Évora district, in recent days, making it the highest June temperature ever recorded in the country, according to the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere.
In France, the prime minister, François Bayrou, tried to calm anger at the heatwave crisis in French schools. More than 1,896 schools across the country were fully or partially closed on Tuesday.
In Paris, which was on maximum heatwave alert, parents were advised to keep their children at home on Tuesday and Wednesday. Some other towns, including Troyes and Melun, closed all their schools.
Bayrou said the education ministry would open talks with mayors on how to adapt school buildings, most of which are extremely poorly insulated.
As temperatures rose on Tuesday, some Paris teachers had nothing more than a water spray on their desk to repeatedly spritz children in classrooms in the hope of keeping cool.
Several Spanish regions, including Barcelona, were on alert for exceptionally high temperatures as the first heatwave of the summer hit the country. Photograph: Alejandro García/EPA
Bayrou, who is facing a vote of no confidence on Tuesday, which he is expected to survive, has cancelled his meetings to monitor the situation in real time.
The hot weather front known in Germany as Bettina is expected to have nearly the entire country in its grip by Wednesday, with temperatures shooting toward the 40C mark and only the coasts and Alpine peaks spared the scorching temperatures.
Industry groups warned that schools, elderly care homes and hospitals were ill-prepared for the heatwave – an urgent issue they said must be addressed as the frequency of life-threatening weather increases.
Other cities across Europe are also experiencing higher than usual temperatures, including Zaragoza (39C), Rome (37C), Madrid (37C), Athens (37C), Brussels (36C), Frankfurt (36C), Tirana (35C) and London (33C).
Turkey’s forestry minister, İbrahim Yumaklı, said firefighters had been called out to 263 wildfires across the country in recent days. Firefighters have also been tackling wildfires in parts of France and Italy, especially on the islands of Sardinia and Sicily.
