Rome is under lockdown for Pope Francis's funeral, with extensive security measures in place including fighter jets on standby and police snipers deployed. High-profile world leaders are expected to attend.
A 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck Umbria, causing no major damage but shaking residents. Schools and public buildings in Spoleto were closed as a precaution.
Italy's gender pension gap widened to 32 percent in the first quarter of 2025, with women receiving significantly lower pensions than men. The INPS report highlights an average monthly pension of €1,011 for women compared to €1,486 for men.
Rome goes into lockdown mode for Pope Francis's funeral, Umbria rocked by 3.6 magnitude earthquake, and more news from Italy on Thursday.
Rome goes into lockdown mode for Pope Francis's funeral
Italy and the Vatican are rolling out a massive security plan as royals, presidents and hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful head to Rome in advance of Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday.
"We've been on alert since Monday," when the 88-year-old Francis died, a member of the Swiss Guard, the army responsible for the pope's security, told AFP.
Fighter jets are on stand-by and special police sniper units are deployed on the rooftops of buildings along the Via della Conciliazione, the vast avenue which leads to St. Peter's Square. A 24-hour no-fly zone over Rome is already in place.
The political VIP line-up for the funeral includes US President Donald Trump, France's Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Argentina's Javier Milei.
In all, between 150 and 170 delegations are expected, all of whom require a police escort.
Umbria rocked by 3.6 magnitude earthquake
The central Italian region of Umbria was rocked by a 3.6 magnitude earthquake shortly before midnight on Wednesday, causing little damage but leaving residents shaken.
The earthquake's epicentre was 5km north of the city of Spoleto, according to the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology. The shock was also felt in the surrounding towns of Foligno and Trevi and as far afield as Perugia and Terni.
Frightened residents poured out into the streets and many chose to sleep in their cars or camper vans rather than return to their homes for the night, state broadcaster Rai reported.
No damage to buildings was detected, though civil protection officers and firefighters were conducting checks as of Thursday morning.
Spoleto Mayor Andrea Sisti ordered all schools, museums and sports centres in Spoleto to remain closed on Thursday as a precautionary measure.
Italy's gender pension gap widens to 32 percent
Italian state pensions for women were 32 percent lower than those for men in the first quarter of 2025, according to data from Italy's social security institute INPS, as reported by Ansa.
The agency reported that the average monthly pension amount for women was €1,011, compared to €1,486 for men.
While the average pension for men increased from €1,457 in 2024, the amount for women dropped slightly from €1,033, leading to a wider gender pension gap that grew from 29.1 percent in 2024 to 31.97 percent in 2025.
INPS also noted that a total of 194,582 new pensions were activated during the first quarter of 2025, with the overall average pension amount rising to €1,237 per month, a slight increase from €1,229 in 2024.
With reporting from AFP and Luca Rufo.
Skip the extension — just come straight here.
We’ve built a fast, permanent tool you can bookmark and use anytime.
Go To Paywall Unblock Tool