ROME - A pioneer and trend-setter in Italian 20th century film and opera, Franco Zeffirelli died last week aged 96 at his home on the Appian way. His work, which has already influenced a generation of younger directors and artists, will be influential for years to come. In the half century that he was active, Mr Zeffirelli came to epitomise a certain type of Italian cinema, with his distinctive eye for love stories and intuitive sense about what, and who, was romantic.

NEW YORK - The tragic death of 54-year-old human rights activist, Dr. Kamel Eddine Fekhar, shocked everyone.

 Arrested last March for “undermining state security,” he was put in pre-trial custody in the southern city of Ghardaïa, where much of Algeria's Mozabite minority lives. To denounce his abusive incarceration he went on a two-month hunger-strike.  After slipping into a coma, he was transferred to a hospital in Blida (west of Algiers).

ROME – Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has criticised Sea Watch, saying “it has once again changed course: it is messing around in the sea and gambling on the lives of migrants, even though we’ve requested and obtained permission for it to dock in Tripoli,” reported La Repubblica.

 ROME -- India pulled its candidate out of the race to become Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation Thursday, leaving Georgia as the only developing country in the contest against superpowers China and France, diplomatic sources said.

 India had attempted in vain to prevent Beijing fielding a candidate and with just 10 days to go before the election at the Rome-based headquarters of the FAO the Indian candidate decided to throw in the towel, the sources said.