Siena's Palio set to go ahead after two-day postponement

Siena's famed Palio horse race was expected to be held on Tuesday, after poor weather conditions forced organisers to cancel the event two days in a row.

Rainfall had made the surface of the medieval city's Piazza del Campo, where the contest takes place, too dangerous for the horses, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

Weather-permitting, the race was set to go ahead on Tuesday afternoon, with firecrackers signalling the start of activities at 3pm and 3.30pm.

The last two-day postponement of a Palio due to bad weather occurred in July 2024, according to national media.

Italian charity rescues 50 migrants off coast of Libya

Italian rescue charity 'Emergency' said on Monday it pulled 50 people to safety from an overcrowded boat in international waters off Libya, including recovering seven bodies.

"Halfway through the rescue, our team noticed nine people lying on the deck," Jonathan Nani La Terra, the mission leader on board Emergency's Life Support search and rescue vessel, said in a statement.

"Nothing could be done for seven of them. Two are in a critical condition due to suffocation," he said.

The migrants, who hail from Somalia and Egypt, said the boat had set off from Zuwara in Libya early on Sunday.

American tourist dies from lightning strike on Mount Etna

A 29-year-old tourist from the US died after being struck by lightning while hiking Europe's tallest active volcano, according to media reports.

On Monday Italian firefighters told AP that the man was hiking in an area that had been closed due to risks posed by the volcano. The New York Times later reported that the man had been found alone in the Valle del Bove.

The man was rescued by helicopter but later died in hospital in Catania.

Mount Etna has been erupting for nearly two weeks, and tourists have been climbing Etna to witness the volcanic activity, which last week prompted local guides to express safety concerns.