Italy

Italy on Tuesday dismissed Turkish claims that the country is allegedly negotiating with Ankara the terms for the exploitation of Libya's oil resources, describing them as "unfounded."

Turkish Cypriot leader on Jan. 21 said diplomatic methods should be used extensively in a bid to counter growing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Mustafa Akıncı's remarks came at the International Science Diplomacy Forum held in the capital Lefkoşa where he commented on the discovery of natural gas in the region and diplomatic ties with neighbors.

The list was made based on the influence of states, as well as their political, economic and military power. The list of the 80 most powerful countries in the world is based on the responses of 21.000 people and was made by the media company US News and World Report.
Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia are also on the list of 80 most powerful countries, index.hr reports.

Nine out of every 10 Italian companies are pleased to invest in Turkey, according to a Rome-based institution's research.

The intense anxiety of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not usual for a country leader, argued Greece's Alternate Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis on Tuesday. He also said there is no information on any cooperation between Ankara and Rome on hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean.

National Hug Day was created by Reverend Kevin Zaborney in Caro, Michigan in 1986 as an antidote to the reverend's perception that many American were afraid to display affection in public.

Eight European Union member states have decided to set up a naval surveillance mission in the Strait of Hormuz, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced on Jan. 20 after a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers.

A European-led naval mission in the Straits of Hormuz - a vital shipping route for world transport that has been impacted by military tensions in the Middle East - has won more political support from countries, said the French government on Monday.

Stefanos Tsitsipas called for fans to be "a little more respectful" of his opponents after a rowdy first match win over Italy's Salvatore Caruso at the Australian Open on Monday.

Cyprus has denounced Turkey as a "pirate state" that flouts international law as Turkey's bid to drill for natural gas in waters where Cyprus has economic rights rekindled tensions over energy reserves in the eastern Mediterranean.