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The Philippines have accused a Chinese coastguard ship of hitting one of its vessels with a military-grade laser and temporarily blinding some of its crew, calling it a “blatant” violation of its sovereign rights.
On 6 February, the Chinese ship also allegedly moved dangerously close to the Philippine coastguard vessel, around 137 meters according to the Philippine coastguard.
At the time, the Philippine ship was trying to deliver food and supplies to troops on an atoll in the disputed South China Sea.
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"The deliberate blocking of the Philippine government ships to deliver food and supplies to our military personnel ... is a blatant disregard for, and a clear violation of, Philippine sovereign rights," the Philippine coastguard said after the incident.
Beijing claims the South China Sea as its own, putting it on a collision course with other nations.
The Philippines has filed nearly 200 diplomatic protests against China’s aggressive actions in the disputed waters in 2022 alone.
Although the Chinese coastguard had tried to block other Philippine coastguard ships in the region before the incident, this was the first time it used a laser, according to the Philippine coastguard spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo.
A video released by the coastguard in Manila shows a Chinese coastguard ship cutting across the path of a Philippine vessel. The Chinese ship then emitted a green laser-like light.
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In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said a Philippine coastguard vessel trespassed into his country's waters without permission on 6 February.
He said that Chinese coastguard vessels responded, “professionally and with restraint at the site in accordance with China’s law and international law.”
Wang added: “We hope the Philippines will earnestly respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea and avoid any actions that may lead to the expansion of the dispute and complication of the situation… China and the Philippines are maintaining communication through diplomatic channels in this regard.”
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Giant paper-maché carnival floats are back on the streets of Viareggio in Tuscany, for the city’s 150-year-old carnival, awing crowds of onlookers from around the world.
Before the carnival, some families worked on their floats for months, creating magnificent allegorical floats, each with its own meaning.
“We used to wake up in the morning and build floats with Legos. That was our game,” Umberto Cinquini, a carnival artist, told Euronews.
“My children did the same because we live in a place that is by the Carnival.”
People have been reimagining the floats for the carnival since 1873, and it is now one of Italy's largest folk events
“I always say that those born in Viareggio are born with confetti in their blood. When February comes, something clicks in our head,” Marzia Etna, another carnival artist, told Euronews.
The Floats, which are known for their political and social satire, are built throughout the year in a dedicated area of the city called Cittadella del Carnevale.
Jacopo Allegrucci is one of the artists behind this year’s floats. Since he was a child, he has had “a great passion for the Carnival.”
“I used to go to see the building of the floats, and do miniatures at home myself,” he added.
“Then when I grew up, I studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and started working with some float builders.”
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New comments by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi about Russia's war in Ukraine have triggered anger in Kyiv.
"I would have never gone to speak to Zelenskyy, if I had been prime minister", he told reporters in Milan on Sunday evening, commenting on a meeting between the Ukrainian president and Italy's current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Brussels last week.
Berlusconi, 86, went on to blame Zelenskyy firectly for the "massacre of his civilians and soldiers":
"If only he had stopped attacking the two autonomous Donbass republics, this would have never happened. I judge this gentelman's (Zelenskyy) behaviour very negatively," said Berlusconi.
Italian former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, right, and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin talk during a press conference in Gerno, Italy, April 26, 2010 AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file
On Monday, Zelenskyy's top aide Mykhailo Podolyak hit back, branding Berlusconi "a VIP agitator, who barters his Putin friendship with Italy's reputation. His words are damaging Italy", Podolyak told Italian paper La Repubblica, while Kyiv's foreign ministry accused him of "kissing Putin's bloodstained hands".
Italy's government has moved to quickly to downplay Berlusconi's comments, saying the country was giving "firm and convinced support to Ukraine".
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, an ally of Berlosconi, also commented, saying Berlusconi's party, Forza Italia, "has always supported Ukraine's independence".
This is not the first time Berlusconi's comments have forced his party members and government allies to issue clarifications.
A close ally of the Kremlin leader during his premiership, Berlusconi already caused an uproar last October when -- in a leaked recording -- he claimed that Vladimir Putin had sent him 20 bottles of vodka for his birthday, and he then reciprocated with bottles of Italian red wine.
Less than a month before, Berlusconi said Putin had invaded Ukraine to replace Zelenskyy's government with "decent people".
In that statement he even criticised the Kremlin's invasion strategy, suggesting Russia should have focused on surrounding the Urakinian capital instead of spreading out.
The comments were described as "scandalous" at the time by opposition leader Enrico Letta and received widespread national and international condemnation.