Italy's new coalition government, which has pushed out of power far-right leader Matteo Salvini, is not popular among voters, according to a survey published Saturday.

With the arrival of a new government in Rome, France and Italy have a unique chance to strengthen their ties through joint projects and closer cooperation on European matters

Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into alleged kidnapping and abuse of office after far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini prevented a charity ship carrying rescued migrants from docking.

A Rome administrative court ruled on Wednesday that a Spanish rescue ship carrying 160 migrants should be allowed to enter Italian territorial waters in defiance of a ban imposed by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.

Italy's hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini embarked on a southern tour to rally support on Saturday, demanding an election date be set after he pulled out of the coalition government, plunging the country into a political crisis.

Over 160 migrants were seeking a safe port Friday after two charity vessels that had rescued them found themselves banned from entering Italian territorial waters.

Italy's government wants other European Union countries to commit to taking in some 135 migrants rescued overnight before it allows their disembarkation on Italian shores.

The German captain of a migrant rescue ship will ask magistrates to block Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's social media accounts because he has used them to spread hate, her lawyer said on Thursday.

An Italian judge ruled on Tuesday that the German captain of a migrant charity ship had not broken the law when she forced a naval blockade at the weekend, saying she had carried out her duty to protect life.

Germany has agreed to take in about a dozen of the 41 migrants who arrived in Italy last month on board German charity rescue ship Sea-Watch, an Italian government source said on Tuesday.

Sea-Watch 3 skipper Carola Rackete faced jail time Saturday after forcing her way into Italy's Lampedusa port with a shipload of rescued migrants to end a lengthy standoff with authorities.

An Italian Senate committee voted on Tuesday to block an investigation into accusations of kidnapping against Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini over his decision to hold 150 migrants on board a ship for five days last August.