04/06/2011 | Argentina

CFK returns to BA after 3-day Italian visit

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner returned to Buenos Aires after spending three days in Italy on an official visit that included various meetings with other heads of State, and participation in Italy’s Unification celebrations in Rome. The President arrived to the Military Base at Jorge Newbery Metropolitan airport at 8.03AM.

01/04/2011 | Argentina

Bond holders, Paris Club in Italian Foreign Minister's agenda

After meeting with President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini unveiled his interest on finding a solution for the Italian bond holders of Argentine titles that were not part of the debt-swap and also how the negotiations between Argentina and the Paris Club continue.

31/05/2011 | Argentina

CFK arrives in Rome for official two-day visit

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner arrived to Rome today at 5.20PM local time (12.20PM Argentina), to head an official two-day visit in which commercial agreements will be closed. The President will meet with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and is also to attend the official celebrations for the Italian Unification’s 150th anniversary.

01/06/2011 | Argentina

CFK calls for 'restart' of bilateral relations with Italy

As she continued her Italian tour, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner tried to seduce Italian businessmen into investing in Argentina, later adding that her trip meant a “restart” of the relationship between both countries.

06/02/2013 | World

EU launches 105-million-euro restoration of Pompeii

07/02/2013 | World

ECB says will monitor impact of euro strength

The European Central Bank will monitor the economic impact of a strengthening euro, ECB President Mario Draghi said today, feeding expectations the climbing currency could open the door to an interest rate cut.

12/01/2013 | World

Disgraced former Juventus director to try politics

Controversial former Juventus director Luciano Moggi, who was at the heart of a 2006 match-fixing scandal, will stand as a candidate in Italian parliamentary elections in February.

14/01/2013 | World

Key witness in Berlusconi sex trial to testify today

The nightclub dancer who is the main witness in the sex trial of Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is to testify today, her lawyer said.

03/02/2013 | World

Berlusconi offers big tax cuts in 'last great battle'

Italy's former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi announced his "last great electoral and political battle" with a sweeping promise to cut taxes and the cost of government if his center-right wins elections this month.

06/01/2013 | World

Italy's center-left leads in three-way vote race

Italy's center-left coalition, led by Pier Luigi Bersani, has a comfortable lead less than two months before the election, and outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti's bloc may win up to 15 percent, a poll said.

07/01/2013 | World

Berlusconi strikes election, wants to be economy minister

Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he had reached an agreement with the Northern League to run together in elections in February and that he wanted to be economy minister in a future centre-right government.

08/01/2013 | World

Berlusconi slams 'feminist' judges for huge divorce settlement

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi today slammed a panel of three "feminist and communist" female judges for ruling that he owed his estranged wife 200,000 euros ($260,000) per day as part of a divorce settlement.

23/12/2012 | World

Italy's Monti says would consider standing at election

Italian caretaker Prime Minister Mario Monti said he would be ready to run for a second term in next year's election if he was asked to do so by political forces that adopted his reform agenda.

24/12/2012 | World

Monti posts reform agenda online, urges debate on Italy

Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti posted his reform agenda online today, urging Italians to join a debate on their country's future as potentially bitter election campaign gets underway two months before Italy goes to polls.

30/12/2012 | World

Italy leftist PM candidate Bersani tops opinion poll, Monti second

Centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani is favorite among Italians to lead the next government, with outgoing technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti second most popular and Silvio Berlusconi coming a close third, a poll showed.

16/12/2012 | World

Italy awaits Monti's decision on political future

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti stood before the cold stones slabs that hold the remains of St Francis and prayed to the man who preached what the Franciscans call "the gift of discernment" - the wisdom and courage to make the right choice.

21/12/2012 | World

Italy PM Monti resigns, elections likely in February

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti tendered his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano today, the president's office said, paving the way for national elections in February.

22/12/2012 | World

Italy dissolves parliament, Monti mulls future

Italy's head of state dissolved parliament and opened the way to a February election, with doubts growing over whether outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti will participate in what promises to be a bitter campaign.

10/12/2012 | World

Europe leaders praise Monti, call next gov't to stick to reform agenda

European partners heaped praise on outgoing Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti today, and called for the next government to stick to his reform agenda after his surprise decision to resign rattled financial markets.

11/12/2012 | World

Italy's Monti leaves political future open

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said he wanted to influence political debate in whatever role he fills after elections next year but he left his future open following speculation he may remain in politics.

14/12/2012 | World

Rialto in jeans, as Venice finds cash for repair

The merchants of Venice always had an eye for a ducat to be made in the Rialto, but covering its boutique-lined marble bridge with ads for blue jeans might seem a commercial step too far, even for city built on trade.

05/12/2012 | World

Berlusconi gives strong hint he will stand in Italian election

Italian former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gave a strong hint today that he would stand in next year's election, declaring he would not allow Italy to spiral into recession and saying he had been "besieged by requests" to run.

08/12/2012 | World

Berlusconi says will run to become Italian PM for fifth time

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would run to become the country's leader for a fifth time, and that his PDL party would vote to pass next year's budget.

08/12/2012 | World

Italy PM Monti says he will resign when budget approved

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti announced today that he intended to resign once next year's budget is approved in parliament after Silvio Berlusconi's party withdrew its support for his technocrat government this week.

25/11/2012 | World

Italy centre left picks candidate for next prime minister

Italy's centre left voted to choose the candidate who will be the leading contender to succeed Mario Monti as prime minister after a election in March and take charge of steering the country through a deep recession.

27/11/2012 | World

Protective barrier to ring Rome's Colosseum

A protective barrier will ring the Colosseum so that tourists do not get too close to the outside walls of the ancient monument in case of falling fragments, officials said.

30/11/2012 | World

Fresh concern over ancient Pompeii after new collapse

Part of the wall of a house in the ancient city of Pompeii collapsed today, raising fresh concerns about the state of one of the world's most treasured archaeological sites.

17/11/2012 | World

Monti repeats Italy does not need euro zone aid

Prime Minister Mario Monti rejected suggestions that Italy should seek aid from its euro zone partners to bind a new government to strict reform conditions after elections likely to be held in March.

23/11/2012 | World

A deal briefly glimpsed before EU budget talks fail

During a "tour-de-table" among the EU's 27 leaders, it seemed for a moment that France, Poland, Italy and others might accept deeper cuts than originally proposed, diplomats said today after the summit broke up without agreement.

24/11/2012 | World

Thousands of Italian students rally against austerity in Rome

Several thousand students and teachers marched through central Rome to protest against austerity measures imposed by Prime Minister Mario Monti's government that have cut into education spending.

13/11/2012 | World

Anti-austerity strikes sweep southern Europe

15/11/2012 | World

France gain more respect with Italy win

France may no longer be the team who dominated world soccer in the late 1990s, but a draw against Spain and a win in Italy have shown they have at least become a force once again.

16/11/2012 | World

Italy's Berlusconi says Monti's policy 'disastrous'

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi called for a change in economic policy after what he called a "disastrous" year of austerity under the technocratic government of Mario Monti.

26/10/2012 | World

Berlusconi sentenced to jail in Mediaset trial

An Italian court today sentenced former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to four years in jail for tax fraud in connection with the purchase of broadcasting rights by his Mediaset television company.

09/11/2012 | World

Berlusconi still paying girls at centre of sex scandal

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is still giving thousands of euros a month to aspiring showgirls who attended his colourful parties, a Milan court heard on Friday.

13/11/2012 | World

Three die in Italy floods as heavy rain continues

20/10/2012 | World

Monti expects to see Italy recovery signs within months

Prime Minister Mario Monti said he expected it would be only a few more months before signs of recovery start to emerge in the recession-hit Italian economy.

22/10/2012 | World

Italian scientists convicted over earthquake warning

Six scientists and a government official were sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter by an Italian court for failing to give adequate warning of an earthquake that killed more than 300 people in L'Aquila in 2009.

24/10/2012 | World

Berlusconi confirms will not run in 2013 Italy election

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed on Wednesday he would not lead his People of Freedom (PDL) party in next year's election, ending months of speculation about his political future.

13/10/2012 | World

Italy's Monti under fire from allies over budget

The parties that support Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's unelected government demanded changes to his budget on Saturday, saying it would hurt households already suffering from austerity measures.

15/10/2012 | World

Costa Concordia's captain tells survivors he's 'sorry'

The captain blamed for the sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise liner off the Italian coast in January that killed 32 people shook hands with survivors and apologized at a court hearing to decide if he should face a full trial.

17/10/2012 | World

Rome brushes off IMF aid call for Italy

The International Monetary Fund called on the eve of a European Union summit for both Spain and Italy to seek euro zone assistance to draw a line under the bloc's debt crisis, but Rome has rebuffed the idea and Madrid seems likely to apply alone.

25/09/2012 | World

Italian PM Mario Monti says he won't run for election

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said he would not run in elections due in spring, in an interview in which he said Italy no longer risked igniting a debt crisis in the euro zone.

28/09/2012 | World

Italian unions strike against Monti, close Colosseum

Up to 30,000 members of two of Italy's biggest unions marched through Rome today to protest against Prime Minister Mario Monti's cuts in public spending, forcing the closure of the Colosseum.

10/10/2012 | World

Italy's Monti announces income tax cut, lifts VAT

Prime Minister Mario Monti announced an income tax cut to help low earners today, giving a rare lift to struggling Italian households ahead of parliamentary elections next year but leaving unions dissatisfied and threatening a strike.

22/08/2012 | World

Italian writer held over murder in 'Basic Instinct' case

A 34-year-old Italian philosopher and aspiring writer has been arrested over the murder of a Nigerian prostitute after police searching her apartment found a short story he wrote with close similarities to the killing.

15/09/2012 | World

Berlusconi says comeback will depend on electoral law

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is waiting to see how a new electoral law shapes up before deciding whether to run in national elections in spring, he said on Saturday.

24/09/2012 | World

Graft scandal forces out head of Italy's Lazio region

The governor of Italy's Lazio region resigned over a corruption scandal that could increase political instability in debt-plagued Italy before elections due next year.

11/08/2012 | World

'Italian exit from euro would be disaster'

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said his People of Freedom (PDL) party firmly opposed Italy leaving the euro and believed such a policy would be disastrous.

12/08/2012 | World

Finance Minister says Italy to overshoot deficit goal

Finance Minister Vittorio Grilli said Italy's government would overshoot its 2012 deficit goal because of worse-than-expected growth but planned no extra budget cuts because Italy was on target to meet its EU obligations.

19/08/2012 | World

Italy's Monti sees end of crisis getting closer

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said the end of the economic crisis in his country was in sight and that the euro zone must not let the single currency become a source of friction between the north and south in the bloc.

30/07/2012 | World

Italy president urges speedy electoral reform

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano told political parties to make faster progress to reform the electoral law and expressed concern over speculation that there may be an early general election.

31/07/2012 | World

Italy's Monti sees light in euro tunnel

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said today that Europe was starting to see light at the end of the tunnel of the euro zone's sovereign debt crisis, belying a welter of deteriorating economic data.

01/08/2012 | World

US targets five leaders of Naples Mafia

The United States took steps to freeze the US assets of five key members of the Italian-based Camorra, also known as the Naples Mafia, and one of Europe's largest criminal groups involved in kidnapping, money laundering and extortion.

23/07/2012 | World

Moody's: Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg's ratings under threat

Credit ratings agency Moody's warned that Germany, Netherlands and Luxembourg were put on negative outlooks and could lead to a downgrade of their ratings.

25/07/2012 | World

Italian parties clash over electoral reform plans

Italy's major political parties clashed over plans to change much-criticised electoral laws as manoeuvering intensified ahead of a vote due to take place next May at the latest.

30/07/2012 | World

Italy's 10-year yields ease below 6% at auction

Italy's benchmark 10-year borrowing costs eased below 6 percent at auction as rising expectations of bolder policy moves to counter the euro zone's debt crisis boosted demand for debt issued by the bloc's most vulnerable members.

26/06/2012 | World

Merkel buries euro bonds as summit tension rises

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to bury once and for all the idea of common euro zone bonds, saying Europe would not share total debt liability "as long as I live", as the bloc's big four finance ministers met to narrow differences on how to solve a worsening debt crisis.

12/07/2012 | World

Italy's Berlusconi to run in 2013

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will return to frontline politics as the centre-right candidate in next year's general election, a senior official in his PDL party said.

16/07/2012 | World

Moody's downgrades Italian banks

Moody's downgraded 13 Italian financial institutions including some of the country's largest banks Intesa Sanpaolo and Unicredit with a negative outlook.

06/06/2012 | World

Italy holds suspect for school bombing

Italian police took into custody a 68-year-old man for last month's bombing in front of a school that killed a 16-year-old girl and wounded 10 others.

07/06/2012 | World

Man confesses to Italy school bombing

A 68-year-old man has confessed to last month's bombing in front of a southern Italian school that killed a 16-year-old girl and wounded 10 others, but his motive is unclear and investigations are ongoing, police said.

07/06/2012 | World

Painting of Christ fetches $4.6 mln at NY auction

A 16th-century painting of Christ set a record for Italian artist Girolamo Romanino at Christie's Old Masters auction when it sold for $4.6 million.

30/05/2012 | World

Northern Italy earthquake death toll rises to 17

Italian rescue workers removed yet another earthquake victim from rubble today after a magnitude 5.8 temblor hit north of Bologna raising the death toll to 17.

02/06/2012 | World

Berlusconi says idea Italy should dump euro was 'joke'

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi said on Saturday he was only joking when he suggested that Italy should dump the euro unless the European Central Bank agreed to inject more cash into the economy.

03/06/2012 | World

Strong earth tremor hits northern Italy

A strong earth tremor of 5.1 magnitude hit northern Italy late on Sunday, in the same area struck by two deadly quakes in the last two weeks, Italy's Geophysics Institute said.

24/05/2012 | World

Italian Red Brigades 'deny planting school bomb'

A letter purporting to be from Italy's radical left-wing Red Brigades denies that the group, responsible for numerous attacks in the 1970s, planted a bomb that killed a schoolgirl in Brindisi last week, a news agency said.

27/05/2012 | World

More aftershocks hit Italy, thousands still homeless

A force 4.0 tremor hit northern Italy on Sunday, one of the strongest of a series of aftershocks that have hit the area since it was struck by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake a week ago which killed seven people and made thousands homeless.

29/05/2012 | World

Death toll rises to 15 on northern Italy's second big quake

An earthquake killed at least 15 people in northern Italy today, damaging buildings and spreading panic among thousands of residents still living in tents after a tremor in the same region destroyed their homes just over a week ago.

20/05/2012 | World

Italy quake kills six, damages historic buildings

A strong earthquake in northern Italy killed at least six people, injured dozens and damaged historic buildings including a famed mediaeval castle early on Sunday, waking terrified citizens and sending thousands running into the streets.

21/05/2012 | World

Italy vote to tap austerity anger, gauge political shift

Italy is likely to register a strong protest vote against belt-tightening in local elections that will provide a fresh snapshot of Europe's changing political landscape a year ahead of a national ballot.

21/05/2012 | World

Aftershocks rattle Italy, residents sleep outdoors

Thousands of people in northern Italy slept in tents and cars overnight as more than 100 aftershocks rocked the area hit by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that killed seven people and inflicted heavy damage to centuries-old cultural sites.

13/05/2012 | World

Italy mulls using army to stem political violence

Italy is considering using the army to protect the defence conglomerate Finmeccanica and the tax collection agency Equitalia, the targets of a series of attacks that are raising concerns about political violence, the interior minister said.

16/05/2012 | World

Greece euro exit could hit Spain, Italy, Zoellick assures

A decision by Greece to leave Europe's common currency zone would raise big questions about the impact on Spain, Italy and other euro zone countries with big debt loads that are undergoing structural reforms, the head of the World Bank said.

19/05/2012 | World

Bomb at south Italy school kills teenager, wounds six

A bomb exploded in front of a school in southern Italy killing a 16 year-old girl and wounding at least six others, two seriously, authorities said.

19/04/2012 | World

Italy museum burns art to protest against crisis

An Italian museum director in the mafia-influenced northeast of Naples has pledged to burn three works of art per week to protest against the lack of spending on culture.

30/04/2012 | World

Denmark's Noma wins World's Best Restaurant third time

Danish restaurant Noma was crowned the world's best restaurant for the third year in a row in an annual list, beating out top eateries in Spain, Brazil, Italy, the United States and elsewhere.

04/05/2012 | World

'Concordia should be sunk, not saved,' says diver

The Costa Concordia, the wrecked liner which has been half-submerged near the Italian island of Giglio since it hit a rock in January, could be a paradise for recreational scuba divers from around the world - if sunk instead of salvaged.

10/04/2012 | World

Iran cuts oil to Spain ahead of nuclear talks

Iran has cut oil exports to Spain and may halt sales to Germany and Italy, Iran's English-language state television reported, in an apparent move to strengthen its position ahead of crucial talks with world powers later this week.

13/04/2012 | World

Italians protest against Monti reforms

Thousands of Italian trade unionists marched through Rome today to protest against pension changes, the latest sign of mounting opposition to Prime Minister Mario Monti's economic reforms.

13/04/2012 | World

Mount Etna erupts for fourth time this year

The volcano located on the southern Italian island of Sicily began to erupt today, marking the fourth eruption this year, blasting out a huge ash cloud reaching 6,000 and 7,000 metres above sea level.

22/03/2012 | World

Italy's Monti runs into trouble over labour reform

Prime Minister Mario Monti's drive to force through labour reform in Italy ran into political trouble, raising the risk that the coalition supporting him in parliament could splinter or the measures be weakened.

24/03/2012 | World

Italy PM Monti says worried about contagion from Spain

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti expressed concern about Spain's public finances and said it would not take much to reignite the euro zone debt crisis and revive the risk of it spreading to Italy.

28/03/2012 | World

Italy’s Monti downplays Spain contagion risk

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti today played down the risk that economic troubles in Spain would spread to the rest of Europe and said he believed the euro zone debt crisis was nearly over.

09/03/2012 | World

Italy appeals court orders retrial for Berlusconi ally

Italy's highest appeals court annulled a seven year prison sentence for mafia links handed to one of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's closest allies, and ordered a retrial

12/03/2012 | World

Data confirms Italy is in recession

Italy is in recession, final data confirmed today. Italy's economy shrank 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, following a 0.2 percent decline in gross domestic product in the third quarter.

21/03/2012 | World

Italian union calls strike over Monti's job reforms

Italy's largest trade union called a general strike over labour reforms today, escalating a confrontation with Prime Minister Mario Monti and testing his resolve to transform the euro zone's third biggest economy.

07/03/2012 | World

Hackers group Anonymous take down Vatican website

The Italian branch of the hackers group Anonymous took down the Vatican's website, saying it was an attack on the Roman Catholic Church's scandals and conservative doctrine.

08/03/2012 | World

Italian, British hostages killed in failed Nigeria rescue

An Italian and a British hostage kidnapped in May in Nigeria were killed today by their captors during a joint raid by British and Nigerian forces in an operation to free them, Italy's government said.

09/03/2012 | World

Italy gov’t condemns failed British raid in Nigeria

President Giorgio Napolitano led a chorus of condemnation of Britain's failure to inform the Italian government before launching a botched rescue mission with Nigerian forces that led to the deaths of British and Italian hostages held by a militant Islamist group.

20/02/2012 | World

Italy, Britain urge more EU focus on growth

Italy, Britain, the Netherlands and nine other countries called for Europe to shift its focus from tough budget cuts towards measures to create growth as the region looks headed for its second recession in three years.

24/02/2012 | World

Italy to end tax breaks for Church

Italy's government announced measures on Friday to end tax exemptions on commercial property owned by the Catholic Church, a move expected to add as much as 600 million euros ($805 million) to state coffers each year

03/03/2012 | World

Victims' families want truth at Italy shipwreck hearing

Survivors and relatives of victims of the Costa Concordia shipwreck clamoured for truth at a pre-trial hearing in Italy, with some still waiting for identification of the remains of their loved ones 1-1/2 months after the disaster.

14/02/2012 | World

Moody's warns it may downgrade France, Britain

Rating agency Moody's said today it downgraded six European nations including Italy, Spain and Portugal, citing growing risks from Europe's debt crisis, and warned it may cut the triple-A ratings of France, Britain and Austria.

15/02/2012 | World

Italy prosecutors seek 5-year term for Berlusconi

Italian prosecutors today asked a court to sentence former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to five years in prison on charges of paying British lawyer David Mills a $600,000 bribe to lie about Berlusconi's business interests.

15/02/2012 | World

Monti warns of mounting Europe's divisions, resentment

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti warned today that the euro zone debt crisis was fuelling dangerous divisions and resentment within the currency bloc and said it was wrong to try to divide member states into "goodies and baddies".

03/02/2012 | World

Rare Rome snowstorm closes Colosseum

Heavy snow fell in central Rome today, giving tourists a rare sight of whitened landmarks such as Saint Peter's Square and the Trevi Fountain, while the Colosseum and the Roman Forum were closed due to the icy conditions.

07/02/2012 | World

Italy's Berlusconi to face trial for revealing confidential information

Silvio Berlusconi is to stand trial next month on charges of revealing confidential information in a case related to a 2005 banking scandal, the former prime minister's lawyer said today.

13/02/2012 | World

Moody's warns it may strip France, UK and Austria's Aaa rating

Rating agency Moody's warned it may cut the triple-A ratings of France, the United Kingdom and Austria, while it downgraded the ratings of Italy, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta.

27/01/2012 | World

Quake hits northern Italy, no injuries reported

An earthquake was felt across northern Italy today, the second this week, though there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.

27/01/2012 | World

Fitch downgrades five eurozone countries

Rating agency Fitch carried out its threats and downgraded the ratings of five countries in the eurozone including Spain, Italy, Belgium, Cyprus and Slovenia. Ireland ratings where reaffirmed, informed the agency.

29/01/2012 | World

Bad weather stops work on capsized Italian cruise ship

Divers searching for bodies on the Costa Concordia, the wrecked cruise ship that lies capsized off the Italian coast, suspended work on Sunday after heavy seas and strong winds caused the vessel to shift noticeably, authorities said.

22/01/2012 | World

Doomed liner's captain trades blame with shipowners

The operators of the Costa Concordia faced questions over their share of the blame for the shipwreck, as divers recovered another body from the stricken liner, bringing the known death toll to 13.

23/01/2012 | World

Concordia captain tests negative for drugs

The captain of the Costa Concordia was not under the effects of drugs when the liner hit a rock that tore a hole in the hull and caused it to capsize near the port of Italy's Giglio island, his lawyer said.

23/01/2012 | World

Italy searchers find two more bodies on capsized liner

Divers today found two more bodies on deck number four of the Costa Concordia, the capsized cruise liner resting half-submerged near the port of Italy's Giglio island, said Franco Gabrielli, head of the civil protection agency.

29/12/2011 | World

Italy’s Monti calls for more firepower

Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti called for significantly more firepower for the euro zone's bailout fund after a bond auction did little to ease concerns over how the country would finance public spending in the next few months.

20/01/2012 | World

Italian cabinet approves deregulation package

Italy's cabinet approved legislation to deregulate some service sectors and professions in an effort to increase competition, cut costs to consumers and boost chronically weak growth in the euro zone's third largest economy.

21/01/2012 | World

Italy cruise disaster toll death rises to 12

The body of a woman was found on board Italy's capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship on Saturday, bringing the total death toll to at least 12 people, a spokesman for the rescue workers said.  Twenty people are still unaccounted for. The liner struck a rock and capsized on Jan. 13 off Tuscany's Giglio island.

22/12/2011 | World

Italy parliament seals austerity budget

Italy's Senate passed a vote of confidence in the government of Prime Minister Mario Monti today that put the final seal on an emergency austerity budget rushed through to restore market confidence in the euro zone's third biggest economy.

22/12/2011 | World

Pompeii column collapse revives concerns over site

A courtyard column of a Roman house in Pompeii collapsed, renewing concerns about the state of the site which was frozen in time when Mount Vesuvius erupted 2,000 years ago, burying inhabitants alive and preserving their homes.

28/12/2011 | World

Italy short-term debt costs halve at auction

Italian short-term debt costs halved at auction as a new package of budget austerity and an injection of cheap long-term money from the European Central Bank won Rome some respite in thin year-end markets.

15/12/2011 | World

Italy government calls confidence vote on austerity

Italy's government has called a confidence vote in parliament tomorrow to speed up approval of a 33-billion euro ($43 billion)austerity package intended to restore market confidence in the euro zone's third largest economy.

16/12/2011 | World

Italy government wins confidence vote on austerity package

Minister Mario Monti's government won a parliamentary confidence vote on its austerity package today. It now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to be approved before Christmas, probably with another confidence vote.

16/12/2011 | World

Italy: Bullets mailed to PM, politicians

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, politicians and newspaper editors have been sent letters containing bullets and threats over government austerity measures, police said.

09/12/2011 | World

Italian letter bomb injures top tax collector

A letter bomb blamed on anarchists injured the chief of a state tax collection agency in Rome today, two days after a similar device addressed to a top banker was intercepted in Germany.

12/12/2011 | World

Euro zone fiscal pact fails to restore confidence

A European summit deal to strengthen budget discipline in the euro zone failed to restore financial market confidence, forcing the European Central Bank to step in again gingerly.

14/12/2011 | World

Italy 5-year auction yields soar to record 6.47%

Italy paid a euro era record yield of 6.47% to sell five-year paper at its first auction of longer-term debt after the EU moved towards greater fiscal integration at last week's summit, but failed to convince markets it can solve the debt crisis.

05/12/2011 | World

Monti: Without economic plan Italy would risk Greece situation

Italy would have risked a Greek-style economic crisis without the government's new 30-billion euro austerity package, Prime Minister Mario Monti said.

07/12/2011 | World

Italy’s Monti faces unions calls for strikes over Austerity Plan

Italy's new Prime Minister Mario Monti, trying to push through a tough austerity package he says is vital for the country's financial salvation, faced two calls for national strikes and saw a dip in his public support today.

07/12/2011 | World

Germany pours cold water on EU summit hopes

Pessimistic comments from EU paymaster Germany and new figures exposing deepening stress among Europe's banks dented financial market hopes of a turning point in the euro zone's debt crisis at a summit this week.

20/11/2011 | World

Italy's Monti agrees not to run in election, Berlusconi

Italy's new technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti has agreed not to run as a candidate when elections are held, Silvio Berlusconi, leader of the centre-right PDL party, said in an interview published today.

30/11/2011 | World

Italy PM says to meet budget goal, not seeking IMF aid

Prime Minister Mario Monti pledged measures to ensure that Italy meets its goal of balancing the budget even if economic prospects worsen, and said no approach for help had been made to the International Monetary Fund.

03/12/2011 | World

From horse heads to blogs, mafia threats evolve

While 21st century Italian mobsters still use bullets, anonymous phone calls and dead animals to make threats, they've also found a new tool of intimidation: blogging.

17/11/2011 | World

Italy: Clashes at protest against 'bankers' gov't'

Thousands of Italians took to the streets in several cities today to protest against what they called a "bankers' government" led by economist Mario Monti, and there were clashes with police.

17/11/2011 | World

New Italy PM wins confidence vote on tough reform plans

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti comfortably won a vote of confidence in his new government on Thursday after promising rigour and fairness in painful reforms to dig the country out of a financial crisis that threatens the entire euro zone.

17/11/2011 | World

Greek protests as France, Spain face squeeze

More than 30,000 Greeks took to the streets of Athens in a protest rally that marked the first public test for a new national unity government that must impose painful spending cuts and tax rises if the country is to escape bankruptcy.

15/11/2011 | World

Monti to form new Italy government

Prime Minister designate Mario Monti will meet Italy's president on Wednesday to present a new government to face a crisis that has brought Italy to the brink of economic disaster and endangered the entire euro zone.

16/11/2011 | World

Italy PM Monti hopes new gov’t can calm markets

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said today he hoped his new government of technocrats could restore market confidence in the country and calm a tense political climate.

16/11/2011 | World

Monti sworn in as new Italian prime minister

Monti, a former European commissioner, was the first member of the new government to be sworn in by President Giorgio Napolitano at the Quirinale Palace.

12/11/2011 | World

Berlusconi formally steps down, Rome celebrates

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi formally resigned today, ending one of the most scandal-plagued eras in recent Italian history amid the jeers of hundreds of protestors gathered in central Rome to celebrate his departure.

13/11/2011 | World

Monti named to head new Italy government

Italy's president appointed former European Commissioner Mario Monti to head a new government charged with implementing urgent reforms to end a crisis that has endangered the whole euro zone.

14/11/2011 | World

Italy's Monti says aims to serve term until 2013

Italy's Prime Minister-designate Mario Monti said his first day of talks for a new government were constructive and he hoped to form an administration that could take the country through to the next scheduled elections in 2013.

11/11/2011 | World

Italy: Senate approves austerity measures amid political turmoil

Italy's Senate approved the austerity measures demanded by the European Union to avert a euro zone meltdown.The new budget law is to clear the way for final approval of the package in the lower house tomorrow and the formation of an emergency government to replace Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

11/11/2011 | World

Putin defends Kremlin comeback, praises Berlusconi

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin praised outgoing fellow political veteran Silvio Berlusconi and defended his own decision to remain in power for years to come in front of an audience of foreign experts.

12/11/2011 | World

Italy vote clears way for Berlusconi resignation

Italy's parliament gave final approval to a financial stability law today, paving the way for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign and make way for an emergency government headed by former European Commissioner Mario Monti.

09/11/2011 | World

Berlusconi vows to leave after reforms

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed he would resign today after implementing urgent economic reforms demanded by the European Union, and said Italy must then hold an election, in which he would not stand.

10/11/2011 | World

Cameron: Italy ‘clear and present danger’ to euro zone

Italy represents a clear and present danger to the euro zone, Prime Minister David Cameron said today.

10/11/2011 | World

Lagarde urges Italy to sort crisis out, China to help on world stability

The head of the International Monetary Fund urged Italy today to act quickly fill its damaging political vacuum, and China said it was willing to help maintain global financial stability that was being threatened by the euro zone crisis.

07/11/2011 | World

Berlusconi denies resignation reports

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denied reports he was about to resign. "Rumours of my resignation are baseless," he said on his Facebook page.

08/11/2011 | World

Berlusconi loses Parliament majority, pressure mounts

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi suffered a defeat in parliament today in a vote that indicated he no longer had a majority and ratcheted up pressure for him to resign

08/11/2011 | World

Berlusconi to resign after parliamentary setback

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would resign after suffering a humiliating setback in parliament that showed a party revolt had stripped him of a majority.

31/10/2011 | World

Berlusconi urged to quit as bond yields climb

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi faced fresh calls to resign on Monday as markets turned on Italy, pushing its borrowing costs to dangerous new levels on renewed concern about a worsening of the euro zone crisis.

04/11/2011 | World

G20: Italy accepts IMF monitoring, sources

Italy, under fierce pressure from financial markets and European peers, agreed to have the IMF monitor its progress with long delayed reforms of pensions, labor markets and privatization, senior EU sources said today.

05/11/2011 | World

Italian press write off Berlusconi but alternative unclear

Italy's press were writing off Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, with even pro-government newspapers admitting his situation looked desperate after a humiliating Group of 20 summit and the latest sell-off of Italy's bonds.

24/10/2011 | World

Italy's Berlusconi hits back at EU demands

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi hit back at European Union partners who have been pressing Italy for swift economic reforms, saying no country in the bloc was in a position to give lessons to others.

25/10/2011 | World

ECB row, Italy flare on eve of euro rescue summit

A flare-up over the European Central Bank and political turmoil in Italy kept the euro zone on edge on the eve of a summit meant to confront the currency bloc's worsening sovereign debt crisis.

27/10/2011 | World

Italians, Greeks skeptical over euro zone rescue plan

A deal struck by euro zone leaders today to contain the region's dangerous debt crisis was greeted skeptically in the two countries most in the firing line, Greece and Italy, with some saying politicians were dreaming.

15/10/2011 | World

Police and demonstrators clash in Rome

Hundreds of hooded demonstrators clashed with police in some of the worst violence in the Italian capital for years, setting cars on fire and breaking shop and bank windows.

18/10/2011 | World

Milan judge clears Berlusconi in fraud case

A Milan judge today cleared Silvio Berlusconi in a fraud and embezzlement case related to his private broadcaster Mediaset , a rare legal victory for the weakened Italian prime minister who is a defendant in three other trials.

22/10/2011 | World

Wall collapse in Pompeii renews worries for site

Part of a Roman wall in Pompeii's ancient ruins has collapsed, authorities said, a year after a gladiator house in the site crumbled and embarrassed Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government.

13/10/2011 | World

Berlusconi seeks confidence vote

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi called a vote of confidence in his government, saying a collapse of his centre-right coalition now would be catastrophic for the country and its economy.

14/10/2011 | World

Italy government wins confidence vote

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi won a crucial vote of confidence, giving his struggling centre-right government a new, but probably short, lease of life.

14/10/2011 | World

Students storm Goldman Sachs building in Milan

A group of students stormed Goldman Sachs's central Milan offices today ahead of worldwide protests against financial inequality planned for the weekend

04/10/2011 | World

Moody's cut Italy ratings by 3 notches

Moody's Investors Service cut Italy's bond ratings by three notches, saying it sees a "material increase" in funding conditions for euro zone countries with high levels of debt.

07/10/2011 | World

Italy's Berlusconi dismisses calls to resign as preassure mounts

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi dismissed calls to resign as protests against his government mounted and his latest verbal gaffe stirred outrage and exasperation.

07/10/2011 | World

Fitch cuts Italy, Spain ratings, outlook negative

Fitch cut Italy's sovereign credit rating by one notch and Spain's by two, citing a worsening of the euro zone debt crisis and a risk of fiscal slippage in both countries.

14/09/2011 | World

Italy parliament gives final approval to austerity plan

The Italian parliament gave final approval to a much-altered austerity plan aimed at stemming a debt crisis engulfing the euro zone's third largest economy.

03/10/2011 | World

Berlusconi's lawyers try to have sex trial suspended

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's trial on charges he paid for sex with an underage prostitute should be put on hold for months until Italy's top court decides which judges have jurisdiction, his lawyers said today.

03/10/2011 | World

Italian appeal court clears Amanda Knox of murder

An Italian court cleared 24-year-old US citizen Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend of murdering British student Meredith Kercher in 2007 and ordered them to be set free after nearly four years in prison for a crime they always denied committing.

07/09/2011 | World

Italy Senate okays austerity plan, moves to chamber

The Italian Senate approved the government's widely criticised austerity programme aimed at staving off financial crisis in a vote of confidence called by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

11/09/2011 | World

Crucial Italy austerity package enters home stretch

Italy's often revised 54-billion-euro austerity package enters the final stretch on Monday when cuts aimed at balancing the budget by 2013 go before the lower house of parliament, with approval due later in the week.

13/09/2011 | World

Italy austerity nears approval as pressure mounts

Italy's lower house of parliament is expected to approve the centre-right government's much revised austerity plan on Wednesday as Rome struggles to stem a financial market crisis now threatening the whole euro zone.

03/09/2011 | World

'Friends of Libya' to re-covene in New York, says Italy's Frattini

A second "Friends of Libya" conference will be held in New York on September 20 to help with reconstruction after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said today.

05/09/2011 | World

Italian President warns on 'alarming' debt signals

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano urged swift action to strengthen planned austerity measures, saying a severe market selloff was a clear warning that markets had lost confidence in Italy.

06/09/2011 | World

Italy to hike VAT as strikers protest austerity

Italy's centre-right government promised to hike value-added tax as it bowed to market pressure for more action on its swollen debt and ignored mass street protests against its austerity measures.

12/08/2011 | World

Italy delivers tough austerity measures

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced a painful mix of tax hikes and spending cuts to meet European Central Bank demands for action on shoring up Italy's strained public finances.

22/08/2011 | World

Italy austerity plan begins passage through parliament

Italy's austerity plan aimed at warding off a worsening in the euro zone debt crisis goes to parliament today amid a tug-of-war between critics who want to weaken it and those who say it does not go far enough.

01/09/2011 | World

Arrests made over alleged Berlusconi extortion

Scandal enveloped Silvio Berlusconi anew after a businessman linked to a 2009 prostitution case was arrested on suspicion of extorting hundreds of thousands of euros from the Italian prime minister.

02/08/2011 | World

Italy under fire in widening euro debt crisis

Financial market pressure on Italy intensified, sucking Europe's second biggest debtor nation deeper into the euro area danger zone and prompting emergency consultations in Rome and among European capitals.

06/08/2011 | World

Italy's Berlusconi rules out early elections

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi ruled out calling early elections to stem market panic that has pounded Italian assets and forced his government to bring forward austerity measures.

10/08/2011 | World

Italy's Berlusconi promises emergency deficit decree

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi promised an emergency decree to approve austerity measures agreed with the European Central Bank but faced union opposition over concern that the cuts would hit ordinary Italians.

13/07/2011 | World

Italy eyes privatisation as market tension eases

The Italian government bolstered an austerity package with plans to sell stakes in state-owned companies, and political consensus on debt-cutting measures helped calm nervous markets.

15/07/2011 | World

Italy parliament passes austerity package

Italy's lower house of parliament approved a 48 billion euro austerity package in a vote rushed through to try to calm a financial market storm which has sent Italian borrowing costs soaring in recent days.

20/07/2011 | World

Italian parliament allows arrest of Berlusconi ally

The Italian parliament voted to allow the arrest of a deputy accused of involvement in a widening scandal that has damaged Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and highlighted growing divisions in his government.

30/06/2011 | World

Italy cabinet approves austerity plan

Italy's cabinet approved today an austerity package aimed at shielding the country from the Greek debt crisis and eliminating the budget deficit in 2014, a government source said.

30/06/2011 | World

Italian cabinet approves tough austerity plan

Italy's cabinet approved an austerity package aimed at shielding the country from the Greek debt crisis and eliminating the budget deficit in 2014.

12/07/2011 | World

‘This is certainly not an easy moment’, says Italy’s Berlusconi

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi tried to calm fears that Italy could be swept into a full-scale financial crisis and the opposition pledged to smooth the passage through parliament of tough debt-cutting measures today.

13/06/2011 | World

Berlusconi suffers stinging referendum defeat

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi suffered a humiliating defeat as Italians turned out in large numbers to vote in referendums which he had encouraged them to boycott.

17/06/2011 | World

Moody's says may cut Italy's credit rating

Moody's Investors Service said it may cut Italy's sovereign credit rating from Aa2, citing such challenges as reforming a rigid labour market while also facing the likelihood of rising interest rates.

21/06/2011 | World

Italy's Berlusconi wins vote of confidence

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi overcame today coalition infighting to win a vote of confidence, his first parliamentary test since suffering two stinging electoral losses.

30/05/2011 | World

Projections show Berlusconi losing local polls

The first projections after polls closed in Italian local elections showed Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition behind in the financial capital Milan and lagging badly in the southern port of Naples.

30/05/2011 | World

Berlusconi suffers heavy local poll defeats

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi suffered a shattering loss in his northern stronghold of Milan in local elections that threaten to unbalance his fractious centre-right coalition government.

11/06/2011 | World

Berlusconi faces another test with Italy referendums

Italians vote in four referendums on Sunday and Monday that could strike a new blow against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is still stinging from heavy local election losses last month.

13/04/2011 | World

Italian lower house votes to cut Berlusconi trial

Italy's lower house of parliament voted to cut the length of some criminal trials, approving a measure that is likely to end Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's trial for bribing his lawyer David Mills.

24/04/2011 | World

Man who tried to hijack Italian plane overpowered

A man who tried to hijack a Paris-Rome flight and take it to Libya was overpowered by cabin crew during the flight and arrested when the plane arrived in Rome, officials said.

15/05/2011 | World

Local elections to test Berlusconi's grip on power

Italians voted in local elections that will show whether a sex scandal, three corruption trials and a stagnating economy have seriously damaged Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi two years before the end of his term.

05/04/2011 | World

Italy, Tunisia sign deal to ease migrant crisis

Italy and Tunisia signed an accord to stem a wave of illegal migrants arriving in Italy from North Africa. Immigration crisis, set off when the ouster of former Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali removed previously strict border controls, has proved a political headache for Italian government.

06/04/2011 | World

Migrant boat sinks off Italy, up to 250 missing

Between 130 and 250 people were missing and at least 15 appeared to be dead after a boat carrying refugees from Libya capsized south of Sicily, coast guard officials and aid workers said.

09/04/2011 | World

Italy steps up call for EU help with migrant crisis

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stepped up calls for Europe to help deal with the "human tsunami" of refugees and illegal immigrants from North Africa arriving in southern Italian islands in recent weeks.

09/03/2011 | World

Italy says will back UN, EU, NATO decisions on Libya

Italy, whose bases are likely to play a key role in any military action regarding Libya, will back any decisions taken by the United Nations, the European Union or NATO, the president's office said.

16/03/2011 | World

WHO says food contamination affects only surrounding areas

The risk of the contamination of food products from nuclear radiation in Japan is limited to the specific area surrounding the damaged nuclear plant, according to a source from the World Health Organization (WHO).

02/04/2011 | World

Berlusconi seeks to ease migrant tension in Italy

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi tried to calm North African migrants on the island of Lampedusa, promising to send them to better camps this weekend and urging Italians to be hospitable.

14/02/2011 | World

Berlusconi refuses to resign, dismisses protest

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he had no intention of stepping down and dismissed a weekend demonstration by women across Italy over his involvement in a sex scandal.

15/02/2011 | World

Berlusconi to face trial over prostitution scandal

An Italian judge ordered Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to stand trial on charges of paying for sex with an underage girl and abuse of office, according to a statement from the judge's office.

19/02/2011 | World

Berlusconi pledges justice reform as scandal grows

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pledged sweeping reforms to overhaul the justice system, stepping up an offensive against the judiciary days after being ordered to trial in a prostitution case.

08/02/2011 | World

Prosecutors to seek trial for Berlusconi in sex probe

Italian prosecutors will request an immediate trial for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is accused of paying for sex with an underage girl and later abusing his power to get police to release her.

09/02/2011 | World

Prosecutors seek sex trial for Berlusconi

Italian prosecutors filed a request to bring Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to trial immediately on charges of paying for sex with an underaged girl and improperly pressuring police to release her from custody.

11/02/2011 | World

Wave of Tunisian migrant arrivals alarms Italy

More than 1,000 people escaping turmoil in Tunisia have landed on an Italian island in rickety boats this week, raising fears of a new, uncontrolled wave of illegal immigration from North Africa.

22/01/2011 | World

Italy's Berlusconi digs in heels despite sex probe

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi accused magistrates of illegally spying on him as he refused to appear before prosecutors who allege that he had sex with an under-age prostitute.

03/02/2011 | World

Berlusconi passes tax changes, ignoring parliament

Italy's cabinet approved tax reforms that had been rejected by a special parliamentary panel, sparking outrage from the opposition who accused Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of riding roughshod over parliament.

04/02/2011 | World

Italian president rejects Berlusconi's tax decree

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano refused to sign a key government decree to increase the taxation powers of local authorities, dealing a blow to embattled Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

15/01/2011 | World

Defiant Berlusconi says prostitution probe doomed

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lambasted an inquiry into allegations he paid for sex with a teenage nightclub dancer as a "grotesque" attempt to destroy him politically and promised it would fail.

18/01/2011 | World

Berlusconi dismisses calls to quit over sex probe

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi laughed off calls for him to resign over an investigation into allegations he paid for sex with young women, including a 17-year-old nightclub dancer.

21/01/2011 | World

Luxury shoemaker raises $34 mln to save Coliseum

Luxury shoemaker Tod's will fund the restoration of Rome's Coliseum with a 25 million euro ($34 million) sponsorship campaign, the biggest to rescue Italy's crumbling archaeological treasures with private money.

24/12/2010 | World

Anarchists claim responsibility for Rome bombs

An Italian anarchist group claimed responsibility for parcel bombs that wounded two people at the Swiss and Chilean embassies in Rome, a reminder of Europe's home-grown threats at a time of political instability.

24/12/2010 | World

Italy on alert after Rome embassy attacks

Italy was on alert for new attacks a day after an anarchist group claimed responsibility for parcel bombs that injured two people at the Swiss and Chilean embassies in Rome.

14/01/2011 | World

Italy's Berlusconi investigated over teenage girl

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi faces a prostitution investigation in Milan over a teenage nightclub dancer who attended parties at his private residence, prosecutors said.

13/12/2010 | World

Berlusconi warns of crisis ahead of crucial vote

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said rebel lawmakers could pitch Italy into the middle of the euro zone's debt crisis if they voted against him in a no-confidence vote tomorrow.

14/12/2010 | World

Protesters march in Italy during crucial vote

Italian students, workers and other opponents of Silvio Berlusconi's government threw paint and smoke bombs towards parliament buildings as the prime minister narrowly survived a no-confidence motion.

17/12/2010 | World

Italy minister says Rome violence was pre-planned

An Italian government minister said violence during protests in Rome this week was pre-planned by political extremists, and rejected media reports that young people have become disillusioned with politicians.

09/06/2011 | Latin America

Italy condemns Brazil for not extraditing guerrilla

Italy condemned Brazil for refusing to extradite a former Italian left-wing guerrilla wanted for murder, saying the "shameful" decision violated international agreements and humiliated victims of terrorism.

09/01/2013 | Sports

Italian officials can stop matches for racist behaviour

Italian public security officials will be given the power to stop or interrupt football matches in the case of racist behaviour by fans, the government's watchdog for sports events (ONMS) said.

23/01/2013 | Sports

Baggio quits as Italy technical director

Italy great Roberto Baggio resigned as the Italian soccer federation's technical director on Wednesday, saying he was not permitted to do the job he wanted to do.

26/10/2012 | Sports

Italian football needs drastic reform says Juventus chief

Juventus president Andrea Agnelli demanded drastic reform to Italian football on Friday, likening the soccer authorities to a local sports club.

23/11/2012 | Sports

Italy soccer attack stokes fears of neo-fascist violence

A brutal attack on fans of English football club Tottenham Hotspur in Rome has stoked fears in Italy of rising right-wing and anti-Semitic violence.

18/12/2012 | Sports

Inter beat Verona to advance in Italian Cup

Inter Milan moved into the Italian Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over second-tier Verona today.

31/07/2012 | Sports

Italy beat Argentina 3-1 in men's volleyball

Italy beat Argentina 3-1 (25-17, 20-25, 25-17 and 25-23) in a men's volleyball Group A game prevailing. The team coached by Javier Webber will face Poland on next Thursday in a crucial match to keep the aim at the olympic podium.

02/08/2012 | Sports

Chinese investors buy into Inter Milan football club

A group of Chinese investors will pay 55 million euros for a 15 percent stake in Inter Milan, becoming the second-biggest shareholder of the Italian premier league football club, sources close to the situation said.

23/08/2012 | Sports

'Bionic' Zanetti to make 800th Inter appearance

Internazionale Milan’s coach Andrea Stramaccioni praised teams’ capitano Javier Zanetti ahead of the 39 year-old's 800th appearance today against Romanian side Vaslui in the first leg match for a place in this season's Europa League.

28/06/2012 | Sports

Balotelli double fires Italy into final

Italy forward Mario Balotelli scored two superb first-half goals to steer his team to a 2-1 victory over favourites Germany on Thursday and into the Euro 2012 final where they will meet holders Spain.

01/07/2012 | Sports

Superb Spain rout Italy to retain title in style

Spain cemented their status as football's global superpower in vintage style by thrashing an overwhelmed Italy 4-0 to retain their European championship title.

17/07/2012 | Sports

Argentine league 2nd strongest in the world, IFFHS

11/06/2012 | Sports

Polish FA hits back at Spain pitch complaints

Polish FA chief Grzegorz Lato has played down Spain's complaints about the pitch after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Italy at Euro 2012, denying the grass was too long and saying the Italians refused to let it be watered.

14/06/2012 | Sports

Tiring Italy let Croatia off the hook

Italy's Euro 2012 hopes were in the balance after they let Croatia off the hook, dominating the first half and taking the lead before tiring and being held to a 1-1 draw in their Group C match.

24/06/2012 | Sports

Italy into the semis after shootout win

Alessandro Diamanti scored the decisive spot kick as Italy beat England 4-2 on penalties after their action-packed Euro 2012 quarter-final finished goalless after extra-time.

01/06/2012 | Sports

Italy's troubles mount with defeat to Russia

Italy's troubles mounted as they produced some slapstick defending in a 3-0 defeat by fellow Euro 2012 finalists Russia in their only warm-up match for the tournament.

09/06/2012 | Sports

Contepomi steers Argentina past Italy

Captain Felipe Contepomi scored 22 points as Argentina made a winning start to their programme of June tests with a 37-22 victory over Italy in San Juan today.

10/06/2012 | Sports

Spain held to 1-1 draw by Italy

Spain's gamble of starting without a recognised striker almost backfired when the holders needed a Cesc Fabregas equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw against Italy in their Euro 2012 Group C opener.

01/05/2012 | Sports

Alonso fastest in rain-lashed Mugello test

More than 15,000 fans turned out in pouring rain at the Mugello circuit in Italy to see Ferrari's Fernando Alonso lap fastest in Formula One's first mid-season test since 2008.

05/05/2012 | Sports

Serie A title will be decided this Sunday, says Allegri

Juventus could be crowned Serie A champions on Sunday but even if they and AC Milan win to take the title race to the final round, there is a feeling in Italy that this is the weekend that will decide the scudetto.

29/05/2012 | Sports

Italy PM Monti urges halt to soccer after scandal

Italian professional soccer should be halted for two or three years to get over the match-fixing scandal which has spattered its image, Prime Minister Mario Monti said.

06/12/2011 | Sports

Catania comfirms Maxi López transfer to AC Milan

Catania general director Pietro Lo Monaco has confirmed that the club has reached an agreement with AC Milan to transfer Argentine centre-forward Maximiliano López to the Serie A champions in the January transfer window.

25/03/2012 | Sports

Volleyball-Bovolenta dies after heart attack on court

Former Italy Olympic silver medallist Vigor Bovolenta has died after suffering a heart attack during a fourth-tier match, the Italian volleyball federation said.

17/04/2012 | Sports

Balotelli bids to safeguard Italy spot

Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli has attempted to placate angry Italy boss Cesare Prandelli by declaring that the national team are more important than anything else.

10/08/2011 | Sports

Torres and Piqué suffer injuries in Spain friendly

Fernando Torres and Gerard Piqué had to be substituted with injuries in the first half of Spain's friendly against Italy.

13/08/2011 | Sports

Cagliari fire coach Donadoni before season starts

Former Italy manager Roberto Donadoni has been fired by Serie A side Cagliari, kicking off the coaching merry-go-round two weeks before the football season has even started.

10/09/2011 | Sports

Vettel on pole for Red Bull in Italy

Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel chalked up Red Bull's 13th pole position in 13 races this season with a blistering lap in Italian Grand Prix qualifying.

29/01/2011 | Sports

Van Bommel sent off but Milan march on with win

Resurgent AC Milan overcame the dismissal of Serie A debutant Mark van Bommel to seal a 2-0 win at Catania and power seven points clear at the top.

02/02/2011 | Sports

Former Italy winger Camoranesi joins Lanús

Argentine-born former Italy and Juventus winger Mauro Camoranesi has joined Lanús in the local first division, the club said.

09/07/2011 | Sports

Italy World Cup winner Cannavaro retires

Former World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro retired five years to the day since captaining Italy to World Cup glory.

05/07/2012 | Entertainment

Authors say find 100 new Caravaggio works in Italy

Italian art experts say they have discovered about 100 previously unknown sketches and paintings by Caravaggio, the Italian baroque painter whose realistic and dramatic canvases set a new standard for Western art.

05/05/2011 | Entertainment

Hollywood honours ‘timeless, beautiful’ Sophia Loren

John Travolta called her the "most delicious" thing to come out of Italy, Roberto Benigni serenaded her with the Neapolitan song "O Sole Mio" and Billy Crystal said she was his "first great love."

15/08/2011 | Entertainment

Italian festivals bring cinema back to small towns

A summer night in southern Italy and a crowd sits in the piazza of a small town as looming images flicker across a film screen a few steps away from a faded baroque church.

28/08/2011 | Entertainment

Coppola, Ecclestone get stylish Italian weddings

Two globe-trotting celebrities, Sofia Coppola and Petra Ecclestone, held weddings in Italy over the weekend, one low-key and the other over-the-top, according to media reports on Sunday.