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Italy

The latest breaking news and stories on Italy, a country in southern Europe known as a parliamentary republic, and the world’s eighth largest economy. Also covering Italy’s relationship with China and Europe, plus commentary and updates on Italy’s economy, politics, society and social issues.

Capital

Rome

Head of State

President Sergio Mattarella

Head of Government

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

Giorgia Meloni

Was this fresco redone to look like Meloni? Italy PM says she’s no angel

Reports have noted the painting’s resemblance to the prime minister after it was restored by an artist with alleged right-wing ties.

1 Feb 2026 - 2:35AM

Ukraine war

The foreigners who fought for Russia, now stuck in POW limbo in Ukraine

30 Jan 2026 - 4:32PM

Style Edit

Style Edit: Saddle up for Lunar New Year with Furla’s Year of the Horse bags

30 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

US Politics

‘Not welcome’: Milan mayor slams ICE agents’ Olympic security role after killings

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala, whose city will host events at the Milano Cortina Games, slams ICE’s deployment and urges Italy to reject the US detail.

27 Jan 2026 - 7:40PM

Federal officers move on protesters during a confrontation after ICE agents shot a man several times while they were trying to detain him in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 24. Photo: EPA

India

India, EU ‘make history’ as they seal trade pact amid US tariff pressure

Both sides are ‘set to benefit’ from the deal that analysts say will underscore broader shifts under way in the global order.

27 Jan 2026 - 7:10PMvideocam

United Nations

Hundreds feared missing or dead in Mediterranean shipwrecks, UN says

IOM investigates reports of vessels being impacted by bad weather after departing from Tunisia and Libya for Europe.

27 Jan 2026 - 3:01PM

Automotive industry

China’s Sinochem ‘has proposed a solution’ to end Pirelli governance dispute

The Italian government is moving to limit Sinochem’s influence over Pirelli in ⁠a bid to ease the tyre maker’s US expansion.

27 Jan 2026 - 4:01AM

The Italian government is assessing options to limit Sinochem’s influence over Pirelli. Photo: Reuters

Style Edit

Style Edit: Ferragamo’s Italian craft, now with Alberto Tomba’s alpine edge

Ferragamo’s collaboration with the Italian skiing icon underscores the brand’s allegiance to discipline, performance and style that goes the distance.

26 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

Fashion

Stars of fashion and film bid farewell to haute couture ‘emperor’ Valentino

Mourners included Vogue’s Anna Wintour, actresses Anne Hathaway and Elizabeth Hurley and designers Donatella Versace and Tom Ford.

24 Jan 2026 - 1:50AM

Indonesia

Indonesia’s defence deal with Bosnia signals Asian middle power’s clout

The deal is in line with Jakarta’s goal to pursue an ‘active and free’ foreign policy beyond its Western partners.

23 Jan 2026 - 6:40PM

President Prabowo Subianto (third from left) and Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (left) at the military academy in Magelang, Central Java in 2024. Photo: AFP/Indonesia’s presidential palace

Fame and celebrity

Meet Costa D’Angelo, who plays Alex, the heartthrob drug dealer in Tell Me Lies

D’Angelo, who once auditioned for Angelina Jolie’s film, Unbroken, plays Alex in Hulu’s Tell Me Lies with Grace Van Patten and Jackson White.

22 Jan 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Costa D’Angelo is the newest addition to season three of Hulu’s Tell Me Lies, and he is already stealing hearts as Alex. Photos: @costa.dangelo, @tellmelieshulu/Instagram

Timepieces

LVMH Watch Week 2026: the best new releases from the conglomerate’s brands

Milan became the centre of the horology world this week – read on to discover the newest models from Zenith, Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, L’Epee 1839 and more.

22 Jan 2026 - 3:47PM

World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos

Duel in Davos: Macron’s ‘Top Gun’ shades charm internet, get mocked by Trump

The French leader’s US$770 sunglasses, which he wore as he criticised the US president, have sparked a flood of social media memes.

22 Jan 2026 - 2:26AM

TV shows and streaming video

Meet Stefania Spampinato, who’s stealing hearts as Bella in Landman

She had a career in dance and choreography, working on The X Factor and The Voice UK, and played Dr Carina DeLuca on Grey’s Anatomy.

20 Jan 2026 - 4:24PM

Stefania Spampinato plays Bella in Landman. Photos: @spampistefania/Instagram

Archaeology and palaeontology

Italy uncovers ancient basilica designed by the ‘father of architecture’ Vitruvius

Mayor calls archeological find in the central Italian city of Fano the ‘discovery of the century’.

20 Jan 2026 - 1:11PM

Excavations in Piazza Andrea Costa from which large columns emerged, remains believed of the Basilica of Vitruvius, in Fano, Italy on Monday. Photo: EPA / Regione Marche Press Office Handout

Obituaries

Valentino, fashion designer to the jet set, stars and royalty, dead at 93

Adored by movie stars and first ladies alike, the Italian designer was a master of high glamour and timeless elegance.

20 Jan 2026 - 11:31AM

Greenland

Punch back or punching bag? EU weighs response to Trump Greenland tariff threat

Bloc has been reluctant to act on his various punitive moves, but many now believe that a threshold has been crossed, analysts say.

20 Jan 2026 - 3:32PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Top Ukrainian negotiator says talks with US to continue in Davos

Negotiators move from Florida to Switzerland for talks as Ukrainians reel from Russian attacks that have damaged energy infrastructure.

19 Jan 2026 - 11:29AM

People enter a tent provided by emergency services for Kyiv residents whose homes have been left without heating during sub-zero temperatures. Photo: Reuters

Greenland

Europe prepares retaliation over Trump’s Greenland ultimatum

Eight European countries consider US$108 billion retaliation and ‘anti-coercion’ tools after Trump vows tariffs on Europe over Arctic island.

19 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

Donald Trump

A ‘Trump UN’ with US$1 billion entry? Nations cautious on Board of Peace plan

US president invites 60 nations to join his ‘Board of Peace’, with permanent membership available for states that pay US$1 billion.

19 Jan 2026 - 1:11PM

Timepieces

Horology’s most storied addresses: watch museums, workshops and archives

These locales, from museums to brands’ own premises, are hallowed grounds for watch fans, giving them insights and a peek into timekeeping history.

19 Jan 2026 - 10:16AM

A fresco at the Musée International d’Horlogerie in Switzerland. Photo: Handout

Food and Drinks

In the heat of competition, this young chef kept a cool head

Now sous chef at Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred Belon, the 30-year-old Indonesian-Canadian once wanted to be an engineer.

19 Jan 2026 - 11:13AM

Chef Ardy Ferguson (centre) and his mentor, chef Vicky Lau (right), at the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition in Milan, Italy. Photo: courtesy S.Pellegrino

Architecture and design

A conversation with design visionary Naoto Fukasawa

The legendary product designer gave an exclusive interview to Style on the sidelines of Hong Kong’s BODW In the City, an extension of Business of Design Week.

17 Jan 2026 - 12:08PM

Tourism

Steps from the Colosseum, virtual tour offers a peek inside ancient Roman house

The House of the Griffins and its frescoes can now be explored via an onsite virtual tour into otherwise off-limits underground areas.

16 Jan 2026 - 7:15PM

Science

Could China’s Yaogan-47 satellite have a lens as wide as the Hubble Telescope?

Chinese satellite will be used for national land surveys, urban planning, environmental management and comprehensive disaster prevention.

16 Jan 2026 - 9:00AMvideocam

The Yaogan-47 satellite was launched aboard a Long March 4B carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on December 9. Photo: Xinhua

Japan

Japan’s next-generation fighter jet project gets boost as European rival stalls

Germany, France and Spain have put their project on hold, prompting speculation that some may turn to the Japan-UK-Italy programme.

16 Jan 2026 - 9:37AM

Delegates look at the GCAP sixth-generation fighter jet concept design at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024. Photo: AFP