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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

Maria Grazia Chiuri

Maria Grazia Chiuri on Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld and more – in her own words

Chiuri was at Valentino and Dior before returning to Fendi, where she worked in the 1990s – she just made her debut as chief creative officer for the brand at Milan Fashion Week.

27 Feb 2026 - 12:40PM

Milan Fashion Week

Milan Fashion Week 2026: Prada, Max Mara and Marni pull out all the stops

27 Feb 2026 - 10:59AM

Milan Fashion Week

Milan Fashion Week 2026: Fendi, Diesel and Jil Sander highlights

26 Feb 2026 - 10:39AM

Donald Trump

US women’s ice hockey captain responds to ‘distasteful’ Trump remark

Hilary Knight, who led her squad to an Olympic gold medal, says the president’s joke overshadowed the achievements of American athletes.

26 Feb 2026 - 7:59AM

Hilary Knight celebrates during the medal ceremony for Women’s Ice Hockey in Milan, Italy, on February 19. Photo: TNS

China manufacturing

A boat in every dock? Chinese billionaire unveils plan for mass yacht production

JD.com founder Richard Liu has launched a nautical brand with a massive investment in yacht production, aiming to make ownership affordable.

25 Feb 2026 - 10:11PMvideocam

Style Edit

Style Edit: Tod’s spring/summer 2026 campaign embodies la dolce vita

The town of Maiori provided the essential carefree vibe for the brand’s shoot that featured the iconic Gommino loafer and Pashmy suede jacket.

24 Feb 2026 - 10:00AM

2026 Olympic Winter Games

Editorial | Olympic results entrench China’s rise as a winter sports power

Team China’s medal haul from the Milano Cortina games bodes well for the future of winter sports in the country.

24 Feb 2026 - 6:45AM

Gold medalist Xu Mengtao celebrates after the award ceremony of the freestyle skiing women’s aerials at the Olympic Winter Games in Italy on February 18. Photo: Xinhua

Japan

Clocking off: is Japan’s culture of overwork finally dying?

The average hours put in by Japanese workers are lower than those of their American and Italian counterparts.

23 Feb 2026 - 10:34AMvideocam

2026 Olympic Winter Games

Eileen Gu forced to wait as heavy snow postpones Olympic halfpipe final

This is the final shot at gold for China’s defending champion, who has won two silver medals so far but failed to top the podium.

22 Feb 2026 - 3:21AM

Ukraine war

5 European nations to make drones by tapping Ukraine’s war experience

The initiative by France, Poland, Germany, the UK and Italy comes after a spate of violations of Europe’s airspace involving rogue drones.

21 Feb 2026 - 5:31PM

A Ukrainian member of a drone team launches a surveillance drone towards Russian position in the eastern Donetsk region on February 4, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photo: AFP

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | Who will save the world from a US-China AI arms race?

Unrestrained military AI could doom us all. The window for a global middle-power alliance to rein in the superpowers is closing fast.

21 Feb 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam

Turkey

6 Europeans activists held in Turkey while investigating prison conditions

Their arrest came on the same day that police detained a Turkish journalist working for Deutsche Welle for ‘spreading false news’.

20 Feb 2026 - 8:40PM

Artificial intelligence

How Chinese AI put a new spin on Winter Olympics action

Chinese tech firms have been using the Milano Cortina Games to showcase their capabilities to a global audience.

20 Feb 2026 - 7:00PM

Electric & new energy vehicles

Geely’s Zeekr shifts into Italy as China’s European EV push gathers speed

The carmaker is pressing ahead despite tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, betting on demand for high-spec models.

20 Feb 2026 - 12:43PM

Zeekr is betting on European demand for high-spec models in its foray into Italy. Photo: Getty Images

France

Macron tells Meloni to ‘stay in lane’ over remarks on far-right activist’s death

The Italian prime minister had called French activist Quentin Deranque’s fatal attack ‘a wound for all of Europe’.

19 Feb 2026 - 10:07PM

People pay tribute to far-right sympathiser Quentin Debranque in Nantes on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Luxury cars

Andrea Zagato on the Capricorn 01, coachbuilder Zagato’s first hypercar

The project blends Italian design flair and German precision thanks to engineering firm Capricorn, known for McLaren, Porsche and Bugatti collabs.

19 Feb 2026 - 6:00AM

Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo laments world ‘in flames’ at Ash Wednesday service

The pontiff said the ashes could represent cities destroyed by war, as well as the damage to the environment and international law.

19 Feb 2026 - 3:06AM

Tourism

The Instagram effect: an Italian village is paying the price for being too pretty

Santa Maddalena, a photogenic village in the Italian Dolomites, has to endure hordes of unruly visitors showing up just to take a photo.

19 Feb 2026 - 1:22AM

The picturesque village of Santa Maddalena, in Italy’s Dolomites, is drawing hordes of visitors from all over the world, but the overtourism is affecting its residents. Photo: Christoph Sator/dpa

South Korea

South Korea to observe first, decide later on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

A former South Korean ambassador to Egypt will be attending Thursday’s inaugural meeting in Washington.

18 Feb 2026 - 4:45PMvideocam

Tourism

In Milan, you can adopt a centuries-old statue and give it a new life

The building of Milan’s Duomo started in 1386 and ended in 1965. Now, some of its centuries-old statues are being restored under an adoption scheme.

17 Feb 2026 - 7:15PM

2026 Olympic Winter Games

‘I have to be worried’: Ukraine’s Olympic sign bearer was a Russian woman

Disguised in dark glasses and a silver puffer jacket, Anastasia Kucherova says she wept silently as Ukraine got a standing ovation.

17 Feb 2026 - 2:01PM

Anastasia Kucherova and Ukraine’s flag bearer Yelyzaveta Sydorko (centre) lead the country’s contingent at the opening ceremony. Photo: Reuters

Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Hong Kong watchdog finds fragrance allergens in Gucci, Bvlgari perfumes

Consumer Council warns perfumes containing excessive fragrance chemicals may lead to ‘cocktail effect’, increasing health risks.

16 Feb 2026 - 7:40PM

The Consumer Council has tested 40 perfume products for allergens. Photo: Getty Images

Munich Security Conference

In Munich, US urges ‘collective strength’ among allies to deter China

Washington and its Indo-Pacific and European allies emphasise need for cooperation to counter Beijing’s military build-up.

16 Feb 2026 - 6:00AM

My Take

My Take | China and the UN are not the problem in Ukraine and Palestine – the West is

Europe and America’s warmongering and genocide-enabling are at the roots of the world’s most dangerous geopolitical flashpoints.

15 Feb 2026 - 10:34PM

Cambodia

Opinion | Cambodia’s scam factory survivors find no escape in freedom

A government crackdown freed thousands, but with no passports or support, survivors have simply traded captivity for destitution.

15 Feb 2026 - 12:00PM

People carry their belongings onto a bus as they leave a suspected scam centre compound in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, last month. Photo: AFP

2026 Olympic Winter Games

Video | Hong Kong alpine skier competes in 2026 Winter Olympics

The 21-year-old alpine skier is among six athletes competing in Italy as part of Hong Kong’s largest Winter Olympics delegation in history.

13 Feb 2026 - 5:23PM

European Union

China cuts EU dairy tariffs, easing trade tensions after EV dispute

EU called Beijing’s tariffs ‘unwarranted’, and mulls WTO action, but China cutting some duties signals possible improvement in ties.

12 Feb 2026 - 10:54PMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU seeks independence, survival amid China-US economic dominance

European leaders meet to address the bloc’s economic woes, reliance on China and US, and shielding key industries from protectionist policies.

12 Feb 2026 - 6:05PMvideocam

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Italy

Maria Grazia Chiuri on Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld and more – in her own words

Chiuri was at Valentino and Dior before returning to Fendi, where she worked in the 1990s – she just made her debut as chief creative officer for the brand at Milan Fashion Week.

Milan Fashion Week 2026: Prada, Max Mara and Marni pull out all the stops

Milan Fashion Week 2026: Fendi, Diesel and Jil Sander highlights

US women’s ice hockey captain responds to ‘distasteful’ Trump remark

Hilary Knight, who led her squad to an Olympic gold medal, says the president’s joke overshadowed the achievements of American athletes.

A boat in every dock? Chinese billionaire unveils plan for mass yacht production

JD.com founder Richard Liu has launched a nautical brand with a massive investment in yacht production, aiming to make ownership affordable.

Style Edit: Tod’s spring/summer 2026 campaign embodies la dolce vita

The town of Maiori provided the essential carefree vibe for the brand’s shoot that featured the iconic Gommino loafer and Pashmy suede jacket.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | Olympic results entrench China’s rise as a winter sports power

Team China’s medal haul from the Milano Cortina games bodes well for the future of winter sports in the country.

Clocking off: is Japan’s culture of overwork finally dying?

The average hours put in by Japanese workers are lower than those of their American and Italian counterparts.

Eileen Gu forced to wait as heavy snow postpones Olympic halfpipe final

This is the final shot at gold for China’s defending champion, who has won two silver medals so far but failed to top the podium.

5 European nations to make drones by tapping Ukraine’s war experience

The initiative by France, Poland, Germany, the UK and Italy comes after a spate of violations of Europe’s airspace involving rogue drones.

Opinion | Who will save the world from a US-China AI arms race?

Unrestrained military AI could doom us all. The window for a global middle-power alliance to rein in the superpowers is closing fast.

6 Europeans activists held in Turkey while investigating prison conditions

Their arrest came on the same day that police detained a Turkish journalist working for Deutsche Welle for ‘spreading false news’.

How Chinese AI put a new spin on Winter Olympics action

Chinese tech firms have been using the Milano Cortina Games to showcase their capabilities to a global audience.

Geely’s Zeekr shifts into Italy as China’s European EV push gathers speed

The carmaker is pressing ahead despite tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, betting on demand for high-spec models.

Macron tells Meloni to ‘stay in lane’ over remarks on far-right activist’s death

The Italian prime minister had called French activist Quentin Deranque’s fatal attack ‘a wound for all of Europe’.

Andrea Zagato on the Capricorn 01, coachbuilder Zagato’s first hypercar

The project blends Italian design flair and German precision thanks to engineering firm Capricorn, known for McLaren, Porsche and Bugatti collabs.

Pope Leo laments world ‘in flames’ at Ash Wednesday service

The pontiff said the ashes could represent cities destroyed by war, as well as the damage to the environment and international law.

The Instagram effect: an Italian village is paying the price for being too pretty

Santa Maddalena, a photogenic village in the Italian Dolomites, has to endure hordes of unruly visitors showing up just to take a photo.

South Korea to observe first, decide later on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

A former South Korean ambassador to Egypt will be attending Thursday’s inaugural meeting in Washington.

In Milan, you can adopt a centuries-old statue and give it a new life

The building of Milan’s Duomo started in 1386 and ended in 1965. Now, some of its centuries-old statues are being restored under an adoption scheme.

‘I have to be worried’: Ukraine’s Olympic sign bearer was a Russian woman

Disguised in dark glasses and a silver puffer jacket, Anastasia Kucherova says she wept silently as Ukraine got a standing ovation.

Hong Kong watchdog finds fragrance allergens in Gucci, Bvlgari perfumes

Consumer Council warns perfumes containing excessive fragrance chemicals may lead to ‘cocktail effect’, increasing health risks.

In Munich, US urges ‘collective strength’ among allies to deter China

Washington and its Indo-Pacific and European allies emphasise need for cooperation to counter Beijing’s military build-up.

My Take | China and the UN are not the problem in Ukraine and Palestine – the West is

Europe and America’s warmongering and genocide-enabling are at the roots of the world’s most dangerous geopolitical flashpoints.

Opinion | Cambodia’s scam factory survivors find no escape in freedom

A government crackdown freed thousands, but with no passports or support, survivors have simply traded captivity for destitution.

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Hong Kong alpine skier competes in 2026 Winter Olympics

The 21-year-old alpine skier is among six athletes competing in Italy as part of Hong Kong’s largest Winter Olympics delegation in history.

China cuts EU dairy tariffs, easing trade tensions after EV dispute

EU called Beijing’s tariffs ‘unwarranted’, and mulls WTO action, but China cutting some duties signals possible improvement in ties.

EU seeks independence, survival amid China-US economic dominance

European leaders meet to address the bloc’s economic woes, reliance on China and US, and shielding key industries from protectionist policies.

Editorial | Olympic results entrench China’s rise as a winter sports power

Video | Hong Kong alpine skier competes in 2026 Winter Olympics