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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

Pope Leo waves during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

Religion

Pope to inaugurate Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia in June trip to Spain

He will also visit a migrant reception centre in the Canary Islands.

6 May 2026 - 11:02PM

Donald Trump

‘He’s endangering a lot of Catholics’: Trump takes another shot at pope

6 May 2026 - 6:17PMvideocam

Giorgia Meloni

Italy PM Meloni warns over AI deepfakes after false photos of her circulate

6 May 2026 - 1:03PM

Germany

Germany jails mother for locking up daughter for 7 years

The girl, who is now 11 years old, was locked up for about seven years before being freed in September 2022.

5 May 2026 - 4:47AMvideocam

The courthouse in North Rhine-Westphalia, Siegen where the verdict is announced in the trial against the mother who kept her child hidden and completely cut off from the outside world for seven years. Photo: dpa

Aviation accidents

United Airlines jet hits light pole, truck while landing at US airport

FAA and airline are investigating after flight from Italy strikes a pole on the New Jersey Turnpike, damages delivery truck.

4 May 2026 - 2:07PM

Style Edit

Style Edit: Bulgari updates its Octo Finissimo and Serpenti models for 2026

At Watches and Wonders, Bulgari introduced smaller Octo Finissimos and a limited edition of the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum, among other stand-outs.

4 May 2026 - 10:48AM

Marco Rubio

Rubio to visit Rome, meet Pope Leo who has clashed with Trump

US secretary of state also seeks a meeting with Italy’s Meloni, whom Trump has also turned against.

4 May 2026 - 8:49PMvideocam

Pope Leo has emerged as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli led war with Iran, among other issues. Photo: TNS

China-EU relations

How can China best profit from Trump’s latest rift with traditional US allies?

The US president’s decision to pull troops out of Germany and threats to do the same to Spain and Italy are the latest rift within Nato.

3 May 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel face ‘extreme brutality’

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted near Greece were brought to Israel for interrogation, and appeared in court on Sunday.

3 May 2026 - 4:34PMvideocam

Trip Inspiration

Discover Europe with flexible, affordable first-class Eurail adventures

Breakfast in Spain, lunch in France and dinner in Italy – with plenty of sightseeing from a comfortable seat in between. The joys of flexible, first-class train travel can be yours for the price of a Eurail pass.

3 May 2026 - 8:00AM

An ICE train crosses a viaduct in Baden-Württemberg, a state in southwest Germany bordering France and Switzerland. Photo: Getty Images

Icons and Influencers

Style according to … J.J. Martin, founder of Milan-based La DoubleJ

The high-vibration, maximalist designer on channelled wisdom, goddess energy, and building a colourful life with intention.

2 May 2026 - 7:00AM

J.J. Martin founded LaDoubleJ, a fashion and lifestyle label known for its bold prints, colourful aesthetic and “good vibes”. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong Football Festival

Editorial | Hot summer of football festival fever ahead for Hong Kong

The return of star-studded matches featuring top European clubs heralds a second straight summer of football enthusiasm for local fans.

2 May 2026 - 6:45AM

Defence

Will Japan’s new arms export rules spark a high-end defence boom?

Updated regulations give Tokyo greater scope to sell lethal weapons overseas, prompting rebuke from China, but the industry still faces hurdles.

1 May 2026 - 10:00PMvideocam

Iran

Iran ‘dying to make a deal’, US war costs soar: here’s what happened overnight

US President Donald Trump says only a few people know the status of talks with Tehran as war enters its third month.

1 May 2026 - 8:40AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump takes questions at a press conference in the Oval Office. Photo: EPA

Style Edit

Style Edit: Marble, horsehair and bojagi – Hermès brings craft home

From a marble table by Barber Osgerby to cashmere throws in the bojagi tradition, the maison’s latest offerings are a study in craft.

28 Apr 2026 - 10:00AM

Hermès’ new collections for the home at Milan Design Week 2026. Photo: Handout

Artificial intelligence

Archaeologists use AI to reconstruct Pompeii victim’s face and final moments

AI-generated image shows a man ducking for cover, with a flaming Mount Vesuvius in the background.

28 Apr 2026 - 12:14PM

China GDP

Guangdong’s rule as China’s GDP king faces an unprecedented threat to the crown

A rival provincial powerhouse, with a GDP as big as some G7 nations, is becoming a hub for strategic emerging sectors while outpacing the national economic growth rate.

27 Apr 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Style Edit

Style Edit: Poly MGM Museum’s new ‘Silk Roads Beyond Borders’ treasures

New Italian and Persian treasures make their Asia debut, expanding the museum’s Silk Road narrative with rare works that illuminate centuries of East-West exchange.

5 May 2026 - 12:26PM

Michele Marieschi’s Ca’ Foscari and Palazzo Balbi on the Grand Canal (c.1738-1740). Photo: Fotostudio Rapuzzi

Crime

Italy extradites Chinese national wanted by US for alleged hacking

Xu Zewei was arrested in Milan in 2025 at ⁠the request of US authorities.

27 Apr 2026 - 4:43PM

US, Israel war on Iran

China is poised to reap rewards as energy shock heats up the race for renewables

The US war on Iran may have inadvertently triggered a global transition that will favour Beijing’s green leadership, analysts predict.

26 Apr 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Art

Singapore’s Amanda Heng on making feminist art in a country that wasn’t ready for it

Amanda Heng talks about engaging with the public through art since the 1980s and why her installation at Venice Biennale is all about rest.

26 Apr 2026 - 7:15PM

Amanda Heng at Art SG 2026. The Singaporean artist will represent her country at the 2026 Venice Biennale in May. Photo: Instagram/stpi_singapore

China exports

Flood of small parcels from China pushes Belgian airport to limit

Belgium’s top customs official says main problem is that many products do not meet EU standards.

25 Apr 2026 - 3:00PM

Parcels at the Cainiao Liege eHub in the city’s airport zone, which handles products from China sold on Alibaba’s AliExpress platform. Photo: Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police arrest 9 over HK$1.7 million in fake travel insurance claims

Syndicate allegedly faked overseas accidents with forged documents to claim payouts from insurers without ever leaving the city.

23 Apr 2026 - 5:11PM

Singapore

Man convicted of trafficking Singaporean Tinder date for Dubai sex work

Achraf Arjaouy targeted the victim by pretending to be a wealthy pilot from Qatar who wished to marry her.

23 Apr 2026 - 2:15PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

The plan is an attempt to mend ties with Italian PM Meloni, after she and Trump fell out over his attacks against Pope Leo.

23 Apr 2026 - 6:09AM

US President Donald Trump greets Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, in October 2025. Photo: AP

Weddings

Meet Claudia Doumit, who just married her The Boys co-star Jack Quaid

The Scandal and New Girl actress wed the actor – whose parents are Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid – in a star-studded ceremony in her native Australia.

22 Apr 2026 - 6:00PM

The Boys co-stars Jack Quaid and Claudia Doumit have tied the knot. Photo: @jack_quaid/Instagram

Food and Drinks

Who makes the best panettone in the world? Ask this Taiwanese baker

Giovanna Chen Shih-chieh shares her journey to leading a team of Taiwanese bakers to victory in the 2025 Panettone World Championship.

21 Apr 2026 - 12:15PM

Japan

‘Dragon Ball’ diplomacy: Japan’s Takaichi builds rapport with personal touches

Japan’s first female prime minister uses expressive gestures, thoughtful gifts and music to connect with foreign leaders.

20 Apr 2026 - 10:40AMvideocam

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Italy

Pope to inaugurate Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia in June trip to Spain

He will also visit a migrant reception centre in the Canary Islands.

‘He’s endangering a lot of Catholics’: Trump takes another shot at pope

Italy PM Meloni warns over AI deepfakes after false photos of her circulate

Germany jails mother for locking up daughter for 7 years

The girl, who is now 11 years old, was locked up for about seven years before being freed in September 2022.

United Airlines jet hits light pole, truck while landing at US airport

FAA and airline are investigating after flight from Italy strikes a pole on the New Jersey Turnpike, damages delivery truck.

Style Edit: Bulgari updates its Octo Finissimo and Serpenti models for 2026

At Watches and Wonders, Bulgari introduced smaller Octo Finissimos and a limited edition of the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Platinum, among other stand-outs.

Rubio to visit Rome, meet Pope Leo who has clashed with Trump

US secretary of state also seeks a meeting with Italy’s Meloni, whom Trump has also turned against.

How can China best profit from Trump’s latest rift with traditional US allies?

The US president’s decision to pull troops out of Germany and threats to do the same to Spain and Italy are the latest rift within Nato.

Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel face ‘extreme brutality’

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted near Greece were brought to Israel for interrogation, and appeared in court on Sunday.

Discover Europe with flexible, affordable first-class Eurail adventures

Breakfast in Spain, lunch in France and dinner in Italy – with plenty of sightseeing from a comfortable seat in between. The joys of flexible, first-class train travel can be yours for the price of a Eurail pass.

Style according to … J.J. Martin, founder of Milan-based La DoubleJ

The high-vibration, maximalist designer on channelled wisdom, goddess energy, and building a colourful life with intention.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Editorial | Hot summer of football festival fever ahead for Hong Kong

The return of star-studded matches featuring top European clubs heralds a second straight summer of football enthusiasm for local fans.

Will Japan’s new arms export rules spark a high-end defence boom?

Updated regulations give Tokyo greater scope to sell lethal weapons overseas, prompting rebuke from China, but the industry still faces hurdles.

Iran ‘dying to make a deal’, US war costs soar: here’s what happened overnight

US President Donald Trump says only a few people know the status of talks with Tehran as war enters its third month.

Style Edit: Marble, horsehair and bojagi – Hermès brings craft home

From a marble table by Barber Osgerby to cashmere throws in the bojagi tradition, the maison’s latest offerings are a study in craft.

Archaeologists use AI to reconstruct Pompeii victim’s face and final moments

AI-generated image shows a man ducking for cover, with a flaming Mount Vesuvius in the background.

Guangdong’s rule as China’s GDP king faces an unprecedented threat to the crown

A rival provincial powerhouse, with a GDP as big as some G7 nations, is becoming a hub for strategic emerging sectors while outpacing the national economic growth rate.

Style Edit: Poly MGM Museum’s new ‘Silk Roads Beyond Borders’ treasures

New Italian and Persian treasures make their Asia debut, expanding the museum’s Silk Road narrative with rare works that illuminate centuries of East-West exchange.

Italy extradites Chinese national wanted by US for alleged hacking

Xu Zewei was arrested in Milan in 2025 at ⁠the request of US authorities.

China is poised to reap rewards as energy shock heats up the race for renewables

The US war on Iran may have inadvertently triggered a global transition that will favour Beijing’s green leadership, analysts predict.

Singapore’s Amanda Heng on making feminist art in a country that wasn’t ready for it

Amanda Heng talks about engaging with the public through art since the 1980s and why her installation at Venice Biennale is all about rest.

Flood of small parcels from China pushes Belgian airport to limit

Belgium’s top customs official says main problem is that many products do not meet EU standards.

Hong Kong police arrest 9 over HK$1.7 million in fake travel insurance claims

Syndicate allegedly faked overseas accidents with forged documents to claim payouts from insurers without ever leaving the city.

Man convicted of trafficking Singaporean Tinder date for Dubai sex work

Achraf Arjaouy targeted the victim by pretending to be a wealthy pilot from Qatar who wished to marry her.

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy in World Cup, report says

The plan is an attempt to mend ties with Italian PM Meloni, after she and Trump fell out over his attacks against Pope Leo.

Meet Claudia Doumit, who just married her The Boys co-star Jack Quaid

The Scandal and New Girl actress wed the actor – whose parents are Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid – in a star-studded ceremony in her native Australia.

Who makes the best panettone in the world? Ask this Taiwanese baker

Giovanna Chen Shih-chieh shares her journey to leading a team of Taiwanese bakers to victory in the 2025 Panettone World Championship.

‘Dragon Ball’ diplomacy: Japan’s Takaichi builds rapport with personal touches

Japan’s first female prime minister uses expressive gestures, thoughtful gifts and music to connect with foreign leaders.

Editorial | Hot summer of football festival fever ahead for Hong Kong