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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

Alibaba Group chairman Joe Tsai speaks on stage during the Wave event in Turin, northern Italy, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Artificial intelligence

Alibaba chairman says open source AI approach could be blueprint for Europe

Tsai argues that US export controls on advanced technologies have fuelled the development of China’s AI ecosystem.

1 hour ago

TV shows and streaming video

Bling Empire’s Dorothy Wang is back. This time, it’s her wedding, her rules

3 hours agovideocam

Britain

UK signals ‘openness’ to Germany joining GCAP fighter jet programme

8 Oct 2026 - 10:40PM

European Union

Macroscope | French debt just one driver of fears over euro-zone’s future

China has exploited the EU’s ineffective integration while Japanese bond investors fear the financial consequences of reform failures.

8 Oct 2026 - 7:45PMvideocam

A protester holds a French flag behind a barricade on the Boulevard Saint-Germain during a blockade of Sciences Po university in Paris as part of nationwide student protests demanding better school conditions on October 7. The slogan on the placard reads “Generation Six-Seven re-enacts May 68”, referring to when about 10 million workers walked off the job in 1968, the largest general strike in French history. Photo: Reuters

India

Workers, mostly Indian, building US consulate in Milan agree to record settlement

Potentially life-changing sums averaging US$50,400 begin under historic US$35 million labour exploitation deal.

8 Oct 2026 - 10:33AM

Style Edit

Style Edit: Hogan turns 40 with 4 cinematic stories of its icons

The Italian luxury shoemaker celebrates its legacy dating back to 1986 with short films, limited-edition Cool Blue sneakers and scholarships for students at a Rome film school.

8 Oct 2026 - 10:00AM

China's military weapons

Turkmenistan grows its arsenal of Chinese air defences as Russia’s role shrinks

Amid regional instability, Central Asian nations look beyond Moscow for arms as the war in Ukraine drains Russian stocks.

6 Oct 2026 - 2:42PMvideocam

Chinese-made FK-2000 missile-and-gun systems on display during Turkmenistan’s Independence Day parade in Ashgabat on September 27. Photo: Handout

European Union

Empty classrooms on remote Greek island signal crisis across Europe

Falling enrolment across Greece this year prompted authorities to close 75 schools.

5 Oct 2026 - 7:40PM

Food and Drinks

Unsung Eats: 5 best places to eat in Milan

Step away from the cocktail circuit this October for saffron risotto, Japanese-Italian twists, fermentation-led tasting menus and more.

3 Oct 2026 - 2:00PM

Fashion

Interview: CEO Frédéric Arnault on navigating Loro Piana’s complexities

The LVMH heir talks about the maison’s commitment to fabric development, sustainability goals, non-celebrity campaigns, and resistance to fleeting trends.

1 Oct 2026 - 8:00AM

Frédéric Arnault joined Loro Piana as its CEO in 2025. Photo: Handout

Style Edit

Style Edit: Max Mara and Sportmax’s SS27 collections for the dynamic woman

Max Mara welcomed stars like Kate Mara and Adria Arjona to its Milan Fashion Week front row, while Sportmax unveiled sheer tailoring designed for soaring heat.

29 Sep 2026 - 4:46PM

Luxury everyday wear from Max Mara (centre) and Sportmax (left and right) from the brands’ spring/summer 2027 collections shown at Milan Fashion Week. Photo: Handout

Alibaba

Alibaba deepens sports tech push with new Brooklyn Nets partnership

The Chinese tech titan becomes the NBA team’s official technology and cloud partner and jersey patch sponsor ahead of its 60th anniversary.

29 Sep 2026 - 5:53PM

Milan Fashion Week

Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo and Tod’s dazzle at Milan Fashion Week

The last few days highlighted the diversity of Italian fashion, from Ferragamo’s ‘40s revival to Tod’s elegant line-up of outerwear staples.

28 Sep 2026 - 10:57AM

International Property

Italy attracts wealthy Chinese property buyers with food, fashion – and flat tax

Hong Kong and mainland investors are increasingly eyeing property in Italy, drawn by its lifestyle and flat tax regime, agents say.

28 Sep 2026 - 8:00AM

Italy is becoming an investment hotspot among wealthy property buyers. Photo: Shutterstock

Giorgia Meloni

Italy to ban burkas in schools, with 30% cap on pupils with poor Italian

The move comes ahead of Italy’s election next year, in which PM Meloni’s party faces pressure the even further right National Future party.

25 Sep 2026 - 7:20PM

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivers closing remarks at a rally celebrating her government’s record as the longest-serving administration in Italy’s republican history, in Bari, Italy on September 4. Her Cabinet has now adopted the measures by decree. Photo: Reuters

China trade

Chinese carmakers gain as high petrol prices boost European EV sales

Chinese brands’ share of plug-in hybrid registrations across Europe climbed from about 20 per cent in January to 35.3 per cent in August.

25 Sep 2026 - 5:37PMvideocam

Milan Fashion Week

Milan Fashion Week: Max Mara and Marni’s utilitarian-strong SS27 collections

Inspired by 1930s female pioneers, Max Mara’s line-up featured linen as soft as silk, while Marni embraced colour and leaned into buckle and belt motifs.

25 Sep 2026 - 11:17AM

Ukraine war

Croatia clears extradition of Nord Stream blast suspect to Germany

German prosecutors have accused Ukrainian scuba diver of planting explosives on Baltic pipelines in 2022.

25 Sep 2026 - 12:14PM

A gas leak at Nord Stream 2 in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm in 2022. Photo: Danish Defence Command via Reuters

Indonesia

Indonesia commissions first aircraft carrier, bolstering sea defence

Indonesia’s navy renamed the former Italian warship KRI Sriwijaya-100 at a ceremony in North Jakarta.

24 Sep 2026 - 3:52PM

Energy

Italy greenlights return of nuclear power after decades-long ban

Parliament clears legal framework for next-generation reactors nearly 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster.

24 Sep 2026 - 12:44PM

Milan Fashion Week

Fendi embraces sheer party glamour while Jil Sander highlights the beauty of imperfection for SS27

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s upbeat, body-conscious runway and Simone Bellotti’s creased textures were the highlights of day two.

24 Sep 2026 - 10:46AM

The Fendi spring/summer 2027 show was a celebration of the female body. Photo: AP

Tourism

Italy’s Colosseum closes after worker dies in accident

The incident comes less ‌than a year ‌after the death of a worker trapped under the rubble of a collapsed medieval tower near the Colosseum.

23 Sep 2026 - 7:09PM

Carabinieri paramilitary police stand on patrol outside the Colosseum in Rome on Wednesday. Photo: via AP

China-Africa relations

Djibouti base upgrade may give PLA eyes on foreign military in Middle East

Commercial imagery reveals two new communication sites built near foreign military bases in East Africa, US think tank says.

21 Sep 2026 - 9:16PMvideocam

Art

Fan Ho’s poetic photos of mid-20th century Hong Kong show in an unlikely place

An Italian palace in Turin is hosting a new exhibition of Fan’s works that capture everyday human activity in 1950s and 60s Hong Kong.

21 Sep 2026 - 5:20PM

Style Edit

Style Edit: Zegna brings an Alpine-inspired retail vision to Hong Kong

Natural materials and curved interiors frame the Italian maison’s expanded menswear offering, from tailoring and leisurewear to footwear and fragrances.

21 Sep 2026 - 10:00AM

Zegna has opened a new negozio, or store, inside Hong Kong’s Harbour City. Photo: Handout

Giorgia Meloni

Meloni pushes for burka ban in Italy’s schools, cap on foreign students

Italian prime minister tells party rally that foreigners must ‘respect our rules’ under proposed integration package.

21 Sep 2026 - 11:41AM

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday. Photo: EPA

ICBMs

Opinion | Why cities have the responsibility to demand nuclear disarmament

As cities are the main targets of nuclear weapons, they have a responsibility to speak out and encourage efforts to eliminate them.

18 Sep 2026 - 9:39PMvideocam

Hong Kong

As I see it | Why mainland Chinese despise the British – but Hongkongers don’t

Whereas Hong Kong people experienced a milder form of colonialism, mainland Chinese were subjected to the extremes of Western imperialism.

18 Sep 2026 - 4:30PM

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Italy

Alibaba chairman says open source AI approach could be blueprint for Europe

Tsai argues that US export controls on advanced technologies have fuelled the development of China’s AI ecosystem.

Bling Empire’s Dorothy Wang is back. This time, it’s her wedding, her rules

UK signals ‘openness’ to Germany joining GCAP fighter jet programme

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Macroscope | French debt just one driver of fears over euro-zone’s future

China has exploited the EU’s ineffective integration while Japanese bond investors fear the financial consequences of reform failures.

Workers, mostly Indian, building US consulate in Milan agree to record settlement

Potentially life-changing sums averaging US$50,400 begin under historic US$35 million labour exploitation deal.

Style Edit: Hogan turns 40 with 4 cinematic stories of its icons

The Italian luxury shoemaker celebrates its legacy dating back to 1986 with short films, limited-edition Cool Blue sneakers and scholarships for students at a Rome film school.

Turkmenistan grows its arsenal of Chinese air defences as Russia’s role shrinks

Amid regional instability, Central Asian nations look beyond Moscow for arms as the war in Ukraine drains Russian stocks.

Empty classrooms on remote Greek island signal crisis across Europe

Falling enrolment across Greece this year prompted authorities to close 75 schools.

Unsung Eats: 5 best places to eat in Milan

Step away from the cocktail circuit this October for saffron risotto, Japanese-Italian twists, fermentation-led tasting menus and more.

Interview: CEO Frédéric Arnault on navigating Loro Piana’s complexities

The LVMH heir talks about the maison’s commitment to fabric development, sustainability goals, non-celebrity campaigns, and resistance to fleeting trends.

Style Edit: Max Mara and Sportmax’s SS27 collections for the dynamic woman

Max Mara welcomed stars like Kate Mara and Adria Arjona to its Milan Fashion Week front row, while Sportmax unveiled sheer tailoring designed for soaring heat.

Alibaba deepens sports tech push with new Brooklyn Nets partnership

The Chinese tech titan becomes the NBA team’s official technology and cloud partner and jersey patch sponsor ahead of its 60th anniversary.

Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo and Tod’s dazzle at Milan Fashion Week

The last few days highlighted the diversity of Italian fashion, from Ferragamo’s ‘40s revival to Tod’s elegant line-up of outerwear staples.

Italy attracts wealthy Chinese property buyers with food, fashion – and flat tax

Hong Kong and mainland investors are increasingly eyeing property in Italy, drawn by its lifestyle and flat tax regime, agents say.

Italy to ban burkas in schools, with 30% cap on pupils with poor Italian

The move comes ahead of Italy’s election next year, in which PM Meloni’s party faces pressure the even further right National Future party.

Chinese carmakers gain as high petrol prices boost European EV sales

Chinese brands’ share of plug-in hybrid registrations across Europe climbed from about 20 per cent in January to 35.3 per cent in August.

Milan Fashion Week: Max Mara and Marni’s utilitarian-strong SS27 collections

Inspired by 1930s female pioneers, Max Mara’s line-up featured linen as soft as silk, while Marni embraced colour and leaned into buckle and belt motifs.

Croatia clears extradition of Nord Stream blast suspect to Germany

German prosecutors have accused Ukrainian scuba diver of planting explosives on Baltic pipelines in 2022.

Indonesia commissions first aircraft carrier, bolstering sea defence

Indonesia’s navy renamed the former Italian warship KRI Sriwijaya-100 at a ceremony in North Jakarta.

Italy greenlights return of nuclear power after decades-long ban

Parliament clears legal framework for next-generation reactors nearly 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster.

Fendi embraces sheer party glamour while Jil Sander highlights the beauty of imperfection for SS27

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s upbeat, body-conscious runway and Simone Bellotti’s creased textures were the highlights of day two.

Italy’s Colosseum closes after worker dies in accident

The incident comes less ‌than a year ‌after the death of a worker trapped under the rubble of a collapsed medieval tower near the Colosseum.

Djibouti base upgrade may give PLA eyes on foreign military in Middle East

Commercial imagery reveals two new communication sites built near foreign military bases in East Africa, US think tank says.

Fan Ho’s poetic photos of mid-20th century Hong Kong show in an unlikely place

An Italian palace in Turin is hosting a new exhibition of Fan’s works that capture everyday human activity in 1950s and 60s Hong Kong.

Style Edit: Zegna brings an Alpine-inspired retail vision to Hong Kong

Natural materials and curved interiors frame the Italian maison’s expanded menswear offering, from tailoring and leisurewear to footwear and fragrances.

Meloni pushes for burka ban in Italy’s schools, cap on foreign students

Italian prime minister tells party rally that foreigners must ‘respect our rules’ under proposed integration package.

Opinion | Why cities have the responsibility to demand nuclear disarmament

As cities are the main targets of nuclear weapons, they have a responsibility to speak out and encourage efforts to eliminate them.

As I see it | Why mainland Chinese despise the British – but Hongkongers don’t

Whereas Hong Kong people experienced a milder form of colonialism, mainland Chinese were subjected to the extremes of Western imperialism.

Macroscope | French debt just one driver of fears over euro-zone’s future