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Silvio Berlusconi pictured in September 2022

Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi dies aged 86

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire businessman who created Italy's largest media company before transforming the political landscape, has died.

World • 12 Jun 23

Tunisia has long been a stepping stone for migrant seeking a better life in Europe

EU considering major aid package for Tunisia

The European Union, Italian and Dutch leaders have visited Tunisia for talks on helping its troubled economy and on reducing the flow of irregular migrants to Europe.

Europe • 11 Jun 23

An Italian minister had said that there were 15 'illegal migrants' on board the vessel

Unclear if 'pirates' threatened Turkey ship crew

A Turkish cargo vessel that Italian special forces boarded after the crew detected a group of unidentified people on board is now sitting off the southern city of Naples, while police continue to investigate the situation.

World • 10 Jun 23

A photo taken by the crew of the Turkish ship "Galata Seaway" shows the Italian special forces launching a rescue operation

'Pirates' on Turkish cargo ship off Italy

Italian special forces boarded a cargo ship sailing from Turkey to France today, after the crew were threatened by "pirates" off the Italian coast, the defence ministry said.

World • 09 Jun 23

The scientists said May had seen 'the wettest event of this type' for two centuries

Experts: Italy floods caused by 'one-in-200-year' event

Deadly floods that left large swathes of northeast Italy under water earlier this month were caused by a "one-in-200-year" weather event, with climate change playing a limited role, according to experts.

Europe • 31 May 23

Residents noticed a stretch of the water turned bright green yesterday (Pic: Italian fire service)

Venice canal turns green due to non-toxic substance

The spectacular transformation of a stretch of Venice's Grand Canal to fluorescent green is due to fluorescein, a non-toxic substance used for testing wastewater networks, according to local authorities.

Europe • 29 May 23

Tourists took photographs of the green area, from the Rialto Bridge up and along part of the Canal

Venice's Grand Canal turns phosphorescent green

A stretch of Venice's Grand Canal has turned bright green, prompting police to investigate amid speculation about a stunt by environmentalists.

World • 28 May 23

ITA, the successor to Italy's loss-making flagship airline Alitalia, took to the air in 2021 as a state-owned company

Lufthansa clinches deal for 41% stake in ITA Airways

Lufthansa will take a 41% stake in ITA Airways by way of a €325m capital increase that will flow directly to the Italian carrier, the German group has said.

Business • 26 May 23

Ryanair has won its challenge against Italian state aid (Pic:Rolling News)

EU court backs Ryanair challenge on Italian state aid

Europe's second-top court has today backed Ryanair's challenge against an Italian state aid, approved by the European Union, for airlines hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Business • 24 May 23

Giorgia Meloni toured towns in the Emilia-Romagna region, where the floods have killed 14 people

Italian PM Meloni visits flood-hit region

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pledged to support the recovery of flood-hit areas of northern Italy after returning early from the G7 summit in Japan to see the damage first hand.

World • 21 May 23

Violent downpours earlier this week killed 14 people, transforming streets in the cities and towns of the Emilia Romagna region into rivers

Over 36,000 people displaced by Italy floods

More than 36,000 people have now been forced from their homes by deadly floods in northeast Italy, regional officials have said, as rising waters swallowed more houses and fresh landslides isolated hamlets.

World • 20 May 23

Firefighters evacuated residents in a dinghy across flooded streets in Lugo

Flood death toll in northern Italy rises to 14

The toll from floods that have devastated the Emilia Romagna region in Italy has risen to 14, amid calls for the government to revive an abandoned project to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

World • 19 May 23

At least nine people died this week in the northern Emilia-Romagna region

Extreme weather events becoming the new norm in Italy

Italy has experienced storms, avalanches, floods and drought over the past year, killing dozens of people, as once exceptional disasters become a regular part of life, leaving the government scrambling to find answers.

Climate Change • 18 May 23

Pedestrians on a flooded street in the town of Lugo

Death toll in floods across northern Italy reaches 13

The death toll from floods that have devastated northeastern Italy rose to 13 on Thursday, according to media reports, driving thousands from their homes and destroying crops in an area known as the country's orchard.

Europe • 18 May 23

Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said some areas had received half their average annual rainfall in just 36 hours

Eight dead, Grand Prix called off after Italy flooding

At least eight people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes as torrential rain battered Italy's northern Emilia Romagna region, triggering floods and landslides, officials said.

Europe • 17 May 23

Police raids focused on various family clans of the 'Ndrangheta, based in the southern region of Calabria

61 alleged 'Ndrangheta mafia members arrested in Italy

Italian prosecutors have said that 61 suspected mafia members were arrested for alleged crimes including fraud, infiltrating government and even extorting onion growers.

World • 10 May 23

Italy's Monte dei Paschi di Siena said its firs quarter net profit came in at €236m, outstripping a €150m market consensus

Italy's MPS beats forecast with stellar profit jump

Italy's Monte dei Paschi di Siena has today reported a much larger than expected jump in first quarter net profit as it slashed costs and, like peers, reaped the benefits of higher interest rates.

Business • 09 May 23

The area where Andrea Papi was killed was re-populated with bears from 1999 under an EU-funded programme (stock image)

Bear that killed Italian jogger captured

The female bear that killed a 26-year-old runner in the Italian Alps two weeks ago has been captured overnight, the Trento province said in a statement.

World • 18 Apr 23

Italy was the first western European country to curb ChatGPT

Italy to allow ChatGPT to return if OpenAI takes steps

Italy's data protection watchdog is ready to allow the return of the ChatGPT chatbot at the end of April if its maker OpenAI takes "useful steps" to address the agency's concerns, the authority's chief Pasquale Stanzione said in an interview today.

Business • 18 Apr 23

The jogger was killed while out running in the mountainous area near his village in the Trentino region (stock image)

Bear kills jogger on woodland path in Italy

A bear attacked and killed a jogger on a woodland path in northwest Italy, the first case of its kind, a source close to the case has said.

World • 07 Apr 23

Silvio Berlusconi is only seen in public on rare occasions, and appears physically diminished (file image)

'I'll make it', says Berlusconi from hospital bed

Italian former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has vowed to survive another stint in hospital, as the 86-year-old showed signs of improvement after he received treatment for leukaemia and a lung infection.

World • 07 Apr 23

The 86-year-old was taken to hospital in Milan yesterday

Berlusconi in hospital with leukaemia, lung infection

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been suffering from chronic blood cancer for some time and is in intensive care for a lung infection, according to his doctors.

Europe • 06 Apr 23

Silvio Berlusconi, a four-times prime minister, had major heart surgery in 2016 (file image)

Italy's Berlusconi to spend night in intensive care

Silvio Berlusconi, who was Italian prime minister four times, was being treated in intensive care in a cardiac unit at Milan's San Raffaele Hospital after suffering breathing problems.

World • 05 Apr 23

Since its release last year, ChatGPT has set off a tech craze, prompting rivals to launch similar products

Italy's data protection agency opens ChatGPT probe

Italy's data protection agency said today it had opened a probe into OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot over a suspected breach of the artificial intelligence application's data collection rules.

Business • 31 Mar 23

Alitalia will have to repay a €400m loan to the Italian government because the money breached EU state aid rules

Alitalia must repay €400m illegal state aid, EU says

Alitalia, the predecessor of Italian state-owned airline ITA Airways, will have to repay a €400m loan to the Italian government because the money breached EU state aid rules, EU competition authorities said today.

Business • 27 Mar 23

Italy