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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

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (centre left) shakes hands with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski at a meeting on critical minerals in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Rare earths

From China chokehold to US stockpile, Europe looks for least bad rare earth bet

The EU industry chief secured a ‘commitment’ in Washington for a memorandum on critical minerals, but anxiety is growing.

5 Feb 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Art

Goldfish plastic bags and laundry: Hong Kong’s everyday life on show in Venice

5 Feb 2026 - 5:15PM

2026 Olympic Winter Games

Video | Dancing robot feature at China House for 2026 Winter Olympics

5 Feb 2026 - 4:52PM

Art

Church angel resembling Italy’s prime minister painted over after outcry

Restorer admits styling the angel on Giorgia Meloni before erasing the face.

5 Feb 2026 - 1:23PM

The painted church angel that resembled Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Photo: AFP

United States

US ‘Today’ show host appeals to mother’s kidnapper for proof of life

Savannah Guthrie’s emotional appeal came three days after her elderly mother went missing from her home.

5 Feb 2026 - 2:59PM

Photography

Milan’s most stylish: a photographer’s view of the city’s best dressed

Shots of Miuccia Prada, Luciano Barbera and the late Giorgio Armani and Franca Sozzani vie with those of ordinary people in The Sartorialist’s coffee-table book for Taschen.

5 Feb 2026 - 6:00AM

Alibaba

From chatbots to replays: Alibaba rolls out AI suite for 2026 Winter Olympics

Alibaba Cloud has unveiled AI assistants for the 2026 Winter Olympics, integrating its Qwen model into Games operations.

5 Feb 2026 - 2:06AM

Alibaba Cloud staff working at one of the venues for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games. Photo: Handout

Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for February 5-7

Kick off this month with painter-themed drinks at Dead Poets, guest shifts that bring Asian-inspired cocktails to The Opposites, and Italian flavours to Avoca.

4 Feb 2026 - 6:02PM

2026 Olympic Winter Games

Milan as it hosts the Winter Olympics: where to eat, shop and be pampered

Savour authentic cuisine at Rovello 18, get the full Italian barbershop treatment at Eredi Zucca, and admire Robert Mapplethorpe’s sensual photographs.

4 Feb 2026 - 8:00AM

Fashion

6 sleek Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games fashion collaborations in 2026

From Adidas x Team GB and Lululemon x Team Canada, to Ralph Lauren x Team USA, these are the chicest kits we’ll be seeing in Milano Cortina.

4 Feb 2026 - 11:08AM

Le Coq Sportif is working with the French team, while Ralph Lauren is designing for Team USA. Photos: @lecoqsportif, @ralphlauren/Instagram

2026 Olympic Winter Games

Assouline spotlights Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy’s chic Winter Olympics co-host

Co-hosting with Milan, the Italian ski resort is known as the Queen of the Dolomites and was a favourite of 1940s-60s English film star David Niven.

3 Feb 2026 - 4:00AM

Last light on a mountaintop in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the northern Italian ski resort set to co-host the 2026 Winter Olympics with Milan. Photo: Handout

Tourism

Paying for a selfie: Rome starts charging for Trevi Fountain

The move aims to ease overcrowding, raise funds for upkeep, and grant locals museum access.

2 Feb 2026 - 10:52PM

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

Captured foreigners describe journeys from joining the Russian side to a Ukrainian jail with no way home.

30 Jan 2026 - 4:32PM

Prisoners of war at a detention centre in western Ukraine. Photo: AFP

Style Edit

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

As the lunar cycle turns, the house of Furla’s new bag collection combines auspicious motifs with nearly a century of Italian craftsmanship.

30 Jan 2026 - 10:00AM

Get into the festive spirit with Furla’s Year of the Horse bags this season. Photo: Handout

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

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

Crew members of the ‘Ocean Viking’ ship take part in a night rescue exercise in the Mediterranean Sea. Photo: AFP

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

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

Anthony Souza, the godson of late fashion designer Valentino Garavani, and pallbearers carry the coffin of Valentino Garavani outside the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs in Rome on Friday. Photo: Reuters

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

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

France’s President Emmanuel Macron wears sunglasses as he attends the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

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

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

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Italy

From China chokehold to US stockpile, Europe looks for least bad rare earth bet

The EU industry chief secured a ‘commitment’ in Washington for a memorandum on critical minerals, but anxiety is growing.

Goldfish plastic bags and laundry: Hong Kong’s everyday life on show in Venice

.css-rcruog{color:#C79A00;}Video | Dancing robot feature at China House for 2026 Winter Olympics

Church angel resembling Italy’s prime minister painted over after outcry

Restorer admits styling the angel on Giorgia Meloni before erasing the face.

US ‘Today’ show host appeals to mother’s kidnapper for proof of life

Savannah Guthrie’s emotional appeal came three days after her elderly mother went missing from her home.

Milan’s most stylish: a photographer’s view of the city’s best dressed

Shots of Miuccia Prada, Luciano Barbera and the late Giorgio Armani and Franca Sozzani vie with those of ordinary people in The Sartorialist’s coffee-table book for Taschen.

From chatbots to replays: Alibaba rolls out AI suite for 2026 Winter Olympics

Alibaba Cloud has unveiled AI assistants for the 2026 Winter Olympics, integrating its Qwen model into Games operations.

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for February 5-7

Kick off this month with painter-themed drinks at Dead Poets, guest shifts that bring Asian-inspired cocktails to The Opposites, and Italian flavours to Avoca.

Milan as it hosts the Winter Olympics: where to eat, shop and be pampered

Savour authentic cuisine at Rovello 18, get the full Italian barbershop treatment at Eredi Zucca, and admire Robert Mapplethorpe’s sensual photographs.

6 sleek Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games fashion collaborations in 2026

From Adidas x Team GB and Lululemon x Team Canada, to Ralph Lauren x Team USA, these are the chicest kits we’ll be seeing in Milano Cortina.

Assouline spotlights Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy’s chic Winter Olympics co-host

Co-hosting with Milan, the Italian ski resort is known as the Queen of the Dolomites and was a favourite of 1940s-60s English film star David Niven.

Paying for a selfie: Rome starts charging for Trevi Fountain

The move aims to ease overcrowding, raise funds for upkeep, and grant locals museum access.

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.

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

Captured foreigners describe journeys from joining the Russian side to a Ukrainian jail with no way home.

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

As the lunar cycle turns, the house of Furla’s new bag collection combines auspicious motifs with nearly a century of Italian craftsmanship.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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’.

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.

Video | Dancing robot feature at China House for 2026 Winter Olympics