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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

A dish of Italian spaghetti alla carbonara. Unesco added the rituals surrounding Italian food preparation and consumption to its list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. Photo: AFP

Food and Drinks

Unesco adds Italian cuisine and its rituals to world cultural heritage list

Italy’s culinary traditions have been recognised by the United Nations’ cultural agency as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

12 Dec 2025 - 5:14AM

China-Japan relations

Donald Trump left facing ‘dilemma’ as China-Japan spat worsens: analyst

12 Dec 2025 - 12:29AMvideocam

Style Edit

Style Edit: Bulgari’s best festive offerings, from jewellery to bags

8 Dec 2025 - 10:00AM

Brunello Cucinelli

A-listers turned out for the Brunello Cucinelli film premiere in Rome

Hollywood actors Jeff Goldblum, Jessica Chastain and Chris Pine also attended the screening, held at Rome’s legendary Cinecittà Studios.

5 Dec 2025 - 2:00PM

Brunello Cucinelli and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Thursday premiere of Brunello, Il Visionario Garbato, in Rome. Photo: WireImage

Luxury brands

Luxury brands face probe over alleged Chinese worker exploitation in Italy

The alleged sweatshop labour practices, spark a nationwide investigation into ‘Made in Italy’ ethics and supply chain transparency.

4 Dec 2025 - 8:12PM

Fashion

Prada has bought Versace, but can it make Milan rival ‘interesting again’?

After struggling in the ‘quiet luxury’ era, Versace is in for a reboot as Prada looks to cash in on its ‘untapped growth potential’.

3 Dec 2025 - 7:15PM

European Union

EU’s former top diplomat Mogherini charged in fraud investigation

Federica Mogherini was arrested in Brussels amid raids over suspected fraud related to an EU-funded training programme for junior diplomats.

3 Dec 2025 - 4:19PM

Federica Mogherini in 2019. Photo: Reuters

Art

Want a da Vinci but are short a few million? Get the digital version instead

Limited-edition, certified digital copies of Italian masterpieces sold at a fraction of the originals’ cost are boosting museums’ cash flow.

2 Dec 2025 - 7:15PM

Fame and celebrity

Q&A | Eugenio Franceschini on fashion and his role as Marcello on Emily in Paris

The Italian actor talks about landing the Netflix show, working with Lily Collins, and what it’s like being a ‘heartthrob’.

30 Nov 2025 - 12:00PM

Defence

Italy’s Leonardo unveils ‘Michelangelo Dome’ air defence system

The system uses predictive AI to help position assets and shorten response times against threats like hypersonic weapons and drone swarms.

28 Nov 2025 - 1:44PM

The Michelangelo Dome aims to coordinate warfare platforms from below sea level to out in space across a single network. Image: Leonardo.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s finance chief seeks to attract Italian company listings on HKEX

Financial Secretary Paul Chan touted bilateral trade ties and a shared passion for creativity in his speech to the Trade Development Council.

28 Nov 2025 - 6:17AM

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan, seen on Tuesday at a dinner hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, hopes to encourage Italian firms to invest in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

South Korea

Italian TV host apologises for ‘careless’ South Korea-Japan history remarks

Mondi pledged to study history after saying ‘you should listen to both sides’ on Japan’s colonial rule.

27 Nov 2025 - 9:03AM

Trending in China

Italian eatery owner slammed for insulting 16 Taiwan tourists for sharing 5 pizzas

An Italian chef tells media that one reason for owner’s irritation might be because it is common for customers to order one pizza per person.

26 Nov 2025 - 2:00PM

Malaysia

Letters | Academic theories deserve rigorous scrutiny, not public shaming

Readers discuss the controversy over a Malaysian academic’s hypothesis about Roman shipbuilding, the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, and cutting back Hong Kong children’s screen time.

26 Nov 2025 - 11:30AM

Dr Solehah’s theory – that Romans may have learned shipbuilding techniques from Malay seafarers – deserved rigorous academic scrutiny. Photo: YouTube/Prof Dr Solehah

Mainland China

Italian police raid Amazon sites in probe involving Chinese goods

E-commerce giant Amazon is suspected of acting as a ‘Trojan horse’ in Italy customs fraud case, court document says.

25 Nov 2025 - 1:44PM

Amazon is under investigation in Italy for alleged smuggling of Chinese goods, sparking EU-wide probes and tax evasion concerns. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong’s Paul Chan to lead delegation to Italy to showcase tech, boost trade

Science Park to invite eight tech start-up companies to attend Trade Development Council’s symposium in Milan.

24 Nov 2025 - 12:00PM

Britain

Opinion | Self-interest is now the main driver of Britain’s Asia policy

There are a great many reasons why the UK government should pay more attention to the Asia-Pacific, but that does not mean that it will.

24 Nov 2025 - 9:21AM

European Union

Italian left gathers for anti-Meloni campaign despite rivalries

Meloni has been durable as prime minister, despite occasional clashes within her coalition on bank taxes and aid to Ukraine.

23 Nov 2025 - 4:38PM

Supporters of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) demonstrate in front of the Senate in Rome. Photo: AFP

Food and Drinks

‘Carbonara sauce’ at EU parliament causes stir with Italy

Italy’s agriculture minister has demanded an investigation after he found jars containing pancetta at a supermarket in Brussels.

22 Nov 2025 - 2:41AM

Switzerland

Swiss police hunt 2 men after gold heist at museum, in echoes of Louvre robbery

Police said the men had bought tickets and waited until near closing time to overpower the guard and flee with dozens of gold coins.

21 Nov 2025 - 11:39PM

Science

Lightning start: China’s Juno ‘ghost particle’ detector delivers record results

2 months of ‘unprecedented measurement precision’ by world’s largest neutrino detector raises hopes for unlocking secrets of matter.

20 Nov 2025 - 2:09PMvideocam

The immediate success of the Juno neutrino detector has confirmed that it is ready to tackle fundamental questions, potentially uncovering new laws of physics and solving the mystery of matter’s very existence. Photo: Xinhua

Tourism

What are the food and wine wonders of Italy’s Liguria and Piedmont regions?

The neighbouring regions in northwest Italy are between them home to pesto, great wines, white truffles and more. Here’s what to enjoy there.

18 Nov 2025 - 1:11PM

The Piedmont commune of Serralunga d’Alba, from which the two-Michelin-star La Rei Natura is about 3km away. Photo: dpa

China-Japan relations

Beijing-Tokyo row over Takaichi’s Taiwan comments: everything you need to know

From warnings to cancelled Japan flights, here is a rundown of the Post’s reporting after the Japan PM’s remarks.

18 Nov 2025 - 11:14AMvideocam

China-EU relations

EU recalibrates on China as it seeks rare earths breakthrough

Official sources say Brussels is in ‘de-escalation mode’ as it tries to convince Beijing to issue more export licences for critical minerals.

17 Nov 2025 - 5:48PMvideocam

E-commerce

Chinese vendors on Shein, Temu face tax changes at home and abroad

While the EU ends a duty exemption, a reform of China’s tax regime may present the bigger challenge for cross-border sellers.

16 Nov 2025 - 10:00AM

An internet user shops on the Shein website in Paris on November 5, 2025. Photo: AFP

Tourism

Italy’s South Tyrol region scraps planned dog tourist tax

The regulation would have required a daily fee of US$1.70 for each dog brought to the region from next year.

15 Nov 2025 - 10:45PM

People at a street in Bolzano, capital of the South Tyrol region. Italy’s northernmost province is a particularly popular holiday destination for German and Austrian tourists. Photo: EPA-EFE

Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Takaichi must soon make amends if China ties are to be repaired

The Japanese PM should take the opportunity of the G20 meeting to explain her comments to Premier Li Qiang and issue an unequivocal retraction.

15 Nov 2025 - 10:50PM

Catholic Church

Vatican returns 62 artefacts connected to indigenous peoples from Canada

The move is part of the Catholic Church’s reckoning with its role in helping suppress indigenous culture in the Americas.

15 Nov 2025 - 8:11PM

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Italy

Unesco adds Italian cuisine and its rituals to world cultural heritage list

Italy’s culinary traditions have been recognised by the United Nations’ cultural agency as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

Donald Trump left facing ‘dilemma’ as China-Japan spat worsens: analyst

Style Edit: Bulgari’s best festive offerings, from jewellery to bags

A-listers turned out for the Brunello Cucinelli film premiere in Rome

Hollywood actors Jeff Goldblum, Jessica Chastain and Chris Pine also attended the screening, held at Rome’s legendary Cinecittà Studios.

Luxury brands face probe over alleged Chinese worker exploitation in Italy

The alleged sweatshop labour practices, spark a nationwide investigation into ‘Made in Italy’ ethics and supply chain transparency.

Prada has bought Versace, but can it make Milan rival ‘interesting again’?

After struggling in the ‘quiet luxury’ era, Versace is in for a reboot as Prada looks to cash in on its ‘untapped growth potential’.

EU’s former top diplomat Mogherini charged in fraud investigation

Federica Mogherini was arrested in Brussels amid raids over suspected fraud related to an EU-funded training programme for junior diplomats.

Want a da Vinci but are short a few million? Get the digital version instead

Limited-edition, certified digital copies of Italian masterpieces sold at a fraction of the originals’ cost are boosting museums’ cash flow.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Q&A | Eugenio Franceschini on fashion and his role as Marcello on Emily in Paris

The Italian actor talks about landing the Netflix show, working with Lily Collins, and what it’s like being a ‘heartthrob’.

Italy’s Leonardo unveils ‘Michelangelo Dome’ air defence system

The system uses predictive AI to help position assets and shorten response times against threats like hypersonic weapons and drone swarms.

Hong Kong’s finance chief seeks to attract Italian company listings on HKEX

Financial Secretary Paul Chan touted bilateral trade ties and a shared passion for creativity in his speech to the Trade Development Council.

Italian TV host apologises for ‘careless’ South Korea-Japan history remarks

Mondi pledged to study history after saying ‘you should listen to both sides’ on Japan’s colonial rule.

Italian eatery owner slammed for insulting 16 Taiwan tourists for sharing 5 pizzas

An Italian chef tells media that one reason for owner’s irritation might be because it is common for customers to order one pizza per person.

Letters | Academic theories deserve rigorous scrutiny, not public shaming

Readers discuss the controversy over a Malaysian academic’s hypothesis about Roman shipbuilding, the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, and cutting back Hong Kong children’s screen time.

Italian police raid Amazon sites in probe involving Chinese goods

E-commerce giant Amazon is suspected of acting as a ‘Trojan horse’ in Italy customs fraud case, court document says.

Hong Kong’s Paul Chan to lead delegation to Italy to showcase tech, boost trade

Science Park to invite eight tech start-up companies to attend Trade Development Council’s symposium in Milan.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | Self-interest is now the main driver of Britain’s Asia policy

There are a great many reasons why the UK government should pay more attention to the Asia-Pacific, but that does not mean that it will.

Italian left gathers for anti-Meloni campaign despite rivalries

Meloni has been durable as prime minister, despite occasional clashes within her coalition on bank taxes and aid to Ukraine.

‘Carbonara sauce’ at EU parliament causes stir with Italy

Italy’s agriculture minister has demanded an investigation after he found jars containing pancetta at a supermarket in Brussels.

Swiss police hunt 2 men after gold heist at museum, in echoes of Louvre robbery

Police said the men had bought tickets and waited until near closing time to overpower the guard and flee with dozens of gold coins.

Lightning start: China’s Juno ‘ghost particle’ detector delivers record results

2 months of ‘unprecedented measurement precision’ by world’s largest neutrino detector raises hopes for unlocking secrets of matter.

What are the food and wine wonders of Italy’s Liguria and Piedmont regions?

The neighbouring regions in northwest Italy are between them home to pesto, great wines, white truffles and more. Here’s what to enjoy there.

Beijing-Tokyo row over Takaichi’s Taiwan comments: everything you need to know

From warnings to cancelled Japan flights, here is a rundown of the Post’s reporting after the Japan PM’s remarks.

EU recalibrates on China as it seeks rare earths breakthrough

Official sources say Brussels is in ‘de-escalation mode’ as it tries to convince Beijing to issue more export licences for critical minerals.

Chinese vendors on Shein, Temu face tax changes at home and abroad

While the EU ends a duty exemption, a reform of China’s tax regime may present the bigger challenge for cross-border sellers.

Italy’s South Tyrol region scraps planned dog tourist tax

The regulation would have required a daily fee of US$1.70 for each dog brought to the region from next year.

Editorial | Takaichi must soon make amends if China ties are to be repaired

The Japanese PM should take the opportunity of the G20 meeting to explain her comments to Premier Li Qiang and issue an unequivocal retraction.

Vatican returns 62 artefacts connected to indigenous peoples from Canada

The move is part of the Catholic Church’s reckoning with its role in helping suppress indigenous culture in the Americas.

Q&A | Eugenio Franceschini on fashion and his role as Marcello on Emily in Paris

Opinion | Self-interest is now the main driver of Britain’s Asia policy