Italy

Whether you're just getting started with Italian or approaching fluency, here are 21 odd, amusing and mildly interesting facts about a language known for its beauty, romance and musicality.

These charts show how the Covid-19 second wave continues to hit countries around Europe as governments try slightly different approaches to deal with the pandemic. Here's a round up of the latest Covid- 19 rates and restrictions around Europe.

SPECIAL REPORT: Children born into Calabria's 'Ndrangheta mafia clans are 'condemned' to follow in their parents' footsteps, say experts. But the 'Free to Choose' programme aims to break the generational cycle of crime families.

More than a million people in Italy have received the vaccine against Covid-19, the latest figures published by the Health Ministry show.

Fossilised track dates back to period immediately following mass extinction 252m years agoFootprints believed to have belonged to a crocodile-like prehistoric reptile have been found in the Italian Alps in an extraordinary discovery that scientists say proves there were survivors of a mass extinction 252m years ago.The well-preserved fossilised track, made […]

Italian identity cards will no longer refer to children's parents as "mother" and "father" but use gender neutral terms for parents, the government announced in a move welcomed by civil rights campaigners on Friday.

The Italian government said on Friday it wants to run a higher budget deficit in 2021 to fund new aid for businesses struck by coronavirus restrictions.

Three Italian regions will return to near-lockdown on Sunday, the government has announced, as coronavirus infections continue to rise.

The Italian prime minister has announced coronavirus restrictions to continue until March under the latest emergency decree, which comes into force on January 16th.

Administration on brink of collapse as Matteo Renzi pulls his party from ruling coalitionItalians have responded with a mix of anger, perplexity and calls for the entire government to be sent packing after the country was plunged into political mayhem once again.The Giuseppe Conte-led administration is teetering on the brink of collapse after the former […]

Had just about all you can take of Italian grammar? This phrase is for you.

Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has been admitted to hospital in Monaco after suffering heart problems, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Demand for bicycles has soared in Europe during the coronavirus pandemic, but conversely the global supply is at record low levels, with consumers having to wait months or over a year for their bike of choice.

As Italy's latest political crisis threatens to destabilise the government in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, here's a look at why this is happening and the likely outcome.

With Covid-19 infections on the rise, the Italian government is planning to extend the country’s state of emergency.

Loss of Matteo Renzi’s Italia Viva party comes as country struggles with Covid and economic crises Italy has been plunged into chaos after former prime minister Matteo Renzi withdrew his Italia Viva party from the country’s ruling coalition in a largely unpopular move that could end in fresh elections.The political meltdown, which leaves the prime […]

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte's government was plunged into crisis on Wednesday after the Italia Viva party pulled out of the ruling coalition.

EU health commissioner says bloc will assist with genomic sequencing to curb mutationCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe EU has warned that the highly contagious coronavirus variant first found in Britain is now having “a significant impact” in other European countries, and said its spread “must be stopped at all […]

High-security 1,000-capacity courtroom has been built in Calabria, with cages to hold the defendantsItaly’s largest mafia trial in three decades has begun, with 900 witnesses testifying against more than 350 people, including politicians and officials charged with being members of the powerful ’Ndrangheta.A high-security 1,000-capacity courtroom with […]

If you're crazy about learning Italian, this is a word to add to your vocabulary.

Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group, otherwise known as CamCRAG, is a small Cambridgeshire-based charity that was established in response to the migrant crisis in 2015. A small number of people, eager to make a difference, started to travel across the English channel to the Calais refugee camp to help out local aid organisations in the area. The mission […]

The UK's departure from the EU means British drivers snared by speed cameras on roads in Europe will no longer be sent fines. And those Britons, resident in the EU, who return to the UK in foreign registered cars will also avoid fines.

The 34-year-old man drove at high speed against the traffic on the A1 motorway near Florence in an attempt to evade police, who reportedly rammed the car and shot the tyres.

Italy's largest mafia trial in more than 30 years begins on Wednesday, as prosecutors hope to strike a blow to the 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate

After years of investigation and with hundreds of suspects, Italy's plucky anti-mafia prosecutor Nicola Gratteri on Wednesday begins a major court battle against the country's powerful 'Ndrangheta clan.

Researchers examined heart health and drinking habits of 108,000 people aged 24 to 97 over 14 years Having one small alcoholic drink a day raises the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat, a condition that causes dizziness and palpitations and leaves people more prone to strokes, a study has found.Researchers examined the heart health and drinking […]

Health ministry under fire for draft document, the first update to the plan since 2006Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage The Italian health ministry has been criticised after a draft of the country’s new pandemic plan revealed medics would be permitted to choose which patients receive life-saving care.This is the first time […]

Former Italian interior minister accused of abusing power by preventing refugee ship from anchoring in 2019 Italian political leader Matteo Salvini appeared Saturday before a Palermo judge in connection with a 2019 incident during which he blocked migrants at sea while he was the interior minister.Salvini, head of the far-right political party known as the […]

A sinkhole measuring 2,000 sq metres has opened up in the visitors' car park of a hospital in Naples, forcing the temporary closure of a nearby residence for recovering coronavirus patients because of a power cut.A number vehicles fell into the sinkhole in the otherwise empty car park, but the hospital remained operational and no injuries were reported […]

Nearby Italian residence for Covid-19 patients had to close temporarily because of electricity cutsA giant sinkhole has opened up in the car park of a hospital in Naples, Italy, forcing the temporary closure of a nearby residence for recovering Covid-19 patients because the electricity was cut.Operations at the Hospital of the Sea were not affected, and […]