Italy

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Vatican Mulls the Case for St. John Paul II

Even a beloved pope has to wait to see if he's sainthood material

(Newser) - He may have served as the spiritual leader for millions of Catholics for more than 26 years, but the soul of Pope John II is under intense scrutiny in Rome. The Washington Post takes a look at the office charged with determining whether the beloved pontiff is eligible for sainthood—...

Damn Straight! Leaning Tower Stabilized

Tower shored up for at least another 300 years

(Newser) - Italian engineers have stabilized the leaning Tower of Pisa, safeguarding it from toppling over for at least another 300 years, the Times of London reports. The famously off-kilter tower began tilting shortly after construction started in 1173, and was in danger of falling. Engineers didn't try to straighten it completely,...

Drugged California Tourist Killed by Train in Rome

Traveler stumbled onto track after cappuccino spiked by thief

(Newser) - An elderly American tourist drugged by a thief was killed by a train as he wandered along the tracks in a daze, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 76-year-old traveler and his wife were befriended by a man who gave them drug-laced cappuccinos in a Rome train station and then...

Trash Fires Blaze Across Naples
 Trash Fires Blaze Across Naples 
May 19, 2008 11:53 AM CDT

Trash Fires Blaze Across Naples

Firefighters working overtime as angry residents burn excess garbage

(Newser) - The prolonged garbage impasse in Naples has taken a new turn as angry residents began setting fire to thousands of tons of waste littering city streets. Firefighters were at work all night battling at least 90 burns across the city, AFP reports. “Every six to seven minutes, one of...

Italian PM Fair Game in Trial Involving US Rendition

Berlusconi can be called to testify on secret matters in kidnap trial, judge rules

(Newser) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi can be called to testify in the upcoming trial of US and Italian spies, an Italian judge ruled today. A CIA-led group is accused of kidnapping a suspected terrorist off the streets of Milan and torturing him for four years under the US' "extraordinary...

Man Nabbed for Shooting 3,000 Rear Views

He took 3,000 pictures of women's behinds in Venice

(Newser) - A Venice man could be facing time behind bars after being caught sneakily snapping photos of women's bottoms—3,000 of them, the BBC reports. Cops busted the suspect after noticing him carrying a bulky bag and following women in short skirts, waiting for them to bend over. The rear-guard...

Padre Pio's Shrine Now 2nd Only to Vatican

Italy's most famous saint displaces Lourdes for religious tourists

(Newser) - Move over, Lourdes. Padre Pio’s shrine in southern Italy is now the world’s second-largest religious tourist destination, reports the ANSA news agency. About 9 million tourists will visit the saint’s body, a million more than the French site and second only to the Vatican.

Rome's New Mayor Vows to Raze Renowned Museum

'Post-Fascist' Alemanno wants to destroy Meier building

(Newser) - Only a few days into his mandate, Rome's new right-wing mayor has sworn to dismantle a state-of-the-art museum designed by American architect Richard Meier, reports the Times of London. Gianni Alemanno called the Ara Pacis museum, built 2 years ago to house a peace altar from the Augustan period, "...

Euro About to Mark 10 Years
 Euro About to Mark 10 Years 
ANALYSIS
May 1, 2008 6:02 PM CDT

Euro About to Mark 10 Years

Common currency has its share of winners and losers

(Newser) - Like many 10-year-olds, the euro has had its ups and downs, but its current ascendancy is worrying, and not just to fans of the weakening dollar; some European states are chafing at the strength of their common currency, the New York Times reports. The German economic engine is causing high...

Italy Puts All Salaries Online
Italy Puts All Salaries Online
May 1, 2008 4:12 PM CDT

Italy Puts All Salaries Online

Critics hammer 24-hour privacy breach as residents check up on neighbors, celebs

(Newser) - The outgoing Italian government posted all citizens’ earnings and tax information, briefly, on the Internet yesterday, sparking outrage over lost privacy, the BBC reports. The site was quickly clogged by Italians checking up on neighbors’ and celebrities’ financial status. The information went offline after about 24 hours in response to...

'Post-Fascist' Elected Mayor of Rome

Italian capital shifts right for first time in more than 60 years

(Newser) - After decades of center-left rule, the city of Rome elected a rightwinger with a past in a neo-Fascist group as mayor yesterday. Gianni Alemanno, whose party calls itself "post-Fascist," won a runoff election for control of the Italian capital, handily beating the country's outgoing deputy prime minister. Alemanno...

No Rest for the ... Faithful? Italy's Padre Pio On Display

700K already signed up to view exhumed Italian saint

(Newser) - Beloved saint Padre Pio, exhumed in March after 40 years, is now on display in southern Italy, where 700,000 faithful have signed up to view his remains, BBC reports. The archbishop who ran the exhumation marveled at the body: “The knees, hands, mittens, and nails are clearly visible....

Air France-KLM Pulls Offer for Alitalia

Berlusconi scrambles as bankruptcy looms for Italian carrier

(Newser) - Air France-KLM has withdrawn its offer to buy Alitalia, leaving the cash-poor Italian carrier with few options. In a tersely worded statement, the world's largest airline said its Alitalia overture—which had been opposed by Alitalia's unions—was "no longer valid." With no suitors forthcoming and cash reserves...

Why Italy's Obama Lost
 Why Italy's 
 Obama Lost 
ANALYSIS
Apr 16, 2008 4:50 PM CDT

Why Italy's Obama Lost

Veltroni’s personality wasn't enough to overcome frustration with left

(Newser) - An Italian politician who aggressively modeled his campaign on Barack Obama’s fell to once-and-future prime minister Silvio Berlusconi this week—and the shallowness of Walter Veltroni’s message is to blame, Dominic Standish argues in Spiked. He appropriated the slogan “Yes we can” and even re-named his party...

Naples' Trash Tops Berlusconi's To-Do List

Incoming Italian PM says he'll be in garbage-strewn city three days a week

(Newser) - Silvio Berlusconi said today his first task as Italy's prime minister will be to clean up garbage-strewn Naples, the BBC reports. After a clear victory for his center-right coalition in this week's elections, the 71-year-old media tycoon promised to spend three days a week in the city and to "...

Here Comes Another Helping of Berlusconi

Conservative mogul set to lead Italy again after rival concedes vote

(Newser) - Conservative media mogul Silvio Berlusconi looks set to reclaim the Italian premiership, the AP reports, after center-left rival Walter Veltroni conceded defeat this evening. Berlusconi's coalition is expected to win control of both houses of Italy's legislature.

Weary Italians Go to the Polls
 Weary Italians Go to the Polls 
Apr 14, 2008 7:13 AM CDT

Weary Italians Go to the Polls

Economic malaise awaits country's new PM

(Newser) - Polls are open in Italy's parliamentary election, which Silvio Berlusconi appears likely to win. Whether the two-time prime minister or Rome's mayor Walter Veltroni triumphs, the next Italian leader has to kickstart a stagnated economy; growth this year is expected to be as low as 0.3% —or even...

Amanda Knox: 'Railroad Job From Hell'?

Investigators split on merits of murder case against college coed

(Newser) - Amanda Knox , the 20-year-old University of Washington student who's been held by Italian police since November as a suspect in her British roommate's murder, is the victim of a “railroad job from hell,”  an investigator hired by the “48 Hours Mystery” to review the case concluded....

Berlusconi on Course for Comeback
Berlusconi on Course for Comeback
Apr 11, 2008 7:47 AM CDT

Berlusconi on Course for Comeback

Rich, charismatic ousted PM will win new term, polls say

(Newser) - Silvio Berlusconi is marching toward a third term as prime minister of Italy, according to polls ahead of parliamentary elections Sunday. The Croesus-rich media magnate has used his business credentials to convince Italians that he's got the solutions to unemployment, declining economic competitiveness and stagnant growth.

Italians Find Their Cuisine in Foreign Hands

Immigrants more and more the backbone of foodie nation's cooking

(Newser) - While immigrant-staffed kitchens are the norm throughout Europe, Italians regard their food as an integral part of national identity. So what to make of the fact that the best carbonara in Rome is made by a Tunisian chef? The ensuing debate—whether Italian cuisine made by non-Italians is authentic—is...

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