Italy – News Stories About Italy - Page 55

Nigerian Gangsters Wage Turf War on Mob in Southern Italy

Jan 7, 2009 9:13 AM CST

Nigerian Gangsters Wage Turf War on Mob in Southern Italy

Turf battles erupt as newcomers seek foothold in lawless southern Italy

(Newser) - African immigrants are being caught in the crossfire as Nigerian gangsters battle the Italian mob for control of southern Italy's drug and prostitution rackets, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Camorra once treated African criminals as useful subordinates, but vicious turf wars have erupted as the newcomers seek a bigger...

Vatican Splits Off
From Italian Law

Jan 2, 2009 1:59 AM CST

Vatican Splits Off From Italian Law

Vatican will no longer rubber stamp Italian laws before adopting them

(Newser) - The Vatican is getting a divorce from Italian law. The Pope has decreed his city-state within Rome will no longer automatically endorse Italian legislation, but will scrutinize bills for conflicts with Roman Catholic doctrine before adopting them. It's the first time the Vatican has distanced itself from Italy's laws—and...

Milan's Poor Get
Contraband Caviar for Xmas

Dec 20, 2008 12:07 PM CST

Milan's Poor Get Contraband Caviar for Xmas

(Newser) - The poor and homeless in Milan will get a pricey treat this holiday season, the BBC reports. Officials will distribute 88 pounds of beluga caviar seized from smugglers to the city’s shelters and soup kitchens. The sturgeon roe, confiscated in November en route from Poland, is valued at around...

Cable Cut Takes Egypt Offline

Dec 20, 2008 8:09 AM CST

Cable Cut Takes Egypt Offline

Broken connection off Sicily affect most of country

(Newser) - Egypt suffered a large-scale Internet outage after cables in the Mediterranean were cut, the Communications Ministry said yesterday. Three Internet cables were cut off the coast of the Italian island of Sicily yesterday morning, the ministry said. The cause of the cut was not immediately known. Throughout Egypt, the Internet...

Foxy Knoxy Stars in Jailhouse Flick

Dec 12, 2008 1:42 PM CST

Foxy Knoxy Stars in Jailhouse Flick

Student recites Shakespeare while awaiting murder trial

(Newser) - The American student charged with the murder of her roommate in Italy is starring in a jailhouse movie. Amanda Knox, 21, begged the director of The Last City for a role in his city-funded flick about prisoner rehabilitation, the Mirror reports. The 47-minute movie, which includes scenes from Shakespearean plays,...

Italy Bails Out Parmesan Makers

Dec 10, 2008 1:10 PM CST

Italy Bails Out Parmesan Makers

Government spending $64M to save storied cheese industry

(Newser) - While the US bails out the auto industry, Italy is spending $64 million to save the makers of other wheels: parmesan cheese. Producers of the popular pasta topping have struggled for years to turn a profit, despite strong national and regional appetites. “It’s a tragic situation,” one...

Amarcord Still Sentimental, Sexist ... and Great

Movie Review

Dec 8, 2008 1:56 PM CST

Amarcord Still Sentimental, Sexist ... and Great

Fellini gives us a coming-of-age during 1930s fascist Italy

(Newser) - “Kids, dogs, wisecracking old men and well-proportioned female derrières take up a significant portion of screen time in Amarcord,” writes Andrew O’Hehir in Salon of the newly re-released, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale from Federico Fellini—but it doesn’t lack gravitas. The color restoration is as “...

Big Shots Drool
Over Giant Truffle

Nov 28, 2008 3:42 PM CST

Big Shots Drool Over Giant Truffle

(Newser) - If you want white truffle shavings sprinkled over your Thanksgiving leftovers, the biggest specimen found in Italy this year is up for auction tomorrow. You'll need some big bucks—and perhaps the moxie to outbid David and Victoria Beckham. The delectable fungus weighs about 2½ pounds and is expected to...

Hathaway's Ex 'Deteriorates'
in Prison

Nov 13, 2008 9:27 AM CST

Hathaway's Ex 'Deteriorates' in Prison

Con man Follieri can't handle 'filthy, smelly' conditions, bad food

(Newser) - Moving from his $37,500-a-month Trump Tower apartment into a windowless dorm room shared with 120 other inmates has not been good for Raffaello Follieri’s health, the New York Post reports. The convicted con man’s lawyer told a judge that Anne Hathaway’s ex has blood in his...

Alleged Mafioso Gets Nipped, Tucked, Busted

Nov 7, 2008 3:08 PM CST

Alleged Mafioso Gets Nipped, Tucked, Busted

Italian cops nab vain fugitive after he undergoes liposuction

(Newser) - If Domenico Magnoli had been in better shape, he might still be a free man today. Italian police nabbed the 27-year-old alleged Mafia member yesterday as he was coming out of anesthesia after having liposuction, ANSA reports. Magnoli had been on the lam for over a year, dodging French drug-trafficking...

Berlusconi Under Fire for
Obama 'Suntanned' Joke

Nov 6, 2008 5:30 PM CST

Berlusconi Under Fire for Obama 'Suntanned' Joke

(Newser) - Silvio Berlusconi is in a bit of a pickle after calling Barack Obama “handsome, young, and suntanned,” the London Times reports. Political opponents in Italy called on the gaffe-prone prime minister to apologize. “To say that the US president is young, good looking, and suntanned will sound...

Knox Will Stand Trial for Murder

Oct 28, 2008 4:51 PM CDT

Knox Will Stand Trial for Murder

American student faces charges in Italian court in death of roommate last year

(Newser) - American exchange student Amanda Knox and her Italian boyfriend will stand trial on charges of murdering her British roommate, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports. The trial in the death of Meredith Kercher will begin Dec. 4 in Perugia, Italy. Prosecutors say Kercher was killed during a violent sex game gone awry...

Madonna Gets a 10-Year Facelift

Oct 26, 2008 5:53 PM CDT

Madonna Gets a 10-Year Facelift

Italian lab restores Raphael's landmark painting with cutting edge techniques

(Newser) - After a 10-year facelift, an Italian Renaissance landmark is finally ready for its unveiling. Raphael’s Madonna of the Goldfinch underwent extensive renovations that included CAT scans and X-rays, Reuters reports. A Florentine lab removed coverings by early restorers who saved the work, which was smashed in a house collapse...

Berlusconi Breaks Podium at Rowdy White House Soiree

Oct 14, 2008 10:15 AM CDT

Berlusconi Breaks Podium at Rowdy White House Soiree

Dubya's last fan gets a little excited

(Newser) - Affairs don't get much more formal than a White House official dinner, but last night's reception in honor of Silvio Berlusconi had all the seriousness of a frat party. The Italian prime minister was so excited to toast President Bush that he knocked into the lectern, which collapsed in pieces....

Actors in Mafia Movie Arrested for Mob Ties

Oct 13, 2008 1:10 PM CDT

Actors in Mafia Movie Arrested for Mob Ties

Italian Oscar contender sees 3 cast members accused of crimes

(Newser) - Bernardino Terracciano is the latest actor in the Naples mafia exposé Gomorrah to be arrested by Italian police, the Telegraph reports. One of several locals cast by director Matteo Garrone to give the film a touch of realism, Terracciano is suspected of extorting protection money as part of the Casalesi...

In Mix-Up, Wine Flows
From Italian Taps

Oct 8, 2008 5:45 PM CDT

In Mix-Up, Wine Flows From Italian Taps

Wine meant to flow from town fountain in yearly festival

(Newser) - The highlight of an annual Italian wine festival is the flow of wine through a city fountain—but this year, a mix-up diverted the drink to faucets in nearby homes, the BBC reports. Tourists come for miles to see the festival, but this year, all they saw shooting from the...

Europe
Scrambles
to Save Banks

Oct 6, 2008 6:31 AM CDT

Europe Scrambles to Save Banks

Governments rescue troubled institutions, pledge to back deposits

(Newser) - Barely a day after rejecting the need for a massive unified rescue plan, European leaders are wading into two substantial bailouts and vowing to save banks, Bloomberg reports. France’s BNP Paribas will take over Fortis in Belgium and Luxembourg, while Germany’s government and banks bail out Hypo Real...

Europe Agrees to Take It One Financial Crisis at a Time

Oct 5, 2008 10:53 AM CDT

Europe Agrees to Take It One Financial Crisis at a Time

Sarkozy's hopes dashed amid other leaders' opposition

(Newser) - Leaders of Europe’s four biggest economies did not settle on a unified plan for tackling the financial crisis, the Washington Post reports. Instead, each country will deal with banking problems as they crop up. While France’s Nicolas Sarkozy hoped for a Europe-wide plan, British and German leaders were...

'Borat' Crashes Fashion Show

Sep 26, 2008 2:32 PM CDT

'Borat' Crashes Fashion Show

Shooting latest film, actor/comedian has designers on edge at Milan event

(Newser) - Sacha Baron Cohen caused a scene at a Milan fashion show today when he got up on the catwalk and danced violently before being hauled off, ANSA reports. Cohen—stalking the Italian city’s fashion week as he works on a film in which he plays gay fashion reporter Bruno—...

'Foxy Knoxy' Faces Old Flame

Sep 26, 2008 12:50 PM CDT

'Foxy Knoxy' Faces Old Flame

Both attend Kercher murder trial for third accused

(Newser) - Amanda Knox saw her one-time boyfriend in an Italian court today for the first time since they were arrested on suspicion of killing her British roommate, reports the Telegraph. The pair can’t write each other, but Raffaelo Sollecito sent the 21-year-old American flowers on her July birthday. They met...