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Sicily braces as Italy's record heatwave claims lives across the south
Red alerts extend across 17 cities as temperatures exceed 35C; researchers warn of longest heat crisis on record
Italy is on course for its longest heatwave on record, with five deaths attributed to heat on Wednesday alone and red weather alerts now covering 17 cities, including multiple Sicilian municipalities.
Concetta Vassallo · NATIONAL
Meloni and Macron meet on Riviera as Rome pivots from Washington
Italian PM seeks European alignment after public rift with Trump; bilateral talks signal shift in Mediterranean diplomacy
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met French President Emmanuel Macron on the French Riviera on Thursday, signalling a strategic realignment as Rome distances itself from the Trump administration over what Meloni has called unprovoked attacks.
Marina Doria · INTERNATIONAL
European carmakers face structural headwinds as Stellantis navigates transition
Turin's automotive hub confronts long-term demand shift as industry grapples with profitability crisis
European light vehicle makers face mounting structural challenges as the sector struggles with profitability and the pace of electrification, threatening jobs across the continent's industrial heartland.
Lorenzo Ferraris · ECONOMY
Ancient microbes found alive in Ötzi after 5,300 years
South Tyrol Museum study reveals unexpected bacterial persistence in world's oldest mummy
Researchers studying Ötzi the Iceman at Bolzano's South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology have discovered traces of living microbes that survived more than five millennia inside the glacier mummy.
Klara Hofer · SCIENCE
Regional dispatches
IHG pushes past 50 properties in Italy as Milan becomes hub for chain growth
Four new signings bring international hotel operator to threshold in country; Lombardy's capital anchors strategy
IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed four new properties across Italy, surpassing 50 open and pipeline hotels as the chain consolidates its footprint in one of Europe's most competitive leisure markets.
Beatrice Comolli
Ralph Lauren targets cross-generational appeal at Milan menswear show
American designer's Spring/Summer 2027 collection signals shift toward accessible luxury as European heat reshapes seasonal demand
Ralph Lauren's presentation of its Spring/Summer 2027 men's collection in Milan marked a deliberate pivot toward designs that appeal across age groups, as international luxury brands recalibrate their seasonal strategies.
Beatrice Comolli
Trump's ambassador plans superyacht 'diplomacy' in Venice; locals bristle
Billionaire Fertitta's €450m vessel stirs anger as 'coastal diplomacy' tour approaches the lagoon
The US ambassador to Italy plans weeks aboard a 380-foot superyacht he calls 'coastal diplomacy,' drawing protests in Venice and criticism from Italian officials.
Tommaso Veronese
Stadler's new freight locomotive begins Alpine runs; Veneto at hub of Brenner corridor
Euro9000 engine signals shift in cross-border rail capacity as European freight modernizes
A new Swiss-built locomotive has begun commercial operations on the Brenner Pass route, with Verona as a key staging point for the Alpine freight corridor that links Italy to Central Europe.
Tommaso Veronese
Trieste's gender-divided beach draws renewed fire from foreign tourists
Europe's last segregated bathing site, established in 1903, faces fresh pressure as visitors question its place in modern Italy.
Trieste's 123-year-old gender-segregated beach, a relic of Austro-Hungarian bathing customs, has reignited a continent-wide debate over women's autonomy and tourism ethics.
Sergio Madrussan
Rome airports threaten to halt EU border checks as summer peak looms
Fiumicino and Ciampino may suspend digital entry-exit system to avoid travel chaos during peak tourism season.
Rome's major airports are considering suspending the EU's new digital border system for non-EU visitors to prevent summer travel disruptions, signalling broader infrastructure strain across Italian gateways.
Sergio Madrussan
Genoa eyes deeper channels as US rivals deepen competitive edge
Norfolk's $450 million dredging project sets new standard for East Coast shipping; Liguria's port faces pressure to modernise infrastructure
The completion of Norfolk Harbor's deepwater project has intensified focus on Genoa's own channel constraints as global shipping competition shifts toward ports that can accommodate the largest modern vessels.
Marina Doria
Ferrari's marketing chief departs as EV push divides Motor Valley
Enrico Galliera leaves after 16 years as luxury marque's electric turn sparks industry turbulence in Emilia-Romagna
Ferrari's senior vice-president of marketing Enrico Galliera is leaving the Maranello house weeks after the launch of its first all-electric car triggered a backlash among collectors and enthusiasts.
Giulia Benati
Australian operator launches active travel push into regional Italy
New running-tour venture targets interior destinations as European tourism shifts beyond mass-market coastal routes
An Australian-owned tour operator is entering the active travel market with small-group running tours through regional Italy, launching in 2027 after building relationships with local race organisers and running communities.
Giulia Benati
Adriatic eel stocks face new pressure as EU tightens rules
Marche fishers brace as Brussels moves to protect dwindling populations of glass eels in coastal waters
New EU restrictions on glass eel fishing threaten a centuries-old harvest in the Adriatic, forcing Marche's small fishing fleet to adapt or abandon the trade.
Elena Marcheggiani
Rome airports threaten to suspend EU's new border checks during peak summer
Fiumicino and Ciampino warn digital entry-exit system could create travel chaos as tourism season peaks
Rome's airports say they may have to halt the EU's new biometric border checks for non-EU passengers to prevent a summer travel disaster.
Davide Ruspoli
Molise faces prolonged heat stress as farming struggles in record temperatures
Study shows Italy experiencing up to two extra months of heat stress yearly; southern region's agriculture bears the brunt
A new study finds Italy is enduring one to two more months of heat stress than in the 1970s, with profound consequences for Molise's already fragile agricultural sector.
Antonio Petrella
Rome airports threaten to suspend EU border checks as summer tourism peaks
Digital entry-exit system risks overwhelming airports during peak season, prompting calls for temporary suspension
Rome's airport operators say the EU's new digital border system for non-EU passengers could cause summer travel chaos and are threatening to suspend it during peak months.
Francesca Lazzari
Olive oil's heart-healthy fat shows promise against type 2 diabetes, study finds
Research reveals oleic acid in olive oil may protect insulin function and counter harmful saturated fats
New research shows oleic acid—the primary fat in olive oil—may help protect insulin function and counter some harmful effects of saturated fats linked to type 2 diabetes.
Francesca Lazzari
Palermo courts global celebrity as Lipa-Turner wedding signals luxury tourism shift
Grammy winner's three-day Sicilian celebration in Chanel haute couture draws international spotlight to island's boutique wedding market
The Grammy Award winner Dua Lipa's three-day wedding celebration in Palermo, featuring a custom Chanel haute couture gown, has amplified Sicily's profile as a destination for high-net-worth celebrations.
Concetta Vassallo
Rome airports threaten to suspend EU border checks to avert summer travel collapse
Fiumicino and Ciampino warn new biometric system could create chaos during peak tourism season
The airports managing Rome's main travel hubs say they may halt the EU's new Entry-Exit System for non-EU passengers to prevent a summer travel disaster, citing operational strain.
Adriana Sole
Rome's border system crisis may reshape travel across Italian islands
Peak-season collapse at main gateway could redirect tourist flows and strain island infrastructure
Rome's airports are threatening to suspend the EU's new digital border system for non-EU passengers to prevent summer travel chaos, a move that could redirect visitor flows toward regional alternatives including Sardinia.
Gavino Sanna
Hamilton and Ferrari eye Austrian Grand Prix as title momentum builds
Mercedes driver warns rivals of Ferrari threat after Barcelona victory; heat declared safety hazard
Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari are building championship momentum ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, where heat conditions have forced Formula 1 to declare the race a hazard, according to the Guardian and BBC Sport.
Tobia Marenghi
Ice sports move to Lyon as Alpes 2030 Olympics reshapes Alpine footprint
IOC approves venue masterplan changes for 2030 Winter Games; ice hockey and figure skating relocate from French Alps to city venue
The International Olympic Committee has approved a significant restructuring of the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, relocating ice sports from the French Alps to Lyon and reconfiguring the Alpine competition schedule.
Camille Bréan
IHG expands Italian footprint to 50 properties as hospitality sector hedges on recovery
Hotel group's Milan-focused push signals confidence in northern Italy's leisure and business travel markets
IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed four new properties in Italy, bringing its portfolio to over 50 open and pipeline hotels as the international hospitality sector bets on sustained demand in the country.
Lorenzo Ferraris
Opinion
The heatwave that binds Europe to Italy
Record temperatures across the continent reveal Italy not as an outlier but as Europe's shared future—and a test of whether the continent can act as one.
Editorial Board
When the system breaks, the tourists pay
Rome's airports threaten to suspend the EU's new border system to avoid summer chaos—a small crisis that reveals how Europe's digital ambitions collide with its infrastructure.
Editorial Board