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Basilicata's oil economy faces headwind as US eases drilling while EU tightens climate rules
Diverging regulatory paths in Washington and Brussels create uncertainty for region dependent on extraction revenue
As the Trump administration moves to reduce drilling costs and expand oil and gas leasing, Basilicata—home to Italy's largest onshore petroleum field—confronts a widening gap between US energy deregulation and European climate policy.
Pietro Lasorsa · ECONOMY
Italy joins E5 pledge to strengthen NATO as Trump tensions deepen
Meloni breaks with US ally over defence burden-sharing and trade, coordinating with Europe ahead of Ankara summit
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni joined Germany, France, Britain and Poland in pledging a stronger European defence role, signalling a shift away from alignment with Donald Trump.
Adriana Sole · NATIONAL
Saltwater creeps inland as heatwave empties Po Delta, threatening Veneto's rice belt
Europe's drought forces Italy's longest river to run dry; seawater intrusion spreads 18 kilometres into agricultural heartland
The Po River's collapse during the heatwave has allowed seawater to penetrate far inland, jeopardizing Veneto's rice cultivation and the delta's protected wetlands as Europe's heat crisis deepens.
Tommaso Veronese · REGIONAL
Ancient microbes found in Ötzi mummy spark new questions about Alpine preservation
South Tyrol museum's 5,300-year-old Iceman yields unexpected traces of microbial life after three decades of study
Researchers studying Ötzi the Iceman have uncovered traces of ancient microbes that may have persisted for more than five millennia, challenging assumptions about what can survive in glacial conditions.
Klara Hofer · SCIENCE
Regional dispatches
Venice readies protest as US ambassador's superyacht plans lagoon visit
Activists prepare to disrupt billionaire envoy's 'coastal diplomacy' tour, echoing Bezos wedding disruption
Venetian protesters are mobilizing to block the planned visit of US Ambassador Tilman Fertitta's 117-metre superyacht to the lagoon, viewing it as another assault on a fragile ecosystem already strained by mass tourism.
Tommaso Veronese
Trieste's gender-divided beach divides tourists as Europe's last segregates
The 123-year-old Trieste Lido faces scrutiny as visitors protest Europe's only remaining gender-segregated bathing site.
Europe's last gender-segregated beach, established in Trieste in 1903, has become the focus of a row over segregation as modern tourists challenge a custom meant to preserve women's modesty.
Sergio Madrussan
EU border system threatens Italy's summer travel chaos
Rome airports warn new digital passport checks could cripple peak-season operations unless suspended for non-EU visitors.
The Guardian reports Rome's airports threaten to suspend the EU's new entry-exit system during summer to prevent travel disruption.
Elena Marcheggiani
Liguria's summer hotels offer rare price relief as bookings soften
Data shows Riviera joining global destinations where travel costs finally ease after years of increases
Hotel prices along the Liguria coast are falling this summer, offering travelers relief after years of rising accommodation costs across popular destinations.
Marina Doria
Global shipping safety surges despite war risks, shadow fleet threats
Insurance data shows dramatic improvement over decade even as political instability reshapes industry planning
The shipping industry has become radically safer over the past ten years, according to 2025 claims data from global insurer Allianz, even as war risks and poorly-maintained vessels pose new operational challenges.
Marina Doria
Ferrari taps BMW marketing veteran as Luce EV reshapes brand strategy
Massimiliano Di Silvestre takes helm of marketing as Maranello navigates divisive electric future
Ferrari has appointed Massimiliano Di Silvestre, former head of BMW Italia, as its new Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, signalling a strategic pivot as the company manages fallout from its controversial first electric model.
Giulia Benati
Australian operator brings running tours to Tuscany's hills in shift toward active travel
New venture targets athletes seeking regional Italy over crowded Florence; launches in 2027 with small-group model.
An Australian-owned tour operator is entering Italy's active travel market with running tours through regional Tuscany, signalling a shift in how international visitors approach the region beyond its postcard destinations.
Costanza Bardi
Heatwave grips central Italy as inland farms brace for extended stress
Record temperatures spread eastward across Europe; Umbria's agriculture faces critical weeks ahead
A severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has reached central Italy, with Germany and Italy sweltering under record-breaking temperatures as the weather system spreads inland.
Niccolò Mariani
Rome airports threaten to suspend EU border system over summer chaos
Peak tourism season risks 'disaster' as new digital entry-exit system strains capital's travel infrastructure.
Rome's airport authorities warn they may suspend the EU's new digital border system for non-EU passengers to prevent summer travel gridlock at the capital's busiest crossing.
Davide Ruspoli
Vatican accuses EU of selective justice on military intervention
Rome's doctrinal chief says bloc applies international law unevenly, sanctioning some invasions but not others.
The Vatican's top doctrinal official has accused the European Union of applying international law selectively when it comes to military intervention, a charge that reflects Rome's shifting stance on EU foreign policy.
Davide Ruspoli
Italy's heat stress season stretches to two extra months, study finds
Molise farms face longer, more intense summer as climate pattern shifts across Mediterranean region
Italy now endures one to two additional months of heat stress annually compared to the 1970s, according to new research, reshaping the rhythm of southern agriculture.
Antonio Petrella
American buyers reverse decades of Molise abandonment with $13,000 home purchase
Remote-work migrants find foothold in Italy's emptiest region as depopulation crisis meets global shift in where people work
An American couple who left New York City for a $13,000 house in Italy exemplifies a small but growing reversal of the depopulation that has hollowed Molise for generations.
Antonio Petrella
Geopolitics and heatwaves squeeze Puglia's olive oil exports
Retail supply chains feel distant shocks as Mediterranean oil faces climate and shipping pressures
European retailers are discovering how events thousands of miles away—and weather systems at home—can disrupt olive oil supplies that stock grocery shelves across the continent.
Francesca Lazzari
Rome airports threaten to suspend EU border system to avert summer travel chaos
Peak tourism season risks overwhelming new digital entry-exit system for non-EU passengers, airport chiefs warn
Rome's airports say they must suspend the EU's new digital border system for non-EU citizens during summer months to prevent a collapse of immigration processing at Italy's busiest travel hub.
Adriana Sole
UK-France migration deal's collapse will reshape Mediterranean pressure
As the 'one in, one out' asylum agreement ends in October, Calabria braces for potential shift in European migration flows
The end of the UK-France migration pact in October will disrupt asylum routing across Europe, with implications for Mediterranean reception systems already strained by arrivals.
Saverio Gallo
Hyatt bets on Sicily as US chains vie for Italy's tourism recovery
First Hyatt Regency and Thompson properties planned for Taormina, signalling renewed foreign confidence in Mediterranean hospitality
Hyatt announced three Italian properties by 2028, including its first Hyatt Regency and Thompson Hotels in the country, with a Taormina opening adding to Sicily's luxury hotel portfolio.
Concetta Vassallo
Sardinia's pastoral heartland faces critical water stress as Mediterranean drought deepens
Shepherding communities in the interior brace for sustained heat as the island's fragile water supply faces pressure from record temperatures.
As heatwaves intensify across the Mediterranean, Sardinia's depopulating interior—where shepherds and farmers sustain centuries-old pastoral traditions—confronts a deepening water crisis with few safety nets.
Gavino Sanna
Sinner seeks Wimbledon repeat after Paris stumble
Italian world No. 1 favoured to retain title as Alcaraz absent; early French Open exit raises questions
Jannik Sinner begins Wimbledon as the strong favourite to retain his title, despite his shock early loss at the French Open last month.
Tobia Marenghi
Venice Festival Names Gyllenhaal Jury President; To, Ben Hania, Sadat Join
Hong Kong, Tunisian and Afghan directors anchor international competition panel for September festival
The Venice Film Festival has unveiled its main competition jury, led by American actor Maggie Gyllenhaal and including Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To, Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania and Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat.
Eleonora Vanzetti
Italian Comedy Joins International Streaming Picks in New York Times Guide
Times highlights Italian film alongside Brazilian, Swedish and Croatian titles in monthly streaming roundup
The New York Times included an Italian comedy in its monthly international streaming recommendations, placing Italian cinema alongside Pride Month selections from Brazil, Sweden and Croatia.
Eleonora Vanzetti
Stellantis eyes Marelli suspension assets as Italian auto-parts sector faces consolidation
Turin-based carmaker in talks to acquire Japanese supplier's European business amid industry restructuring.
Stellantis is in discussions to acquire the suspension business of Japanese auto-parts supplier Marelli Holdings, according to Bloomberg News, as the Italian carmaker pursues a broader consolidation strategy.
Lorenzo Ferraris
Extreme heat tests Piedmont's industrial power grid as Europe records 191 million in sweltering conditions
Record temperatures threaten manufacturing operations and energy supply across the Alpine region.
A severe European heatwave is placing unprecedented strain on Piedmont's power infrastructure as temperatures soar across the continent, with at least 191 million people facing 35 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
Lorenzo Ferraris
Adriatic heat tests Marche's summer tourism machine
As record temperatures grip Europe, coastal resorts brace for strain on water and power systems during peak season.
The Guardian reports Germany and Italy sweltering in record heat; the Adriatic coast faces critical pressure on infrastructure as visitors peak.
Elena Marcheggiani
Alpine summer tourism surges as American travelers discover mountain alternative to crowded coasts
Shift in seasonal patterns reshapes hospitality and infrastructure demands across Trentino-Alto Adige as US market expands
American visitors are increasingly choosing Alpine valleys over Mediterranean beaches during summer months, marking a significant shift in international tourism patterns that is reshaping hospitality infrastructure across the northern Italian mountains.
Klara Hofer
Opinion
When the heat exposes what was already breaking
Europe's deadly heatwave is not a natural disaster. It is a stress test that reveals the fragility of systems we thought were robust.
Editorial Board
Eighty years of Vespa: what a scooter tells us about Italy
As thousands celebrated the Vespa's anniversary in Rome, the world saw not just a machine, but a story about how Italy exports itself.
Editorial Board