Front page
Draghi's Rhine Group seeks to fix Europe from the borderlands
New initiative aims to bridge EU's centre and periphery, a mission that resonates along Italy's eastern frontier
Mario Draghi's new Rhine Group wants to repair Europe's fractures. From Trieste, the project's promise of cohesion echoes across a region long shaped by borders.
Sergio Madrussan · NATIONAL
United Airlines adds Puglia route as US-Italy travel booms
New seasonal connection to the region signals growing American interest in the south
United Airlines will add a seasonal direct route to Puglia in 2027, part of a wave of new US-Italy connections announced this week, as American travellers look beyond the classic northern circuit.
Francesca Lazzari · ECONOMY
EU demands Meta protect children after US teen limits deal
Brussels says addictive platform features must be addressed in Europe too
After Meta agreed to sweeping limits on teen social media use in parts of the US, the EU is pressing the company to apply similar safeguards in Europe.
Adriana Sole · INTERNATIONAL
Heatwave's Hidden Cost: Abruzzo's Flood Risk Grows as Rivers Shrink
The fifth heatwave of summer leaves central Italy's waterways dangerously low, raising the spectre of flash floods in the Apennine highlands.
The fifth heatwave of summer is not just a problem of heat; it is a problem of water. In Abruzzo, the shrinking rivers and dry soils are setting the stage for a different kind of disaster.
Marco Di Sante · REGIONAL
Regional dispatches
Europeans favour air conditioning over emissions cuts, poll finds
Six-nation survey shows climate-adaptation preferences that Italy's sweltering cities illustrate
A survey across six European nations finds majorities favour encouraging air conditioning over cutting emissions, a trade-off visible in Italian cities this summer.
Costanza Bardi
Nine in ten Italian schools lack air conditioning as heat persists
Extreme weather cost agriculture €3bn this summer, report finds
As classrooms prepare to reopen in September, a new report finds nine in ten Italian schools have no air conditioning, while extreme weather has cost the agricultural sector €3 billion.
Niccolò Mariani
United Airlines adds three US-Italy routes for 2027, none for Umbria
New flights to Sicily, Sardinia, Milan and Puglia reflect coastal focus
United Airlines has announced three new direct routes from the US to Italy for 2027, adding connections to Sicily, Sardinia, Milan and Puglia — but none to Umbria's airports.
Niccolò Mariani
September's agenda: five tests facing Italy's districts
Parliament's return brings budget, energy, labour and EU funds to the fore
As Italy returns to work, the Marche's manufacturing districts watch for signals on energy costs, labour and EU funding.
Elena Marcheggiani
Camorra swindle siphons EU farm funds as South's fraud stain persists
Police dismantle network accused of stealing rural development cash, in a case that underscores the region's battle with organised crime
The arrests come as authorities across the South struggle to shield European agricultural subsidies from infiltration by organised crime.
Rosaria Esposito
Extreme weather cost Italy's farms €3bn, survey finds
Heatwaves and storms hit the sector as the south braces for another late-summer spike
Italy's agricultural sector has lost an estimated €3 billion to extreme weather this year, according to reports, as Puglia's olive groves and vineyards face another late-summer heatwave.
Francesca Lazzari
Anti-tank missiles found in van on Italian roads, French man arrested
Arms trafficking arrest raises questions about weapons flows through Italy's transit routes
A French man was arrested in Italy on arms trafficking charges after police found three anti-tank missiles in his van.
Saverio Gallo
United Airlines to launch direct New York-Sardinia route
US carrier adds two new Italy routes for 2027, including first direct connection to the island
United Airlines will add a direct route from the New York area to Sardinia in 2027, a move that could reshape the island's tourism economy.
Gavino Sanna
Draghi's Rhine Group seeks to fix Europe's economic drift
New initiative aims to turn the former PM's competitiveness report into policy
The Rhine Group, launched by Mario Draghi, wants to translate his blueprint for European competitiveness into concrete political action.
Adriana Sole
Fiorentina in talks with Man United over Zirkzee loan
Italian club seeks striker as Premier League side reshapes squad
Fiorentina are negotiating an initial loan deal for Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, the BBC reports.
Tobia Marenghi
Basilicata's summer of extremes meets Europe's air-con divide
Survey finds Europeans favour cooling over emissions cuts after four heatwaves
A survey across six European nations finds more people favour encouraging air conditioning than prioritising emissions cuts, a choice that lands hardest in Italy's scorched south.
Pietro Lasorsa
Emilia-Romagna weighs in on Italy's autumn policy agenda
Region's cooperatives and food economy watch as parliament reconvenes
As Italy's parliament prepares to reopen, Emilia-Romagna's civic and productive traditions put it at the heart of the national debate on labour, climate and public spending.
Giulia Benati
United Airlines adds Washington-Milan route for 2027
New US-Italy services include direct DC to Milan flights, boosting transatlantic links
United Airlines will launch a new direct service from Washington DC to Milan plus routes to Sicily, Sardinia and Puglia in 2027, strengthening US-Italy connectivity.
Beatrice Comolli
'Escape wizard' arrest closes chapter in Alpine-Balkan trail
Albanian fugitive who broke out of four jails in Italy and Belgium is held in Spain
The capture of the 'escape wizard' — an Albanian who escaped four prisons in Italy and Belgium — closes a saga that traced the criminal routes linking the Balkans to Western Europe.
Sergio Madrussan
Florence's paper lantern parade lights up a September of festivals
The 'Festa della Rificolona' returns as The Local lists it among Italy's unmissable September events
Florence's colourful paper lantern parade is among 19 events The Local flags for September, a month when Italy's festival season resumes after the summer break.
Costanza Bardi
Opinion
The world's oldest bank and the art of survival
Monte dei Paschi's counter-bids reveal a truth about Italian banking: survival is a political act as much as a financial one.
Editorial Board
The escape wizard and the porous frontier
The arrest of a fugitive who slipped through Italian prisons and borders reminds us that Europe's security is only as strong as its weakest seam.
Editorial Board