Sep 29, 2026
An Italian court convicted three Egyptian security officials in absentia for the 2016 kidnapping of student Giulio Regeni, whose tortured body was found days after his disappearance in Cairo. The officials were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Italy's defence minister announced plans to deploy naval forces to safeguard Italian merchant shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, citing mounting security concerns and potential severe economic fallout from the vital waterway being threatened by the widening Middle East conflict.
Attackers compromised a legitimate Italian state email address to impersonate law enforcement and trick Revolut into releasing personal data of approximately 680-700 customers, primarily cryptocurrency holders. The hackers are now demanding a $3 million ransom in Monero cryptocurrency with a 24-hour deadline to prevent the data's sale.
Rome-based cybersecurity startup Exein has raised $270 million in a funding round led by Headline, achieving unicorn status with a $1.7 billion valuation. The company provides AI-powered security solutions for physical AI devices including robots, drones, and autonomous machines.
Italian bank UniCredit is in discussions with external technology providers to build infrastructure for digital asset trading, custody services, and access to tokenized investment products as part of plans to expand its digital asset offerings.
Milan-based startup Cato has secured €6m in seed funding to develop AI software for navigating Italian public procurement processes. The investment thesis centers on the persistent complexity of public tender systems rather than simplification.
Ukraine has submitted urgent requests to NATO and the EU for air defense systems, particularly Patriot missiles, as winter approaches. The US, UK, France, and Italy are coordinating deliveries, with the UK committing £100 million and allies seeking to rapidly strengthen Ukraine's defenses amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration reached 1,413 consecutive days in office, surpassing Silvio Berlusconi's record to become Italy's longest-running government since World War II, marking rare political stability in a country known for frequent government changes.
Five major Western nations condemned Israel's advancement of the E1 settlement plan in the occupied West Bank, which involves tenders for over 1,200 housing units and could split Palestinian territories, potentially ending prospects for a two-state solution.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to pressure Israel to implement a framework agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv, amid growing concerns over a potential security vacuum in southern Lebanon. The diplomatic push comes as Hezbollah official Nawaf Moussawi stated that force may be necessary to compel Israeli withdrawal from the region.
Spain announced it will establish border controls on all flights and ships from Italy from midnight Saturday until September 7, retaliating after Rome imposed similar measures following a mass influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta.
The XVII edition of the Aquileia Film Festival in Italy closed with over 15,000 spectators across eight evenings, featuring ten films and twelve guests. The festival awarded its prize to a documentary about the Assyrians.
Scientists have created a real-time detection system to identify fake videoconferences using deepfake technology, as eleven nations including the US, France, Germany, and Italy issue warnings about North Korean IT workers using AI deepfakes to bypass hiring verification processes and commit fraud.
An EU naval mission led by Italy boarded a tanker from Russia's so-called 'shadow fleet' in international waters off Pantelleria, between Sicily and Tunisia, marking the second such operation in less than two weeks. The operation was conducted with support from Greek and Polish forces as part of arms and oil trafficking monitoring efforts.
The Bank of Italy conducted a study testing 200 USDC remittances across 10 international payment corridors, finding that total costs varied widely from 0.3% to nearly 9% of the transaction amount, challenging assumptions that stablecoins are necessarily cheaper for cross-border payments.
Italy imposed border controls on Spain after approximately 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in a single day. Spain deployed military forces and reported that 48,000 migrants had voluntarily returned to Morocco, while Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez criticized Italy's response as 'selfish' and demanded an EU meeting.
A July 2026 study by Banca d'Italia testing 200 USDC transfers across 10 international payment corridors found total costs ranged from 0.3% to nearly 9%, questioning whether stablecoins consistently offer cheaper or faster remittances than traditional payment rails.
Italy and the United States are set to sign a cooperation agreement on the Pax Silica initiative focused on artificial intelligence supply chains on Friday, according to Italy's foreign ministry. The agreement comes after a reported dispute with Trump.
A 67-year-old woman named Elena recovered her vision after five years of blindness following a groundbreaking surgical procedure at Turin's Molinette Hospital. The operation, led by Professor Michele Reibaldi, involved transplanting the anterior segment and central retina (macula) from one of her eyes to the other—a medical first.
Italy, once a model for healthy eating with its Mediterranean diet, now confronts a major child obesity problem, with over 40% of children aged 8-9 overweight in some regions of Campania. The crisis represents a stark reversal for a country that inspired global healthy eating standards.
European Central Bank board member Piero Cipollone warned on Friday, July 17, 2026, that unchecked growth of stablecoins—particularly dollar-denominated tokens—poses a risk to European banks' retail deposit base, speaking at a gathering of Italian cooperative bankers.
Nicaragua broke diplomatic relations with Italy on Thursday following Rome's renewed demand to extradite Alessio Casimirri, a former Red Brigades militant convicted for his role in the 1978 kidnapping and killing of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. Nicaragua has provided refuge to Casimirri for decades.
An Italian court convicted 32 people, including former Autostrade CEO Giovanni Castellucci, for their roles in the 2018 Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa that killed 43 people when the highway structure gave way and sent vehicles plunging. Twenty-five other defendants were acquitted in the trial.
President Donald Trump reignited his feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by posting a doctored image on Truth Social with the caption 'restraining order needed,' just days before both leaders are scheduled to attend a NATO summit. The altered image, based on genuine G7 footage, changes Meloni's facial expression to appear more enamored.
The three nations have secured a major contract worth £4.6 billion to develop a next-generation combat aircraft, marking a significant milestone in their trilateral defence programme aimed at bringing the sixth-generation fighter jet into service by 2035.
Italian authorities arrested four people suspected of carrying out a bomb attack in October targeting Sigfrido Ranucci, an investigative journalist for the program Report who has faced threats from the Italian mafia. The attack occurred at his home.
A deadly heat wave that has disrupted daily life across Europe for over a week reached Italy and the Balkans on Monday, causing hundreds of excess deaths and triggering widespread wildfires in southeastern Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for talks in Antibes on the French Riviera, marking a rapprochement between the two leaders after Meloni's recent fallout with US President Donald Trump. The meeting represents Meloni's first bilateral summit in France amid her distancing from Trump.
Leaders of Germany, France, Italy, the UK, and Poland met in Berlin to strengthen NATO's European pillar before NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's Wednesday meeting with President Trump. The diplomatic efforts come amid tensions over European participation in the US-Israel war on Iran and Trump's planned troop reductions, ahead of a potentially contentious NATO summit in Ankara in July 2026.
A massive fire almost completely destroyed the Viva Wyndham Dominicus Beach Hotel in Bayahibe, Dominican Republic on June 19, 2026, killing one Italian tourist and forcing the evacuation of approximately 1,700 guests from the Caribbean coastal resort.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled a planned US trip after President Trump claimed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had 'begged' him for a photo at the G7 summit. Meloni called the claim 'totally invented' and said she was 'stunned' by Trump's remarks, marking a sharp deterioration in their once-close relationship.
Milan prosecutors are investigating an Italian aristocrat and three others for murder after allegations emerged that wealthy tourists paid $100,000 to hunt civilians for sport during the 1990s Bosnian war. Italian police have seized significant evidence during searches of suspects' homes.
Punta Molentis beach in Sardinia has implemented a controversial rule prohibiting umbrellas for anyone between ages 10 and 65, with officials citing overcrowding concerns following a wildfire evacuation incident. The measure has drawn criticism and ridicule from visitors.
France, Italy, and Spain are leading initiatives to reduce Europe's dependence on US technology while simultaneously proposing new rules to ease cross-border banking operations and reduce regulatory fragmentation across the EU.
Pope Leo XIV traveled to Acerra in Italy's Campania region on Saturday, meeting with families affected by illegal toxic waste dumping linked to mafia operations and denouncing companies that seek profits at the cost of environmental pollution. Around 15,000 people gathered to welcome the pontiff to the Terra dei Fuochi area, where illegal dumping has caused deaths and cancer cases.
Four major European powers issued a joint statement condemning Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, warning that Israeli government policies are undermining prospects for a two-state solution.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday, urging European allies to take concrete action against Iran and support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while expressing frustration that allies are not backing Washington's confrontational approach.
The Pentagon announced withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany, with Trump threatening additional cuts in Spain and Italy over disputes about the Iran war and NATO burden-sharing. The move blindsided NATO allies and drew criticism from senior Republicans who warned it sends wrong message to Russia.
President Trump threatened to reduce US military presence in Germany, Italy and Spain after European leaders, particularly German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, criticized US approach to the Iran conflict. Germany says it is 'prepared' for potential troop reductions.
President Trump delivered harsh public rebukes to two of his closest European allies, saying Italian PM Giorgia Meloni lacks 'courage' over the Iran war and warning the UK that their trade deal 'can always be changed' after Britain declined to join US military operations.
Italy has denied US military planes carrying weapons for the Iran war access to an airbase in Sicily, with the defense ministry stating the US failed to request parliamentary authorization as required by international treaty. The move follows Spain's earlier closure of its airspace to US combat aircraft.
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in broad daylight in Baghdad, with US officials stating a suspect has ties to Iran-backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah. The State Department says it is working to ensure her release as soon as possible.
Israel's parliament passed legislation imposing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, a measure pushed by the far-right government. Four European countries (UK, France, Germany, Italy) condemned the law as a 'grave step backwards.'
A deadly heat wave that has disrupted daily life across Europe for over a week has now reached Italy and the Balkans, causing hundreds of excess deaths including approximately 1,000 in France alone. The extreme temperatures have sparked wildfires and strained emergency services across the continent.