Topic: Italy

Silvio Berlusconi Always Has a Get-Out-of-Jail Free Card

AP

This we know for sure: Silvio Berlusconi is still guilty of tax fraud. But the former three-time Italian prime minister and long-time media baron may never see the inside of a jail cell, on account of being a wealthy political fat cat, and also because he's really old.

By Connor Simpson

May 8, 2013

How on Earth Did an Italian Watchtower Not See This Giant Boat Coming?

A container ship lost control and took out the massive concrete and glass control tower overlooking Genoa, Italy's busiest port, on Tuesday evening, killing three people while another four were taken to the hospital for treatment and a few more are still missing.

Comments | 1,618 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Mar 26, 2013

The Amanda Knox Trial Will Have a Sequel

Almost a year-and-a-half after her original murder conviction was overturned, the Italian supreme court has overturned that acquittal, opening the door for another sensational trial of American student Amanda Knox.

Comments | 4,183 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 12, 2013

Trimming the Times

Suicide in Afghanistan, Papal Smoke, and Rat Sterilization

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 1,035 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Mar 7, 2013

Silvio Berlusconi Gets Another One-Year Jail Term

Italy's former Prime Minister isn't going to jail just yet, but his legal trouble haven't gone away just because he had a good day at the polls a few weeks ago.

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Mar 4, 2013

Trimming the Times

Chinese Hacking Motives, the Market vs. the Job Picture, and a New Oz

A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.

Comments | 862 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Feb 28, 2013

Jon Stewart Plans an Intervention for Italy

After contemplating the country's recent woes — the recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI plus the meltdown of Italy's election for Prime Minister — the Daily Show host offered some advice, and condemnation, to Italians, a third of whom voted for Silvio Berlusconi, the perpetually scandalized politician.

Comments | 517 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Feb 25, 2013

Italy's Close Election Could Give Way to Chaos

The results will not only decide who controls a new government but how the country will continue to deal with economic crisis at home and across Europe. And depending on which way things swing, Rome could end up even more divided than Washington.

Comments | 862 Views

By David Wagner

Feb 25, 2013

Today's Best

Five Best Monday Columns

Paul Krugman on elections in austere Italy, Mathew Ingram on Google re-upping a nasty Nascar video, Tom Gross on the UN and modern-day slavery, Gordon Chang on Foxconn's exit from China, and Timothy Lee on Comcast as a threat.  

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Jan 29, 2013

Luggage Washing Ashore Is Not a Good Sign for the Missoni Rescue Mission

As over three weeks have gone by since Vittorio Missoni's plane went missing, it's probably safe to say that most people have given up hope of finding the Italian fashion legend alive.

Comments | 1,186 Views

By J.K. Trotter

Jan 14, 2013

Berlusconi Will Have to Interrupt His Campaigning for the 'Bunga Bunga' Trial

The former Prime Minister of Italy argued (not so persuasively) that he would be too busy campaigning to pay attention to a child prostitution trial. A judge on Monday thought otherwise.

Comments | 517 Views

By Connor Simpson

Jan 5, 2013

Fashion Head Vittorio Missoni Goes Missing in Venezuela

A small plane flying off the coast of Venezuela went missing Friday morning, but it wasn't until Saturday that we learned Vittorio Missoni, one of the co-owners of the famed Italian fashion house that bears his name, was on board.

Comments | 862 Views

By Esther Zuckerman

Dec 27, 2012

Priest Blames Domestic Violence on Lack of Domesticity, Housework by Women

The Italian Catholic community was thrust into controversy over the holiday when a priest posted on his church's bulletin board a text about domestic violence against women that seemed to place blame on the victims.

Comments | 3,621 Views

By Connor Simpson

Dec 8, 2012

Silvio Berlusconi Wants His Old (Soon to be Available) Job Back

Italians tabloid editors are probably jumping for joy right now. Silvio Berlusconi, the disgraced former Prime Minister of Italy, told reporters Saturday that he's ready to return to politics. 

Comments | 1,207 Views

By David Wagner

Nov 9, 2012

Philip Roth Is Retiring; Amazon Glitch Disables Buy Buttons

Today in books and publishing: Philip Roth confirms his retirement; Amazon's mysteriously vanishing buy buttons; Kobo expands to Italy, Kindle considers China; cities in literature.

Comments | 1,379 Views

By Connor Simpson

Oct 27, 2012

Berlusconi Wants His Revenge

A day after being sentenced to four years in prison for tax fraud, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is warning his People of Freedom party might withdraw their for current Prime Minister Mario Monti. 

Comments | 506 Views

By Jen Doll

Oct 23, 2012

The Alleged Crime of Eating Al Fresco

The Roman police force is on the lookout for defiers of the law, the law being: Eating and drinking at historic sites. Thou shalt not do it, capisce?

Comments | 1,207 Views

By John Hudson

Oct 23, 2012

Italy's Top Scientists Resign Their Government Posts After Quake Conviction

If your colleagues were sentenced to jail for failing to predict the future, you'd probably be upset too. On Tuesday, some of Italy's top scientists resigned from the government's disaster agency to protest the manslaughter conviction of seven seismologists for failing to predict the devastating earthquake in L'Aquila in 2009.

Comments | 4,511 Views

By David Wagner

Oct 22, 2012

Italian Seismologists Are Going to Jail for Not Being Able to Predict the Future

The L'Aquila earthquake devastated central Italy in 2009, killing over 300 people. But an Italian judge's decision to convict seismologists for failing to predict the quake flies in the face of basic science. 

Comments | 7,486 Views

By Richard Lawson

Oct 18, 2012

The Smart Set

Justin and Jessica's Nearing Neapolitan Nuptials

Today in celebrity news: J&J will be tying the knot in Italy any moment now, someone's scolding Lena Dunham for something once again, and Uma Thurman gave her daughter a crazy name.

Comments | 4,411 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Oct 9, 2012

Italian Town Fires Entire Government Over Mafia Connections

A small town in southern Italy found itself with out a municipal government on Tuesday, when the Italian government literally sacked its entire city council due to its mafia connections.

Comments | 1,360 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Oct 3, 2012

Anti-Austerity Protester Spends the Night on the Dome of Saint Peter's Basilica

An Italian bar owner climbed onto the roof of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican last night and unfurled a giant sign protesting against the Italian government and the European Union's plans to rescue his nation from financial ruin.

Comments

By John Hudson

Sep 17, 2012

Where Is the Right to Publish Royal Breasts Most Protected?

The scandalous publication of Kate Middleton's unsuspecting breasts has created three case studies surrounding the right to publish royal private parts, and private is the key word here.

Comments | 17,549 Views

By Serena Dai

Jul 17, 2012

Chart of the Day

Spanish and Italian Banks Have Never Needed More Help

A chart from the International Monetary Fund's global financial stability report shows just how dire the need for cash is for Spanish and Italian banks which are poised to receive fresh funds from the European Central Bank.

Comments | 172 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Jul 11, 2012

How Would Berlusconi Rate Among the Greatest Disgraced Politician Comebacks?

"Confidantes" of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have begun floating the idea that the "disgraced" leader is rested and ready to reclaim his old job

Comments | 172 Views

By John Hudson

Jun 19, 2012

Has Angela Merkel Finally Cried Uncle on Euro Bailout?

World leaders may have twisted Angela Merkel's arm into submission.

Comments | 2,931 Views

By John Hudson

Jun 15, 2012

The Euro Crisis Is Turning France and Germany Into Frenemies

The happy partnership between Germany and France on the European debt crisis turned unmistakably sour this morning.

Comments | 1,485 Views

By John Hudson

Jun 14, 2012

Spain's Credit Downgrade Is Wreaking Havoc

Despite European efforts to rescue Spain's banks, Moody's downgraded the country's debt to near-junk-bond status Thursday, and the ramifications are reverberating across the globe.

Comments | 446 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

May 29, 2012

Northern Italy Hit by Second Big Earthquake in Nine Days

 A 5.8-earthquake has killed at least eight people in northern Italy, a little over a week after another deadly quake hit nearby Parma.

Comments | 345 Views

By Adam Martin

May 25, 2012

Silvio Berlusconi Enjoyed a 'Burlesque Version of Barack Obama'

Fugitive penguins. Monkeys on a plane. Presidential pot smoking. Just in case you don't have enough surreal news to think about today, try this little gem: Silvio Berlusconi enjoyed a sexy "Burlesque version of President Barack Obama."

Comments | 862 Views

By Adam Martin

Mar 7, 2012

Anonymous Show of Force Takes Down Vatican Website

With some of its most active participants neutralized, Anonymous really wants to show it's still a threat, and on Wednesday it made that point by taking down the Vatican's website.

Comments | 1,035 Views

By Seth Abramovitch

Feb 25, 2012

Statute of Limitations Expires on Silvio Berlusconi Corruption Trial

Silvio Berlusconi walks away from charges he bribed a lawyer $600,000 to lie for him under oath -- but only because the statute of limitations has expired.

Comments | 1,386 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Feb 17, 2012

Italians Seize Fake U.S. Bonds Worth Nearly Half of U.S. Debt

Italian police have confiscated around $6 trillion of counterfeit U.S. Treasury Bonds on Friday, a number equal to almost half of the entire U.S. debt. 

Comments | 2,634 Views

By John Hudson

Jan 31, 2012

Italians Permanently Call Off Search for Missing People on Costa Concordia

In what must've been a wrenching decision, Italian rescue officials called off their search for missing passengers of the partially submerged Costa Concordia Tuesday, citing dangerous conditions to the rescuers.

Comments | 1,424 Views

By Adam Martin

Jan 19, 2012

Concordia First Reported Crash as a Blackout

The handling of the Costa Concordia wreck was botched from the very start, it seems, as a newly leaked recording shows somebody on the ship reporting its collision with a rock as merely a blackout.

Comments | 4,290 Views

By Adam Martin

Jan 18, 2012

The Italian Cruise Captain's Best Excuses ('I Tripped' Isn't One of Them)

The captain of that Italian cruise ship that ran aground over the weekend is in serious trouble, and while he's made one of the lamest excuses we've ever heard, there are some perfectly good ones out there.

Comments | 7,605 Views

By Eric Randall

Jan 17, 2012

The Recall Vote on Wisconsin's Governor Looks Certain

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's opponents will file nearly twice as many signatures as they needed Tuesday in support of a recall election, making it nearly impossible for Walker to avoid an early vote on his term.

Comments | 4,483 Views

By Ted Mann

Jan 15, 2012

The Italian Cruise Captain Did Not Go Down with the Ship

Prosecutors are investigating the captain of the Costa Concordia, who reportedly went ashore on a lifeboat before all the passengers on the 950-foot liner had been rescued after it slammed a rock off of Tuscany.

Comments | 7,253 Views

By Ted Mann

Jan 14, 2012

Sheer Panic as Cruise Ship Runs Aground off Tuscany

Passengers of the Costa Concordia describe harrowing scenes as they tried to escape the cruise ship, which slammed an unseen obstacle just off the island of Giglio on Friday night, killing at least six people.

Comments | 8,176 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Dec 29, 2011

Stat of the Day

99-Year-Old Italian Man to Become World's Oldest Divorcé

Meet "Antonio C," the name court documents give to a nearly century-old Italian man looking to divorce his wife of 77 years.

Comments | 4,451 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Dec 1, 2011

Italy Accidentally Named the Wrong Guy to Their Agricultural Ministry

Italy's sexy, new, supposedly efficient," technocratic" government made up of bankers, admirals, professors and experts accidentally named some random professor from Canada to their agricultural committee.

Comments | 1,003 Views

By Connor Simpson

Nov 27, 2011

IMF Could Be Preparing a $794 Billion Loan for Italy (or Not)

Rumors swirled this morning that the IMF was preparing a monster-sized loan for Italy in case their debt crisis spirals further into chaos, but a closer look reveals this rumor might not have any legs.

Comments | 497 Views

By Ted Mann

Nov 12, 2011

Bye Bye, Bunga Bunga

The Italian Parliament votes for an austerity plan, clearing the way for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's resignation, expected Saturday.

Comments | 1,513 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Nov 10, 2011

Berlusconi Falls and The Economist Gloats

Lots of Italian and international observers have had basta with Silvio Berlusconi for years, but none more so than The Economist, which, in cover story after cover story, has been trying to take down the libidinous Italian leader since 2001 -- so congrats to The Economist

Comments | 1,968 Views

By Eric Randall

Nov 8, 2011

Italy's Berlusconi Confirms His Offer to Step Down as Prime Minister

Italy's news media is reporting that its famously scandal-ridden prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has offered to resign after securing passage of an austerity bill in Parliament, The Guardian writes.

Comments | 962 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos

Nov 8, 2011

Global Roundup: Berlusconi, Dalai Lama, and Sadam Hussein's Toilet

Berlusconi wins a procedural vote (but loses his majority), the Dalai Lama blames China, and Sadam Hussein's prison toilet will be headed to a U.S. museum. 

Comments | 862 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Nov 8, 2011

Silvio Berlusconi on the Brink in Italy

Italy's Prime Minister says he wants to "look my traitors in the face," but it may not be enough to preserve his tenuous grip on the nation's politics

Comments | 304 Views

By Dino Grandoni

Nov 7, 2011

Berlusconi Takes to Facebook to Deny Resignation Rumors

The world has apparently reached the point where the best way for a politician to smother rumors of his impending resignation is to update his Facebook status.

Comments | 862 Views

By Adam Clark Estes

Nov 4, 2011

The G20 Nations Just Put Italy in Time Out

The G20 meetings in Cannes have yielded plenty of verbal support for the ailing euro zone, but so far, nobody's willing to actually cough up any cash.

Comments | 1,684 Views

By Dashiell Bennett

Oct 27, 2011

Italian Lawmakers Come to Blows as Europe Reaches a 4 a.m. Debt Deal

Stock markets in Europe and Asia are responding positively this morning to news that European leaders have come to an agreement on how to (painfully) solve the region's ongoing debt crisis.

Comments | 4,551 Views

By Adam Martin

Oct 3, 2011

The News Sites That Reported the Wrong Knox Verdict

A few UK sites reported Amanda Knox had lost her appeal before changing or deleting their coverage

Comments | 6,004 Views

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