
Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he regretted protecting communist militant Cesare Battisti from extradition to his native Italy after the ex-fugitive confessed to four murders.

Italy's cruise industry is preparing to sail again in Mediterranean waters, hoping to help jumpstart the country's economy while restoring the reputation of the beleaguered global sector. MSC Cruises, a privately owned company based in Geneva, will resume operations with two departures from Italy this month, it said over the weekend.

Almost 1.5 million people in Italy or 2.5% of the population have developed coronavirus antibodies, a figure six times more than official numbers reported, according to a survey from statistics agency Istat on Monday.

Italy inaugurated a sleek new bridge in Genoa on Monday, though relatives of the 43 people killed when the old viaduct collapsed said the pomp and ceremony risked overshadowing the tragedy.

Italy on Thursday banned travelers from Brazil and 12 other countries it considers to pose a high risk of Covid-19 transmission. The full list comprises Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Moldova, Oman, Panama and Peru.

The Federal University of Sao Paulo (Unifesp) is in talks to test a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by Italian researchers, the dean of the Brazilian university revealed.

Italy's government said on Wednesday it would guarantee a 6.3-billion-euro (US$7.1 billion) loan to Fiat Chrysler, as the automaker struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Italy has seen a surge in bicycle sales since the government ended its coronavirus lockdown as people steer clear of public transport and respond to government incentives to help the environment.

The European Union unveiled a proposed 750-billion-euro (US$ 825bn) recovery plan Wednesday to get the continent back on its feet after the devastation wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic, as Latin America outpaced Europe and the US in the number of daily infections.

George Soros, the billionaire financier, has cautioned that the European Union's survival was threatened by the novel coronavirus unless it could issue perpetual bonds or consols to help weak members such as Italy.