A cardinal who conducts acts of charity for Pope Francis has restored power for hundreds of people in a building in Rome after climbing down a manhole and flipping a switch, local media report.
A former communist militant Cesare Battisti has admitted to four murders in Italy during the 1970s, according to local press. Battisti, 64, spent decades on the run and previously denied any involvement. He was arrested in Bolivia in January after living in Brazil, and later extradited to Italy.
Italy has become the first developed economy to sign up to China's global investment program which has raised concerns among Italy's Western allies. A total of 29 deals amounting to €2.5bn were signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Rome.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Rome at the start of a whistle stop European tour amid growing Western unease over the economic giant's new Silk Road project. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is to sign a memorandum of understanding with Mr. Xi on Saturday for Italy to join the US$1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative, the first G7 member to do so.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Italy, Monaco and France this week, the foreign ministry said on Monday, with Rome expected to join his global trade infrastructure program despite reservations in other European countries.
European Council President Donald Tusk has said he will appeal to EU leaders “to be open to a long extension” of the Brexit deadline, if the UK needs to rethink its strategy and get consensus. His intervention came as UK MPs voted to seek a delay of the 29 March deadline to leave the EU. EU leaders meet in Brussels on 21 March and they would have the final say.
Pope Francis has said the Roman Catholic Church will open up its archives on Pius XII, who was Pope during World War Two. Pius, who was Pope from 1939 to 1958, has been accused of tolerating the rise of Nazi Germany and of not doing enough to protect Jews during the Holocaust. The Vatican says he worked behind the scenes to try to protect Jews.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, Rodolfo Nin Novoa, ratified his position on Friday on a peaceful solution to the political and institutional crisis suffered by Venezuela along with his Italian counterpart, Enzo Moavero Milanesi in Montevideo. The Uruguayan chancellor questioned the attitude of the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, considering that he took sides on the Venezuelan conflict.
In an industry-first, events took place at Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, to mark the construction progress for each of the 3,660-guest Sky Princess, Enchanted Princess and a sixth Royal-class ship yet to be named. For Sky Princess, which will launch in October this year, a Madrina ceremony was held.
Italy's economy tipped into recession at the end of last year, according to latest figures. In the final three months of 2018, the economy shrank by 0.2%, following a 0.1% decline in the third quarter, the Istat statistics office said. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the contraction was likely to continue into 2019.