https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Pope Leo XIV made a visit on Saturday to Italy's "Land of Fires", where for decades the mafia has illegally dumped and burned toxic rubbish, poisoning both people and their land. https://www.thelocal.it/20260523/what-is-italys-land-of-fires-and-why-is-the-pope-visiting-it Sat, 23 May 2026 13:30:40 +0200 what-is-italys-land-of-fires-and-why-is-the-pope-visiting-it Much of Europe treats Pentecost Monday as an official holiday. So why doesn’t Italy, despite being known as one of the continent's most Catholic countries? https://www.thelocal.it/20260522/why-isnt-pentecost-monday-a-public-holiday-in-italy-2 Fri, 22 May 2026 10:40:48 +0200 why-isnt-pentecost-monday-a-public-holiday-in-italy-2 Italian divers who died in the Maldives may have taken the wrong tunnel in a cave and died in a dead-end corridor, the head of the outfit that recovered their bodies told AFP. https://www.thelocal.it/20260522/italian-divers-in-maldives-may-have-got-lost-in-cave Fri, 22 May 2026 09:52:25 +0200 italian-divers-in-maldives-may-have-got-lost-in-cave In the first six months of operation of the new EU digital border system, the Entry-Exit System (EES), almost 7,000 travellers were denied entry into Europe's border-free Schengen area because they stayed beyond their permitted time limit, a European Commission report has revealed. https://www.thelocal.it/20260520/ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks Wed, 20 May 2026 14:37:30 +0200 ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to implement the bloc's nearly year-old trade pact with the United States, with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs unless it is done by July 4th. https://www.thelocal.it/20260520/eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats Wed, 20 May 2026 09:15:17 +0200 eu-agrees-to-implement-us-trade-pact-after-trump-threats The number of people refused entry to the EU and Schengen area has risen dramatically, according to new statistics, while thousands of US, UK and Indian nationals have been found to be illegally present in EU/Schengen countries. https://www.thelocal.it/20260518/trend-will-continue-number-of-people-refused-entry-to-europe-on-the-rise Mon, 18 May 2026 15:58:26 +0200 trend-will-continue-number-of-people-refused-entry-to-europe-on-the-rise His face smiles out from every kiosk in Rome on the cover of the ubiquitous calendar sold to tourists but, as many of those who buy the calendar may suspect, star Giovanni Galizia says he was never a man of the cloth. https://www.thelocal.it/20260518/i-was-never-a-priest-admits-star-of-romes-hot-priests-calendar Mon, 18 May 2026 16:11:41 +0200 i-was-never-a-priest-admits-star-of-romes-hot-priests-calendar The launch of limited-edition Swatch watches descended into chaos Saturday in several European cities and New York, with French police firing tear gas to restore order at one store near Paris. https://www.thelocal.it/20260517/scuffles-in-france-italy-and-beyond-as-swatch-sale-descends-into-chaos Sun, 17 May 2026 16:50:40 +0200 scuffles-in-france-italy-and-beyond-as-swatch-sale-descends-into-chaos Still reeling from witnessing a car ploughing through a crowded city centre in Modena in northern Italy on Saturday, pensioner Walter Botorsi said an even bigger tragedy was narrowly avoided. https://www.thelocal.it/20260517/eyewitness-says-modena-italy-tragedy-could-have-been-even-worse Sun, 17 May 2026 16:45:32 +0200 eyewitness-says-modena-italy-tragedy-could-have-been-even-worse Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday with Dara's catchy floor-filler "Bangaranga" sweeping the 70th edition of the world's biggest live televised music event and pushing into second place Israel, whose participation had triggered a major boycott. https://www.thelocal.it/20260517/bulgarias-bangaranga-wins-eurovision-with-israel-second Sun, 17 May 2026 10:44:45 +0200 bulgarias-bangaranga-wins-eurovision-with-israel-second A driver with a history of mental health problems ran over a number of people in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people, four of them seriously, authorities said. https://www.thelocal.it/20260517/eight-injured-as-driver-in-italian-city-runs-over-pedestrians Sun, 17 May 2026 10:31:44 +0200 eight-injured-as-driver-in-italian-city-runs-over-pedestrians Local residents complain of peacocks scratching their cars, dirtying pavements, and waking them up at night with loud mating calls, with many calling for the birds to be removed. https://www.thelocal.it/20260514/dozens-of-wild-peacocks-invade-italian-seaside-town Thu, 14 May 2026 14:29:17 +0200 dozens-of-wild-peacocks-invade-italian-seaside-town Officers harvested the personal information of celebrities and financiers from police databases and sold it to private detectives and debt collectors, investigators said on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.it/20260514/italian-police-caught-selling-information-to-private-investigators Thu, 14 May 2026 14:17:22 +0200 italian-police-caught-selling-information-to-private-investigators The budget airline easyJet has announced another new route from south-west France - this time connecting to Italy with an eye to weekend breaks. https://www.thelocal.it/20260513/easyjet-to-launch-new-route-between-italy-and-south-west-france Wed, 13 May 2026 16:32:03 +0200 easyjet-to-launch-new-route-between-italy-and-south-west-france Britain's Princess Catherine started a two-day visit to Italy on Wednesday focused on early childhood development, in her first official foreign trip since her 2024 cancer diagnosis. https://www.thelocal.it/20260513/princess-kate-visits-italy-on-first-official-trip-since-cancer-treatment Wed, 13 May 2026 16:24:22 +0200 princess-kate-visits-italy-on-first-official-trip-since-cancer-treatment The EU plans to force railway companies operating across the bloc to sell rivals’ tickets on their websites and share data with booking platforms, under new rules that are intended to boost train travel. https://www.thelocal.it/20260513/one-trip-one-ticket-new-eu-rules-aim-to-ease-train-travel Wed, 13 May 2026 12:59:22 +0200 one-trip-one-ticket-new-eu-rules-aim-to-ease-train-travel Italy's health ministry traced passengers in four regions after they were identified as travelling with a woman who later died from the disease. https://www.thelocal.it/20260511/hantavirus-italy-puts-four-people-in-quarantine-after-klm-flight Mon, 11 May 2026 11:34:53 +0200 hantavirus-italy-puts-four-people-in-quarantine-after-klm-flight World conflict is looming large over the Venice Biennale this year with the simultaneous presence of Russia, Ukraine, Israel and the Palestinians, with one participant described the mix as akin to "inviting a serial killer to a dinner" among friends. https://www.thelocal.it/20260509/conflict-inflames-tensions-at-venice-biennale-of-art Sat, 09 May 2026 11:55:37 +0200 conflict-inflames-tensions-at-venice-biennale-of-art The European Commission on Friday clarified rules on air passenger rights given possible fuel shortages and travel disruption amid conflict in the Middle East. https://www.thelocal.it/20260509/eu-commission-clarifies-flight-compensation-rights-amid-travel-disruption Sat, 09 May 2026 09:32:59 +0200 eu-commission-clarifies-flight-compensation-rights-amid-travel-disruption Italy's tax filing window opens in May. Here's what to do, and whether you should file before the end of June. https://www.thelocal.it/20260507/what-to-know-about-the-start-of-italys-tax-filing-season Thu, 07 May 2026 12:59:12 +0200 what-to-know-about-the-start-of-italys-tax-filing-season