Italian president calls for truce ahead of G8

September 30th, 2009 Berlusconi calls Obama 'tanned' againROME — Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi is poking fun at President Barack Obama again. Berlusconi has told a rally in Milan that he was bringing greetings from the United States from "What's his name? Some tanned guy.

September 21st, 2009 Italy cardinal denounces attack on Catholic editorROME — A top Italian cardinal complained Monday that civility was on the decline in Italy after a prominent Catholic editor was forced to resign after a newspaper loyal to Premier Silvio Berlusconi exposed a scandal in his past. Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the head of Italy's influential bishops' conference, denounced what he called a "grave" attack against the Dino Boffo, editor of the Italian bishops' daily newspaper Avvenire, by the Berlusconi family newspaper Il Giornale.

September 17th, 2009 Italian defense minister: 6 dead in Afghan blastROME — The Italian defense minister says six Italian soldiers were killed in an attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and four others were injured. Ignazio La Russa says an explosive-filled car rammed into two vehicles carrying 10 Italian soldiers Thursday.

September 17th, 2009 Italy Defense Ministry: 6 dead in Afghan blastROME — The Italian Defense Ministry says that six people have died in a blast in the Afghan capital, Kabul. The ministry said it was not clear whether the victims from Thursday's explosion were Italian, but news reports said the blast hit two Italian military vehicles.

August 10th, 2009 10 Italian sailors freed by Somali piratesROME —Ten Italian sailors whose tug was seized by Somali pirates four months ago in the Gulf of Aden have been released after the pirates abandoned the ship, Italian authorities said Monday. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told Sky-TV24 that the Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke notified him directly of the release in a phone call Sunday evening.

August 10th, 2009 Saudi princess robbed at posh Italian resortROME —Italian police said Monday they are hunting for burglars who stole euro11 million ($15.5 million) in cash and jewelry from the hotel room of a Saudi princess. Police said the princess was not in her room at the luxury Colonna Pevero Hotel in Porto Cervo, a glitzy resort on the island of Sardinia, when the robbers struck sometime Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

August 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Al-Qaeda second-in-command, Aymaan al Zawahiri, has accused US President Barack Obama of continuing to spill the blood of Muslims, and said Israel is a "crime" that must be wiped out.e also dismissed Obama's Middle East peace push as a deception, and accused the US President of seeking to create a "Palestinian state that works as a branch of the Israeli intelligence," according to a transcript published by the SITE Intelligence Group. "Israel is a crime that must be eliminated," al-Zawahiri said in a newly released video interview.

July 3rd, 2009 Italian train derailment death toll rises to 20ROME — Italian officials say the death toll from a train explosion in Tuscany has risen to 20 after a woman died overnight in the hospital. The Civil Protection said Friday some 15 injured are still in serious condition.

May 13th, 2009 Boeing, AgustaWestland reach $1.2B helicopter dealROME — Boeing Co. and AgustaWestland will supply the Italian Army with 16 Chinook helicopters under a contract worth about $1.23 billion, the companies said Wednesday.

May 10th, 2009 LONDON - Noemi Letizia, the 18-year-old accused of being at the heart of Silvio Berlusconi's divorce, has claimed that the Italian prime minister will launch her into a career in politics. Letizia, who affectionately calls Berlusconi "Papi", came under media glare after Veronica Lario, the Italian leader's wife, announced their divorce with the words, "I cannot be with a man who spends time with under-age women".

May 6th, 2009 NEW YORK - Rumours are abuzz that the 18-year-old girl at the center of the storm surrounding Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is his daughter. As per sources, Noemi Letizia calls the Italian leader 'Papi' or 'Daddy', reports the New York Post.

May 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - After calling himself the Jesus Christ of Italian politics, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi boasted yesterday that he's the world's most popular leader. The 72-year-old said opinion poll findings in his possession showed his popularity at just over 75 per cent, making him far more popular than the American president, Barack Obama, or any other head of government.

April 30th, 2009 CONI suspends racism ruling against JuventusROME — The Italian Olympic Committee has suspended a ruling by the Italian soccer federation that had ordered Juventus to play its next Serie A home match in an empty stadium as punishment for fans' racist insults. CONI's high court said on Thursday it would meet again on May 14 to make a decision on the case.

April 6th, 2009 ROME - A furious Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has threatened to take action against journalists for reporting his latest gaffes, involving British Queen Elizabeth II and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Berlusconi has accused newspapers and television stations of slandering him and damaging the country's reputation by highlighting his alleged faux pas.

February 26th, 2009 ROME - A 45-year-old Italian gay man is planning to undergo a sex change operation and become a nun, Italian news agency ANSA said Wednesday. The man, whose name has not been revealed, lives in a small town near Rome but intends to leave his job in May and travel to a country in northern Europe to undergo the operation.