Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Italy and Spain

US president says European countries are ‘absolutely horrible’ to refuse to support operations in strait of Hormuz…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/01/trump-threatens-withdraw-troops-italy-spain-strait-hormuz

 

Italy’s Meloni pivots away from Trump as she looks to reset her premiership – POLITICO

"As is normal among allies, we must clearly say even when we do not agree," Meloni told parliament. She went on to list episodes where she claimed her government stood up to the White House, from tariffs "which we have many times defined as a wrong choice," to defending "the honor of our soldiers in Afghanistan, who had been defined as useless," and protecting Greenland's territorial integrity alongside European allies.

 The Italian leader also described the war in Iran as "a military operation that Italy did not agree with and did not participate in ... a fact that emerged in all its concreteness with the Sigonella affair," she continued. She was referring — for the first time in a public statement — to Italy's recent decision to refuse permission for a U.S. military aircraft to land at the Sigonella ​air base in Sicily before flying to ‌the Middle East…

https://www.politico.eu/article/italys-giorgia-meloni-pivots-donald-trump-reset-premiership/  

Israeli settlers attack and rob Italian and Canadian volunteers in West Bank

Group beaten in early hours of morning in village where they volunteered to help protect Palestinians from settler violence

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/01/italian-canadian-volunteers-beaten-robbed-israeli-settlers-west-bank

 

Opinion | I’m a military mom: Here’s what we can learn from Italian lunchrooms - The Washington Post

Early exposure to varied foods allows Italian children to develop diverse palates and drives healthy, lifelong eating habits. The Mediterranean diet, linked to lower risk of heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes, is one of the healthiest in the world...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/01/22/italian-school-lunch-childhood-obesity/

Opinion | What’s Happening in Giorgia Meloni’s Italy Is Scary - The New York Times

Ms. Meloni's administration has spent its first months accusing minorities of undermining the triad of God, nation and family, with dire practical consequences for migrants, nongovernmental organizations and same-sex parents…

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/opinion/meloni-italy-washington-visit.html

Democrats want DOJ to turn over info on Barr, Durham trip to Italy

"In this instance, it appears that Attorney General Barr turned the Special Counsel regulations on their head and used the Special Counsel not to promote independence and fairness, but to bury a potentially significant criminal investigation from the public," Nadler wrote...

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4091023-democrats-want-doj-to-turn-over-info-on-barr-durham-trip-to-italy/

Venice canals run dry amid fears Italy faces another drought | CNN

Weeks of dry winter weather have raised concerns that Italy could face another drought after last summer’s emergency, with the Alps having received less than half of their normal snowfall, according to scientists and environmental groups

 https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/venice-canal-drought-italy-climate-scli-intl/index.html

Vatican protests against 'unprecedented' Italian bill on homophobia - BBC News

…It would add legal protections for women and people who are LGBT or disabled. Those found guilty of hate crimes or discrimination against these groups could face up to four years in prison…

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57570467

Stephen Colbert Breaks Down Latest Bonkers Election Conspiracy To Emerge From GOP | HuffPost

…The baseless theory suggests that people in Italy used military satellites to flip votes in the 2020 presidential election from then-President Donald Trump to his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden…

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stephen-colbert-election-conspiracy-theory_n_60c08c29e4b059c73bd3d842

Italy Home Quarantine Repeats Mistake Made in China, Doctors Say - Bloomberg

Italy needs to shift to mass quarantining of coronavirus patients with mild symptoms instead of letting them isolate at home, according to a group of Chinese experts who traveled to the European nation to advise officials there.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-30/italy-home-quarantine-repeats-mistake-made-in-china-doctors-say

Italian police raid of neo fascist militants finds air-to-air missile - Ars Technica

Back from fighting in Donbass, group hoped to sell Qatari missile to "foreign government."
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/07/italian-police-raid-of-neo-fascist-militants-finds-air-to-air-missile/

Pope Francis: 'No one is exempt' from helping migrants - The Hill

Pope Francis on Monday said that no one is exempt from helping migrants following clashes between Italy and migrant rescue ships, Reuters reported...
https://thehill.com/policy/international/451951-pope-francis-no-one-is-exempt-from-helping-migrants

Italy revoking lease for monastery that Stephen Bannon wanted for far-right training academy - The Hill

The Italian government announced Friday it will revoke the rights to a medieval monastery outside of Rome where former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon planned to use to train far-right nationalists.
https://thehill.com/policy/international/europe/446434-italy-revoking-lease-for-monastery-that-steve-bannon-wanted-for

Italy rolls out 'citizens' income' for the poor amid criticisms

Italy’s populist government has rolled out its “citizens’ income” for the poor scheme, amid criticism that the part of the initiative meant to help claimants find a job is not ready to be implemented...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/06/italy-rolls-out-citizens-income-for-the-poor-amid-criticisms

Italy’s Schoolteachers Are Being Taught to Deal With the Devil - The Daily Beast

Italy's education ministry, run by Matteo Salvini's right-leaning Lega party, has just introduced classes to help educators spot demonic possession. ....
https://www.thedailybeast.com/italys-schoolteachers-are-being-taught-to-deal-with-the-devil

‘Zero Tolerance’ Unleashes Murderous Violence in Italy—and Trump Thinks It’s Just Great - The Daily Beast

Attacks on people of color have multiplied dramatically since Steve Bannon favorite Matteo Salvini took over. On Monday his puppet prime minister basked in Trump's approval. ...
https://www.thedailybeast.com/zero-tolerance-unleashes-murderous-violence-in-italy-and-trump-thinks-its-just-great-1

The global crackdown on parents who refuse vaccines for their kids has begun - Vox

Countries like Italy and Australia are tired of measles outbreaks — so they're moving to fine anti-vaccine parents....
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/8/3/16069204/vaccine-fines-measles-outbreaks-europe-australia

Larry Klayman Is Outraged By Michelle Obama's Shoulders

Right Wing Watch reports on the extreme rhetoric and activities of key right-wing figures and organizations by showing their views in their own words. In this video, Larry Klayman says that Barack Obama is trying to undermine President Trump by vacationing in Italy....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho1zeLokWgg&spfreload=10

Poll: Only 50 percent of Italians call themselves Catholic

Italy may be the spiritual home of 1.2 billion members of the Catholic Church around the world, but a new poll shows only 50 percent of Italians consider themselves Catholic.

The poll, published in the liberal daily L’Unita on Tuesday (March 29), challenges long-held perceptions that Italy is a ”Catholic” country, despite the popularity of Pope Francis and the historic role of the Vatican City State in the heart of Rome.

 In addition to the 50 percent who consider themselves Catholic, the poll, conducted in Italy by research firm SWG, found that 13 percent defined themselves as “Christian.”...
http://religionnews.com/2016/03/29/poll-only-50-percent-of-italians-call-themselves-catholic/

At Last, Italy Defies Catholic Church and Legalizes Same-Sex Civil Unions

Italy’s Parliament voted Wednesday in favor of a new law legalizing same-sex civil unions, extending new rights to gay and lesbian couples in the country. The country has lagged far behind its European counterparts in its protections and rights granted to gay couples; the new law is the first to recognize gay couples in the country’s history. The Vatican, predictably, opposed the measure, but it was backed by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi....
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/05/11/italy_defies_catholic_church_and_legalizes_same_sex_civil_unions.html