Pope Francis declares John Paul II, John XXIII saints
Pope Francis on Sunday proclaimed John Paul II and John XXIII the Catholic Church's newest saints at a festive ceremony joined by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims for two pontiffs who helped shape 20th-century history.
G7 to impose new sanctions on Russia as Kiev warns of 'world war'
The Group of Seven rich countries agreed Saturday to impose new sanctions on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine, after Kiev accused Moscow of seeking to trigger a "third world war".
Dancing priest brings #2popesaints to Internet flock
A priest dances in a famous piazza in Rome surrounded by four gyrating parishioners. Tourists stare and dozens of children on a school trip from France start to twist and turn to the music.
Gladiators, horsemen help fete Rome's 2,767th birthday
Gladiators, horsemen and women with flowers in their hair brought history alive Monday at Rome's Circus Maximus where thousands gathered to celebrate the Eternal City's 2,767th birthday.
Social prayers at Pope Francis ceremony for Good Friday
Pope Francis attended an emotional night of prayers for hot-button social issues including domestic abuse, prison overcrowding and unemployment to mark the Good Friday before Easter.
Italy grants refugee status to Kazakh tycoon's family
Italy has granted political refugee status to the family of a Kazakh tycoon, who is in prison in France fighting an extradition order from Russia and Ukraine where he is wanted for massive fraud, lawyers said.
Italy IVF patient pregnant with wrong embryos
A woman who underwent fertility treatment at a clinic in Rome became pregnant with the twins of another couple after their embryos were mixed up, press reports said.
Italy reports 900 migrants rescued at sea
Italy has rescued 896 migrants crossing the Mediterranean by boat overnight, the navy said on Friday, after the government warned of an "emergency" caused by a surge in new arrivals.
Pope asks forgiveness for child sex abuses
Pope Francis on Friday personally asked forgiveness for thousands of child sex abuses carried out by priests and promised more action following accusations of cover-ups and excessive leniency by the Vatican.
Astana Opera singers to perform La Boheme at Arena di Verona
The lead singers of Astana Opera Medet Chotabayev and Sundet Baigozhin have signed contracts with Italian Lirico di Verona to the perform primary roles in Giacomo Puccini’s La Boheme.
Italy's Berlusconi headed for community service
Italian prosecutors on Thursday approved a request by Silvio Berlusconi's lawyers for the three-time prime minister to do community service rather than face house arrest following a tax fraud conviction.
Italian court recognises gay marriage for first time
An Italian court on Wednesday recognised a gay couple as married for the first time in Italy, which does not have any form of official acknowledgement of same-sex unions.
Italian drug mule caught in Karaganda leaking heroin
Italian Kyrgyz drug mule has been caught in Karaganda hallucinating from the heroin leaking in his stomach.
Oscar winner plans TV drama about Italian-American pope: report
Italy's Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino plans to make a debut television series entitled "The Young Pope" about Lenny Belardo -- a fictional first-ever Italian American pontiff, an Italian daily reported on Tuesday.
13 y.o. piano virtuoso from Karaganda wins Italian competition
13 y.o. Karaganda native Vladimir Sukhov won the international music competition in Rome, Italy
Marcelo Alvarez to sing in Puccini's Tosca at Astana Opera
Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca opera is going to be presented at the Astana Opera with the “fourth-tenor” Marcelo Alvarez.
Two Italian priests kidnapped in Cameroon
Two Italian priests and a Canadian nun have been kidnapped by gunmen in northern Cameroon, Italy's foreign ministry and media reports said on Saturday.
Fugitive Italian mafia boss re-arrested in Britain
Domenico Rancadore, the convicted Italian mafia boss who last week was told he was free to remain in Britain, has been arrested on a fresh international warrant, police said Saturday.
Two sovereigns in Rome: Queen visits pope
Queen Elizabeth II meets Pope Francis for the first time on Thursday on a visit that coincides with the anniversary of the start of the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina.
Italian firm wins $1.2 bn Lima metro contract
Italian industrial giant Finmeccanica on Friday said it had won a $1.2 billion (873 million euro) contract for building and operating unmanned metro lines in Lima.