Nearly half a million Catholics have signed a petition urging Pope Francis to condemn same sex unions as unnatural and rule out allowing divorced believers who remarry to receive communion.
More than 1,000 migrants were rescued trying to cross the Mediterranean over the weekend, Italy's coastguard said, with further tragedies narrowly averted.
Grabbing something hot and tasty on the move? You have the ancient Romans to thank. "Street food" was their invention, generally enjoyed with wine, gambling or even prostitutes.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has hailed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the only leader who can "save" Egypt, after a deadly car bomb attack on Rome's consulate in Cairo.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi launched a furious broadside at fellow EU leaders Thursday for failing to help deal with a tide of Mediterranean migrants.
The board of British chocolate maker Thorntons said it had agreed a takeover deal by Italian rival Ferrero that values the firm at about £111.9 million.
Russian President Vladimir Putin used a trip to Italy to press his case against international sanctions and was urged by Pope Francis to make a "sincere effort" for peace in Ukraine.
The centre-left party of Italian premier Matteo Renzi faced battles in regional elections, exit polls showed, after balloting which is also seen as a measure of the fading fortunes of ex-leader Silvio Berlusconi.