Stories from Rome · Italy

Italian Prime Minister Marco Rubio held a conference yesterday evening to clarify the purpose of his upcoming visit to Rome. Rubio stated the meeting with Pope Leo XIV was pre-scheduled to discuss various topics, including religious freedom in Africa and the situation in Cuba. The Prime Minister sought to frame the visit as a standard diplomatic engagement rather than a mission to repair damage caused by the American president.

Beach concessions in many Italian municipalities exceed 90 percent of available coastline. Data indicates there are over 12,000 total beach concessions across the country.

Chilean tennis player Tabilo defeated Pablo Carreño Busta in Rome with a score of 6-3, 6-1. Tabilo is scheduled to play the next round against Francisco Serundolo. Alejandro Tabilo has defeated Pablo Carreño Busta in a match in Rome. Russian player Diana Shnaider is currently playing Sally Gibson from Australia in the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome. Shnaider lost the first set 5-7 but won the second set 6-1, with the match continuing. Iga Świątek defeated American Katie McNally in the second round of a 'thousand-point' tournament in Rome. This victory is considered for Świątek to build confidence before the French Open. Carlos Alcaraz defeated 30th seed Alexander Bublik with a 2-0 score in the second round of the Rome tournament.

Tennis player Iga Swiatek is scheduled to appear on court this Friday during the tournament in Rome. She will face either Australian player Daria Kasatkina or American player Katie Magnulli. The tournament schedule was affected by rain that interrupted play earlier in the day.

Tennis player Zhang Zhizhen was defeated in his opening match at the 2026 ATP 1000 Rome tournament on May 6. Zhang lost to German player Altmeir with a score of 1-2. The tournament main draw commenced on the same day.

Three Colombian cyclists will participate in the Giro D'Italia starting Friday, May 8, in Bulgaria and concluding on May 31 in Rome, Italy. Egan Bernal of Ineos will be present, alongside Santiago Vitragó of Team Barén Victorious, who was announced as his team leader.

The gang was responsible for killing 24 people and wounding hundreds between 1987 and 1994 in the Emilia Romagna and Marche regions.

A plan has been proposed that would include a moratorium on nuclear enrichment and the revocation of sanctions. China supports Iran's commitment to not developing nuclear weapons while affirming its right to peaceful nuclear energy. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced the end of a moratorium on sanctions. New sanctions are set to begin on May 15th.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addressed the use of deepfake images on Facebook. Meloni stated the images were created by unknown actors using artificial intelligence and distributed online. She noted the images were not real and commented on the quality of the depictions. The Prime Minister highlighted the growing problem of using manipulated media to target individuals. Meloni used the post to draw attention to the problem of fake videos and images circulating online. Meloni confirmed the images were fabricated and stated that deepfake content is intended for targeted attacks rather than the whole of society. She warned social media users to remain cautious of such technology. Meloni noted that deepfakes are a dangerous tool capable of deceiving the public.

In the 2026 ATP 1000 Rome Masters, Zhang Zhizhen defeated German player Altemeyer in the first round with a score of 2-1.