Stories from Italy

Italy manager Luciano Montella addressed the injury of midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu ahead of the Italy Cup final. Montella described Çalhanoğlu as a rare playmaker whose absence is felt on the pitch.

A prisoner named Giovanni died in an Italian prison despite claims he should have been transferred. Wenxen Zomascha, a member of the prison police union and former prison worker, stated that prisoners often remain in standard facilities for months without adequate treatment. Zomascha reported that a high number of mentally ill inmates is leading to increased violence against fellow prisoners, staff, doctors, and social workers. The prison director has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the lack of transfer or supervision. Colony staff claim prisoner Vegan Khristalyub Bozhiev died by hanging in a punishment cell. Relatives of the deceased expressed skepticism regarding the suicide claim, noting Bozhiev was a deeply religious man and suicide is considered a sin in Christianity. The transcript also mentions the arrest of artist Andriy Akuzin for social media comments.

The Vatican has announced the artists who will honor 12th-century composer and poet Hildegard von Bingen at the Venice Biennale. The project will feature two separate locations. Swiss curator Hans Ulrich Obrist is leading the Vatican project.

San Lorenzo di Sebato has launched the first South Tyrolean green bridge to manage wildlife migration incidents. The infrastructure project costs over 6 million euros and is designed to allow animals to cross safely. This initiative aims to reduce risks for both motorists and local fauna. Similar experiences in Europe have demonstrated the effectiveness of such crossings.

A body was found at Loreto Square, a location previously used for the execution of Italian partisans. The body is being transported to Milan. The discovery occurred near the Italian-Swiss border. The source described the scene as having horrific visual consequences.

The Futuro Nazionale party, including Vannacci, has called for an end to the allocation of funds to Azeley. The party requested that these resources be redirected to Italian citizens and the nation instead.

The political group Futuro Nazionale criticized the Italian government for its handling of the energy crisis and food costs. The group called for avoiding further 13 billion euro aid to President Zelensky.

Italy's population decreased by 762,000 inhabitants between 2020 and 2024, according to data published by Eurostat. This decline occurred while populations in Germany, Spain, and France increased. The data highlights a demographic challenge for Italian economic growth.

The Italian government has allocated 20 billion euros in additional funding to the national health service. The Italian government has highlighted in the 2026 DFP that pension indexing will increase, exceeding the annual limit of 1.9% by 0.3 percentage points. This adjustment is necessitated by a projected rise in inflation from 1.5% to 2.4% in 2026.

Moody's has promoted Italy's sovereign rating following a decision described as. Italy concluded 2025 with a primary budget surplus of approximately 17 billion euros. The country is noted as the only G7 nation to achieve this surplus. The decision follows a period of fiscal management focused on deficit reduction. All four major international rating agencies improved their assessment of Italy during 2025. The BTP-Bund spread fell to an average of just over 90 basis points, compared to a ten-year average of approximately 162 basis points. This trend is linked to a strengthening primary surplus. The convergence of these rating upgrades reinforces the current economic outlook.