By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
Enrico Letta has been appointed as Italy's new prime minister, and President Giorgio Napolitano has put him to the task of organizing a coalition government.
The Italian foreign minister, the Italian ambassador, several Italian-American members of Congress and leaders of scores of Italian-American organizations crowded into a hallway of the National Gallery of Art this week to celebrate a nation that – as they said – was discovered by an Italian and named after one.
The famed La Scala opera house inaugurated its 2012-13 season Friday with the Teutonic classic `'Lohengrin" as it launched dual bicentennial celebrations of its own Giuseppe Verdi and German icon Richard Wagner.
The dual bicentennial of the births of composers Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner is turning into a dueling bicentennial.
Pope Benedict XVI is celebrating his name day with a private concert of Beethoven symphonies conducted by maestro Daniel Barenboim and performed by the West-Eastern Divan, an orchestra of musicians from Israel and Arab countries who hope to further the cause of peace.
Maestro Riccardo Muti conducted a concert of selections of sacred music by Vivaldi and Verdi at the Vatican for an appreciative Pope Benedict XVI Friday in a celebration of the seventh anniversary of the pontiff's election to the papacy.
His musical roots were in jazz, but his songs ranged from folk to pop to classical to opera, creating a soundtrack beloved by generations of Italians.
Three Italian soldiers died Monday in a car accident in western Afghanistan, officials said.
Italian Premier Mario Monti is taking a short culture break Wednesday from promoting his package of austerity and growth measures to attend La Scala's gala season premiere of "Don Giovanni" at the famed Milanese opera house.
Italian Premier Mario Monti took a short culture break from promoting his package of austerity and growth measures to attend La Scala's gala season premiere of "Don Giovanni" on Wednesday _ a presence that La Scala's general manger hopes bodes well for the future of culture in the country that invented opera.
Italian Premier Mario Monti took a short culture break Wednesday from promoting his package of austerity and growth measures to attend La Scala's gala season premiere of "Don Giovanni" at the famed Milanese opera house.
Italy's premier-designate Mario Monti began talks on Monday to create a new government of non-political experts tasked with overhauling an ailing economy and keeping market fears over the country from threatening the existence of the euro.
Italy's new premier-designate economist Mario Monti said Sunday he will get to work quickly to try to form a new government, assuring the nation that it can solve its financial crisis.
Italy's new premier-designate economist Mario Monti says he will get to work quickly to try to form a new government, assuring the nation that it can heal its disastrous finances.
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi resigned Saturday after parliament's lower chamber passed European-demanded reforms, ending a 17-year political era and setting in motion a transition aimed at bringing the country back from the brink of economic crisis.
Napolitano denied any snub, calling the polemics `'futile" and `'pathetic."
He said he had state business to attend in Rome.
