Rachel Donadio New York Times

• Splits deepen in Greece over referendum on Euro debt deal

  Hours after Prime Minister George A Papandreou of Greece emerged from a meeting with Europe's leaders, pledging to hold a referendum on a new European debt deal, key ministers in his government rebelled against the idea on Thursday, deepening rifts within his government that could force its collapse.

• Revolts in Libya raise fear of migration in Europe

  Until a few weeks ago, the immigrant transfer center on this tiny Mediterranean island - a kind of Italian Ellis Island - was empty. An extensive European campaign against migration from Africa was considered so effective that the authorities basically shut it down.But since the Tunisian government collapsed in January, spurring unrest across North...

• Oil companies plan evacuations from Libya

  Global oil companies said Monday that they were making plans to evacuate employees in Libya after some operations there were disrupted by political unrest. Libya holds the largest crude oil reserves in Africa, and the moves drove some stock prices down and a crucial oil benchmark to a three-year high. The largest and most established foreign energy...

• Berlusconi to face trial in underage prostitution case

  A Milan judge on Tuesday ordered Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to stand trial in April on charges of paying an underage nightclub dancer for sex and abusing his office to help release her from police custody when she was detained for theft. The trial is expected to begin April 6, according to a statement released by the judge.Mr. Berlusconi deni...

• Lack of jobs in Southern Europe frustrates the young

  Francesca Esposito, 29 and exquisitely educated, helped win millions of euros in false disability and other lawsuits for her employer, a major Italian state agency. But one day last fall she quit, fed up with how surreal and ultimately sad it is to be young in Italy  today.It galled her that even with her competence and fluency in five languag...

• Pope calls for solidarity with Iraqi Christians

  Pope Benedict XVI called Saturday for political leaders to express solidarity with Christians in Iraq  and to work for peace in the Middle East and other war-torn regions in his annual Christmas greeting."May the comforting message of the coming of Emmanuel ease the pain and bring consolation amid their trials to the beloved Christian communit...

• Italy PM Berlusconi wins first confidence vote

  Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi knows a good crisis when he sees one. As he faced a crucial no-confidence vote Tuesday that could upend his leadership, he was betting that the financial problems engulfing Europe will provide yet another miraculous salvation for his political career. With the debt crisis that began in Greece skipping across s...

• After condom remarks, Vatican confirms shift

  Pope Benedict XVI clearly acknowledged on Tuesday that the need to prevent diseases like AIDS could outweigh the church's long opposition to the use of condoms.It was a significant and stunning personal pronouncement from the conservative pope after more than two decades of heated debate inside the Roman Catholic Church and condemnation by health w...

• Money-laundering inquiry touches Vatican bank

  Italian monetary authorities said on Tuesday that they had impounded $30 million from the Vatican bank and placed its top two officers under investigation in connection with a money-laundering inquiry. The announcement amounted to another potential storm confronting the papacy of Benedict XVI, who is struggling with the effects of a priestly abuse ...

• Chinese remake the 'Made in Italy' fashion label

  Over the years, Italy learned the difficult lesson that it could no longer compete with China  on price. And so, its business class dreamed, Italy would sell quality, not quantity. For centuries, this walled medieval city just outside of Florence has produced some of the world's finest fabrics, becoming a powerhouse for "Made in Italy" chic. A...