ROME -- ‘’The regime has shown itself to be the real criminal,’’ was the comment Khalil Al Marzooq, secretary of Bahrain’s main Shia opposition party Al Wefaq, made in Rome while engaged in what he called 'outreach'. Before all the party's 18 members of the 40-member lower house - the sole elected body in the country - resigned in late February to protest the crackdown, he had also been first deputy speaker of the National Assembly.
By ALYX BARKER
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI’s four-day visit to Germany was marred by a series of vociferous protests against what demonstrators denounced as the Roman Catholic Church’s rigid policies on homosexuality, contraception, divorce and the role of women within the church.
27 Sep 2011
ROME -- Like Robert Hughes I came from Sydney to Rome in the 1950s, was entranced by the city and felt an urge to write about it. So much of its past is present in its architectural remains and more remains are constantly being unearthed, there is an abundance of tales about its outlandish emperors, outrageous popes and the rivalries between its great artists such as Borromini and Bernini (“there is no 20th century artist” Hughes writes of Bernini,”who does not look rather small beside him”). Hughes discovered, on his first visit to Rome as a 20 year old in 1959, that “it resi
4 Sep 2011
SPOLETO -- A Roman man in the box we shared, chatting before the curtain rose in a Spoleto theatre, agreed with me about the uncanny options of summer festivals in Rome (an embarrassing choice, to paraphrase an Italian expression). Not only do all roads lead to Rome, but most roaming artists take that road. Subscribing to the Ovid, modern Roman or Buddhist philosophy (i.e. why run if you can walk; why walk if you can sit?), why indeed go anywhere if it comes to your doorstep?
31 Aug 2011
ROME -- A new clinic Centre called DREAM (Drug Resource Enhancement Against AIDS and Malnutrition) has been opened by the Sant'Egidio community in Kinshasa, providing a new source of hope in the fight against the HIV pandemic, the community has announced. The clinic is the result of "a collaboration signed by the Community of Sant’Egidio with the Congolese Health Ministry, which has agreed to provide the necessary treatment drugs," the community said in a statement.
19 Jul 2011
ROME -- Ara Pacis is an ancient altar of peace which is conversely housed in a modern Guggenheimesque building, it represents ancient Rome in the modern world.
15 Jul 2011
KABUL -- The Esteqlal hospital has seen much in its days. On Darulaman Road near a number of government ministries and a once royal palace, it was flooded with the injured on May 18 last year when I was in the capital: a suicide bombing the Taliban rushed to claim credit for which killed 5 American soldiers, one Canadian and 12 Afghan civilians. Initially funded by the International Committee of the Red Cross, since 2003 the hospital has been receiving funding from the Italian Cooperation, which has channelled it through government ministries since late last year.
8 Jul 2011
ROME -- Spain's King Juan Carlos lobbied the King of Saudi Arabia and other monarchs to try and secure support for the ultimately unsuccessful Spanish candidate to run the U.N. Food and Agriculture agency, Angel Moratinos, Brazilian diplomatic sources say.
5 Jul 2011
ROME -- The Statue of Pope John Paul II in front of the train station in Rome does not represent the man we came to know so intimately. It is an unrecognizable man with a cape, it is monumental kitsch art. I will explain why. Pope John Paul II was seen and recognized by more people than any other person in history. For a sculpture of him to not bear his likeness is bizarre like a bad joke.
30 Jun 2011
KABUL -- Afghan press service alerts initially spoke of an ‘American’ beaten to death in the Panjshir Valley on June 3 after he opened fire on a local. Later it was found that the man killed was actually an Italian anti-narcotics agent. Reports in the Italian media claimed that the Carabiniere had ‘’died defending an American woman’’.
27 Jun 2011