ROME -- Umberto Bossi began his political career attacking the thieving capital, Roma ladrona, as a vampire which sucked the hard-earned taxes of honest northerners.

ROME – Three years on, the effects of a deadly earthquake which hit Abruzzo are still keenly felt -- Some are still living in temporary accommodation, dangerous areas remain sealed off.

ROME – Umberto Bossi has resigned as head of the separatist Northern League, climaxing a scandal involving the alleged misuse of millions of euros of party funds.

ROME -- The eight young Somalians charged with piracy in the first trial of its kind in Italy looked bewildered when they first appeared in the heavily protected court in Rebibbia prison.

ROME– Officials have released 14 paintings after more than two years in an Italian lock up.

MILAN -- A recent survey has revealed that while levels of trust in governments and other institutions have plummeted in the Eurozone, Italy remains a 'trust neutral' country.

VALLETTA, MALTA -- The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist in the cathedral in Malta is the only painting that Caravaggio ever signed. He signed it in the Baptist’s blood on the pavement.

By INSIDER REPORTERS

MILAN – Anarchist insurgents have been accused of setting light to a railway line in Milan in protest against the controversial Tav high-speed rail network.

By INSIDER REPORTERS

By INSIDER NEWS DESK

ROME -- The historic Villa Olmo in Como is hosting a new exhibition to celebrate art works from the Finnish Brueghel Dynasty.

 ROME -- Walking home after dinner with friends, we noticed that someone else was still partying.

By INSIDER NEWS DESK

ROME -- “Extreme Wines” might just as well be called “Miracle Wines.” Against all odds, a handful of wine producers succeed in cultivating vines in difficult and often dangerous conditions.

By INSIDER REPORTERS

ROME -- The European Commission has proposed to allocate an amount of EUR 18.06 million from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to Italy following the severe flooding in Liguria and Tuscany in October 2

ROME – Young Italian cancer patients are to be trained to give a karate kick to their disease as part of the international Kids Kicking Cancer (KKC) campaign which has just arrived in the capital.

By INSIDER NEWS DESK

ROME -- Italy has closed its embassy to Syria and withdrawn all diplomatic staff from the country.

 ROME– Franco-Italian photographer Thierry Bruneau has died on the Indian island of Goa at age 33, local authorities and the Italian Consulate said.

ROME – A stir has been caused in the art world following the discovery of what is believed to be a long-lost painting by Leonardo Da Vinci.

  ROME -- Not following the rules is fine as long as you succeed but when an operation fails, especially a military operation where lives are at stake, then there is inevitably a double blame – for

ROME – A video of the murdered Italian hostage, Franco Lamolinara, was shown to his wife just a few days before the military raid led by British and Nigerian special forces which led to his death,

By ALYX BARKER

ROME -- American artist Mark Kostabi has donated a painting to be auctioned off in the capital next month to help raise funds for war-devastated Darfur in South Sudan.

By INSIDER NEWS DESK