Italian PM Meloni to attend Trump inauguration
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni is set to attend US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington on Monday in a trip that’s expected to further strengthen her ties with the American leader, according to her office.
Foreign heads of state are not traditionally invited to US swearing-in ceremonies, but Trump sent invitations to several politicians, including the Italian prime minister, British hard-right politician Nigel Farage and Argentinian President Javier Milei.
Meloni and Trump have met twice since Trump's re-election in November.
The pair met at the reopening ceremony of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris in early December, with Trump publicly praising Meloni as "a real live wire".
Earlier this month Meloni visited Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he hailed her as a "fantastic woman".
Following the visit, Meloni said that she and Trump were "ready to work together".
Meloni has long been friends with tech tycoon Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who will lead the new Department of Government Efficiency advisory board.
British man confesses to stabbing partner to death in Italy
A British man on Friday admitted stabbing his partner to death at their home in Casoli, Abruzzo, claiming that he was driven to it by her accusations that he was unfaithful, Italian media reports said.
Michael Whitbread, 75, told a court in Lanciano he fatally stabbed fellow Briton Michele Faiers in October 2023.
He then fled Italy and drove back to the UK, but his daughter notified police of his whereabouts after Faiers' body was found in the bedroom of the couple's converted farmhouse with stab wounds to her back and chest.
Whitbread was arrested in Leicestershire, England, on November 1st, 2023. London's Westminster Magistrates Court approved his extradition to Italy on March 13th, 2024.
In his first statement on Friday, Whitbread said Faiers had accused him of having an affair after she saw him patting a woman’s bottom at a party in 2022, according to The Times.
The defendant denied the affair, saying Faiers would often hit him during furious arguments about the incident.
Raffaele de Leonardis, a doctor appointed by Whitbread’s lawyer, said Whitbread was “hyperactive” but prone to depression and “obsessive” behaviour. He told the court he believed the crime “was the result of a psychiatric illness”.
Faiers’s brother, Norman Faiers, told The Times that Whitbread “is obviously trying to paint my sister as some kind of banshee, but that isn’t true”.
“He was a weak, weak man and there is no excuse for what he did. It was violent, it was murder,” he added.
The trial continues, with Whitbread set to undergo a psychological assessment in the coming weeks.
Transport Minister Salvini to brief parliament on 'disconcerting' rail incidents
Italy's Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said in a statement on Sunday he will appear in the lower house of parliament this week to address "disconcerting" acts of sabotage that affected rail service in the Padua and Rome provinces over the weekend, Ansa reported.
Italy’s state-owned rail operator Ferrovie dello Stato reported the discovery of a chain hanging from the overhead power line of Padua’s Montagnana Station and attempts to break into a control unit of Rome’s Aurelia station, Salvini said.
"In light of the particularly serious news that has emerged in the last few hours [...] I believe it is urgent to inform parliament," he added.
Salvini’s announcement came four days after Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) filed a formal complaint with police authorities, saying that a string of incidents which have caused severe disruption to service in recent months were “highly suspicious”.
The company said that “the hours during which some of the problems were reported, the type of failures and their frequency pose more than a few questions".
Suspicions of possible sabotage acts are being examined by DIGOS – a special investigative unit of Italy’s state police – according to Italian media reports.
Italy's Foreign Minister Tajani to visit Israel and Palestine
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will visit Israel and Palestine on Monday after a long-awaited ceasefire came into effect in Gaza, his office said in a statement on Sunday, according to AFP.
Tajani will meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, the statement said.
Israel and mediating nation Qatar confirmed on Sunday a long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza had come into effect.
"The enforcement of the agreement offers a historic opportunity for the Israeli people, for the Palestinian people and for the entire region," Tajani said.
"I will confirm to the Israeli and Palestinian authorities the Italian government's commitment to alleviating the painful conditions of the civilian population that has suffered so much," he said.
"Our humanitarian interventions will continue and be further strengthened," he added.
Tajani will stress Italy's "attention" to "post-war reconstruction in Gaza".
He will also chair a meeting with the business community "to illustrate investment opportunities between the two countries, within the framework of growth diplomacy initiatives".
"Investments built with a presence not only in Israel but throughout the region will help stabilize the area," Tajani said.
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