Rome - Italy will need to conjure up their happy knack of proving their critics wrong in South Africa if they are to retain the World Cup crown they won four years ago.History shows that the Azzurri are often at their best with their backs to the wall.They came under heavy fire for making poor starts to their campaigns in Spain in 1982, when they won, and the United States in 1994, when they reac
Vatican City, June 11 - Pope Benedict XVI on Fridayissued a public apology for the sex abuse scandals that haverocked the Catholic Church. We insistently ask for forgiveness from God and thepersons involved, the pope told some 15,000 priests from allover the world at a Mass in St Peter's marking the end of theYear of the Priest.The 83-year-old pontiff vowed to do everything possible tomake sure
Rome, June 11 - The Italian press on Friday came outwith special editions protesting a government bill aimed atrestricting the use of wiretaps and their publication beforetrials.Left-leaning daily La Repubblica, a frequent critic ofPremier Silvio Berlusconi and his government, ran an empty frontpage containing only a sticker in the middle saying The gag lawdenies citizens the right to be informe
Florence, June 11 - A trial of three publicofficials and a businessman for alleged graft in public tendersfor a new police academy in Florence has been moved from theTuscan capital to Rome.The ruling by the supreme court of Cassation means thatthe trial, scheduled to open on June 15, will now have to startall over again.The former head of the state public works office, AngeloBalducci, 54; Rome bu
Venice, June 11 - Fiat will shut down its plant inPomigliano d'Arco, near Naples, if no accord can be struck withunions to boost productivity there, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionneconfirmed on Friday. I don't see what else we could do, he told the press onthe sidelines of a business meeting here. I hope that an accord can be struck as soon as possible.We can wait just so long because we have to produ
Rome, June 10 - Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconiand his Spanish counterpart Jose' Luis Rodriguez Zapatero heldtalks here Thursday focusing on protecting the euro fromspeculative attacks.Speaking at a joint press conference, Berlusconi praisedZapatero for his government's adoption of austerity measuressimilar to Italy's moves to deter possible market moves onsovereign debt. We look with great con
Palermo, June 10 - Italian police on Thursday saidthey had smashed links between Cosa Nostra and a number of topPalermo businessmen suspected of targeting contracts for newwaste incinerators.A total of 19 arrest warrants were issued in the operation,five of them served on jailed Mafia bosses.Thirteen businesspeople and white-collar workers werearrested while one was declared a fugitive from justi
Florence, June 19 - MotoGP champion Valentino Rossiwas released Thursday from the Orthopaedic Trauma Center (CTO)here and transferred to a hospital in Cattolica for post-surgerytherapy.The nine-time world champion suffered a compound fracture tohis right tibia in a crash Saturday morning during a practicesession for last Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at the Tuscan trackin Mugello.Rossi, 31, was flo