Italy Seizes Migrant Aid Group’s Ship in Mediterranean

Italian authorities seized a ship operated by a migrant aid group off the coast of Italy as part of an inquiry into illegal immigration, a move that could raise tensions with groups that play an increasingly large role in rescuing thousands of migrants attempting to reach Italy. Early Monday, Italian coast guard vessels accompanied the Iuventa, a ship run by German aid group Jugend Rettet, into the port of Lampedusa, a small island off the coast of Italy.

Italian farmer turns field into Putin portrait ahead of G20

Italian farmer turns field into Putin portrait ahead of G20 The 135-meter -wide Putin portrait that artist Dario Gambarin created only can be properly viewed from above due to its scale. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2tNVdt0 An Italian land artist has created a giant portrait of Russian President Vladamir Putin in a field near the Italian city of Verona.

Steven Mnuchin at G7: ‘We don’t want to be protectionist’

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin arrives for the opening session of the G7 of Finance ministers in Bari southern Italy Friday The call was made in a statement issued at end of the two-day summit of G-7 foreign ministers in Bari, Italy today. Asked how pro-active the US delegation had been on the first day of the G7, France's Sapin said they had been "quite discreet in their presence", and he appeared to take a swipe at Trump's frequent use of Twitter .

Obama: Private sector is key to tackling climate change

Former U.S. President Barack Obama says he's "confident that the United States will continue to move in the right direction" on climate change despite his successor's pledges to undo many of his policies. On his first foreign foray since leaving office, Obama told an audience Tuesday at a Milan conference on food innovation in Italy that businesses in the United States are already committed to clean energy, in part due to cost-savings, which would help counteract moves by Donald Trump 's administration.

Italian forces ignored a sinking ship full of Syrian refugees and let …

Almost four years ago, 268 Syrian refugees - including 60 children - lost their lives in a shipwreck about 60 miles south of Lampedusa, a small Italian island that sits between Sicily and Tunisia. It was considered one of the worst tragedies of the European refugee crisis, but a leaked audiotape published Monday by the magazine L'Espresso suggested that Italian authorities let the Syrians drown despite being alerted several hours earlier that the refugees' ship was in danger.

Berlusconi Said Considering Further Delay in AC Milan Team Sale

Billionaire Silvio Berlusconi is considering accepting a third, non-refundable 100 million-euro deposit to give the Chinese investor group seeking to buy his Sino-Europe Sports Investment Management Changxing's preliminary agreement to purchase AC Milan for 740 million euros was supposed to be concluded in December, but Berlusconi extended the deadline to March 3. Bloomberg News reported last month that Chinese authorities have blocked the investment group from transferring funds from mainland China to buy the seven-time European champion team. The transfer is being held up partly because the Chinese embassy in Rome disapproved of the warm welcome to Milan for the Dalai Lama in October, according to people familiar with the situation.

Appeals court weighs Trump ban as travelers arrive to tears

Just hours after an appeals court blocked an attempt to... . Members of International Migrants Alliance in Hong Kong hold placards during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's selective country travel ban outside of the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017.

2 states file papers fighting Trump’s travel restriction

Just hours after an appeals court blocked an attempt to... . Members of International Migrants Alliance in Hong Kong hold placards during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's selective country travel ban outside of the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017.

The Latest: Early returns show Renzi lags in referendum

A man casts his ballot as a map of Italy is seen in background at a polling station in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016.Italians are voting in a referendum on constitutional reforms that is being closely watched abroad to see if ... . Ballots are being put on a table at a polling station in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016.

The Latest: Renzi votes in Italy with future on the line

A man casts his ballot as a map of Italy is seen in background at a polling station in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016.Italians are voting in a referendum on constitutional reforms that is being closely watched abroad to see if ... . Ballots are being put on a table at a polling station in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016.

The Latest: Cuban president congratulates Donald Trump

A staff carries balloons to decorate the venue during a live broadcasting of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election results at U.S. Ambassador's residence in Tokyo, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. . German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, left, welcomes Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom prior to talks between the foreign ministers of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Germany in the guest house of the For... .

Claims of election fraud resonate with growing audience

Outraged claims of voting fraud are no longer only a regular part of elections in unsteady, young democracies - they're increasingly being made in established democratic countries by populist politicians who question the fairness of the voting process - and with it the validity of representation by and for the people. At the final debate of the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump refused to commit to honour the result of the Nov. 8 vote.