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Italy
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Italy

Italy
Italy
The latest breaking news and stories on Italy, a country in southern Europe known as a parliamentary republic, and the world’s eighth largest economy. Also covering Italy’s relationship with China and Europe, plus commentary and updates on Italy’s economy, politics, society and social issues.
Capital
Rome
Head of State
President Sergio Mattarella
Head of Government
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
China’s military base in Djibouti as seen in a satellite image taken on May 13, 2025. Photo: Google Earth
China-Africa relations

Djibouti base upgrade may give PLA eyes on foreign military in Middle East

Commercial imagery reveals two new communication sites built near foreign military bases in East Africa, US think tank says.

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Art

Fan Ho’s poetic photos of mid-20th century Hong Kong show in an unlikely place

Style Edit

Style Edit: Zegna brings an Alpine-inspired retail vision to Hong Kong

Giorgia Meloni

Meloni pushes for burka ban in Italy’s schools, cap on foreign students

Italian prime minister tells party rally that foreigners must ‘respect our rules’ under proposed integration package.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday. Photo: EPA
ICBMs

Opinion | Why cities have the responsibility to demand nuclear disarmament

As cities are the main targets of nuclear weapons, they have a responsibility to speak out and encourage efforts to eliminate them.

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Hong Kong

As I see it | Why mainland Chinese despise the British – but Hongkongers don’t

Whereas Hong Kong people experienced a milder form of colonialism, mainland Chinese were subjected to the extremes of Western imperialism.

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Indonesia

Pride or practicality? Indonesia welcomes first aircraft carrier

Jakarta has approved US$450 million for the aircraft carrier programme but some lawmakers warn the final bill could be higher.

Former Italian Navy aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi docks at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta on Friday. Photo: AFP
Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi arrives at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta on Friday. Photo: EPA
Former Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (right) sails in Indonesian waters on Thursday. Photo: EPA
Style Edit

Style Edit: Loro Piana’s baby cashmere and summer-to-autumn layers

Rare raw materials and exacting craftsmanship inform the maison’s approach to exceptional fibres and its fall/winter 2026-27 Back to School collection.

Japan

Video | Cruise ship arrives in Japan to house Asian Games athletes

Brought in to try and ease complaints, the ship will house about 4,000 guests during the event.

Get to Know

Who are Baywatch star Brooks Nader’s parents, Holland and Breaux?

The Sports Illustrated model has hit back at criticism over her Sardinia family holiday, saying her financier father was ‘half-blind’ and didn’t care.

Brooks Nader has found herself in the spotlight after a family holiday in Sardinia with parents Holland and Breaux. Photos: @brooksnader; @hnader/Instagram
New Openings

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from Sugar Daddy’s creamy pastries to Japanese-Chiuchow fusion fare at Chiu San

Discover Hong Kong’s freshest F&B openings: Italian pastries at Sugar Daddy, Lingnan fine dining at The Canton Library, Japanese-Chiuchow fusion at Chiu San and whimsical heritage ice cream at Teemtonefai.

Soy-glazed, fish-sauce-marinated chicken thigh with black-garlic oil at Chiu San. Photo: courtesy Chiu San
Style Edit

Style Edit: Furla’s fall/winter 2026 collection and new Macau boutique

Blending Italian elegance with rich seasonal hues, designs like the Ginevra, Tonie and Iride take centre stage at Furla’s store inside The Venetian Macao.

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli army chief orders legal review of award-winning Gaza war film

Israeli-made Gaza documentary makes waves after winning the Venice special jury prize.

China-EU relations

Beijing lodges diplomatic protests over Taiwan official’s visit to Italy

European Parliament official says conference attendance by Hsiao Bi-khim was kept confidential to safeguard her participation.

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Beijing has made “serious representations against Italy and the European Union” over a visit by Taiwan’s Hsiao Bi-khim to an international forum on Ventotene Island. Photo: Shutterstock
Obituaries

Emma Bonino, Italy’s activist politician, dies aged 78

Bonino was a passionate advocate for social justice and gender equality who deliberately courted controversy to advance her many causes.

Italian senator Emma Bonino looks on during an event in December 2019. Photo: AFP
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

On This Day | Deanie Ip scores first best actress win for Hong Kong in Venice – SCMP archive

Ip’s portrayal of an ageing domestic servant in Ann Hui’s film won her the prestigious Volpi Cup, the first for a Hongkonger.

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli film on AI-backed Gaza killings gets 25-minute ovation

Oscar-winning directors premiere ‘NAZA’, featuring military whistle-blowers detailing automated target selection.

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China-Japan relations

In Focus | How Tokyo is widening regional defence ties to complicate Beijing’s Taiwan calculus

Tokyo is strengthening partnerships across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, possibly bolstering its ability to withstand a prolonged armed conflict.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Jewellery

Bulgari celebrates a love affair with colours at Shanghai exhibition

The immersive show, designed by Sanaa and Formafantasma, also features two installations by Chinese artists Liang Manqi and Zhang Ding.

New Openings

Hong Kong hottest new openings, from Italian eatery Il Presidente to Fujian cuisine hotspot Quan

Discover Hong Kong’s freshest F&B openings: divine Italian at Il Presidente, Parisian-inspired Bistrot’s Suzette, tempting Japanese treats at Truffle Donut and contemporary Chinese fare at Quan.

Beauty

4 perfumes that capture the spirit of a destination

These heady, atmospheric eaux de parfum evoke destinations around the globe, from Taormina in Sicily to Mumbai, Cairo and Marrakech.

Tom Ford Taormina Orange: a citrus woody fragrance designed to evoke “the blood orange groves, crisp winds and dramatic sea vistas of Sicily”. Photo: Handout
China shipbuilding

‘Breakthrough’: Chinese shipyard set to take orders from Nordic cruise operator

Chinese shipyard Waigaoqiao signs MOU with Nordic cruise operator, marking another advance for the rising shipbuilding powerhouse, analysts say.

The Adora Flora City cruise ship under construction at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding on February 27. Photo: Getty Images
Science

2,000-year-old Roman concrete may offer clues on how Pyramid of Giza was built

Insights into how the ancient concrete grows denser could help create a low-carbon modern version and explain how the Great Pyramid endured.

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US military

US looks to warship designs from Japan, South Korea and Turkey, reports say

It comes after Trump signed a memorandum calling for foreign shipbuilding capacity and investment as US industry struggles to meet demand.

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2026 China-Nepal flash floods

Opinion | Nepal-China floods highlight a growing front of the climate change crisis

Rising sea levels, extreme weather and drought all remain concerns, but destabilised ice and snow at high altitudes is increasingly a threat.

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Residents sit beside debris as they salvage belongings following flash floods at Devighat in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 31. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Indonesia-US joint military drills with allies kick off with 4,700 soldiers

The exercises, which have been held for nearly two decades, will include special forces infiltration training and cyberdefence drills.

A US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter flies past during the Garuda Shield joint multinational exercise in Lampung, Indonesia, on September 3, 2025. Photo: AFP
Chinese culture

Being Chinese | A Chinese-American bride says yes to a lucky red dress

The cheongsam I wore to my wedding tea ceremony wasn’t just another outfit. It was my way of celebrating my father and my heritage.

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China exports

From air conditioners to taps, Europe’s climate extremes boost China sales

Chinese makers of low-flow taps, garden gear and insulated drinkware are seeing European orders surge as heatwaves and drought reshape demand.

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