7 h. ago Six great reads: €1 Italian houses, how to make small talk and the truth about Tesla

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the past seven days Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago ‘The vehicle suddenly accelerated with our baby in it’: the terrifying truth about why Tesla’s cars keep crashing

Elon Musk is obsessive about the design of his supercars, right down to the disappearing door handles. But a series of shocking incidents – from drivers trapped in burning vehicles to dramatic stops on the highway – have led to questions about the safety of the brand. Why won’t Tesla give any answers?It was a Monday afternoon in June 2023 when Rita Meier, 45, joined us for a video call. Meier told us about the last time she said goodbye to her husband, Stefan, five years earlier. He had been leaving their home near Lake Constance, Germany, heading for a trade fair in Milan.Meier recalled how he hesitated between taking his Tesla Model S or her BMW. He had never driven the Tesla that far before. He checked the route for charging stations along the way and ultimately decided to try it. Rita had a bad feeling. She stayed home with their three children, the youngest less than a year old. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago From Chimpanzini Bananini to Ballerina Cappuccina: how gen alpha went wild for Italian brain rot animals

If you were born after 2000, or know someone who is, the chances are you’ve come across this ludicrous AI-generated meme. If not, be reassured that its chaotic, nonsensical banality is the pointWhen one of Tim’s year 8 pupils asked him about his “favourite Italian brain rot animal”, he thought he’d misheard. “My hearing is not great at the best of times – I had to ask her to repeat this probably four or five times,” he says.Tim (not his real name) was familiar with the term “brain rot”, used to describe the sense of mental decline after too much time spent mindlessly scrolling online (and voted Oxford University Press’s word of the year for 2024). But what was this about it being Italian? Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Guests including Ivanka Trump arrive in Venice for divisive Jeff Bezos wedding

Nuptials of Amazon founder and Lauren Sánchez to kick off on Thursday as activists continue to protest eventScores of celebrities and members of the world’s super-rich are arriving in Venice aboard private jets and mega-yachts to celebrate the wedding of Jeff Bezos, the billionaire Amazon founder, and Lauren Sánchez, a former TV journalist.In a three-day jamboree dubbed the “wedding of the century” and rumoured to include pyjama parties and elegant dinners, the divisive event is expected to see more than 90 private jets land in the Italian city before celebrations officially begin on Thursday. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Recovered Mike Lynch superyacht transferred to Sicilian town

Investigators can now examine the Bayesian in Termini Imerese to determine cause of sinking in a storm last yearThe superyacht belonging to the late tech tycoon Mike Lynch has been moved to a town in Sicily where British and Italian investigators will examine its sinking.Lynch and his daughter Hannah, 18, were among seven people who died when the Bayesian sank off the Italian coast on 19 August 2024. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Cars and steps do not mix: why The Italian Job has a lot to answer for

A driver who got stuck on the Spanish Steps in Rome is the latest in a series of similar vehicular misadventuresThe 1969 caper The Italian Job spawned a Hollywood remake, helped drive the cool-factor of the Mini and launched decades of dad jokes about bloody doors being blown off. It may also have inspired one driver who got stuck trying to travel down the Spanish Steps in Rome this week.The film ended with Michael Caine teetering on the edge of a cliff in a coach, claiming to have a “great idea”. In Rome, the 80-year-old’s navigational error on his way to work ended with emergency services having to bring in a crane to winch his vehicle off the Italian capital’s landmark. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Mike Lynch’s superyacht Bayesian raised from seabed off Sicily

UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter were among seven killed when vessel sank during storm last AugustMike Lynch’s superyacht, Bayesian, has been resurfaced for the first time since it sank during a violent storm off the coast of Sicily in August last year, killing seven people including the tech tycoon and his teenage daughter.The white top and blue hull of the 56-metre (184ft) vessel emerged from the depths of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge, as salvage crews readied it to be hauled ashore for further investigation. The Italian coastguard said the recovery was scheduled to begin on Saturday morning. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Millions expected at ‘No Kings’ protests before Trump’s military parade – live updates

‘No Kings’ protests across US come after a week of unrest over anti-immigration raids; Trump’s military parade to begin at 6.30pm ET in Washington DCA flagship No Kings march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington DC, reports the Associated Press (AP). The demonstrations come on the heels of protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids that began last week and Donald Trump ordering national guard troops and marines to Los Angeles where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire. Police responded with teargas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades while officials enforced curfews in Los Angeles and Democratic governors called Trump’s guard deployment “an alarming abuse of power” that “shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement”.The White House’s escalating response to street protests echoes talk before Donald Trump’s inauguration of forcibly quelling resistanc...

Events

4 w. ago How Trump hinted at a crackdown on protests long before his inauguration

Similarly, how cities have long planned their responses to a Trump-led escalation, which is finally hereThe White House’s escalating response to street protests echoes talk before Donald Trump’s inauguration of forcibly quelling resistance in urban America. Those plans are now the present.After the use of federalized national guard units and marines in response to protests in Los Angeles, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) plans to deploy Swat-style special response teams to Seattle, Philadelphia, northern Virginia, New York and Chicago – cities led by Democrats that have long been the target of Trump’s invective – before expected protests this weekend, according to reports by NBC and others. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago European journalists targeted with Paragon Solutions spyware, say researchers

Citizen Lab says it found ‘digital fingerprints’ of military-grade spyware that Italy has admitted using against activistsThe hacking mystery roiling the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s rightwing government is deepening after researchers said they had found new evidence that two more journalists were targeted using the same military-grade spyware that Italy has admitted to using against activists.A parliamentary committee overseeing intelligence confirmed earlier this month that Italy had used mercenary spyware made by Israel-based Paragon Solutions against two Italian activists. Continue reading...

Events