One would think Silvio Berlusconi's wife's decision to leave him has put the Italian prime minister in a tight spot only weeks before the European elections. But our Italian Observer Alberto Celani says that the criticism is actually helping reinforce his "compassionate" and "macho" image. Read more...

A dispute has broken out in Italy after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said the women there are "so beautiful" that the country doesn't have enough soldiers to prevent them from being raped. Offensive or funny? Our Observers in Italy comment on the most recent blunder from the king of gaffes. Read more and see the video...

The Italian government has sent soldiers out into the streets of the country's major cities in an attempt to curb crime and prevent terrorist attacks. A tactic usually employed in war time, the deployment has given rise to mixed reactions. Read more...

UPDATE (23.07.08 - 5pm): We contacted the Naples journalist who took the photos. He thinks that the affair has been blown out of proportion.

Two girls of Roma origin drowned at a beach in Naples on Saturday. Photos of their dead bodies, lying a few metres from indifferent sunbathers, have revived the controversy over Italian attitudes towards the minority gypsy community. Read more...

One of our Observers for Italy recently alerted us to the news that as part of a major clampdown on "gypsy" communities the government plans to compile a fingerprint database of the country's entire Roma population, including children. Read more...

Italian comedian Beppe Grillo called on the Italian electorate to boycott yesterday's parliamentary elections. On his blog, considered by Technorati as one of the world's top ten most popular, he slates the corruption of Italian politicians and the dependency of the media. Here, he comments on the elections for the Observers. Read more...