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ROME—Italy edged closer to fresh national elections, as the Italian president launched a last-ditch call for parties to support a short-term government in an attempt to break a two-month political deadlock.

President Sergio Mattarella concluded the fifth unsuccessful round of formal talks among parties Monday, his latest effort to cajole the groups into bridging their differences and forming a new government. The talks come more than two months after national elections produced a hung parliament.

Italian assets are being hit by a brisk sell-off, with the growing prospect of a second general election within months leaving Milan stocks looking distinctly out of fashion with investors and the country’s bond yields rising. Italy’s main stocks benchmark, the FTSE Mib, is down 2.2 per cent, a significantly sharper fall than the 0.2 per cent slip on the Europe-wide Stoxx 600. Financial stocks are taking the biggest toll on the Milan index. UniCredit is down by more than 3 per cent, with Intesa Sanpaolo weaker by almost 2 per cent.

For the past year, small jars of cannabis flowers have been flying off the shelves of Italian specialty shops: a phenomenon that’s described as a “green gold rush”.

Less than a year after criticizing Marla Maples for competing on "Dancing with the Stars," Ivana Trump, the President's first wife, made a guest appearance on the Italian version of the show.

Trump, 69, appeared in a skintight, see-through red sequined dress with ex-husband Rossano Rubicondi during the ninth episode of "Ballando Con Le Stelle" Saturday night.

Ryan Reynolds showed off his dance moves on Saturday as he appeared on Italian reality show Ballando Con Le Stelle in Rome.

The 41-year-old actor was in Italy promoting his upcoming Deadpool sequel when he agreed to appear on the nation’s version of Dancing with the Stars.

Italy's passion for the table has created some of the world's most popular dishes, and along the way the rituals for best enjoying them.

Italy may be at a turning point to end a two-month political deadlock as Five Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio signaled he’s ready to give up his quest to be prime minister as a way to begin talks with the League’s Matteo Salvini on forming a government.

Ermanno Olmi, one of the giants of Italian cinema who won the top award at Cannes for "The Tree of Wooden Clogs," has died at 86.

A record number of Italian beaches now boast the prestigious Blue Flag certificate of cleanliness and safety.

This year, 368 Italian beaches in 175 different municipalities were awarded the Blue Flag – 10 percent of the world's total. 

The international Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) awards the marker based on 32 different criteria, including water quality, environmental impact, access, services and "livability" at the height of the summer season, which sees thousands of visitors flock to Italy's coastline and lakes. 

The Giro d’Italia will become the the first Grand Tour to start outside Europe when it kicks off in Jerusalem on Friday

Jerusalem - Nothing in the rules of Italy’s most famous bicycle race says it must be contained entirely in Italy. In its 109-year existence, for example, the Giro d’Italia has spilled over the Italian border into neighboring Monaco, France, and landlocked San Marino.

In other words, the Italia part of Giro d’Italia is merely a suggestion.

Over the past two decades, organizers have steadily pushed the envelope. In 2002, the Giro organized the start of the race in the Netherlands. In 2012, it visited Denmark. And in 2014, the race kicked off in Northern Ireland. That’s when organizers began to wonder: if the race doesn’t need to start in Italy, does it need to start in Europe at all?

 

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