Coastguard says 150 rescued from Norman Atlantic after fire broke out, and two ships collide in thick fog elsewhere in Adriatic
Journalism
Pope Francis prays for victims of Islamic State in Christmas address
Pontiff uses his traditional Urbi et Orbi message to highlight suffering of people at hands of extremists in Iraq and Syria
Space cuisine: the final frontier
Italy’s first female astronaut will be dining this Christmas on cutting-edge meal prepared by aerospace engineering firm
Chow down: Italian circus in trouble for disguising dogs as show pandas
Travelling circus owner charged in Brescia with using false documents after two chow chow puppies dyed black and white
US-Cuba deal offers reminder of Vatican’s diplomatic influence
No other religious body enjoys diplomatic status or the opportunities it affords to influence international treaties
Behind the scenes of the US-Cuba deal
Secrecy, the pope and Canada played crucial parts in the 18-month effort to reach the historic agreement
Renewed US-Cuba relations biggest success in Vatican diplomacy in decades
Pope and envoys played acknowledged roles in healing breach, focusing on Guantanamo bay and humanitarian issues
Pope Francis and the Vatican played key roles in US-Cuba thaw, leaders reveal
Pope sent letters to Obama and Castro calling on pair to ‘resolve humanitarian questions of common interest’ while Vatican helped broker talks
Vatican inquiry into ‘feminist’ American nuns ends with mild rebuke
‘Apostolic visitation’ of US sisters was compared to Spanish Inquisition but tone change suggests warmer approach by Pope Francis
Italian finance minister: Europe must act now to avoid stagnation
Pier Carlo Padoan attacks European Investment Bank for worrying more about its credit rating than about growth