Valentino Rossi was celebrated at the end of his last race yesterday; the 42-year-old ‘motorbike legend’, who had announced his retirement in August, has recorded 26 seasons in the sport, won 9 world titles and 115 races and earned 235 podium finishes

A bar in Treviso, Veneto, has decided to put a 1 euro fee on every blasphemy to fund charitable projects; blasphemy - annoying for most Italian even if not religious and formally banned by law - is on a growing trend among youn generations

A huge snowfall whitened the Alps, by far the biggest of the 24-25 season, with the avalanche danger at a rare maximum 5 out 5 in area of the Western Alps; the snowfall is a good news for glaciers and snowpack before the arrival of summer

Italy is under investigation by the International Criminal Court for non-cooperation with the Court in the Almasri case, wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity: it is the first time this happens to a European country

The secretary of the left-wing Democratic Party Elly Schlein is the first signatory of a bill, signed by all opposition leaders, to increase the maternity allowance and introduce equal leave for fathers