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DAILY TELEGRAPH. Caroline Kennedy's support for abortion disqualified her as a person who can represent the U.S. at the Holy See, Vatican sources say. While the Vatican strongly disapproves of Mr Obama's support for abortion and stem cell research, the impasse over the ambassadorial appointment threatens to cloud his meeting with the Pope during a G8 summit in Itay in July (Read ful article by Alex Spillius)
ANSA. Relatives, rescue workers, volunteers and politicians formed a 5,000-strong crowd in L'Aquila Friday for the solemn funeral of victims of Monday's devastating earthquake which killed 289 people. The coffins of 205 of the victims were lined up in four rows in a square in front of the city's Finance Guard barracks for the ceremony, which was broadcast live by Italian state and private television. (Read the article)
ANSA. Ferrara is devoting its biggest art event of the season to the etchings of Giorgio Morandi, one of Italy's greatest 20th-century artists. (Read the article)
TIMES ONLINE. Pope Benedict XVI today implored God to give the victims of the Abruzzo earthquake eternal rest as more than 200 of the dead were given an emotional mass state funeral on a day of national mourning. The funeral was conducted by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, and the Archbishop of L'Aquila, Giuseppe Molinari. In a message read out at the service, the Pope said that the earthquake had been felt in the Vatican.
He said that in "these dramatic hours of human tragedy" he felt "spiritually present among you to share your distress". He said that he implored God to give the victims eternal rest, to enable the injured to recover swiftly, and to give courage to the survivors to "continue to hope". (Read the Article by Richard Owen)
INQUIRER. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi offered his villas to house those homeless by the deadly earthquake earlier this week. "Many people have already offered up their houses to help the homeless from the earthquake and I too will do what I can by offering some of my residences," Berlusconi said as he attended funerals for the victims in the quake-ravaged central city of L'Aquila. (Read the article)
ANSA. The Fiat 500 on Thursday won the 2009 World Car Design Award, beating out the Citroen C5 and Jaguar Xf. The award was announced at the New York Automobile Show where the Volkswagen Golf VI was named World Car of the Year, the Honda FCX Clarity World Green Car and the Nissan GR-R World Performance Car. (Read the article)
ANSA. President Giorgio Napolitano visited the site of Monday's devastating L'Aquila earthquake Thursday, paying his respects to the 279 victims and thousands of homeless. (Read the article)
ANSA. The death toll from Monday's devastating earthquake in the central Abruzzo region current stands at 289. An official day of mourning for the victims is being observed in Italy on Friday and a solemn funeral will be held in the capital of Abruzzo, L'Aquila, which will be broadcast live on Italian state and private TV. (Read the article)
ANSA. Mafia bosses were among prisoners in L'Aquila's top-security jail transferred to other facilities in the early hours of Wednesday as aftershocks from Monday's earthquake continued to rock the Abruzzo capital. (Read the article)
ANSA. Italian police on Wednesday shut down a fake science website after it 'predicted' another strong quake in devastated L'Aquila Wednesday afternoon. (Read the article)