Italy began the one-year countdown to the Winter Olympics on Thursday with a series of events designed to fuel enthusiasm for the Games that will be co-hosted by Milan and the Alpine town of Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Thomas Bach said Italy is ready to host next year's Winter Olympics as the one-year countdown to the sprawling Milan-Cortina Games began at an event in Italy's economic capital on Thursday. "Italy is ready to write the next chapter of its great Olympic history,

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada on Thursday kept faith in the team which lost their opening Six Nations fixture when he made one change to take on Wales at the Stadio Olimpico this weekend.

Taulupe Faletau will play his first Test in more than a year as Wales look to end their record 13-match losing streak against Italy in Saturday's Six Nations clash in Rome. But the 104-times capped Faletau is now back as one of two changes to the side thrashed 43-0 by France in last week's first round of the Six Nations,

Italy’s justice minister has strongly defended the government’s decision to free and repatriate a Libyan warlord wanted by the International Criminal Court

Rome's decision to release Osama Almasri Najim drew condemnation from Italian opposition parties, NGOs and the ICC.