italy

"The Prato case [of a war between rival Chinese criminal clans] is not simply an Italian story. It is a Chinese story that reveals how Beijing’s refusal to cooperate with European prosecutors amounts to complicity. The mafia is not only tolerated but instrumentalized. It provides economic leverage, channels illicit profits, and extends China’s reach into Europe’s industrial heartlands. The victims are many: exploited workers, intimidated entrepreneurs, and communities living under fear. But the larger victims are the Western economy, threatened by China’s unfair competition, and the principle of liberty itself. When a state shields criminal networks for its own advantage, it undermines the rule of law far beyond its borders."

"Yet its massive popularity with young people is worth at least attempting to wrap your head around as an indicator of the direction of travel of online culture."

"By late January 2025, the “Tralalero Tralala” sound was unavoidable on TikTok. From Brat-font overlays to phonk remixes, users leveraged the audio to gain massive views. Notable creators used it in anime edits, soccer highlights, or skits dramatizing absurd betrayal scenarios."

"Despite, or because of, its weirdness, the meme became a staple in TikTok’s ever-growing catalog of “brainrot” content."

"(translated) What at first glance appears to be stupidity actually has artistic potential for many observers. Is what's happening digital Dadaism? Some celebrate the movement as an ironic protest genre—a deliberately senseless response by the younger generation to an equally senseless world. While real wars rage outside and the climate is deteriorating, Gen Z responds to the absurdity of reality with even more absurdity."

"(translated) Many dismiss this nonsense as the creative low point of a youth that is already lost. Is that fair? If art students were to show similar paintings in class, people would discuss meaning, intention, and aesthetics."

"There is also Indonesian brain rot, notably Tung Tung Tung Sahur (“which is like a stick figure with a bat, telling people to wake up for a meal during Ramadan”) and Boneca Ambalabu (“a frog with a tyre for a body..."

"They do this democratic Disney thing that doesn’t belong to anybody."

"Fashion means so many things to me. Nowadays it has become a very important thing in people's lives. With it each of us can express our own lifestyle and personality."

"Sicily is a land that I adore, every time I have found wonderful and welcoming people. It is a land that has kept its culture and its sun intact, so as an African I find myself totally in this immense heat."

"The comparison with Naomi Campbell makes me happy because she is beautiful, but I think that this element has not influenced my success, because before coming to Italy I traveled all over the world making a career as a model. Once I arrived here I was already known and I didn't need anything else except my competence and determination."

"On June 3, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, criticized a modification to Article 47 of Law 22/85, which governs Italy’s financial support for religions. Zuppi stated his “disappointment at the government’s unilateral decision to alter the purposes and allocation methods of the eight per thousand tax revenue. This change undermines the original agreement between the Church and the government and effectively distorts its intended logic and functioning, resulting in inequalities that harm both the Catholic Church and other religious bodies with agreements with the state.”"

"I remember having Jewish classmates in my school who did not celebrate Christian feasts when most of the class did. I grew up in the late 1950s and 1960s in Italy, where there was a strong Communist presence, and children from Communist families would not celebrate certain civil and religious feasts either. There were also Protestant children who did not share in the joyful celebrations of the feasts of the Virgin Mary, a typical feature of Italian culture. And so on. If the law should compel the Jehovah’s Witness children to celebrate birthdays and Christmas, it should also compel children from Jewish [families and] atheist families to celebrate the birth of Jesus, which would be a serious violation of their freedom of religion or belief. A more reasonable solution is to teach [the] minors that a pluralistic society includes women, men, and children of different beliefs and cultures, and all should be respected."

"Getting involved."

"It's the usual chant."

"Being on horseback."

"And not a percent of him is happy."

"Sleep like a rock."

"It's as easy as drinking a glass of water."

"Being in the light."

"Low class."

"Go into hiding."

"Sleeping at the hotel of the moon."

"Sleeping like a bear."

"Last from morning to evening."

"Last the space of one morning."

"It's the bird's song."

"It's the congregation of Saint Andrew: the desire has passed and the idea remains."

"He is more of a beast than a Christian."

"It's easier to advise than to do."

"Out of the blue."

"Give hay to the goose."

"Give butter to someone."

"Give the sheep to guard the wolf."

"Defend with teeth."

"Believing in flying donkeys."

"Running the leapfrog."

"Believing oneself to be the center of the universe."

"Believing oneself to be an eternal father."

"We know the man from his clothes."

"Turn your brain."

"Drop a cork ship."

"Give a blow to the circle and one to the barrel."

"Give a finger and get an arm."

"Shooting yourself in the foot."

"Said, done."

"Disintegrate in tears."

"Dividing the wheat from the tares."

"Sleeping like a dormouse."

"Convinced but not defeated."