Il Messaggiere - News from Rome, Modena, Reggio, Italy and the world

Alex Marquez swept to a first pole of the 2025 season in qualifying for the Catalunya MotoGP on Saturday, smashing the lap record in front of an adoring home crowd.

More than 300 South Koreans were among 475 people arrested by US immigration officials in a raid on a Hyundai-LG battery plant being built in the southern US state of Georgia, the foreign minister in Seoul said on Saturday.

Thailand's next prime minister on Saturday pledged to make good on his promise to lead the fractured interim government to new polls.

Pierre Gasly has signed a contract extension with Alpine until the end of the 2028 Formula One season, the French team announced on Saturday.

New Zealand scored two early tries and kept an error-prone South Africa at bay to win a rugged arm-wrestle 24-17 Saturday and stay top of the Rugby Championship.

The Israeli army told Gaza City residents to flee to a "humanitarian zone" in the south on Saturday ahead of a planned offensive to capture the territory's largest urban centre.

Thousands of mourners began paying homage on Saturday to Italian fashion giant Giorgio Armani, following his death aged 91.

Australia rallied from 14 points down and scored a try in the 86th minute to edge Argentina 28-24 in a breathless Rugby Championship Test on Saturday, taming a side that stunned the All Blacks a fortnight ago.

Chilean left-wing presidential candidate Jeannette Jara is a card-carrying communist, but you won't see the hammer and sickle at her campaign events.

Reigning champion Jannik Sinner expects another "special" occasion when he plays Carlos Alcaraz for the men's US Open title after the Italian reached his fifth successive Grand Slam final on Friday.

Justin Herbert out-dueled Patrick Mahomes to lead the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-21 upset of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL in Sao Paulo on Friday.

A suspected "large shark" mauled a surfer to death in a rare fatal attack off a Sydney beach on Saturday, Australian police and rescuers said, leading to a string of beach closures.

Carlos Alcaraz overpowered Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Friday to set up a blockbuster US Open final showdown against world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner.

The Venice Film Festival wraps up Saturday with an awards ceremony during which the prestigious Golden Lion for best film will be handed out.

Reigning champion Jannik Sinner will play Carlos Alcaraz for the US Open title after the Italian beat Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in four sets on Friday.

Formula One star Daniel Ricciardo ruled out any return to the sport on Saturday after the eight-time grand prix winner was named global ambassador for Ford Racing.

For Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey and Jamie Lee Curtis, making an action film about the deadliest wildfire in California history hits close to home.

Japan on Saturday heralded the coming-of-age of Prince Hisahito with an elaborate ceremony at the Imperial Palace, where a succession crisis is brewing.

A heart-wrenching docudrama about the Gaza war, a wrestling-themed love story starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and a darkly satirical South Korean thriller are among 21 films vying for the top prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

Australian police offered Aus$1 million Saturday for the arrest of a gunman who allegedly killed two police officers, as a vast manhunt entered its 12 day without any sightings.

Andry Hernandez jumped through hoops to claim asylum in the United States, hopeful of beginning a new life with an American man he met on Instagram -- only to be doomed by an innocent pair of wrist tattoos that landed him in a brutal El Salvador prison.

The US Open, the last Grand Slam of the tennis calendar, has become a coveted money-making opportunity for the world's top brands, in everything from banking to ice cream, generating hundreds of millions of dollars.

Thousands of mourners from the fashion world and beyond are expected to pay homage on Saturday to Italian fashion giant Giorgio Armani, following his death aged 91.

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on Friday called for dialogue with Washington, hours after President Donald Trump threatened to shoot down Venezuelan military jets if they pose a danger to US forces.

Australia posted a US$659,000 reward Saturday for the arrest of a gunman on the run for a 12th day after allegedly killing two police officers.

Gabriela Dabrowski won her second US Open women's doubles title alongside Erin Routliffe on Friday, the culmination of a "wild ride" that began with a breast cancer diagnosis last year.

At Friday's premiere of "Christy," a gritty biopic of US female boxing pioneer Christy Martin, the film's star Sydney Sweeney declined to address her recent jeans ad controversy that caused a firestorm online.

Novak Djokovic vowed to "continue fighting" for Grand Slam titles after his US Open semi-final exit to Carlos Alcaraz on Friday.

Thomas Sorber, a 19-year-old American forward taken 15th overall in June's NBA Draft by reigning champion Oklahoma City, will miss the upcoming 2025-26 season with a knee injury.

US President Donald Trump said Friday he would host the 2026 G20 summit at his own golf resort in Miami -- despite abandoning a similar move in his first term after accusations of corruption.

Carlos Alcaraz overpowered Novak Djokovic in straight sets to book his place in the US Open final on Friday and set up a potential blockbuster showdown with defending champion Jannik Sinner.

Carlos Alcaraz beat 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Friday to reach his second US Open final, where he could face reigning champion Jannik Sinner.

Gennaro Gattuso enjoyed his start to life as Italy coach on Friday as his team beat Estonia 5-0 to get their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track, while Kylian Mbappe struck as France began their bid with a win against Ukraine.

Morocco trounced 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E and become the first African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Donald Trump on Friday threatened to shoot down Venezuelan military jets if they pose a danger to US forces, as Washington deploys F-35 warplanes to Puerto Rico as part of the president's war on drug cartels.

Gennaro Gattuso got off to an impressive start as Italy coach with Friday's 5-0 thumping of Estonia as he bids to stop the Azzurri missing out on a third straight World Cup.

US President Donald Trump moved Friday to create a blacklist of countries that Washington says unjustly detain Americans, spelling out harsh punishments including bans on travel.

US President Donald Trump signed an order Friday rebranding the Department of Defense as the Department of War, saying it sent a "message of victory" to the rest of the world.

The Israeli military destroyed a high-rise in Gaza City on Friday, shortly after announcing it would target tall buildings identified as being used by Hamas ahead of its planned seizure of the Palestinian territory's biggest city.