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

Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi said Wednesday that protests which have gripped his country in recent days aimed "to move history forward".

Bulgaria will become the 21st country to switch to the euro when it enters the New Year on Thursday, amid concerns the move could usher in higher prices and add to political instability rattling the Balkan country.

China's economy is expected to have grown "around five percent" in 2025, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday, despite "pressure" during a year he described as "very unusual", state media reported.

Turkey on Wednesday detained another 125 Islamic State group suspects in a string of nationwide raids, a minister said, following warnings that IS militants planned attacks over the holidays.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes his side are starting to see the benefits of their hard work as the Gunners head into 2026 at the top of the Premier League.

China "successfully completed" military drills around Taiwan that included live-fire exercises aimed at simulating a blockade of key ports and assaults on maritime targets, its military said on Wednesday.

Wilfried Nancy insists he can oversee a revival in Celtic's fortunes following a 2-0 defeat by Motherwell that represented his fifth loss in seven game since taking charge of the Scottish champions.

As 2025 draws to a close, Palestinians in Gaza are marking the new year not with celebration, but with exhaustion, grief and a fragile hope that their "endless nightmare" might finally end.

Queen Camilla has spoken for the first time publicly about fighting off an attacker on a train when she was a teenager, in an interview broadcast Wednesday.

Stock markets mostly fell Wednesday in thin trading, following a year of record gains for key assets as central banks cut interest rates and the tech sector boomed on growth of artificial intelligence.

Ruben Amorim is still optimistic about Manchester United's prospects this season despite ending a torrid 2025 with a lacklustre 1-1 draw at home to strugglers Wolves.

Efforts to break a deadlock in 2025 over plans for a new European fighter jet have been unsuccessful, a German government spokesman told AFP on Wednesday.

Iran's prosecutor general said on Wednesday that economic protests that had gripped the country were legitimate, but any attempt to create insecurity would be met with a "decisive response".

Unai Emery said his failure to shake hands with opposing manager Mikel Arteta was because it was "cold" at the Emirates following his Aston Villa side's thumping 4-1 loss to Premier League leaders Arsenal.

China said on Wednesday it will impose additional 55 percent tariffs on some beef imports from countries including Brazil, Australia and the United States that exceed a certain quantity from January 1.

Nearly 60 women lawmakers in Japan, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, have submitted a petition calling for more toilets in the parliament building to match their improved representation.

Silver slipped further as Asian markets presented a mixed picture in the the final trading day of 2025 on Wednesday, with some stocks tracking Wall Street losses as investors eyed a New Year break.

Guinea's junta chief Mamady Doumbouya, who had pledged not to run for office after seizing power four years ago, has been elected president after securing a sweeping majority of the vote, according to initial results by the country's election commission published on Tuesday.

Cade Cunningham scored 27 points as the Detroit Pistons spoiled LeBron James' 41st birthday with a 128-106 drubbing of the depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Chinese warships and coastguard vessels are withdrawing from waters around Taiwan, the island's coastguard said Wednesday, with Beijing's military drills appearing to be "over".

In the biting cold, homeless friends Danish and Sylvain walked briskly in the dark towards a hot meal distribution point, rubbing their hands together, their huge backpacks weighing down on their shoulders.

Zohran Mamdani, young upstart of the US left, was readying Wednesday to take over as New York mayor for a term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump.

Eurostar said it plans to run a full service on Wednesday but warned of possible knock-on disruptions after a power supply issue halted Channel Tunnel train trips connecting London to the European mainland.

A French crew were on Wednesday stripped of overall victory in the prestigious Sydney to Hobart yacht race over a rule infringement.

Thailand on Wednesday released 18 Cambodian soldiers captured in July, both governments said, after a fresh ceasefire between the neighbours held for more than three days following weeks of deadly border clashes.

Taiwan's world-leading microchip manufacturer TSMC says it has started mass producing next-generation "2-nanometre" chips.

In a historic building in central Tripoli, Libyans wander past ancient statues and artefacts, rediscovering a heritage that transcends political divides at their national museum which reopened this month after a 2011 uprising.

Asian stocks were mixed at the start of the final trading day of 2025 on Wednesday, with some tracking Wall Street losses as investors eased towards the New Year break.

The outgoing United Nations refugee chief fears an increasingly fragmented world is fuelling global conflicts and crises, and inflaming hostility towards people desperately fleeing for safety.

Cambodian master classical dancer Penh Yom walks between her teenage students, painstakingly adjusting a bent-back finger here and the tilt of a head there, as she passes on a centuries-old art form.

Central Asia, the Sahel region and northern Europe experienced their hottest year on record in 2025, according to AFP analysis based on data from the European Copernicus programme.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are set for more world domination in 2026, starting at the Australian Open, while Aryna Sabalenka is bubbling with confidence as she chases further Grand Slam success.

Bulgaria was preparing to switch to the euro on Wednesday night to become the 21st eurozone member, amid concerns the move could usher in higher prices and add to political instability rattling the Balkan country.

Iowa farmer Aaron Lehman was already paying a hefty price for health insurance, but his premium is set to skyrocket in January when major government subsidies expire, after US President Donald Trump's Republican party declined to extend them.

American actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., who played a corrupt politician on HBO crime drama "The Wire" and had roles in numerous films directed by Oscar winner Spike Lee, died at age 71 on Tuesday, his manager said.

Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11 percent after completing the second stage of a $41-billion investment in the maker of ChatGPT.

Bangladesh bids farewell on Wednesday to former prime minister Khaleda Zia with a state funeral expected to draw vast crowds, mourning a towering leader whose career defined politics for decades.

Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, the company said in a statement seen by AFP on Wednesday.

Former Australian Test batsman Damien Martyn has been rushed to hospital in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis, media reports said Wednesday.