Scientists have criticized an Italian government decree allowing a group of terminally-ill patients to continue using an unproven stem cell treatment, saying such therapies may cause harm and risk exploiting desperate people.

 President Giorgio Napolitano began a new round of consultations on Friday to identify a candidate for prime minister who would be able to count on the backing of Italy’s fractured political parties and be able to form a government.

How does the opera house of a major European city, one that has long struggled to achieve the cachet of the legendary La Scala theater in Milan, try to reverse its fortunes?First, it lures Riccardo Muti, who was associated with La Scala for 19 years, to be its “honorary director for life.” That is what the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome did two years ago, as part of a broader effort to overhaul its somewhat stodgy reputation.

Rome, Florence, Venice, and Naples these are the destinations where a first-time visitor to Italy dreams of traveling, and rightly so. You could spend your entire vacation in any one of these magnificent cultural hubs. But the lesser-known places; the towns and villages you'd likely pass by -- those are my favorite. The beauty of Italy is that every town -- even the tiniest village -- has its own individual identity; its own specialty products, dialects and customs, which makes roaming off the Italian tourist map even more addictive.

The decision to order a retrial of American Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of her British housemate has put the spotlight back on Italy's courts, where years of legal process often fail to uncover the truth.

Mario Balotelli scored twice as Italy overcame a shaky start to beat Malta 2-0 on Tuesday, extending the Azzurri's lead at the top of their World Cup qualifying group.Balotelli put Italy ahead with a penalty after seven minutes at Ta'Qali National Stadium and doubled the lead in the 45th, taking his tally to 10 goals in nine matches this year for club and country.

Italian center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani was left with only slim hope of forming a government after last month's deadlocked election as talks with rival party leaders ended with a further rejection from Beppe Grillo's 5-Star Movement.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli will leave the selection of his starting line-up for Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Group B's bottom side Malta until the last minute.Before leaving for the Mediterranean island, the Azzurri boss said he was still undecided about whether to start Torino's Alessio Cerci, who impressed in the 2-2 friendly draw against Brazil on Thursday.