CORRIERE DELLE SERA.  Advice to Alemanno. Mayor replies that prime minister is mistaken and in any case was referring to the legacy of the Left. The Far East, especially Japan, is his model of urban cleanliness. And the model is even more appealing when contrasted with the “filth in the streets” of Italy’s cities, which look “more African than European”. In an interview with Radio Radio, Silvio Berlusconi reiterated his admiration for Japan, its capital Tokyo, and the cleanliness of towns over there. (Read the article)

ANSA. hree men died on Tuesday after inhaling toxic gases while working at a refinery near the Sardinian city of Cagliari. The men, who were carrying out maintenance work, are thought to have been poisoned by nitrogen after becoming trapped in a desulfurization unit.  (Read the article)

ANSA. Vatican Radio, the official broadcasting service of the Holy See, has decided to carry advertising jingles for the first time in its almost 80 year history, the station's director-general and Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said Tuesday. (Read the article)

ANSA. A cold-footed Italian bride made it through the ceremony and the traditional family photos but ran off with the driver of the wedding car before her reception in this north-eastern city. Her new husband, 34-year-old bank worker Andrea, and 30 guests were left waiting in vain at a restaurant for 30-year-old Sara, who had made her escape after saying she wanted to change her clothes before the reception. (Read the article)

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. I became an Italian food goddess when I realized the following: Fresh vegetables of the season + pasta = a fabulous bowl of Italy. Throughout Italy, especially in the Mezzogiorno, or sunny south (Puglia, Sicilia, Basilicata, Calabria and Campania), whatever is freshest in the garden or marketplace is on the table twice a day  (Read the article)

CNN EUROPA. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has told CNN he has never committed a gaffe and that he doesn't like his job much these days. In an exclusive interview, Berlusconi laid the blame on newspapers. ( Read the article -  Watch Berlusconi's interview with Paula Newton )

AGE-NET.CO.UK. A vintage recipe for ice cream has provided the inspiration for an acclaimed Italian tenor to stage a unique operatic performance - for cows. Marcello Bedoni, one of Europe's leading tenors, flew to the UK specially for the cow concert following an invitation from Italian ice cream maker Antonio Federici who is re-launching a 100 year old brand.  The gelato, which goes on sale this month, has been faithfully recreated from a century old family recipe. Its creator Antonio Federici, who lived near Portofino on the Italian Riviera, believed that listening to the opera he loved was beneficial to his cows and co-workers.