NY TIMES. The lawyer for the Italian cyclist Riccardo Ricco said Ricco was found guilty by a French court of a doping offense during the 2008 Tour de France. The court in the southwestern city of Foix gave Ricco a two-month suspended prison sentence and a $3,700 fine after finding him guilty of “using a poisonous substance.” (Read the Article)

WASHINGTON POST. Italy and 10 other European states urged the continent's top human rights court on Wednesday to overturn its ban on crucifixes in schools, arguing they were signs of national identity and not overtly religious symbols.

The alliance of traditionally Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian countries backing Italy's appeal against the ban which was handed down last November reflected their concern that the court had set a precedent for strict secularism across Europe. (Read the Article)

ABC News: In an effort to curb "beach pregnancies" and an array of sexually transmitted ailments that regularly land on their examining tables at the end of the summer, an Italian association of gynecologists this year launched the Travelsex campaign. As young people set off with their backpacks to discover new places and live new experiences this summer, they are being encouraged to pack the Travelsex guide – a 40-page booklet spelling out what to pack (both the pill and condoms), where to go for advice (a list of family planning centers throughout Italy), and how to behave sexually when abroad. (Read the article)

PUBLICOPINIONLINE.COM  Today it's all about Italian ice in as many flavors as one can imagine -- and a few surprises that are hard to imagine. By definition, Italian ice is a frozen concoction made with ice, sugar, and a syrup flavoring or a fruit puree. Those who serve us our ice have played with not only the flavors but also the textures to tempt us with other types of frozen treats, such as sorbetto, granita, and gelato. (Read the article by Cheryl M. Keyser )