All articles from Nick Squires

Italy eyes ex-CIA spook's extradition, complicating US ties

Panamanian authorities detained Robert Seldon Lady on request from Italy, which convicted him for the 2003 'rendition' kidnapping of a cleric in Milan.
Vatican turns its sights on alleged cash-smuggling priest (+video)

A Vatican accountant questioned today about a money-smuggling plot says he was simply helping friends.
Will Dan Brown's 'Inferno' be heavenly for Dante and Florence?

Some scholars welcome the attention that 'The Da Vinci Code' author's latest novel will likely bring to famed Florentine poet Dante – but others warn that Mr. Brown's conspiracies come with a price.
In Italy, racist taunts for footballers and ministers alike

The appointment of Italy's first black government minister has brought racist sentiment to the surface.
Global News Blog How native Americans hid in the Vatican for more than 500 years

While cleaning a Vatican fresco, restoration experts found what may be the first-ever depiction of the native Americans Columbus encountered in the New World.
Italians move northward to trade 'la dolce vita' for 'das süsse Leben'

Italian emigration jumped 30 percent from 2011 to 2012, with Germany and Switzerland the most popular destination for Italians looking for work.
Global News Blog After shipwreck, Costa Concordia gets the musical treatment

The 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship sinking is the loose inspiration for a new Bollywood-style musical to be filmed in Italy this summer.
Does a Star Wars palace in Italy need the army to protect it?

The Royal Palace of Caserta, which rivals Versailles in size and has appeared in several movies, is in such disrepair and so poorly guarded that the local mayor says the military needs to step in.
Victims' groups cool to Pope Francis's first comments on abuse scandal

On Friday, the new pope addressed the child abuse scandal for the first time since his election, calling for a continuation of his predecessor's unpopular approach.
Cypriot banks reopen their doors to an angry, but orderly, clientele (+video)

Fears of bank runs proved unfounded Thursday, as Cyprus's banks ended their nearly two-week closure amid bailout negotiations with Europe. But Cypriots remain worried.
Italian court ruling could extend Amanda Knox murder case for years (+video)

Italy's highest court has ruled that Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito must face a retrial in the murder of Meredith Kercher. It's unclear if Knox will return for the trial.
With plan to save Cyprus, EU bureaucrats prescribe long-term pain

While European leaders spoke approvingly of the bailout plan, experts say that it will deal a 'brutal hit' to the country's banking sector that will require a long, slow recovery.
Bailout deal leaves many Cypriots apprehensive about future

Cypriots are bracing for a transformed country in the wake of a bailout deal that could cause the economy to shrink as much as 10 percent. Already, banks are limiting cash withdrawals.
Cyprus scrambles for bailout, but Cypriots fear damage already done

Whatever the outcome of the crisis talks in Brussels, many Cypriots say that the prospect of bank accounts being raided had destroyed all confidence in the island’s lucrative banking industry.
Briefing Who is Pope Francis?

How the 'outsider' status of Pope Francis and his frugal ways may portend a shake-up for the Catholic Church.
Pope's first mass: 'protect each person, especially the poorest' (+video)

While Pope Francis, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, has brought a dramatic change of style to the papacy, whether he brings a change of substance remains to be seen.
Division among cardinals paved way for selection of Pope Francis

Behind the Sistine Chapel's closed doors, a fierce negotiating session led to the unlikely election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, say observers, because he was a Vatican outsider.
Election of Pope Francis fuels hopes for Catholic reform (+video)

The election of Francis is being interpreted as a victory for reform-minded cardinals, and may herald sweeping changes for the scandal-beset Catholic Church.
Pope Francis emerges to cheers of 'Viva il Papa'

The selection of Jorge Bergoglio, a Jesuit from Argentina, to be the next head of the Catholic Church electrified Rome.
Who's on the short list to be the new pope?

As the cardinals seal themselves away in St. Peter's Basilica to begin their deliberations over the next leader of the Catholic Church, a handful of frontrunners have emerged.