
Italy's Bond Angst Shapes Meloni Strategy From Defense to Banks
Save
For Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the debt crisis that caused Silvio Berlusconi's downfall remains such an unnerving memory that it keeps driving her decision-making.
From boosting defense spending to fretting over insurer Assicurazioni Generali SpA and trying to direct banking consolidation, the premier's approach is shaped by the still-vivid trauma of seeing her political mentor felled by financial markets more than a decade ago, according to people familiar with her thinking.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Charles Leclerc Shuts Down Talk of Lewis Hamilton Taking Over at Ferrari
Charles Leclerc Shuts Down Talk of Lewis Hamilton Taking Over at Ferrari originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Lewis Hamilton's arrival at Ferrari has fueled weeks of speculation that the seven-time champion could steer the Scuderia's development in his direction. Charles Leclerc isn't having it. After Hungary, the Monegasque moved to cool the narrative, stressing that Ferrari's roadmap is being written together — not by one driver. 'There's no stress whatsoever,' Leclerc said, explaining that Hamilton has been sharing feedback via detailed documents and so has he. 'He's preparing his points, I'm preparing my points, and then we are doing big meetings where we are both inside the meetings… We're aligned with the team and pushing in the same direction.' Hamilton, who joined Ferrari this season, confirmed he's been proactive: 'After the first few races, I did a full document for the team… during the break, I had another two documents that I sent in.' That openness sparked questions about whether Leclerc could be frozen out. Leclerc's answer was clear: collaboration, not competition, is driving the SF-25's evolution. Performance context matters. While Hamilton owns F1's all-time records, adapting to the SF-25 has been challenging. Through 14 starts, he is still chasing his first Grand Prix podium in red, while Leclerc has five podiums this season and delivered Ferrari's first pole of the year at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Even so, Leclerc says Hamilton's fresh perspective is a net positive. Coming from a 'very different culture' at Mercedes, Hamilton can highlight areas Ferrari might approach differently. One reported Hamilton focus is engine braking feel, a key ingredient for corner entry confidence, which operates differently from what he used at Mercedes. Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport has linked that feedback to Ferrari's longer-term planning, with Hamilton reportedly seeking clarity on the all-new 2026 power unit direction. Leclerc doesn't see any of this as unusual: both drivers routinely submit structured feedback, and the team filters it into unified priorities. Crucially, Leclerc rejected the idea that one voice is overshadowing the other. He framed the process as standard practice: identify weaknesses, align on solutions, and iterate quickly. With Ferrari balancing immediate gains for 2025 and a wholesale reset under the 2026 regulations, the Scuderia needs both drivers fully engaged — and, according to Leclerc, that's exactly what's happening. The takeaway: Hamilton may be loud on paper, those documents are real, but Leclerc is equally loud in the room. Ferrari's path forward won't be written by a single story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 17, 2025, where it first appeared.


Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
NATO defense chiefs hold ‘candid discussion' on security guarantees for Ukraine
BRUSSELS — NATO defense chiefs held a 'candid discussion' Wednesday about what security guarantees they could offer Kyiv to help forge a peace agreement that ends Russia's three-year war on Ukraine, a senior alliance official said. Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the chair of NATO's Military Committee, said that 32 defense chiefs from across the alliance held a video conference amid a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the fighting. He said there was a 'great, candid discussion' in the call. 'I thanked everyone for their always proactive participation in these meetings: we are united, and that unity was truly tangible today, as always,' he wrote on social platform X without providing further details. Assurances that it won't be invaded again in the future are one of the keys for getting Ukraine to sign up for a peace deal with Russia. It wants Western help for its military, including weapons and training, to shore up its defenses, and Western officials are scrambling to figure out what commitments they might offer. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chided efforts to work on security arrangements in Ukraine without Moscow's involvement. 'We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve collective security issues without the Russian Federation. This will not work,' Lavrov said Wednesday, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. Russia will 'ensure (its) legitimate interests firmly and harshly,' Lavrov added at a news conference in Moscow with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi. U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, took part in the virtual talks, Dragone said. U.S. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was also due to participate, a U.S. defense official said. Caine also met with European military chiefs Tuesday evening in Washington to assess the best military options for political leaders, according to the defense official, who wasn't authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. President Trump met last Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and on Monday hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and prominent European leaders at the White House. Neither meeting delivered concrete progress. Trump is trying to steer Putin and Zelensky toward a settlement more than three years after Russia invaded its neighbor, but there are major obstacles. They include Ukraine's demands for Western-backed military assurances to ensure Russia won't mount another invasion in the coming years. 'We need strong security guarantees to ensure a truly secure and lasting peace,' Zelensky said in a Telegram post Wednesday after Russian missile and drone strikes hit six regions of Ukraine overnight. Kyiv's European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement, and a coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan and Australia, has signed up to support the initiative. Military chiefs are figuring out how that security force might work. The role that the U.S. might play is unclear. Trump on Tuesday ruled out sending U.S. troops to help defend Ukraine against Russia. Russia has repeatedly said that it would not accept NATO troops in Ukraine. Attacks on civilian areas in Sumy and Odesa overnight into Wednesday injured 15 people, including a family with three small children, Ukrainian authorities said. Russian strikes also targeted ports and fuel and energy infrastructure, officials said. Zelensky said the strikes 'only confirm the need for pressure on Moscow, the need to introduce new sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy works to its full potential.' Trump said Monday he has begun arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky, although the Kremlin hasn't publicly confirmed such a possibility and no venue was suggested. Lavrov, in his Moscow press conference, said Russia is prepared to continue negotiations with Ukraine in any format. He said Putin proposed to Trump raising the level of representation in delegations that recently took part in largely fruitless direct talks in Istanbul. He added that 'a separate block (of talks) should be devoted to examining the political aspects of the settlement, along with the military and humanitarian ones.' Ukraine and Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging out peace negotiations in the hope of capturing more land before any settlement. French President Emmanuel Macron has said the summit could happen in Europe and proposed the Swiss city of Geneva. Switzerland has expressed its willingness to act as host. Putin's ability to travel abroad is limited because he is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on a warrant dating back to March 2023 for alleged involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children. More than 100 countries are ICC signatories and have a legal obligation to arrest the Russian leader on their soil. Switzerland intends to ask the ICC to exempt it from sanctions in order to allow Putin in for a summit, according to a senior official in The Hague with direct knowledge of the request. The official was not authorized to speak about the proceedings and spoke on condition of anonymity. McNeil and Novikov write for the Associated Press. Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Molly Quell contributed to this report from The Hague and Mike Pesoli from Washington.


Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Olive Garden Launches Major Menu Update
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Olive Garden is launching a new menu offering, and for a limited time, guests will be able to score a Never Ending Pasta Bowl. The deal goes live on Monday, August 25, when the Never Ending Pasta Bowl returns at the same price of $13.99. Why It Matters As restaurants face higher costs and consumers reel in spending, brands that are able to keep prices low or offer seasonal deals and new menu items for guests may benefit financially. The exterior of an Olive Garden is seen on June 20, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden, surpassed Wall Street's earnings and revenue after reporting a fiscal fourth-quarter net... The exterior of an Olive Garden is seen on June 20, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden, surpassed Wall Street's earnings and revenue after reporting a fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $303.8 million dollars. MoreWhat To Know Olive Garden is offering the same price of $13.99 for its Never Ending Pasta Bowl. The price hasn't changed since 2022, the Italian restaurant chain said in a new release. The deal goes live on Monday and includes unlimited pasta, plus endless soup or salad and breadsticks for the same price the fourth year in a row. However, there is one update to the deal this year. Guests will be able to choose the Spicy Three-Meat Sauce for their pasta, which features a blend of chili flakes, cherry peppers, red bell pepper, pepperoni, red wine, garlic and herbs and homemade meat sauce. The Never Ending Pasta Bowl will be available until November 16, allowing diners to mix and match up to 96 possible flavor combinations. This includes: Pastas: Fettuccine, Spaghetti, Angel Hair, Rigatoni Homemade Sauces: Spicy Three-Meat Sauce, Alfredo, Meat Sauce, Five Cheese Marinara, Traditional Marinara, Creamy Mushroom Endless toppings (add for $4.99): Crispy Chicken Fritta, Meatballs, Italian Sausage Olive Garden's eClub members gained early access to the deal on Monday, August 18. What People Are Saying Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "Whenever you see the phrase 'never ending' attached to a food item, it signals a calculated bet by the restaurant—with plenty of fine print attached. The real play isn't just the pasta; it's to get people in the door. Once customers are seated, restaurants aim to upsell drinks, appetizers, or desserts, which boost margins far more than the headline offer." Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "Over the last few months, there have been a flurry of offers from restaurants trying to get customers to walk back through their doors after a few quarters declining foot traffic and sales. The issue, as with most consumer-based decisions, are inflationary pressures that have pushed dining prices higher over the last few years, and the result has largely been customers favoring dining at home to save money over going out. A never-ending pasta deal is yet another attempt to get customers' attention in the hopes they'll come back and start spending money with Olive Garden." What Happens Next As the restaurant industry continues to struggle with higher costs and shrinking margins, Thompson said the Never Ending Pasta Bowl deal is likely to get customers into the door, where they are likely to purchase other items as well. "Consumers, too, are feeling squeezed by inflation," Thompson said. "A 'never ending' pasta dish feels like a bargain, but making it a limited-time offer taps into scarcity, creating urgency and driving short-term traffic."