Italy

Italy's prime minister, health and interior ministers faced hours of questioning in Rome as prosecutors opened an investigation into possible mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis.

In a decree issued Saturday, officials said they would once more allow travelers to and from the country beginning June 3. The announcement marks a major step in the hard-hit country's reopening plan.

Italy was one of the first countries to be racked by the disease. The government imposed strict lockdown policies on March 9, earlier than many countries started responding.

The country faces a shortfall of up to 350,000 laborers just when it is bracing for deep economic impacts from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

La spesa sospesa means paying in advance for someone who can't afford it — an act of charity in which donors don't show off and recipients don't have to show gratitude.

Organized crime will exploit growing desperation, warns a prosecutor: "The mafias always gravitate toward money, and they're constantly trying to improve their image in the eyes of ordinary citizens."

Even after Europe became an epicenter in the global spread of COVID-19, a number of leaders have had growing approval from their citizens.

Liying is from Wuhan, China. She's married to Federico, from Lombardy, Italy. Now in the U.S., they describe the rapid shift in perceptions of the pandemic as it has spread through each country.

The Italian star will sing songs like "Ave Maria" live from the empty halls of one the world's most famous churches.

Drawing on a centuries-old tradition, a Naples couple has begun lowering baskets from their balcony. People are encouraged to take food they need, and others are encouraged to add food to the baskets.

As the country moves into its fourth week of lockdown, the head of Italy's national institute of health announced that the country "has reached a plateau" in its infection rate.

"Case fatality rates have been very confusing," says Dr. Steven Lawrence, an infectious disease expert. Here's why.