The Oscillation Project with Emulsion-Racking Apparatus detector at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory, hosted a fiercely contested experiment that appears to show the accepted speed limit of the Universe can be broken. The speed of light appears to have been broken again after scientists carried out a new set of experiments to test measurements that could require the laws of physics to be rewritten. Scientists... 

Italian students march in Milan during a demonstration to protest against the austerity measures in Europe, November 17, 2011. Italian protesters clashed with police Thursday as thousands took to the streets around the country in anger at budget cuts and the Brussels-backed “bankers’ government.” ­The student-led demos came just hours before new Prime Minister Mario Monti, whose government was... 

Late night calls: Barack Obama made contact with several European leaders to demand faster action Barack Obama has read the riot act to the leaders of several European countries – saying more dramatic action is needed to avert a eurozone meltdown. The U.S. President made telephone calls to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano... 

European stock markets dropped sharply after Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi confirmed he will step down after failing to win a confidence vote. The Italian stock market tumbled 3.7% with European stocks following the trend. UK’s FTSE 100 dropped 1.2 %, while Germany’s DAX was down 1.8%. The news from Rome appears to be another blow for the ailing euro which went down against other major currencies... 

At least six people were killed when the Italian port city of Genoa was hit by flash floods during torrential rainfall. Five of the victims, including two children, died when the lobby of an apartment block in which they had sought shelter flooded. A woman was apparently crushed by cars being swept away by the water. The Genoa city website advised people not to leave their homes and to climb to the... 

Italy, Rome: A car burns during a demonstration, in Rome on October 15, 2011 What was initially planned as a peaceful “Occupy Rome” protest turned into a violent demonstration in the Italian capital. Police reportedly used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds of angry Italians. Protesters wearing masks and helmets threw rocks, bottles and other objects at police in riot gear. Some wielded... 

Standard and Poor's dropped Italy's credit rating from A+ to A. Standard & Poor’s drops credit rating to A from A+, blaming sluggish economy and ineffective government reforms. Italy has had its sovereign credit rating cut by Standard and Poor’s, with the ratings agency keeping the country’s outlook on negative in a surprise move that may add to contagion fears in the... 

Protesters throw projectiles at riot police in front of the Italian Parliament in Rome, September 15, 2011. Italian riot police have clashed with protesters rallying against the Italian parliament’s final approval for the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s recent austerity package. The violence erupted outside the parliament as lawmakers were on the austerity measures, AP... 

Beijing: Visitors have their photos taken at Tiananmen gate in Beijing on August 17, 2011. China has allowed its currency to hit a series of record highs against the USD over the past week in a move analysts say may signal a new strategy to combat the growing threat of inflation. With Italy second only to Greece in the Eurozone in terms of its debt-to-GDP ratio, the Italian government is eyeing China... 

Astrophysicists of Germany, France and Italy have discovered a very old star in the constellation of Leo, whose existence is a complete mystery to them. SDSS J102915 +172927, unlike other stars of the “same age” that appeared immediately after the Big Bang, has a smaller mass, which does not fit into the framework of the modern theory of star formation. The age of the star SDSS J102915... 

Riot policemen spray tear gas as they clash with demonstrators in front of the Greek parliament on June 29, 2011 during a protest part of the 48-hour general strike against the bankruptcy-threatened government which is desperately trying to push through sweeping austerity cuts. Protests have spread across Europe as Greece, Italy and Spain are struggling to hold on to the euro. Meanwhile, residents... 

Protestors march on September 6, 2011 during a demonstration organized by the leftist General Confederation of Italian Workers (CGIL) union against the government's economic policy in the center Rome. Tens of thousands of people are stranded. Factories are closed, airports and train stations deserted. An entire nation comes to a standstill as Italy’s largest trade union, the CGIL, calls... 

Students demonstrate and hold a placard reading 'We are making the wealth ourselves' during a general strike on May 6, 2011 in the capital Rome. Millions of Italians are set to go on a general strike in the capital Rome to protest fresh austerity measures adopted by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s government. The day-long strike will be held against a 45.5-billion-euro package of spending... 

Silvio Berlusconi (R) and Nicolas Sarkozy (L) The race for Libya’s vast oil wealth is gathering momentum. States who worked together during the NATO airstrikes are now working against each other in the battle to secure lucrative energy contracts. ­Meanwhile, fears are rising that a new regime in Libya could easily slide into corruption. Half a billion dollars from Italy, and now a whopping $1.5... 

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Rome has approved a new emergency 45.5-billion-euro austerity plan in response to demands by the European Central Bank (ECB) to balance Italy’s budget by 2013. The Italian government approved the emergency package in line with the ECB request on Friday, despite strong disagreement and resistance from local government officials who maintain that new austerity...