Mariah Carey to headline Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan
US pop star Mariah Carey will sing at the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina winter Olympics on February 6th, organisers announced on Monday.
Carey, one of the top selling artists in the world, is the first international guest announced for the ceremony at Milan's San Siro stadium, AFP said.
In a statement, organisers said her music was "capable of crossing generations and cultures", and reflected the emotion and atmosphere of the event.
The Olympic torch is currently winding its way across Italy ahead of the Games, which take place between February 6th and 22nd across a large area of northern Italy. The Paralympic Winter Games follow from March 6th to 15th.
Italian court to decide next steps for Brit-Aussie 'family in the woods'
An Abruzzo juvenile court was set to hear an appeal on Tuesday from a UK-Australian couple whose children were removed from their care last month after a judge ruled that their off-grid lifestyle was causing them "serious harm".
The court will decide whether Nathan Trevallion and Caroline Birmingham can regain custody their eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old twins, who are currently staying in a foster home in the coastal town of Vasto with their mother.
The couple were separated from their children in November after a judge issued an order suspending their 'parental responsibility' due to concerns over the children's education and living conditions.
Italy's education ministry previously confirmed that Trevallion and Birmingham had complied with homeschooling laws, but the children's court-appointed guardian has raised concerns about their literacy levels, according to Sky Italia.
Italy among European states proposing 'multinational force' for Ukraine peace
European leaders on Monday proposed a European-led "multinational force" with US support to enforce a potential peace deal in Ukraine, according to a joint statement.
The force would be part of "robust security guarantees" for Ukraine from the United States and European powers aimed at guaranteeing that Russia would not violate an agreement to end the war.
The statement - whose signatories included the leaders of Italy, Britain, France and Germany - was released as European leaders gathered with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin.
The statement also outlined what it said were other points of agreement between a dozen European leaders and US officials in talks over the outlines of a peace proposal.
Ukraine's military should continue receiving extensive support and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops, the statement said, while countries should make a "legally binding commitment" to "take measures to restore peace and security in the case of a future armed attack".