Motoko Rich

Kash Patel’s trip to Italy came at a fraught and frenetic time for the bureau and Mr. Patel, who has shown little willingness to curb his jet-setting.

Amid growing cross-border political animosity, the game meant even more than usual to Canadian fans who had flown in for one of the marquee events of the Winter Games.

Six homeless people have died in the Italian city in recent weeks, highlighting the widening inequality as the Games unfold there.

A backlash to Trump administration policies has followed U.S. athletes to Italy. One skier’s comments drew a furious response from the president himself.

The Milan-Cortina Games are overlapping with a moment of geopolitical turbulence as conflicts rage, national leaders issue threats and alliances are strained.

The Winter Games, which officially open in Italy on Friday, are rooted in international cooperation. That feels out of place to some in a world where old rules no longer apply.

In Cortina d’Ampezzo, a hub for the Games in northern Italy, some residents, including a former Olympian, are annoyed about all the construction. Others are annoyed that they’re annoyed.

The Italian government said it had requested clarification from American diplomats after D.H.S. said that ICE agents would help secure the U.S. Olympic delegation next week in northern Italy.

Leo XIV’s Christmas address was his first since being elected pontiff and was scrutinized for comparisons with those of his predecessor, Francis.

For generations, Italian craftspeople have built scenes depicting Jesus’ birth, sometimes including figures of celebrities. This year, some are adding statuettes of President Trump.

On his first trip as pontiff, Leo XIV predictably called for peace and unity. But he also addressed technology’s promise and pitfalls.

Traveling through the Mideast, Leo XIV channeled many of his predecessor’s messages. Leo’s deliberate manner differed from Francis.

The pope, en route to Lebanon after visiting Turkey, said he had discussed with the Turkish president how the Vatican might help Israel and the Palestinian territories find peace.

Leo XIV is being closely watched on an inaugural trip to Turkey and Lebanon to spread a message of peace and outreach.

The pontiff begins a trip to Turkey and Lebanon on Thursday — the first foreign voyage of his papacy, and his biggest test yet.

Leo XIV will meet political and religious leaders in Turkey and Lebanon, providing an early test of his geopolitical mettle. Here’s what to know.