Italy missed captain Wayne Madsen after an unfortunate injury, as George Munsey's 84 followed by some crisp six-hitting from McMullen and Leask helped Scotland heap on 207/4.

By Aadi Nair CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Olympic champions Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini of Italy edged closer to qualifying for the mixed doubles curling playoffs at the Milano Cortina Games on Sunday,

Italy has put in place a massive security operation for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics ahead of Friday's opening ceremony.

Ireland and Italy had contrasting starts to the Six Nations last week and will meet in Dublin in round two.

Italy's hopes of more home Olympic ice success in figure skating were lifted on Sunday when they clinched bronze in the team event at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

Across Italy, ceremonial brotherhoods are sworn to protect historic dishes – from salted cod stew to cured meats – using medieval rituals, velvet robes and fierce culinary devotion.

Driving Rome’s “Queen of Roads” revealed beach towns, buried arenas, and new archaeological discoveries mile by mile.

Michela Marcato, 54, has been blind since birth. She and her partially sighted partner were touring the site amid a new effort by Italy to make its myriad artistic treasures more accessible to people with blindness or low vision and enhance how all visitors experience and perceive art.

By Aadi Nair CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Britain's Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat beat Italy to ensure top spot in the round-robin stage of the mixed doubles curling at the Milano Cortina Games,