Remember all those birds that died in Italy with mysterious blue stains on their beaks? Turns out they were just greedy little fatties who gorged themselves on sunflower seeds and died of "massive indigestion." Reassuring, I guess?

Italy is the latest place to ban plastic bags. Why visit, now?

[After Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi won a vote of confidence in the Italian parliament, protestors—and police, like the gun-holding gentleman in this picture—took to the streets. Photo via AP.]

[Italian PM and hooker connoisseur Silvio Berlusconi talks on a cell phone during his confidence vote in the Italian Senate today, which he somehow survived. Image via AP]

The bodies of two American balloonists, missing since September, were found inside the balloon's gondola by fishermen in the Adriatic Sea today.

Another day, another Italian prostitute telling stories about Silvio Berlusconi's sex life. The latest lass claims she earned €10,000 ($13,000) for two nights of "bunga-bunga" bliss, then explains exactly how she got into the Berlusconi orgy business.

[High tides in Venice forced the city to place raised sidewalks across St. Mark's Square. Photo via AP.]

[A child wades through an alley clogged with trash in Naples today. There are 10,000 tons of garbage on city streets, and the EU is threatening to intervene if Italy can't solve its chronic trash problem. Image via AP]

Translated from Spanish, this talking head says this cooking lid was inspired from the Bruce Willis film Unbreakable. A strange inspiration for a cooking lid, but lets put it to the test.

Italian police have seized 2,200 pounds of coke entering the country in a shipping container. The smugglers should have considered using a jet, since that's the hot new trend in drug smuggling. And we thought Italians were so fashionable!

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has responded to outrage over his relationship with a 17-year-old stripper by saying that it's "better to be passionate about beautiful girls than gay." First of all, no. Second: What does that mean for lesbians?

An Italian paleontologist has discovered a fossilized dinosaur skull inside a small town cathedral. Yes, an actual dinosaur skull! In a church! How did it get there? Did Jesus kill it?!

Concetta Serrano was summoned to her brother-in-law's home by Chi l'ha Visto—an Italian show about missing persons—where she was informed on live TV that her teenage daughter's body had been found—and her brother-in-law was responsible for her death.

[Pope Benedict XVI walks at his summer residence outside Rome today. He is due to visit England and Scotland in two weeks, and the Vatican quashed any possible fun by banning everything ahead of time. Image via AP]

[Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, Libya's "Brother Leader," arrived in Italy today with his all female Amazonian guard to talk business, and other things. Image via AP]

Internet empress Arianna Huffington is in Amalfi, Italy, apparently, mixing it up with Newt and Callista Gingrich, mega-entertainment lawyer Allen Grubman and his wife Deborah, and Barbara Walters. Proof fancy yacht vacations really are out of fashion for the super-rich?

Last night was part two of our Housewives journey to the old country. No, not the Old Country Buffet. To Italy — Italia, as foreigners call it — where we met the Jewdice family and learned lessons about travel budgeting.

A woman in Italy was questioned by police after a mother complained that her two teenage sons were "troubled" by the sight of her naked boobies on the beach. Perhaps "troubled" is the wrong word. How about "turned on"?

On last night's episode of everyone's favorite meatball soup, we traveled to the beautiful, garbage-strewn shores of the native country, mother It'ly. It was a lovely trip. Let me show you all the pictures.

A Palermo wedding photographer was shot and killed this past weekend after having the bridal party pose for pictures holding guns. Guns that were loaded, apparently. The worst part? The guy was just filling in for a sick friend.