Foster child kept
The week's news at a glance.
Genoa, Italy
Italy and Belarus are in a diplomatic spat because an Italian couple refuses to return a 10-year-old Belarusian girl to her home country. The girl, known only as Maria, is one of many Belarusian orphans who spend their summers in Italian foster care. At the end of this summer, foster parents Maria and Alessandro Giusti put Maria into hiding, saying she had been raped at her orphanage and would not return. Belarusian officials say that if the girl is not handed over, all pending Italian adoptions of Belarusian children will be canceled and the summer foster program abolished.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a week
Speed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Gold tops $4K per ounce, signaling financial unease
Speed Read Investors are worried about President Donald Trump’s trade war
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas