She had never even considered a career in cooking. Then a Netflix profile helped shoot Ana Roš to stardom. Richard Vines on the unlikely story of the world’s Best Female Chef.

Independent off-licences breathed a sigh of relief when the Minister for Finance opted not to increase excise duty on alcohol. 

The European wine harvest is in full swing but the late spring frost and hail and an extreme summer heatwave have not proved beneficial.

Holidaymakers rescued from a resort in Sicily because of wildfires have described how their day at the beach turned into an emergency evacuation by sea, many wearing just their bathing suits and flip flops.

This week I am returning to Italy with a scattered selection of suggestions that range from north to south.

Nick Munier is well known from various TV appearances but you will probably know him as the yin to Dylan McGrath’s yang on the RTÉ version of MasterChef.

Twenty-five people died and dozens were injured when two passenger trains collided head-on in southern Italy.

Update 4.25pm: Italian transport minister Graziano Delrio has announced an official inquiry into the accident.

Our picks of what to watch on TV.

Is that wine worth its price? This is a question I am frequently asked, mainly regarding expensive Bordeaux.

According to some Canadian research, men find the scent of grilling meat more arousing than any perfume.

Seventy Afghan and Iraqi migrants were rescued from a packed boat off the southeastern coast of Italy and brought to shore yesterday.

In recent weeks, I have been praising Spain as a source of good value but this week I want to focus on Italy.

Check out our tips on what tonight's TV has to offer.

Your guide to tonight's TV.

CAN you trust a wine score or tasting note? One of the more animated discussions at the Ballymaloe Literary Festival was on the subject of wine competitions and point-scoring for wines.

THIS is an interesting time in the world of wine.

Need inspiration for your holidays in 2014? From city breaks to family getaways to adventure destinations, Isabel Conway has 10 of the best at home and abroad.

A psychiatrist has died after being stabbed 40 times by one of her patients during an appointment at a public health facility in Italy, investigators said.

I AM cheering up a lesbian on a sofa, in London; a “washed-up old lezzer”, as my sister describes herself, now that she is single again at 45.

A tour bus filled with Italians returning home after an excursion plunged off a highway into a ravine in southern Italy after it had smashed into several cars that were slowed by heavy traffic, killing at least 37 people, said police and rescuers.

HOME, 11.45 pm.

I AM in Dunnes Stores, stockpiling firelighters and recalibrating my relationship with summer.

Italy’s chance of stable government after elections this weekend may rely on forcing two awkward partners into coalition: former European Commissioner Mario Monti and an openly gay leftist he has vowed not to work with.

I FIND myself drinking rich southern red wines at this time of year in the hope that they will bring a little warmth and sunshine into my life (if only metaphorically).

Justin Timberlake says his and Jessica Biel's wedding was "magical".

Extra Virginity: The Scandalous and Sublime World of Olive Oil

AMANDA KNOX’S former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito is “very scared” but hopeful an Italian court will absolve him of murder, his father said.

IS IT brave or foolhardy to open an eatery in this meat-grinder of a recession?

IT deserves repetition: the cheaper option isn’t necessarily a bargain, and the dearer choice isn’t always an extravagance.

POLICE combed the area near the Swiss home of missing twin girls including a nearby lake yesterday, in a desperate three country search more than a week after they vanished with their now dead father.

The remains of two American balloonists missing over the Adriatic since September 29 have been found by a fishing boat, an Italian port official said today.

A pod of sperm whales was beached on Italy’s southern coast and at least five died in what experts said today was a rare and puzzling mass beaching for such a large species.

SUNWAY River Cruise has just launched a number of winter specials, including a Christmas Wonderland Cruise.

Lawyers acting for the Italian man held in connection with the murder of Meredith Kercher said today that they would be happy for him to be released from prison and put under house arrest when the evidence against him is re-heard.

Revenue from organised crime in Italy adds up to €85bn or about 7% of the country's gross domestic product, a small business lobby said.

Italy’s health minister toured parts of southern Italy today where six wild swans infected with the bird flu virus were found.

A special committee responding to the discovery of the deadly H5N1 virus in swans in southern Italy warned today that people should not touch sick or dead wild birds, but should seek professional help.

Bird flu has been detected in migratory birds in Italy, Greece and Bulgaria, it was revealed today.

FIVE people died and two others were reported missing as flash floods hit southern Italy, sweeping away bridges, cutting roads and derailing a high-speed train, officials said.

Cooler temperatures helped firefighters bring most of Portugal’s devastating wildfires under control today, although seven small new blazes broke out this afternoon.