Removes "Fact-checking in the energy sector" conference in Milan with A2A CEO Renato Mazzoncini as event will be held on May 5. No other changes

The following factors could affect Italian markets on Monday.

Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*).

For a complete list of diary events in Italy please click on IT/DIA.

POLITICS

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on Thursday Italy condemned Israel's seizure of aid ships bound for Gaza and demanded the immediate release of all Italians who have been "unlawfully detained".

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Italy this week to meet with Pope Leo, a Vatican source said on Sunday, as President Donald Trump's attacks against the Catholic pontiff have drawn criticism across the political spectrum.

Rubio is also expected to hold talks with Italy's foreign and defence ministers, la Repubblica and Corriere della Sera reported on Sunday, adding that the trip is aimed at easing tensions between the two countries after Trump's blunt criticism of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - one of his closest European allies - last month. It remained uncertain if Rubio will also meet Meloni.

ECONOMY

Italy on Thursday lengthened for three weeks a cut in ‌excise duties on fuels to help families and firms cope with rising energy costs, with the extension focusing more on diesel than on petrol.

April PMI manufacturing HCOB data (0745 GMT).

Transport Ministry releases April car sales data (1600 GMT).

April state sector borrowing requirement data.

DEBT

Italy cannot afford a unilateral withdrawal from EU budget discipline rules because it would massively increase debt servicing costs, the lead senator of the ruling Brothers of Italy party, Lucio Malan, said in an interview with saily Corriere della Sera on Friday.

COMPANIES

STELLANTIS STLAM.MI, FERRARI RACE.MI

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he would be increasing tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union to 25%, saying the EU had not complied with its trade deal.

BANCA MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA (MPS) BMPS.MI, GENERALI

Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio has signed a deal with siblings Paola and Luca to triple his stake in family holding Delfin to 37.5%, several newspapers reported on Friday. Delfin is the leading shareholder in MPS and the second-largest in Generali.

(*) GENERALI GASI.MI, INTESA SANPAOLO ISP.MI, UNICREDIT CRDI.MI

Intesa Sanpaolo is closely monitoring UniCredit's moves involving the Italian insurer, la Repubblica's weekly supplement Affari & Finanza reported on Monday. While CEO Carlo Messina has repeatedly played down interest in a tie-up and prioritised organic growth, a government-backed "systemic" call for Generali could change his point of view, given Rome's wariness toward UniCredit's more aggressive dealmaking style, the paper added citing sources familiar with Messina's thinking.

GENERALI

The Italian insurer is a satisfied shareholder of private bank Banca Generali BGN.MI and would remain so even it were to give up its controlling stake, CEO Philippe Donnet said on Thursday.

MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA (MPS)

Italian market watchdog Consob has launched a series of checks regarding the decision to convene the first board meeting eight working days after the shareholders' meeting in Siena, contrary to standard practice which calls for it to be held the same evening as the meeting or at the latest the following day, Il Giornale reported on Sunday. The regulator is also seeking information regarding a request made by CEO Luigi Lovaglio during the April 23 board meeting to urgently regain previously withdrawn powers, but without any document explaining the reasons behind it, the report added.

FERRETTI YACHT.MI

The yacht maker's second‑largest shareholder KKCG sees the group's future as a "consolidator" in the leisure boating market, the Czech investment firm's chair said on Thursday.

RECORDATI RECI.MI

Belgian fund GBL GBLB.BR is the frontrunner to join CVC Capital Partners CVC.AS as co-investor in the takeover offer on the Italian pharma group, Il Sole 24 Ore daily reported on Friday. CVC may also sell minority stakes to the Recordati family, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Canada's Caisse de depot et de placement du Quebec (CDPQ), the paper added.

STMICROELECTRONICS STMMI.MI

As part of its global strategy, the group, one of Europe's largest semiconductor manufacturers, is committed to investing 1.4 billion euros by 2027 in its plant in Agrate, in northern Italy, and 2.4 billion euros by 2028 in its Catania site, CEO Jea-Marc Chery told Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Sunday.

ITALGAS IG.MI

Italy should resume hydrocarbon exploration in the country and focus on biomethane, Italgas CEO Paolo Gallo told la Repubblica in an interview published on Sunday. Gallo added that artificial intelligence will generate efficiencies for 90–100 million euros as early as 2026, when the group expects to reach a peak in synergies from the recent merger with 2i Rete Gas, on top of the 250 million euros projected in total.

(*) JUVENTUS JUVE.MI

The Turin-based club on Sunday drew 1–1 with Hellas Verona.

M&A

MSC, the world's largest shipping group, is in negotiations for the acquisition of marine engineering and technical services company Jobson Italia, in line with its broader strategy of bring its supply chain in-house, Il Messaggero reported on Sunday, adding the deal could be worth some 30 million euros.

UNICREDIT CRDI.MI

Extraordinary shareholders' meeting (0800 GMT).

DIARY

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visits Azerbaijan to discuss energy supplies.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends 8th Summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Yerevan, Armenia.

Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti attends Eurogroup meeting in Brussels.

Milan, 'Next Milan forum' "Empowering future leaders" starts; ends on May 5. On Monday expected attendees include Microsoft MSFT.O Global Affairs President Lisa Monaco, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga.

((Milan newsroom, e-mail: reutersitaly@thomsonreuters.com))

For Italian market data and news, click on codes in
brackets:

20 biggest gainers (in percentage).............PG.MI

20 biggest losers (in percentage)..............PL.MI

FTSE IT allshare index .FTITLMS

FTSE Mib index........ .FTMIB

FTSE Allstars index... .FTSTAR

FTSE Mid Cap index.... .FTITMC

Block trades.......... .BLK.MI

Stories on Italy...... IT-LEN

For pan-European market data and news, click on codes in
brackets:

European Equities speed guide...................EUR/EQUITY

FTSEurofirst 300 index...............................FTEU3

DJ STOXX index.......................................STOXX

Top 10 STOXX sectors............................PGL.STOXXS

Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors.......................PGL.STOXXES

Top 10 Eurofirst 300 sectors....................PGL.FTEU3S

Top 25 European pct gainers........................PG.PEUR

Top 25 European pct losers.........................PL.PEUR

Main stock markets:

Dow Jones................DJI Wall Street report ......N

Nikkei 225..............N225 Tokyo report.............T

FTSE 100................FTSE London report............L

Xetra DAX..............GDAXI Frankfurt market stories.F

CAC-40..................FCHI Paris market stories....PA

World Indices.....................................0#.INDEX

Reuters survey of world bourse outlook.........EQUITYPOLL1

Western European IPO diary..........................WEUIPO

European Asset Allocation........................EUR/ASSET

Reuters News at a Glance: Equities...............TOP/EQE

Main currency report:...............................FRX/