A former ambassador has been named as the first woman to lead Italy's secret services.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced his choice of Elisabetta Belloni as head of the Department of Information Security (DIS) on Wednesday.
The department oversees the country's foreign and domestic intelligence services and reports directly to the Italian government.
Ms Belloni, 63, has a long career of firsts.
Her appointment was welcomed by Italian politicians, including League party leader Matteo Salvini, who described her as "a woman of courage".
