La7's Washington correspondent recently broke the story ofTrump's claim that Meloni had "begged" for a photo.Daniele Compatangelo, the Italian broadcaster La7's long-standing correspondent in Washington, has died due to a sudden illness at the age of 50. He was found dead at his home in Washington and is believed to have died from a heart attack, according to sources cited by news agency Adnkronos. Compatangelo had recently made international news following a telephone interview with US president Donald Trump for the La7 programme L'Aria che Tira. During the call, Trump launched sharp attacks on Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, claiming she had begged him for a photo together at their last meeting at the G7 summit in Evian. The report triggered a major diplomatic and political row in Rome. A career spanning 25 years Born in Savona and raised in Turin, Compatangelo had lived in Rome before eventually settling permanently in the US. Over a more-than-two-decade career, he worked with several major Italian outlets and also ran high-profile press offices. Among his notable achievements was his coverage of global sport: a keen enthusiast, he covered eight editions of the Olympic Games as a correspondent, from Sydney 2000 through to London 2012. He also produced investigative work; his 2011 documentary The Los Angeles Breakdown received an Honourable Mention at the 53rd Southern California Journalism Awards in Los Angeles. His reports were broadcast over the years by RAI, Mediaset and the Swiss Italian-language public broadcaster RSI. In recognition of his standing in Washington, Compatangelo had served as president of the White House Foreign Correspondents' Association (WHFCA), the body representing foreign journalists covering US politics and the White House. Colleagues pay tribute La7 director Andrea Salerno said the network was "stunned," adding that everyone at La7 stood with Compatangelo's family and describing him as a precious and rare colleague who was always eager to report with precision and good humour. David Parenzo, presenter of L'Aria che Tira, told news agency Adnkronos he was devastated by the news, describing Compatangelo as not just a great professional but a true friend. Parenzo remembered him as an old-school journalist in the best sense of the term - a reporter with top-level sources who was passionate and always chasing the story, noting he was virtually always available at the White House, however early the hour in Washington. Photo Daniele Compatangelo - Facebook

Daniele Compatangelo, the Italian broadcaster La7's long-standing correspondent in Washington, has died due to a sudden illness at the age of 50. He was found dead at his home in Washington and is believed to have died from a heart attack, according to sources cited by news agency Adnkronos. Compatangelo had recently made international news following a telephone interview with US president Donald Trump for the La7 programme L'Aria che Tira. During the call, Trump launched sharp attacks on Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, claiming she had together at their last meeting at the G7 summit in Evian. The report triggered a major  in Rome. Born in Savona and raised in Turin, Compatangelo had lived in Rome before eventually settling permanently in the US. Over a more-than-two-decade career, he worked with several major Italian outlets and also ran high-profile press offices. Among his notable achievements was his coverage of global sport: a keen enthusiast, he covered eight editions of the Olympic Games as a correspondent, from Sydney 2000 through to London 2012. He also produced investigative work; his 2011 documentary The Los Angeles Breakdown received an Honourable Mention at the 53rd Southern California Journalism Awards in Los Angeles. His reports were broadcast over the years by RAI, Mediaset and the Swiss Italian-language public broadcaster RSI. In recognition of his standing in Washington, Compatangelo had served as president of the White House Foreign Correspondents' Association (WHFCA), the body representing foreign journalists covering US politics and the White House. La7 director Andrea Salerno said the network was "stunned," adding that everyone at La7 stood with Compatangelo's family and describing him as a precious and rare colleague who was always eager to report with precision and good humour. David Parenzo, presenter of L'Aria che Tira, told news agency Adnkronos he was devastated by the news, describing Compatangelo as not just a great professional but a true friend. Parenzo remembered him as an old-school journalist in the best sense of the term - a reporter with top-level sources who was passionate and always chasing the story, noting he was virtually always available at the White House, however early the hour in Washington. Photo Daniele Compatangelo - Facebook