The Italian foreign minister Friday called for a European firefighting agency as wildfires threatened a town and forced beachgoers to hide in a sea cave.

Text of report in English by Slovene news agency STA Brussels, 14 May (STA) - Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel and his Italian counterpart Massimo D'Alema signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in numerous fields, in particular energy, the environment and transport.

Italy concerned about Gaza situation: FM ROME, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said Tuesday that Rome is seriously concerned about what would happen if a ceasefire in Gaza were to definitively collapse.

Helicopter gunships attacked suspected al-Qaeda fighters in southern Somalia yesterday - a day after US forces launched airstrikes in the eastern African nation.

By James Kanter and Peter Kiefer James Kanter of the International Herald Tribune reported from Paris and Peter Kiefer of The New York Times from Rome.