Italian war correspondent missing in Syria conflict

An Italian journalist has been missing in Syria for 20 days, his newspaper La Stampa says.

Domenico Quirico, 62, an experienced war reporter, entered Syria from Lebanon on 6 April saying he would be out of touch for a week.
La Stampa says there was sporadic phone contact until 9 April since when nothing has been heard.
The conflict in Syria has made it one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work in.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Syria was the most deadly country for reporters in 2012.
Four Italian journalists were seized in Syria earlier this month but freed soon afterwards.Crisis unitLa Stampa's editor-in-chief, Mario Calabresi, said the Turin-based paper decided to publicise Mr Quirico's disappearance after a search for the correspondent failed to turn up any leads.
"We had hoped that keeping quiet would help bring about a solution," said Mr Calabresi.
"Unfortunately this has not been the case, and for that reason we have decided to make his disappearance public."
The Italian foreign ministry has activated its crisis unit to try to trace Mr Quirico.
The journalist, who has reported on conflicts in Sudan, Uganda and Libya, would often disappear for a few days at a time, said Mr Calabresi, but not for this length of time.

2 police shot outside Italian premier's office

A prosecutor says Italian politicians were the intended target of a gunman who shot and wounded two policemen in a crowded square outside the premier's office in Rome.

The attack Sunday came just as Italy's new government was being sworn in elsewhere in the city. Italy has suffered political deadlock since an inconclusive February election.

Rome Prosecutor Pierfilippo Laviani told reporters he had questioned the alleged assailant, who was taken to a hospital with bruises after being wrestled to the ground.

Laviani says the "desperate" gunman had "lost work, had lost everything." He said the man "wanted to shoot politicians, but given that he couldn't reach any, he shot the Carabinieri" police at the edge of Chigi Square.

Laviani said the man "confessed everything" and didn't appear mentally unbalanced.