L'Aquila, Italy  - Rescue workers, paramedics and soldiers spread out across central Italy Monday, sifting through the remains of buildings that were nearly decimated by an earthquake that struck in the pre-dawn hours.

The quake, which reportedly reached 6.2 on the Richter scale, left 90 people dead in a region about 90 kilometres north-east of Rome, according to the Italian news agency Ansa, citing rescue workers.

Rome  - Veteran striker Andriy Shevchenko has said he would like to stay on at AC Milan after his loan from Chelsea expires at the end of the season, the ANSA news agency reported Monday.

"My hope is to remain at Milan also in the next season," the 32-year-old Ukrainian international said. "At the moment, no decision has been taken."

Sheva left Milan in 2006 after seven seasons, helping the Devils win one Serie A title and one Champions League. He scored 173 goals on 296 donning the red-black jersey.

Berlin  - German Chancellor Angela Merkel sent her condolences to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, following Monday's devastating earthquake.

Merkel said she was shocked to learn of the disaster in central Italy that "left many dead and injured as well as rendering countless people homeless."

The chancellor extended her "deepest sympathies" to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Rome - Fiorentina str

Rome - The return of Inter Milan striker Adriano from Brazil remained uncertain Monday with his agent quelling rumours that the footballer had been arrested.

Adriano, 27, remained in Brazil after being in the squad for two 2010 World Cup qualifiers over the past week. He failed to board a scheduled flight for Italy on Friday and did not communicate his decision to his agent and Inter.

His agent Gilmar Rinaldi, however, was quoted as telling the Brazilian network TV Globo that "there is nothing true" about rumours that Adriano had been arrested for being in a party with some wanted criminals.

Rome- At least 40 people were known to