Turin, Italy - At least five people died in a lightning strike, drowning, electrocution, high winds and the downing of a tree as storms struck northern Italy, Poland and Austria.

A 10-year-old boy died Friday in Turin, Italy, after being hit by lightning while a 37-year-old Italian man drowned off Genoa the same day when he was swamped by high waves in the Mediterranean.

A female German tourist, 27, was missing in the rough waters near Ventimiglia, west of Genoa, and other swimmers narrowly escaped drowning before being rescued nearby.

Turin, Italy - Italian industrial group Fiat reported Wednesday a 3-per-cent rise in second-quarter profit over the previous year - a performance sustained by an increase of sales in its auto division including strong growth in the Brazilian market.

Net profit before minority interests totalled 646 million euros (1.02 billion dollars) from 627 million euros for the same period last year, the Turin-based company said in a statement.

Sales rose by nearly 12 per cent to 17 billion euros, it said.

The company's main auto division, which makes Fiat branded models - including the Punto, Bravo and Fiat 500 - as well as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and Ferrari, recorded a 14-per-cent climb in sales to 8.4 billion euros.

Turin, Italy  - Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Thursday defended Israel's right to exist at th

Turin, Italy  -  Italian industrial group Fiat reported Thursday a 13.6 per cent rise in first-quarter profit over the previous year - a surge it described as driven by car sales abroad and higher

Turin (Italy), Apr.