Brussels - The European Commission on Thursday opened legal proceedings against Italy over its failure to fully implement the European Union's common emergency phone number - 112.

The EU executive, in its role of guardian of the bloc's treaties, also referred Bulgaria and Romania to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for similar failures.

Castel Gandolfo, Italy - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday thanked the organizers of a symposium examining role played during World War II by Pius XII - a pope criticized by some for his stance towards the Nazi-led persecution of Jews.

Benedict, referring to Pius as "this noble Pope" said the symposium's work had helped appreciate that pontiff's "human wisdom and pastoral intensity... especially in providing organized assistance to the Jewish people," Benedict said.

Rome - Italian author Giorgio Bettinelli, who clocked up hundreds of thousands of kilometres travelling the globe on a Vespa scooter and then recounting his adventures in books, has died in China. He was 53.

Bettinelli who together with his wife had been living in southern China since 2004, died on Monday, a spokeswoman for his publisher, Milan-based Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore said Wednesday.

Berlin - Deu

Rome - Troubled Italian carrier Alitalia said Tuesday it was forced to cancel 40 flights to and from Rome's Fiumicino airport due to a strike by one of several unions opposing a government-backed rescue plan for the state-controlled airline.

The flights involved - almost half of which are international - where those initially scheduled to operate between 12 pm and 4 pm (1000-1400 GMT) Alitalia said on its website.

CUB, a union representing cabin crew and not affiliated to Italy's main labour confederations, announced its members would stage a four-hour stoppage beginning at noon.