Italy declares emergency over forest fires

Italy is the latest country in southern Europe to declare a state of emergency, because of a spate of forest fires during hot weather.

Greece, Bulgaria, and Croatia have aready declared emergencies because of the fires, which are now scattered across countryside from southern France in the west to Turkey in the east, destroying millions of hectares of crops.

The Italian interior minister, Enzo Bianco, said the nationwide state of emergency would allow federal forces to be called in to help firefighters.

Meanwhile several countries have responded to calls for help from Greece, where at least nine major forest fires are raging. Russia and Israel are sending helicopters and other equipment, and help has also been promised by Germany and the Czech Republic.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service