Italy's government wants to move this summer's Group of Eight summit from Sardinia to earthquake-stricken L'Aquila - both to save money and to give the devastated central region an economic boost.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said today he intends to move this summer's G8 summit from Sardinia to the earthquake-devastated city of L'Aquila.

A strong aftershock has hit the central Italian region where rescuers are searching for survivors of the country’s deadliest earthquake in nearly three decades.

Six people, including four children, were killed today as a magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck central Italy, reports said.