THE Italian cafe made legendary in the film La Dolce Vita was seized as a Mafia asset along with £174 million (€200m) in property and businesses by police yesterday.

Thousands of police were on duty today in central Rome ahead of US President George W. Bush’s meetings with the pope and Italian officials.

Ivory Coast’s interior minister was killed today during a military uprising in the West African country, an aide to President Laurent Gbagbo said in Rome, where the president was on a state visit.