Excerpt:
Leaders of Milan's Muslims are to meet the city's Roman Catholic archbishop to apologise for an impromptu prayer service they held in front of the cathedral, a statement from the archbishopric said.
Images of hundreds of Muslims bowing to Mecca in front of one of the pre-eminent symbols of Christianity in Italy prompted outrage among some, particularly rightwing, Italians. Defence minister Ignazio La Russa proposed that prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's coalition should "reply" with a mass on Sunday on the same spot.