Taoiseach Bertie Ahern tonight congratulated Italian political leader Romano Prodi, who was finally confirmed as the winner of the country’s general election.

Romano Prodi, whose centre-left bloc won a slender majority in last week’s parliamentary elections, today insisted he was already working on Italy’s future government despite Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s refusal to concede defeat.

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi today remained defiant in his refusal to concede defeat to centre-left rival Romano Prodi as Italians awaited the official results of a count of contested ballots in close-fought parliamentary elections.

Romano Prodi moved a step closer to becoming the next Italian premier today when the Interior Ministry sharply lowered the number of contested ballots in the closely fought election, boosting the likelihood that his narrow victory will stand.

Judges began inspecting more than 80,000 contested ballots, with Italian politics in turmoil and the country’s future mired in uncertainty following Romano Prodi’s narrow electoral victory and Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s demands for a recount.

JUDGES began checking thousands of contested ballots yesterday, with Italian politics in turmoil following Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s demand for a recount of rival Romano Prodi’s narrow parliamentary election victory.

Judges began checking tens of thousands of contested ballots today, with Italian politics in turmoil following Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s demand for a recount of rival Romano Prodi’s narrow parliamentary elections victory.

CENTRE-LEFT leader Romano Prodi said yesterday he doesn't fear that his narrow parliamentary election victory will be reversed when the votes are checked, as Premier Silvio Berlusconi has demanded.

Seven European presidents urged Europeans to rebuild their trust in the EU and plugged the benefits of the continent’s integration in a joint opinion piece published in major newspapers across the bloc today.

Pope Benedict XVI is to receive the Italian president today in the first formal audience for a head of state since he was elected to the pontificate.

Silvio Berlusconi’s resignation as prime minister amid mounting criticism over Italy’s sluggish economy and role in Iraq leaves the country’s president with a choice between calling early elections or designating a premier to assemble a new government.

Demanding answers and disputing Washington’s version of events, Italy’s premier said an Italian intelligence agent who was shot to death by US troops in Baghdad had informed the proper authorities he was heading to the airport with a freed hostage.

A state funeral for an Italian intelligence officer shot and killed by American troops in Iraq while escorting an ex-hostage to freedom was due to take place today, as a steady stream of shocked Italians viewed the man’s body lying in state in Rome.

European leaders going to tomorrow’s state funeral for victims of the Madrid train bombings will have their first opportunity to meet face-to-face the newly-elected Socialists, and perhaps get a glimmer of Spain’s future foreign policy.

European leaders condemned the Madrid bomb blasts as an attack on Spanish democracy.

US Vice President Dick Cheney said that the Bush administration has not given up on the so far fruitless search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The “jury is still out”, he said.

The Italian Senate has given final approval to a bill easing restrictions on media ownership – legislation which critics claim will benefit Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s media empire.

Italy’s president called for the US-led coalition, the Iraqi Governing Council and the UN to help speed up the process of transferring sovereignty in Iraq to an Iraqi government.

A SUICIDE bomb attack at the headquarters of Italy’s paramilitary police in southern Nasiriyah yesterday killed at least 26 people — including 18 Italians — and possibly left others trapped in the debris.

A suicide bomber devastated the Italian military police headquarters in southern Iraq today, killing at least 24 people – most of them Italians.

At least 12 Italian military policemen and soldiers were killed today when a suicide bomb ripped through their headquarters in southern Iraq.

THE wailing of grief-stricken mothers rented the air yesterday at the funeral for 29 earthquake victims, including the teacher and 26 children who were crushed when the school in an Italian village collapsed.

A mass funeral has been held in Italy for the victims - most of them children - of Thursday's earthquake.

By Giancarlo Manucci