Violent protests erupted in Rome today after Premier Silvio Berlusconi won back-to-back confidence votes in parliament, narrowly surviving one of his toughest political challenges yet.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi today won back-to-back votes of confidence in parliament but was left with a wafer-thin majority that will make it hard for him to govern effectively.

Italian Premier Berlusconi survived a first parliamentary confidence vote today, but still faces a second, less certain, ballot in the lower house.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi pleaded with MPs for his political life today on the eve of crucial confidence votes.

ITALIAN prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has denounced what he called a campaign of lies and slander, and said he would survive tomorrow’s knife-edge confidence vote, as tens of thousands of protesters marched for a change of government.

Italy’s opposition has introduced a no-confidence motion against Premier Silvio Berlusconi in a move that sets the stage for a showdown in parliament that could spell the end of the government.

ITALY’S opposition said yesterday it would present a no-confidence motion against one of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s most loyal ministers, in another blow for the already wounded premier.

Victor L Simpson in Rome says the ‘Ruby’ scandal may prove to be the final straw for the Italian public

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi today dismissed calls to resign over his involvement with a runaway under-age Moroccan girl and created new uproar by claiming it was better to love beautiful girls than gays.

ITALY’S embattled Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi won a vote of confidence in parliament yesterday, saving his centre-right government from collapse.

Italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has split with a key political partner but insists his government is not at risk.

ITALIAN Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right coalition has backed down on a controversial wiretaps bill as its deputies approved a watered-down version in a parliamentary committee vote.

PREMIER Silvio Berlusconi faces a significant test in regional voting to be held across Italy tomorrow and on Monday — and danger is all around him.

HE has emerged from the fringes of a neo-Fascist party to position himself as the heir apparent to Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

Politicians supporting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi hope to bring in new laws that could cut short his pending trials on tax fraud and corruption, it emerged today.

PRIME Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday dismissed suggestions that he should step down for the good of Italy’s image, saying he was the only person qualified to lead the country now and by far the best in Italian history.

A COMBATIVE Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi vowed yesterday to govern with “even more grit” after Italy’s top court lifted his immunity and he dismissed corruption charges against him as “laughable”.

A DEFIANT Berlusconi, already weakened by a sex scandal, has vowed to stay despite the ruling by the constitutional court, which he called a political organ.

Brushing off questions about any possible resignation, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi insisted yesterday that he’s been Italy’s best premier ever and said he was considering suing the woman at the centre of his sex scandal.

Italy’s premier Silvio Berlusconi today attempted to dismiss the continuing sex scandal surrounding him by insisting he never paid for sex because that would remove the “joy”.

ROMA gypsies are being rounded up and expelled from Italy on foot of a decree rushed into law last week allowing the country to take such action against anybody who threatened security.

Italian opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi urged the country to close its borders to Romanian workers and a conservative ally called for the expulsion of tens of thousands of immigrants as the nation grappled today with public outrage over a wave of violent crimes blamed on foreigners.

Victor Emmanuel, son of Italy’s last king, was sent to a prison in southern Italy today after his arrest as part of an investigation into prostitution and corruption.

ITALY yesterday granted asylum to an Afghan man who faced the death penalty and threats for converting from Islam to Christianity.

Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini will ask the government to grant asylum to an Afghan man who had faced the death penalty in his home country for converting from Islam to Christianity, the Foreign Ministry said today.

Italy’s Premier Silvio Berlusconi said today that the European Union should intervene in the planned French energy merger aimed at blocking a potential hostile bid from Italian energy company Enel.

A Cabinet minister resisted calls for his resignation today, after his decision to wear a T-shirt featuring cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad was blamed for sparking deadly clashes at an Italian consulate in Libya.

An Italian hostage who told his Iraqi captors: ”I will show you how an Italian dies,” seconds before he was shot in the head was hailed a hero as his countrymen viewed the footage from his execution for the first time.

An Italian hostage who told his Iraqi captors ”I will show you how an Italian dies,” seconds before he was shot in the head two years ago was hailed as a hero today as Italians viewed the footage from his execution for the first time.

A panel of judges in Milan upheld the acquittals today of three North Africans, accused of recruiting suicide bombers for Iraq, on international terrorism charges, a defence lawyer said.

THE Palestinians took control of a border for the first time with the festive opening yesterday of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt - a milestone on their rocky path to independence and a rare moment of joy for fenced-in Gazans.

Iraqi president Jalal Talabani is to hold talks in Rome this afternoon with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, a strong supporter of the war in Iraq.

Israel’s prime minister Ariel Sharon lashed out against terrorism and praised the world for taking on Syria and Iran, as rebels in his own party continued moves to force him out of office.

World leaders have today welcomed the adoption of Iraq’s new constitution, but some observers cautioned that the country still faces major obstacles on its path to stability.

Italian voters today faced an intensely debated decision on assisted fertility in the second day of a referendum on proposals that would end a ban on embryo research and on donation of eggs and sperm.

ABOUT 1,000 US Marines, sailors and soldiers encircled the Iraqi city of Haditha in the troubled Anbar province early yesterday, launching the second major anti-insurgent operation in this vast western region in less than a month.

ITALY’S foreign minister said yesterday that a hostage in Afghanistan is all right and that contact had been initiated by her kidnappers.

Italy’s foreign minister said today that an Italian hostage in Afghanistan is all right, and that contact had been initiated by her kidnappers.

A group of “thieves” has claimed responsibility for kidnapping an Italian relief worker from her car in the Afghan capital Kabul, a senior police official said today.

Italy’s foreign minister said today the withdrawal of Italian troops from Iraq would be linked to Iraqi elections in December, suggesting they may stay longer than the Italian premier had previously indicated.

Silvio Berlusconi was sworn in as premier of Italy’s 60th government in as many years today, after naming a team of ministers that closely resembles the one he led until stepping down days earlier during a power struggle with allies.

Conservative leader Silvio Berlusconi formed a new government today, presenting a list of ministers to Italy’s president.

Italy’s president has asked Silvio Berlusconi to form a new government, two days after the conservative media mogul stepped down as Italy’s premier following a crushing defeat in a regional election.

The Italian president began talks with party leaders today on a future government, a day after Silvio Berlusconi resigned as Italy’s premier.