Italy has agreed more than €45bn of cuts over the next two years in an attempt to balance its budget by 2013.

Italy's Finance Minister is to hold talks in Luxemburg this morning with the Eurozone Chief Jean Claude Junker, as the country faces continuing pressure on international money markets due to its debt levels.

FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy threw his weight behind Mario Draghi’s candidacy to head the European Central Bank yesterday, giving a major boost to the Bank of Italy chief’s hopes of succeeding Jean-Claude Trichet.

Thousands of women are protesting in Italy this afternoon, calling for the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign.

BRIAN COWEN was criticised by one of his most senior ministers who said the controversy surrounding a late night drinking session and claims the Taoiseach was drunk on air was “damaging”.

Judges say prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s trial on corruption charges will continue, despite a ruling by Italy’s highest appellate court that overturned the conviction of the British lawyer the Italian leader allegedly bribed.

AN Italian court convicted three Google executives of privacy violations yesterday because they did not act quickly enough to pull down an online video that showed bullies abusing an autistic boy.

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.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today gave his strong public backing to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso’s bid for a second term of office.

US President-elect Barack Obama spoke with seven world leaders by phone yesterday, as he continues to prepare for taking office January 20.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is moving the Cabinet to Naples today, vowing to clean the city’s streets of the rubbish that has piled up for months and become a stinking symbol of government inadequacy.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will visit Russia next week at President Vladimir Putin’s invitation, the Kremlin announced today.

News reports in Italy say Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will resign today after addressing Parliament on the crisis enveloping his government.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s coalition was behind in regional elections held across Italy today, exit polls showed.

Italy is to start withdrawing its troops from Iraq, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced tonight.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has resigned as president of Serie A champions AC Milan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed George Bush as a “predictable partner” and said that if his election victory is confirmed, it would mean the American people had not given in to the threats of international terrorists.

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is due to meet Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Rome later today.

A Russian nuclear-powered K-159 submarine sank in a fierce late summer storm in the Barents Sea today, killing at least two of the 10-member crew, the Defence Ministry said. No weapons were aboard the sub.

The Italian government minister who had called Germans “hyper-nationalist” arrogant blondes has resigned at the request of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The Italian government tonight ducked another opportunity to apologise to the European Parliament for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s “Nazi” jibe.

The leader of Europe’s centre-right MEPs demanded an apology today over a “Nazi” jibe – not from Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, but from the target of his outburst.

Tony Blair has touched down in Genoa, Italy, for brief talks with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.