Prodi prepares for power in Italy

Centre-left leader Romano Prodi today prepared for his return to power, shrugging off Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s refusal to concede defeat in Italy’s election and facing the first dispute within his wide-ranging coalition.

The squabbling between two centre-left allies over who should become speaker of the lower house of parliament posed the first test to Prodi’s leadership and renewed questions over the bloc’s cohesion.