Berlusconi abandons plan to wreck Italian government

Silvio Berlusconi has been defeated in his attempts to bring down the Italian government, announcing his party will vote to support the coalition of premier Enrico Letta, in a major U-turn.

In brief remarks before a confidence vote, Berlusconi said: “Italy needs a government that can produce structural and institutional reforms that the country needs to modernise. We have decided, not without internal strife, to vote in confidence.”