Mario Monti

Centre-left leader Matteo Renzi was set to be nominated as Italy's youngest prime minister in a matter of days after a party coup forced Enrico Letta to resign as premier of the euro zone state struggling to pull out of recession.

Silvio Berlusconi has returned to the political scene after a tax fraud conviction, striking a deal with the leader of the largest centre-left party on electoral reform that could give Italy badly needed stability.

Italy's Parliament on Saturday re-elected Giorgio Napolitano to an unprecedented second term as president, after party leaders persuaded the 87-year-old to serve again in hopes of easing the hostility that has thwarted formation of a new government.

Four Italian journalists who were being held hostage in Syria have been freed, Prime Minister Mario Monti said in a statement on Saturday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today told his Italian counterpart Mario Monti that a view on specific aspects of the case involving two marines facing murder charges in the country cannot be taken pending investigations.

Italy's political crisis, already a month old, could drag on for at least several more weeks and is now inextricably tied up with the vote for a successor to President Giorgio Napolitano, the man in charge of finding a solution.

Outlining the reasons for sending back to India the two marines accused of killing Indian fishermen, Italy's outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti said Rome faced serious risk of being isolated internationally and could have opened a crisis of "serious proportions" with New Delhi.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mario Monti, looking tired and distraught, said on Wednesday he was ready to leave office a day after a prominent member of his government resigned over the handling of a dispute with India.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti addressed his country's parliament on Wednesday, a day after Italy's foreign minister resigned to protest against his government's decision to send two marines back to India to face trial in the deaths of two fishermen.

As Italy's Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi resigned in protest over the sending back of two marines to face murder charges in India, it brought to fore serious differences within the government over an issue that has sparked a furore in the country.

A decision to return two Italian marines accused of murdering fishermen to stand trial in India stirred anger in Italy on Friday and calls for Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi to resign.

Italy's stunned political parties searched for a way forward on Tuesday after an inconclusive election gave none of them a parliamentary majority and threatened prolonged instability and a renewal of the European financial crisis.

Italy was at an impasse on Tuesday after an election seen as crucial for the eurozone failed to produce a clear winner and provided a shock debut for a populist anti-austerity party, rattling world markets.

Italians began voting on Sunday in one of the most closely watched elections in years, with markets nervous about whether it will produce a strong government to pull Italy out of recession and help resolve the euro zone debt crisis.

Worries about Europe's economic health sent shares, commodities and the single currency lower on Thursday, extending losses caused by growing uncertainty over the US Federal Reserve's future monetary policy.

Centre-left leader Matteo Renzi was set to be nominated as Italy's youngest prime minister in a matter of days after a party coup forced Enrico Letta to resign as premier of the euro zone state struggling to pull out of recession.

Silvio Berlusconi has returned to the political scene after a tax fraud conviction, striking a deal with the leader of the largest centre-left party on electoral reform that could give Italy badly needed stability.

Italy's Parliament on Saturday re-elected Giorgio Napolitano to an unprecedented second term as president, after party leaders persuaded the 87-year-old to serve again in hopes of easing the hostility that has thwarted formation of a new government.

Four Italian journalists who were being held hostage in Syria have been freed, Prime Minister Mario Monti said in a statement on Saturday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today told his Italian counterpart Mario Monti that a view on specific aspects of the case involving two marines facing murder charges in the country cannot be taken pending investigations.

Italy's political crisis, already a month old, could drag on for at least several more weeks and is now inextricably tied up with the vote for a successor to President Giorgio Napolitano, the man in charge of finding a solution.

Outlining the reasons for sending back to India the two marines accused of killing Indian fishermen, Italy's outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti said Rome faced serious risk of being isolated internationally and could have opened a crisis of "serious proportions" with New Delhi.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mario Monti, looking tired and distraught, said on Wednesday he was ready to leave office a day after a prominent member of his government resigned over the handling of a dispute with India.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti addressed his country's parliament on Wednesday, a day after Italy's foreign minister resigned to protest against his government's decision to send two marines back to India to face trial in the deaths of two fishermen.

As Italy's Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi resigned in protest over the sending back of two marines to face murder charges in India, it brought to fore serious differences within the government over an issue that has sparked a furore in the country.

A decision to return two Italian marines accused of murdering fishermen to stand trial in India stirred anger in Italy on Friday and calls for Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi to resign.

Italy's stunned political parties searched for a way forward on Tuesday after an inconclusive election gave none of them a parliamentary majority and threatened prolonged instability and a renewal of the European financial crisis.

Italy was at an impasse on Tuesday after an election seen as crucial for the eurozone failed to produce a clear winner and provided a shock debut for a populist anti-austerity party, rattling world markets.

Italians began voting on Sunday in one of the most closely watched elections in years, with markets nervous about whether it will produce a strong government to pull Italy out of recession and help resolve the euro zone debt crisis.

Worries about Europe's economic health sent shares, commodities and the single currency lower on Thursday, extending losses caused by growing uncertainty over the US Federal Reserve's future monetary policy.