Italian PM wins confidence vote

ROME - Italy's political crisis was all but over yesterday as the Chamber of Deputies passed a motion of confidence in the Prime Minister, Mr Romano Prodi, and the Communists promised to back his austerity budget. After a week of haggling, all 34 Refounded Communists in the lower house of parliament backed the vote, which was called to restore Mr Prodi's government a week after he handed in his resignation.