Italy's PM Forms New Coalition Government

Italy`s conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has formed a new coalition government, which will be sworn in Saturday evening.
The naming of a government ends weeks of political turmoil, and gives the new administration barely a year to improve the prime minister`s popularity before the next general elections, scheduled for mid-2006.
Mr. Berlusconi has brought several new ministers into his Cabinet, but he is retaining Gianfranco Fini as foreign minister.
Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi asked Mr. Berlusconi to form a government during a meeting on Friday - two days after the prime minister resigned. His ruling coalition began to fall apart following crushing defeats in regional government elections.
The outgoing Cabinet had been Italy`s longest-serving government since World War II.