Italian PM Berlusconi Wins First of Two Confidence Votes

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his new center-right cabinet have won a parliamentary vote of confidence one day after setting out policy priorities for the coming year.

The government won the vote in the lower house of the country's parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, by a vote of 334-240 Wednesday. A vote in the upper house, the Senate, is expected Thursday.

Mr. Berlusconi resigned last week after a political crisis prompted by the coalition's severe losses in regional elections earlier this month.

But President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi reappointed him after Mr. Berlusconi determined he would be able to form a new cabinet.

Tuesday, Mr. Berlusconi outlined his priorities for the period leading up to next year's general elections. He promised business tax cuts, policies to favor families and assistance to Italy's underdeveloped south.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.