Italian PM Enrico Letta's coalition government on Wednesday (2 October) survived a confidence vote after former leader Silvio Berlusconi backed down from plans to withdraw his party's support.
The vote of confidence passed the Senate by 235 to 70 in favour of the government.
Berlusconi's party holds the majority in the upper chamber and the media tycoon had threatened to topple the government in retaliation over his imminent ban from the Senate after being convicted of fraud.
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