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BERLUSCONI FACES HIS 51ST CONFIDENCE VOTE
ITALY’S Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday called on parliamentarians to back him in a confidence vote, set for this afternoon. “There are no alternatives,” he said. “A government crisis now would be a victory for those who want to see Italy fall into decline.” Yields on 10-yr bonds auctioned yesterday hit 5.8 per cent. The ECB took action to reduce borrowing costs when yields reached six per cent in August.