Italy's government crumbled on Wednesday when three of Prime Minister Mario Draghi's main coalition partners snubbed a confidence vote he had called to try to end divisions and renew their fractious alliance.
Draghi did win the vote in the upper house by 95 to 38 but many dozens of senators refused to take part, leaving his 18-month-old administration in tatters with an early election in September or October the most likely outcome.
