Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi set to resign after losing confidence

[caption id="attachment_318" align="alignnone" width="650" caption="Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will step down this month. Picture: AP"][/caption]

ITALIAN Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will resign after passage of a key budget bill.

The announcement capped a tumultuous day that saw the crucial budget vote pass parliament but fail to win the support of an absolute majority and thus maintain Mr Berlusconi's legitimacy as leader.

It also followed weeks of political and legal tumult for Mr Berlusconi, leader of a center-right coalition and a prominent figure on the world stage.

The Italian President's office said in a statement following a meeting between Mr Berlusconi and President Giorgio Napolitano: "Once this commitment (to economic reforms) has been carried out, the Prime Minister will submit his resignation to the head of state".

President Napolitano will then "proceed with traditional consultations with maximum attention to the positions and proposals of every political force - those of the majority from the 2008 elections as well as the opposition," it added.

President Napolitano's office said Mr Berlusconi had shown "his awareness of the implications of the results of today's vote" as well as "concern for the urgent need to give prompt answers to the expectations of European partners".

Earlier, leaders of both coalition and opposition parties called on 75-year-old Mr Berlusconi, Italy's longest serving post-war prime minister, to step aside.

The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, Pier Luigi Bersani, said, "The Government no longer has a majority in this chamber".

Directly addressing Mr Berlusconi, he added, "Hand in your resignation."

Mr Berlusconi's main coalition partner - the Northern League party leader Umberto Bossi - also joined the chorus of calls for him to step down.

"We asked him to step aside," Mr Bossi said.

The opposition would like to see an independent figure like former European Commissioner and economist Mario Monti head a national unity government, according to Italy's ANSA News Agency.

In the crucial vote on Italy's 2010 public accounts, Mr Berlusconi secured 308 votes to pass the measure, but that was fewer than the 316 he needed to maintain his legitimacy as leader in parliament. There were 321 abstentions.

Borrowing rates hit new records after the vote on investor fears, with the yield on 10-year bonds reaching 6.76 percent and the spread between Italian and German benchmark bond yields widening to a new high of nearly five percent.

Mr Berlusconi spoke bitterly of betrayal as he stormed out of parliament, according to newspaper reports, AFP said.

Eight deputies who refused to support him were labeled "traitors" in a scribbled note captured on camera.

Fans line up for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

[caption id="attachment_296" align="alignnone" width="650" caption="Enthusiasts waiting to buy the lastest version of Call of Duty at a Melbourne EB Games outlet."][/caption]

THOUSANDS of gamers have declared war and stormed the shops for the latest instalment of computer game Call of Duty.

Sales are tipped to rake in more than $1 billion in just a few weeks.

Gaming stores at shopping centres including Tea Tree Plaza, West Lakes and Munno Para opened their doors at midnight, as part of a co-ordinated global launch for Modern Warfare 3.

The game's "campaign" mode continues the saga of global warfare and intrigue developed in the first two instalments.

Players must stop an invasion of North America and Europe by a Russian enemy force, while the narrative brings to a close the story of "Soap" and "Price", the two Special Forces troopers who've been the heroes of the series.

But the biggest drawcard for most gamers is the multiplayer mode, where teams and individuals playing on Xboxes, PlayStations and PCs across the world battle it out in real-time to earn points and rewards.

Retailer EB Games said the demand had already eclipsed any other title in the company's 14-year history.

The Call Of Duty franchise's past two releases each grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, putting them in the ranks of the top-earning entertainment titles in history, across music, film and gaming. More than 30 million people played Call Of Duty titles online in the past year, with an average 6.5 million people logging in to play on any given day, distributor Activision said.

Ethan Blaine, assistant manager of The Pimp Pad Adelaide, a video games bar on Franklin St, said the game's accessibility and ease of play was a major contributor to its success.

"It's such a popular game because it is so easy and fast to play," Mr Blaine said.

"Because you can go in with all guns blazing and it's not about teamwork, a lot of people really like that aspect of the game."

RMIT University new media expert Dr John Lenarcic said games such as Modern Warfare 3 were popular partly because they made action heroes of everyday gamers.

"We're talking about photo-realism that approaches or surpasses cinematic quality and people can actually be embedded inside that narrative," he said.

A promotional video featuring Australian actor Sam Worthington and an AC/DC soundtrack has had more than two million hits since it was posted on YouTube on Friday.

You beauty: Seventh heaven awaits Aussie icon

[caption id="attachment_277" align="alignnone" width="650" caption="The Great Barrier Reef is shaping up to be a winner. Picture: supplied"][/caption]

ONE of the nation's most popular landmarks is a hot favourite to be voted among the world's new seven natural wonders.

The Great Barrier Reef has fought off stiff competition from 440 top sites around the world to be named as one of the top 10 finalists of the New7Wonders of Nature campaign.

In pictures: Top 10 new wonders of the world finalists

With only five days to go, the Australian icon still faces a fierce battle from the likes of the Grand Canyon in the US, Vietnam’s Halong Bay and the Dead Sea.

Other destinations that have proved popular include Lebanon’s Jeita Grotto, South Korea’s Jeju Island and Indonesia’s Komodo Island. The Philippines’ Puerto Princesa Underground River, India’s Sundarbans forest and Italy’s Mount Vesuvius are also favourites.

However Uluru didn’t fare as well, with the icon missing out on a top spot despite appearing in the selection of 28 finalists in September. Disappointed by the result, Tourism Australia is calling for help to boost votes.

“Frankly we're a little bit surprised that Uluru hasn't yet made the list, I mean have you seen its beauty? Thinking caps on everyone,” Tourism Australia said on its Facebook page.

Other stunning locations that failed to make the cut include New Zealand's Milford Sound, the Maldives and Brazil's Iguazu Falls.

However Bernard Weber, President and Founder of New7Wonders, said there is no guarantee the finalists will end up winning as there are millions of votes still to come in.

"Clearly Asian Finalists are strong at this stage, reflecting the way the world is evolving east, and at the same time I know the actual top seven will change in the coming days,” Mr Weber said.

[caption id="attachment_276" align="alignnone" width="650" caption="Halong Bay, in the north of Vietnam, is a picturesque bay featuring limestone isles of various shapes and sized. Picture: Bruno/Flickr"][/caption]

Tourism Australia is thrilled that the icons have been acknowledged by consumers around the globe as being among the world’s best and still holds high hopes for Uluru.

“To be one of new wonders is a terrific boost,” Andrew McEvoy, Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, said.

“Both the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru have a fantastic chance to be named one of the world’s next seven great natural wonders.”

Tourism Australia has been pulling out all the stops in a bid to win the competition, even launched a Facebook application to generate support for the landmarks, inviting Aussies to share stories and images as well as vote.

There is already a list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that includes the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Launched in 2007, the provisional voting results will be announced on Saturday.