Italy's new faces leave muddled voters uninspired

Rome (Reuter) - The Italian Prime Minister, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, broke his campaign silence yesterday, rejecting an attack on his government by Silvio Berlusconi. Mr Ciampi, a former Central Bank chief with no political ties, rejected claims by Mr Berlusconi in last night's TV debate that his Budget Minister, Luigi Spaventa, had presented false figures on Italy's budget deficit. 'Nobody can honestly speak of falsification,' said Mr Ciampi. 'In the face of this serious statement, I am forced to break the reserve which I had imposed on myself in the course of the campaign.'