Berlusconi forms new government

ROME, April 23 (UPI) -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi presented a new cabinet Saturday to the nation's president.

Berlusconi's government had collapsed earlier this week after the Union of Christian Democrats and the New Italian Socialist Party pulled their representatives frolm his cabinet and demanded major policy reforms, the BBC reported.

Since then Berlusconi has replaced ministers heading the communication, health, industry and culture departments. The economy, foreign and interior portfolios were left unchanged.

The new ministers, formally presented to the president Saturday, were to be sworn in later in the day.