Mattarella stays on as Italy’s president

Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s head of state, agreed yesterday to serve a second term, after parties failed to find a mutually acceptable alternative candidate in a week of fraught voting in parliament.

Mr Mattarella, 80, had ruled out remaining in office.

Mario Draghi, the prime minister, who failed to find backing for his own ambitions for the job, earlier called him and urged him to stay on.