Italy's Giorgia Meloni forms new government

Giorgia Meloni was on Friday named as Italy's first woman prime minister and chose her cabinet team.

Meloni, head of the nationalist Brothers of Italy, swept to victory in an election last month in alliance with Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini's League.

A few hours before the new government's formation was announced, Meloni, 45, a career politician, told reporters that she and her allies had unanimously asked President Sergio Mattarella to give her the mandate to govern.

The new government will be formally sworn in on Saturday morning, after which it will face confidence votes in both houses of parliament next week.

(CGTN)