Italian President Sergio Mattarella has agreed to serve a second term after coalition parties failed to agree on a compromise candidate for the office. The 80-year-old emerged as the most popular choice after six days of often tense voting in Rome. He had expressed a desire to leave office, but local media reported Prime Minister Mario Draghi had convinced him to stay for the "stability" of Italy.

He is expected to be formally re-elected later on Saturday. Announcing Mr Mattarella's decision to remain in office, Minister for Regional Affairs Mariastella Gelmini hailed the former Constitutional Court judge's "sense of responsibility and his attachment to the country and its institutions".