Silvio Berlusconi: Former Italian prime minister ‘diagnosed with leukaemia’

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has been diagnosed with leukaemia, according to media reports.

Mr Berlusconi, 86, had been admitted to Milan’s San Raffaele hospital on Wednesday with heart problems and shortness of breath.

The three-time premier has had a series of health problems in recent years, most recently recovering from Covid in 2020.

His Forza Italia party is a key component of prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s conservative coalition.

However, the former PM himself does not have a government role and sits in the Senate, the upper house of the Italian parliament.

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